By Staff
Special to The Star
Sunday, Dec. 3, 2000
Final touches are being applied by residents whose homes will be featured in "A Christmas Tour of Homes."
Sponsored by the Meridian Little Theatre Guild, the event is scheduled for Dec. 10 from 1 to 5 p.m. Proceeds will benefit Meridian Little Theatre.
Four homes will be featured in the tour: The residences of Ed and Rhonda Poole, Danny and Linda Hill, Mark and Leslie Phillips and Frank and Ricki Tucker.
Sitting on 100 acres in North Central Lauderdale County, The Poole Home is of a French Mediterranean style, with the Grand Room as the most formal area of the house. The 16-foot trayed ceiling is accented with custom designed tiles, and the room is enclosed with large marbleized column.
Located on Gilbert Joyner Road, The Hill Home is a Cumberland River cottage style Southern Living Idea Home featuring a Great Room with cathedral ceilings and a double fireplace opening into the adjacent Keeping Room. One wall of the Great Room is made of French doors that lead to a large porch that extends to three sides of the home.
A breezeway leading from the Keeping Room will take visitors back in time to Danny's Diner. Decorated in the styles of a 50s restaurant, the game room features booths, tables, a 1950s Coke machine and a working Wurlitzer antique jukebox.
With its vast and gracious rooms and unique architectural accents, the traditional style brick home of Dr. and Mrs. Mark Phillips is a showcase of holiday tradition.
The decorations blend well with the personal touches found throughout the home. Leslie has an extensive collection of Madame Alexander dolls and her love for antiques is more than evident. A highlight is the family's home theater, featuring a collection of framed album covers and movie posters.
Last, but not least, is the two-story home of Ricki and Frank Tucker, which sits on the approximate site once occupied by an antebellum structure. The house stands squarely in the midst of 30 acres from where the entire property can be surveyed.
Sheltered by two ancient cedar trees, the home's welcoming wings and dormer windows in a wood shingled hip roof convey a sense of serenity. Mustard colored mortar softens its red brick walls and dental trim embellishes the pediment and cornice.
Tickets for the tour are available at Rhonda's Connection, Saxon's, Hart-Hall, Point Rexall, Reflections, Great Southern National Bank (North Hills) and The Meridian Little Theatre Box Office. Tickets are $20, advance; $25 on the day of the tour.
For more information, contact Mary Anne Catlett at 482-0325 or Terry Slife at 485-0315.