Palmer Woods Association invites you to an elegant, intimate tour for those who love great architecture, art, history, and a great party.
To download a brochure, click here.
Your Destinations: Door-to-door bus service to five unique homes. Gallery owners, historians and docents will guide you through art and antique collections, exquisite furnishings and outstanding architecture as you explore each home’s beauty and holiday decor.
More details & parking info will be included with your tickets.
This site will be updated with more details soon.
Tickets sales have ended until next year's Tour.
To receive an invitation to next year's Tour & Soirée, click here.
Magical Journey: Your evening includes a tour and party at the majestic, newly-renovated 10,395-square-feet Van Dusen mansion. Indulge in a delicious celebration with hors d'oeuvres, wine tasting by Western Market and jazz.
Several other homes on the tour will also serve refreshments.
Soirée at the Van Dusen Home: Swing by during or after the tour. End the evening with more wine, desserts, jazz and festivities!
JAZZ
A. Spencer Barefield Trio with
Shahida Nurullah & Don Mayberry
THE TOUR:
1830 Balmoral Drive
This 10,395-square-foot manor was built by the Harvey-Ellis architectural firm for S.S. Kresge President Charles Van Dusen and his wife in 1922. The home sits on a triangular lot where Balmoral, Wellesley and Lowell Drives intersect. The four-car garage, with its two-bedroom chauffeur’s apartment above, sits on a separate lot behind the house. A brick-paved drive runs through the back of the house between Lowell and Balmoral. As such, most guests would enter from the rear grand entrance.
A small entry vestibule at the main entrance and a larger foyer housing the main staircase at the rear entrance both lead into the gigantic main entrance hall, boasting a large marble surround, natural fireplace and beautiful walnut paneling from floor to ceiling. The flooring throughout is all original art pottery tile. In the large living room is a huge fireplace with carved marble surround and walnut mantle, walnut wainscoting and a gorgeous bas relief ceiling. In the dining room is a beautifully stenciled beamed ceiling, as well as a “hidden” silver vault. The adjoining morning room is an all-limestone built octagonal edifice surrounded with a lead roof and windows and floored with lavish art pottery tiles with iridescent gold accent tiles. The all-quartersawn oak library has another fireplace, built-in shelves and cabinets, and elaborate crown-molded ceiling.
Upstairs are five bedrooms and four art pottery tiled bathrooms, as well as two original staff bedrooms and a shared bathroom. The master suite includes a huge dressing room with built-ins galore, and a private art pottery tiled bathroom with separate tub and shower stall. On the third floor are the fun rooms: a billiard room, huge ballroom and a gigantic powder room. At the bottom of the main stairways is a large catering kitchen, designed for use during large parties and to supplement the main kitchen. The home was purchased by the current owners two years ago and has undergone major restorations to renew it majestic character.
