Publication Date: Friday Apr 17, 1998

Cottage industry

Another local touring tradition gets underway this weekend, Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18. Five charming Palo Alto cottages will be showcased in the eighth annual house tour sponsored by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club. Dating originally from 1893 through 1938, all were remodelled by local architects and designers who integrated original charm with 1990s functionality. Each homeowner also met the Mills College Club criterion of working within a budget that is comparable to that of the area's average homeowner.

One home is a 1906 cottage that had only one room when Anthony and Pearl Glaves purchased it two years ago. Today, it is a two-story dwelling where light floods in from the undraped windows, lending an airy, open look to the home.

The center hall, which leads to the rear garden, cleverly doubles as a library, with shelves teeming with books. Up the main stairway, visitors will discover six artificial plants underneath a white four-paned "window" that actually leads to the attic. A striking wrought-iron gate decorates the wall.

"We found it at an antique shop," said Pearl. "It comes from Buenos Aires, and we thought it made an interesting decorative piece."

Another house on the tour is a 1937 cottage that used to be a Palo Alto rest home. Owner Eleanor Roberts decorated it in a traditional New England style, reminiscent of her Massachusetts roots.

The guest room features a treasure chest that Roberts rescued from the marshes of Cape Cod. Two spinning wheels, fashioned after 17th century style, also lend an old-fashioned Americana look to the room.

Roberts' home is filled with whimsical decorations. Visitors will be intrigued by her three elaborate wooden bird cages which, with their domed tops, look like royal bird palaces. Teddy bears are everywhere, and can even be seen sitting on miniature Hitchcock chairs in the living room having tea!

One cottage on the tour conjures up images of an elegant evening soiree. Owner Robert Miller, an interior designer, wanted "it to be cozy, and have a certain sense of drama."

He succeeded by painting the living room walls a chocolate brown color, which also lent an illusion of depth to the room. Cowhide-covered chairs and a Murano glass horse stand out amidst the room's decor.

Another house is an 1893 Victorian with a "painted lady" exterior that showcases the porch's period details. It was originally a 25-foot-by-25-foot dwelling but is now a four-bedroom, three-bath home. A children's playroom is cleverly tucked underneath the eaves of the pyramid roof.

The living room boasts a combination Victorian/Art Deco decor, complete with pressed-glass lights and deep purple velvet sofas. The kitchen features a Wedgewood stove that dates back to the 1940s.

"We wanted it to feel like a home that generations of families had lived in," said owner Carina Rossner.

The house tour will take place Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18. The houses will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at 1850 Middlefield Road. Proceeds from the tour will benefit Mills College students.

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