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Homes for the holidays
Published November 29, 2009
Custom-designed furniture and an emphasis on comfortable elegance are two things people will notice on the Brazosport Area Chamber of Commerce’s Holiday Tour of Homes.
“These are four beautiful homes that have been decorated to the hilt,” said Sandra Shaw, chamber of commerce president. “It’s certainly a great way to kick off the Christmas season and probably get a lot of ideas for your own home.”
The tour of homes is scheduled for 1 to 5 p.m. Dec. 6. The four houses are Dr. Anil and Laura Sinha’s house at 208 Teakwood in Lake Jackson; Joe and Jennifer Schlitzhus at 117 Pin Tail in Clute; Lisa Baker at 102 Manor Place in Lake Jackson; and Dr. Mouin and Reine Sabbagh at 56 Cherrywood Court in Lake Jackson.
Homeowners have been getting ready for the tour since before Thanksgiving.
“It’s fun, getting ready,” said Reine Sabbagh, one of the homeowners in Lake Jackson Farms. “We started very early this year, so we got to enjoy it longer with my family.”
The Sabbaghs decorated as a family, too.
“Each member of my family has contributed their ideas and touches and I made sure to ask everybody,” Sabbagh said. “I’m that kind of person — I have to involve my whole family.”
Family unity is important during all the seasons throughout the year, she said, and they decorate for each season. Each time it’s time to change the season in the house, they get together, turn on the music, make cookies and decorate.
Jennifer Schlitzhus, a homeowner in Clute’s Lake Bend subdivision, also said she’s been enjoying getting her house ready for the tour.
“It hasn’t been stressful at all; it’s been fun,” Schlitzhus said. “I realized I didn’t have as much Christmas as I thought I had. I’ve added quite a bit to my collection this year, but it’s all things I would have wanted to add to the home.”
Schlitzhus described her family’s style as “casual Western elegance.”
“I want the home to look nice. I want it to reflect us,” she said.
In both Schlitzhus’ and Sabbagh’s house, visitors can expect to see evidence of the families’ Christian faith. Schlitzhus has “Happy birthday Jesus” dishes in her house, and her young daughter has a Nativity set in her room.
The Nativity set is a prized possession in the Sabbagh house, because it’s the symbol of Jesus’ birthplace, Bethlehem, Reine Sabbagh said.
Both homes also feature custom-made furnishings. In the Sabbaghs’ house, the furniture in the dining room, formal living room and master bedroom was designed by Reine Sabbagh’s great-uncle. He built copies for past generations of her family, and the furniture in her house was built by her great-uncle’s apprentice. In addition, the house features tapestries woven by Sabbagh’s mother and sister.
The bed in the Schlitzhus master bedroom was custom-made from mesquite wood the couple hand-picked.
“If the whole house could be like this, my husband would like it,” Jennifer Schlitzhus said. “This is the place where you see a little bit more of who we are.”
The Schlitzhus’ back yard and new pool will also be on the tour.
“I want to make sure people come out here,” Jennifer Schlitzhus said. “This would be where I would want to hang out.”
A few tickets for the tour will be available at each home on the day of the tour, but Shaw advised getting them beforehand. People can start the tour at any house, and seeing all four should take around an hour and a half to two hours, Shaw said.
Mary Openshaw is a features writer for The Facts. Contact her at 979-237-0155.
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