Tyler Burns said he is starting to wear down. He has been decorating his mother's house in a holiday style since before Halloween, and the chore is taking its toll.
But Burns wants everything just so for the house — at 501 Walnut St. — to literally shine during its run next weekend as a stop on this year's edition of the Preservation Statesville Holiday Tour of Homes.
"I'm getting a little exhausted now to be honest," Burns said. "This has been a lot of work."
And it isn't hard to see what Burns is talking about. The house has a dozen Christmas trees, including one that is 10 feet tall and trimmed with impeccable detail.
"That took me two full days," said Burns, an interior decorator.
There are also two very impressive Nativity scenes and several lavishly adorned mantles above gas-lit fireplaces.
The nearly 110-year old house — which is known as the L.B. Bristol Home for its original owner, who was mayor of Statesville some 90 years ago — is owned by Burns' mother, Janice Burns, who moved there in 1988.
Janice Burns, who helped her son with the decorating, said the work is worth the effort.
"I love Christmas, and decorating is my hobby," she said. "It's fun, but I really love it when the work is done."
Burns would get a second to that motion from the seven other homeowners in Statesville historic districts whose houses are also stops on the Tour of Homes, which is slated for Saturday and Dec. 6.
Preservation Statesville President Jane Severson said the houses are all chosen on a volunteer basis.
"We ask anyone in the historic districts if they want to be part of it," she said. "If they are in one of the districts, they qualify."
In her description of the tour, Severson notes that the event is a celebration of both the city's rich architectural past and the holiday season.
"If history doesn't bring you," she writes on the tour's Web site page, "the Christmas decorations will.
Our homeowners have a flair for Christmas and you will leave with many ideas to usher in the magic of Christmas in your own home."
The tours are held every other year, and Severson said she is expecting big things from this one.
"We have some really great homes this year," she said. "I think we have a good mix of large ones and smaller ones. And they are all beautiful houses."
In 2007, Preservation Statesville sold 850 tour tickets. Severson said the organization has broadened its advertising reach and this year hopes to attract 1,500 people.
"We want to get as many people as we can to Statesville," she said. "I think our historic districts are really under-appreciated."
Want to Go?
Tickets for the Holiday Tour of Homes can be purchased in advance for $15 at the following Statesville locations:
+ Bonita's Alterations — 327 W. Front St.
+ Gi Gi's — 110 W. Broad St.
+ Shops Up Front — 1111 W. Front St.
+ The Statesville's Visitor's Bureau — 1551 E. Broad St.
+ Westmoreland Antiques — 117 S. Center St.
For more information about the tour, go to www.preservationstatesville.org or call (704) 450-9828.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement