Publication Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2002
Close-up look at Palo Alto cottages
House tour offers inside view of recent remodels

Thinking about remodeling your home but can't quite picture how it should look? You could find inspiration at five homes -- "Charming Cottages of Palo Alto" -- which will be open to the public March 22 and 23. None have been staged for the event, but rather reflect how the homeowners live. Two are actually in Menlo Park.

What: Charming Cottages of Palo Alto home tour, a fundraiser for Mills College When: Friday, March 22, and Saturday, March 23, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets: $25 through March 15, $30 after Info: Call (650) 368-5798 for tickets and information, including addresses and map to homes.

Homes included on the tour were remodeled with budgets within the means of the average homeowner of the area, according to Jane King, spokesperson for the Palo Alto Mills College Club, sponsor of the event.

Four of the homes were recently remodeled, accessing local architects, builders, landscapers, designers and decorators. The fifth was a scraper that was rebuilt over the old foundation.

Key features of the homes include:
** undraped windows
** light wood floors, often with Oriental-style rugs
** small, simple lighting, including recessed lighting
** wall colors in pale earth tones, with a few surprises thrown in (check out the brilliant blue in one boy's room)
** everything from limestone, sandstone and marble to Corian counter tops.

The homes were originally built in the 1920s through the 1950s. One of the older homes features gas wall sconces and a chandelier that have been converted to electric.

Information on the location of the homes will be given out with the tickets. Sorry, no photography will be allowed inside during the tour, so take good notes.