Tour Home Descriptions

"Light Up Christmas"

2010 Home Descriptions will be available in September.

Please come back.

The 2010 Cassina Christmas Tour of Homes showcases five island homes. An added bonus this year will be the inclusion of the A.W. Jones Heritage Center, Lighthouse and Museum Shop . In addition to these venues, the Cassina Cabins will be open for viewing on the day of the Tour and the “Best Bake Sale in the Southeast” will be held in one of two Cassina Cabins.

(The specific location of each Tour Home will be displayed on a map contained on your Tour Ticket.)

Stop 1 – Cassina Cabins – Gascoigne Bluff

These two authentic cabins, built in the early 1800’s, were used as slave quarters on the Hamilton Plantation. Each housed two families and had a fireplace. After the Civil War, the cabins fell into disuse. In 1932, Glynn County granted the cabins to the Cassina Garden Club. The crumbling buildings were then renovated and the grounds landscaped. In 1950, the County deeded the property to Cassina with the provision that it be used for garden club activities. On the National Register of Historic Places since 1988, these cabins serve as the Club’s meeting place.

On Tour Day, visitors are invited to come to the cabins to view the Christmas decorations and for refreshments during tour hours. The cabins are also the site of our famous BAKE SALE.

Stop 2 – Sea Palms

With Beverly Olliff’s guidance, this 1970’s traditional ranch has been totally gutted and rebuilt with charming results. Custom doors made in Ecuador beckon you to enter. Travertine marble laid on the diagonal then laid in square patterns creates an interesting design. The living room is very dramatic with a high, vaulted tongue and groove ceiling original to the house. Believe it or not, this area used to be an indoor swimming pool. A fireplace was added on one end and a wall on the other to make room for a light filled studio. A 12’ Christmas tree is a handsome focal point.

A long granite covered island anchors the kitchen and tumbled marble backsplashes laid on the diagonal create a nice pattern. A cozy den complete with fireplace, overlooks the backyard. The spacious dining room displays a collection of Mexican pottery by the artist Gorky Gonzalez on a handsome Spanish Colonial style dresser. The Master suite is next where windows were added and the bath area totally reworked. A gallery hall serves as a wonderful showplace featuring the owner’s artistic endeavors as well as those of favorite artists. A man’s study, a guest suite featuring three Stella Morton original prints, and another guest suite featuring original Italian prints completes this wonderful home.

Stop 3 - Major Wright Road Area

A Ski Chalet on St. Simons? That is the image evoked by the entrance to this renovated home. Stepping inside, its homey feel is both charming and sophisticated. A large, expansive kitchen abounds with fascinating touches - retro tin ceiling, brick floors, fireplace. A vaulted ceiling and a mantel reclaimed from the famed Oglethorpe Hotel make the dining room, behind the kitchen’s fireplace, a special spot. Next is the teenage son’s bedroom wing with its sport’s memorabilia theme. On to a cozy study complete with fireplace and beamed ceiling.

The large living room with its beamed and stained pine ceiling evokes comfort, informality, and charm. The fireplace could easily handle a visit from Santa and his packed bag. A screened porch beckons at the rear for warm weather relaxing. A trio of Christmas trees at the rear of the entry hall entices you to a large master suite with a view of Dunbar Creek. A luxurious master bath features a walk-in shower and double sinks mounted in an antique chest. This is a charming house, very homey and comfortable. All one needs is some mulled cider or hot buttered rum to finish the picture – and maybe a ski lift in the back.

Stop 4 - SPECIAL INTEREST STOP –
A.W. Jones Heritage Center & Lighthouse - Beachview Drive

The Coastal Georgia Historical Society is opening their Light House, Keeper’s House, and Museum as a special treat for tour visitors. Built in 1872, the Keeper’s dwelling is a unique Victorian design. The walls made of Savannah gray brick are twelve inches thick and the heart pine floors are original. The second floor exhibit reflects the way the family would have lived during the lighthouse keeper’s era. The first floor contains the Eugena Price exhibit which includes her writing desk and many personal items, books and awards. Other exhibits on the first floor include the history of St. Simons Island.

The Lighthouse houses a third order Fresnel lens that projects a beam 18 miles. If you’re energetic, climb to the top of the recently restored lighthouse. The view is well worth the 129 steps climb! The unique Museum Store offers a large selection of collectibles, keepsakes and gifts. Purchases will be beautifully gift wrapped. In addition, fresh wreaths and centerpieces along with holiday decorations are available for purchase. Also, a magnificent, nature inspired tree greets you in the lobby of the Heritage Center where refreshments will be served.

Stop 5 - Island Club

Designer David Sands has breathed new life into this renovated home decorated with African artifacts and beach themes - Botswana and Johannesburg baskets and carvings mixed with Tommy Bahama furnishings. The living room fireplace is faced with tabby pavers and yellow paneling. The dining area showcases a lovely Christmas tree with beach-themed ornaments attached with African ribbon. Plantation shutters helped create the den, aka the “man cave,” with all the bells and whistles for watching sports on TV. An African mask, Zulu spears, and zebra rug add to the masculinity of the room.

The two spacious guest suites bring out the beach feeling with warm to hot colors. Shell motifs, old tennis racquets, a Mexican sun and historic St. Simons’ photographs confirm their “beachy” qualities. The expanded kitchen with African granite and wonderful sea motif tiles once again combine the two focal points of this unique house. Upstairs the spacious master suite has a calm color palette. A vanity cabinet divides “his” and “her” areas and covers a former window to the outside. If only Isak Dinesen and Eugenia Price could come for a visit?

Stop 6 - Island Club

Picket Fence Properties has transformed a “dated” house into a marvel of modernity. The entryway with its tabby wall and wonderful light fixtures offers a hint of what is waiting on the other side. Horizontally laid shiplap stark white boards take the eye into the dining room with its ocean colors and fresh greenery. Wide, hand-scraped walnut stained floors capture the look of the casual beach cottage. Throughout the house are casements over the doors which replicate ties to past innovations.

The guest wing with its cool, calm palette features a home office and a wet bar with glass mosaic tiles. The kitchen complete with LG appliances has Calcutta gold marble on the island, and a blackboard cleverly worked into the door of a storage cabinet. A cozy family room and porch welcome visitor and family alike. A functional passageway leads to the master bedroom, featuring a raised tongue and groove ceiling. An outdoor garden room with reclaimed brick and latticework creates a peaceful focal point. The master bath features “white cloud” marble vanities and “bella lucia” limestone floors. An entire upstairs has been added. A fabulous playroom, with designated study, play, and relaxation areas, is a delight with a child’s Christmas tree in the front window.

Stop 7 - Island Club

This two-year old beauty is a lovely translation of the British West Indies “style” with Georgian features. Inspired by a house in Palm Beach, Harrison Design Associates adapted it to the wishes of the owners. The foyer with its white and black limestone floors, fluted boxed Ionic columns, and magnificent ornamental ironwork capture the classical features expected in a grand Georgian manor house. Upstairs are three guest suites featuring different blue and white fabrics. Within the living room/dining room a continuation of the classical motifs can be spotted. The lovely custom mantel has all of the elements of a George I design, evoking the Adamseque style of this period. The understated formality of the room is achieved by comfortable furniture, a Stark sisal rug, and Chinese Chippendale accent pieces.

The blue and white theme begun outdoors continues throughout the house, along with a splash of coral for accent. Delightful Christmas decorations mingle among the tabletops. Spied through the living room doors are an inviting porch with its outdoor kitchen and an infinity edge pool disappearing into the lagoon. Simple Doric columns and the pool design continue the classic details. The master bedroom suite features truly wonderful fabrics.

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