March 31, 2005

Spring Home Tour opens its doors in support of mental health

April 10 tour benefits Almaden Valley Counseling Service

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

Home is where the heart is. Homes also happen to be the inspiration behind the Almaden Valley Counsel-ing Service’s plans to host a spring home tour of some of the area’s most well appointed abodes to raise funds for mental health care in the community.

Glenview Drive—The Woodworth family This lovely 5,000 square foot home situated on a crest in the foothills offers breathtaking views of the Bay area and Quicksilver Park.  All of the work on the home including the layout, interior design and landscape design was done by the owners.  Special features in the home include red birch hardwood doors and cabinets, stone counters, art niches and lovely ceilings.  This home will feature a surprise raffle and refreshments from Charlie’s cheesecakes and Starbucks.

Pfeiffer Ranch Court—The Kirchick family They purchased their beautiful Graystone home four years ago. They have remodeled and decorated it to achieve their own personal style. Guests are greeted by a uniquely painted metallic silver front door.  Upon entering the home, elaborate woodworking and rich tones of gold and bronze enhance the space. Almost the entire color scheme has been derived from the Thomas Pradzynski art piece hanging in the dining room. The eclectic mix of Empire and Louis XVI furniture adds to the formality of the rooms. This home has an impressive mix of style and design as well as attention to detail. Guests will appreciate the thought and consideration that has been dedicated to the décor of the home.

Elwood Road—The Machiarella family Joe and Michelle purchased this property in 1999 and found the tranquil setting perfect for the French/Traditional home they envisioned.  Joe is a builder and Michelle an interior design consultant, so the home has many special features like a hand painted secretary, dining room ceiling with cherubs and an Alice in Wonderland playhouse out back.  You won’t want to miss the newly built pool with a 30 ft. natural rock waterslide!  It also has a wine room, gourmet kitchen with a stove imported from France, cappuccino bar and media room designed by Joe’s home theatre business. There will be a boutique at this location!

The AVCS is the beneficiary of several creative fund-raising events—the Alm-aden Times Classic 10K and 2-mile race, Snow Ball Fashion Show and Breakfast with Santa—necessary to keep AVCS services available to the community. One of the most popular events is the Spring Home Tour.

“This is our 25th anniversary year,” said Rocki Kramer, AVCS executive director whose home was included in a past tour. “And we are busier than ever. There is really a need for our services.”

Nonprofits are always in need of funding. The AVCS mission is to provide affordable mental health counseling with an emphasis on youth. But money generated by AVCS only covers 65 percent of the expenses. The rest of the
nonprofit’s expenses are supported by their auxiliary, community organizations, local businesses, individual donations and grants.

The agency offers a full range of counseling, which supports and promotes personal growth, positive family relationships and emotional well being. Services provided by AVCS include putting counselors on school campuses, and offering a geriatric advisory program, parenting classes and anger management workshops, all of which are offered on a sliding scale.

Impressive architecture, appealing decor
First-time AVCS auxiliary chair Christine Perry chose three homes in Almaden Valley, carefully selecting each with the criteria of impressive architecture plus appealing décor. And with her expertise as a realtor she has viewed 1,000’s of homes in her career.

“It was a lot of work, but we have three great houses for the public to see,” said Perry. “I was very careful about the selection and we have wonderful homes for the public to view. They all have different looks and are great houses to tour.”

And all three are unique, and promise something for everyone’s taste. From one home with a modern décor and a great view of the Almaden Quicksilver Park, to a formal and stylish home, which was custom built with breathtaking accruements, all of the homes could easily grace “Architectural Digest.”

And there’s more than just the gorgeous homes and awe-inspiring decor to see. One of the sponsors, Bloomster’s, is providing floral décor and garden topiaries at one of the locations along with décor from Casa Casa and Red Haute Couture purses to entice visitors shopping for Mother’s Day gifts. Another home will feature musical entertainment, Starbucks coffee and dessert and another home will feature a raffle for a beautiful table setting.

So if you want ideas to remodel or decorate your own home or just want to view some gorgeous Almaden real estate, purchase a ticket for the AVCS Spring Home Tour. And while you’re enjoying yourself, you’ll be helping others in the community who will benefit from the myriad services the AVCS has to offer.

The Spring Home Tour will be held Sunday, April 10 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available in advance for $25 from Almaden Valley Counseling Service or Bloomster’s. Checks can be mailed to the counseling service at 6529 Crown Blvd., Suite D, San Jose 95120. Call (408) 997-0200 for more information. Bloomster’s is located at 5945 Almaden Expressway at the corner of McAbee Road.

Tickets may be purchased the day of the tour at the door for $30.