It’s become an annual rite. For 13 years, thousands get an early dose of holiday spirit by trekking through the city in mid-November, sneaking a peek at beautiful homes exquisitely decorated by Ottawa florists and designers.
Some will have subtle touches, others are over the top, but all showcase a range of possibilities for celebrating the season in style — with florals, decorations, lights and tradition.
The idea is to raise funds — lots of them — for the palliative care offered by Hospice Care Ottawa, while highlighting the talents of some of the city’s top decorators and offering a fun way to explore knockout homes that serve up great ideas for dressing up our own spaces.
This year was no exception. Eight homes, stretching from Rockcliffe Park to rural Kanata, dazzled more than 1,600 visitors over three days with a floral overload of Christmas and Hanukkah. The event raised more than $200,000.
“It’s so gracious of the homeowners to open up their homes like that,” says Andrea Laurin, who was honorary chair of the tour along with her husband, Dennis. “People have such human interest; everyone’s so curious about how people live.”
The Laurins were back after putting their own home on the tour last year and feeling it was important to get involved once again.
“When people are at the end of life in their care, they want to leave this life in a home environment. (It) makes so much sense then to support a house tour and make that your fundraiser.”
Get inspired for your own decorating by taking a peek at the homes on this year’s tour. And if you’d like to help out Hospice Care Ottawa, visit hospicecareottawa.ca or call 613-260-2906, ext. 222.
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