Something new has been added to the Delray Beach Home Tour this year — outside art. Plein-air artists will set up easels around the featured homes.
“The artists can paint whatever they wish, the houses or people going to look at them,” said event co-chairwoman Kari Shipley. “It really makes for a nice outing.”
This is the 18th year for the home tour, which will spotlight eight gorgeous homes in the Seagate neighborhood on March 7.
Guests will have a rare glimpse into a variety of designs and architectural styles, from traditional Intracoastal estates to historic Florida cottages to modern tropical chic. One of the homes was built in 1926 and moved to its current location by barge.
All the houses are within a walkable, four-block area, but participants may take a trolley from First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach on Gleason Street to the homes.
Included in the ticket price are a tranquil catered luncheon on a tented tennis court next to a home on the Intracoastal Waterway, and a chance to bid on auction items and raffles.
Last year’s tour drew about 800 visitors and raised more than $130,000 for the Achievement Centers for Children & Families, a Delray Beach-based organization dedicated to serving low-income children and families.
The tour started 18 years ago when Achievement Centers board members Anne Bright and Barbara Murphy came up with the idea to raise money for the nonprofit organization. Since then, the event has raised approximately $1.25 million.
Shipley, a board member and longtime supporter of the centers, says this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Achievement Centers for Children & Families. She has been involved with the tours for 17 years and her house was on the tour twice — but not this year. Her co-chairwoman is Noreen Payne.
“The home tour has not only become a signature Achievement Centers event, but one the community looks forward to,” Shipley said.
— Mary Thurwachter
This home on Seasage Drive seems built to show off the owner’s collection of artwork, including Yemassee Lounge, a 1990 painting by Jonathan Green. This year’s tour will also feature artists at work outside the homes. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
The guest quarters of one of the tour homes on Oleander Lane has the luxury feel of a master bedroom and functionality of an apartment. It has an en-suite bathroom and kitchenette.
Our Boat House, which sells home furnishings with nautical themes, did a design in blue and white for this home on Seasage Drive.
BELOW: The modest-sized dining room area of this home on Bucida Road reflects the scale of the original structure when the home was moved by barge in 1926 to its current location. ABOVE: A 3,500-square-foot expansion in 1978 created this open entertainment area with a vaulted ceiling and fireplace.
A hammock hangs from a pair of palm trees framing a stunning view of the Intracoastal Waterway at this Oleander Lane home. Pink chairs surround a small fire pit.
An open wood and glass staircase leads from the reception area to the second floor of this modern two-story home on Seagate Drive.
This two-story home on Seagate Drive is another example of contemporary design influence in the beach neighborhood.
Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
18th annual Delray Beach Home Tour
When: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. March 7
Where: Seagate neighborhood
Tickets: $125 per person, includes a tour through residences, complimentary parking and trolley service between homes.
Info: For tickets, visit DelrayHomeTour.com or call 266-0003.
Benefits: Proceeds go to Achievement Centers for Children & Families, AchievementCentersFL.org.
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