2019 Houston Heights Holiday Home Tour

We’ll be bringing holiday cheer to the Heights once again with our 2019 Holiday Home Tour on Friday, December 6 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM and Saturday, December 7 from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This 30th edition of the annual event takes the theme “These are a few of my favorite things…” and as such, each of the 5 featured homes will showcase a unique assortment of antique holiday decorations that remind their owners of the season. A special thanks to this year’s Holiday Home Tour chair, Andrea Hellyer, for organizing this cherished seasonal event.

TICKETS

Advance tickets purchased online WILL NOT be mailed to you. They can ONLY be picked up at the Houston Heights City Hall & Fire Station (107 W 12th Street) on home tour weekend, during the hours of the tour. And while advance ticket sales have ended, tickets can still be purchased for $30 at the Fire Station during the hours of the tour. Tickets can also be purchased at beloved Houston Heights retailers—Buchanan’s Native Plants at 611 E. 11th, Jubilee at 325 W. 19th, and Noted. at 1901 Lawrence—during their respective business hours.

ABOUT THE TOUR

The Holiday Home Tour is self-guided. You may visit the homes at your own pace. Shuttles are provided between the homes and the Fire Station located at 12th Street and Yale. Parking is available at and near the Fire Station for shuttle riders. Guests may also drive themselves between the homes and park along the street near each home.

Now, a little background on the 5 wonderful homes that will be showcased on this year’s tour:

The Deisch Home, located at 525 West 18th Street

In 2017, Carolyn and Phillip Deisch were told a developer planned to build three townhomes on the property where a small dilapidated 1909 Craftsman bungalow stood. With very little deliberation or any major plans, the Deisch’s impulsively purchased the 1,047 square-foot home on the spot. Having sold their rambling 1960s ranch home of 26 years, the small bungalow did not have the modern, open floorplan the Deischs envisioned, so they quickly agreed that a modern interior with the same traditional exterior facade was the right approach. They opened up the original home for a new addition with a vaulted ceiling and numerous windows. Today, the home is 2,200 square feet with three bedrooms and two baths, all on one level. An early photograph of the house looks much as it does today, albeit with a new metal porch roof, a long list of updates and an addition barely visible from the street. Wayne Pflughaupt, the original owner, toured the house as it was being remodeled. He gave the Deisch’s a notebook with copies of contracts from the original building as well as the Pflughaupt family history, clearly pleased the bungalow had been saved.

The Kirksey Home, located at 1133 Arlington

As owner of Jubilee in the Heights for the past 24 years, Kristal Kirksey knew she wanted to live in the same historic area as her business. When she purchased her 1920’s bungalow 21 years ago, the house still had gas room heaters and no central air. Kirksey has lovingly redone it, room by room. With the exception of opening up the living/dining/kitchen to create one large space, Kirksey has purposefully maintained the original home’s floor plan and hardwood floors, doors, shiplap, and wood siding. Kirksey’s home reflects her personal style, which she describes as “vintage glam,” with many antiques and mid-century furnishings. She loves Christmas and has a wonderful collection of vintage blow-molds and vintage pink ornaments. With a special eye for mid-century Christmas decorations, Kirksey has a life-size nativity, Santa and train, angel choir, and Santa with reindeer on the roof, and an old aluminum tree. Kirksey has been awarded the HHA Bling Award and Marcella Perry Award and her house has been featured in the Houston Chronicle, the Heights Pages and Texas Highways.

Sara’s Bed and Breakfast Inn, located at 941 Heights Boulevard

John Deveau fell in love with the architectural uniqueness of this 1898 Victorian at a wedding he attended in 2007. Seven years later he and his wife Jihye purchased the inn. Through the years, the property has undergone many renovations. Originally a one-story private residence, a second story with turret and widow’s walk was added in 1980. After the addition of the second floor, the structure stood vacant for years. In 1983, Donna and Tillman Arledge purchased the property and began a restoration and conversion to a bed and breakfast inn, which opened in June of 1986. Under the Deveau’s watchful eye, the property has undergone another transformation to a true Victorian painted lady of Houston. Both the carriage house and main house received a second renovation, with many of the original brown walls once again adorning Victorian styled wallpaper. In addition to room renovations, the Deveau’s updated the main hallway in 2018, choosing a pink striped wallpaper and pink trim color in honor of its first two decades as a bed and breakfast when it was primarily pink inside and out. It is the longest running bed and breakfast in Houston, having been in operation for 32 years. It has continued to be the No. 1 ranked bed and breakfast per TripAdvisor every month since September 2014.

The Starr Home, located at 1811 Harvard

Jason and Tera Starr moved to Houston in 2006, living only a short distance from what would become their current home on Harvard. Having spent a lot of time in Houston’s Historic Heights visiting friends or dining at one of the many delightful restaurants in the area, it did not take long for them to know with certainty the Heights was where they wanted to live. They put a plan in motion after their oldest son was born in 2013. Having toured about a half dozen homes through the course of several months they came upon their current property. They immediately fell in love with the existing structure as well as the location. The original home was a 1920s two-bedroom, one-bathroom bungalow. The home had been vacant for some time but despite its poor condition, the charm was still very much alive. Partnering with Southland Homes of Texas, the Starr’s kept the original windows in the existing structure along with all other salvageable material when they expanded the home to create an open floor plan and a second story. Their home was a 2014 HHA Community Improvement Awards Finalist for Residential Restoration and was featured in the 2018 November/December issue of “This Old House” magazine.

The Wright Home, located at 440 Heights Boulevard

Seeking to enjoy the walkable, small town feel of the Heights, Steve and Donna Wright purchased their 1943 farmhouse in June of 2010. They wanted a fixer-upper and it took them just one five-minute tour to discover this house had the foundation they were looking for in a home: high ceilings, large closets, a big yard, and lots of potential. Donna not only represented the couple as their real estate agent, she also designed the new plans for their home and garden. The outdoor renovation included new landscaping and the addition of an outdoor kitchen, fire pit, raised garden and outdoor dining area. Inside they completely rebuilt the kitchen, added a wine room, a coffee bar in the master, and remodeled the bathrooms and laundry room. They also updated the light fixtures and installed a sound system inside and out. The home is very simple, livable and functional and the French farmhouse design encompasses their family-friendly, informal lifestyle. With no wasted space, it offers numerous quaint and intimate spaces indoors and out to enjoy time with their family and friends.