Monday, August 11, 2014

No “Twinkie” homes here!

(Originally posted at OC Tastemakers on April 22, 2013.)


In my opinion, there are two kinds of neighborhoods of single-family, stand-alone homes.
One consists of “Twinkie” houses, named after the late-and-possibly-soon-to-be-revived Hostess cake. Twinkie houses look alike. They may be tasteful and individual on the inside, but walking in a neighborhood of Twinkie houses can be a numbing experience (unless you concentrate on something else, like trees or flowers).  Homeowners’ associations (HOAs) do not allow Twinkie house owners to paint their homes in bright, lively colors (like, ironically, an actual Twinkie would be), nor do they allow personal touches such as gardens or landscaping in the front yard.

The other kind of neighborhood is a Gallery of Homes. Each house is different, and this variety delights the eye. You may see an adobe-style home right next to a Colonial right next to an Art Deco right next to a bungalow. People love to walk in Gallery of Homes neighborhoods. People get in their cars and drive to Gallery of Homes neighborhoods just so they can walk in them.
It’s exercise, aesthetics, meditation – and sometimes therapy.

 
This upcoming weekend, April 27 and 28 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day), you will have the opportunity to walk  – and much more – at the annual Floral Park Home and Garden Tour. Floral Park is within the borders of Santa Ana, but it is not “like” the stereotypes you might attach to Santa Ana – or, for that matter, most other Orange County neighborhoods.
 
Floral Park started to grow right after World War I, and without a dictatorial HOA on hand, homeowners were allowed to build in the style that their hearts desired. Thanks to a dedicated and active Neighborhood Association, Floral Park has been allowed to stay the way it is – a Gallery of Homes neighborhood.
 
 
For the price of a ticket ($30), you will receive the privilege of actually going into a select few of the Floral Park homes for docent-led tours. No matter which homes you go to, I guarantee (and I don’t guarantee often) that you will see prime examples of good taste in interior and backyard decorating.
 
In addition to the Home Tour, there will also be a “Street of Treasures” (i.e., arts, crafts, and antiques) and a classic car exhibition.
According to the 2012 Home Tour brochure,
“We are proud of our heritage and endeavor to maintain historic correctness [italics mine] in the process of refurbishing, remodeling and upgrading our classic homes.”

(If you want to keep the magic going, Tustin will have its own Home Tour one week later on Saturday, May 4, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

 
 
 

 

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