One of the things this year’s Tour of Homes committee focused on was using social media to help spread the word about our event. In addition to a robust website, we created a Facebook page and filled it with pictures of the homes and other relevant posts, blogged about the event on Virginia-Highland Patch, and took advantage of message boards like VHLIST and Next Door Virginia-Highland. We believe our efforts to promote through social media were a key part of the overall success of this year’s event.

We were pleased to have been ‘discovered’ this year by local home organizing consultant and blogger Tidy-Up Gal who stopped by and enjoyed this year’s tour. Tidy-Up Gal promoted our event prior to the Tour weekend and got access to take photos of VHCA board vice-president Lola Carlisle’s home. Photos from that tour were featured in a recent blog post. This type of exposure is a great adjunct to use of traditional media in promoting our event and we look forward to more such opportunities in 2013.

And that’s a wrap!

Wow – what an incredible Tour of Homes weekend in Virginia Highland! I can’t begin to tell you how many personal emails I‘ve received about the homes, food tastings and neighborhood from last weekend. So many people praising our event from the pre-tour advertisement “buzz” and smooth transactions at ticket check-in to the amazing food samplings and hard working volunteers. Our streets were alive and the stores jam-packed. Tour goers enjoyed live, traditional holiday caroling as the Grady High School chorus entertained at the homes and at the North Highland/Virginia Ave. intersection.

And this year’s tour really delivered! The tour committee wants to sincerely thank the generous homeowners who allowed more than 1,600 tour-goers to view their incredible homes. The committee also wants to thank the fabulous restaurants, sponsors and the many volunteers for their hard work and support this year. There’s no way we could have made this tour happen without all of you.

One of my favorite sayings is “Go Big or Go Home” and this year’s tour did just that…we killed it!  By any measure, this year’s tour was a success. Close to 1,100 tickets were sold and, combined with sponsor revenue, the tour generated more than $36,000 for our neighborhood (a $3,000 increase over last year)! Pre-sale of tickets – both online and through our in-town locations – was strong, a direct result of promoting the event through our incredible website and Voice newsletter, the new banners we placed around the neighborhood and the local shops that displayed our signage, blogger support, promoting our event through Facebook and other social media, and, of course, the generous support of our sponsors and vendors.

As was the case with Summerfest in June, Mother Nature played a big role in ensuring our event’s success. With warm temperatures and no rain, attendance both days was very strong.

What does this really mean to us all? It means we raised money for the community we all take so much pride in – money that will directly impact each and every one of us. These funds go toward support of our parks, sidewalk repairs, safety, streetlights, landscaping and many other community projects that pop up throughout the year.

Let me share a quick story with you. On Saturday evening (after Day One of the tour) my hubby and I snuck in a quick dinner at Murphy’s. As always, the restaurant was packed. I talked to people at the tables around us, many of whom were from outlying areas and had come to VaHi to make a day of it. They “Toured, Ate and Shopped,” just as we had hoped they would. Most had had such a great time that they were ready to pack up and move to here! They loved our quaint village, the fact that everyone took pride in the community and that we can walk everywhere here and that the neighborhood seemed so health-conscious. My response to them was that these are precisely the reasons why most residents choose to call Virginia-Highland home.

In closing, I couldn’t be more proud of the many TOH committee members who went above and beyond to make this tour an incredible success. It was a pleasure working with everyone and we’ve already begun discussing next year’s tour while our energy level is high. If there’s any feedback about the tour that you’d like to share with us, please email it to tour@vahi.org.

Also, if you weren’t a sponsor for this year’s tour but would like to consider it for next year, please let us know.

Happy Holidays to everyone who attended this year’s tour or helped make it a success. I sincerely hope you enjoy this special time of year with your family and friends.

- Angelika Taylor, 2012 Tour of Homes Chair

Let the count down begin! With only a few days left before this year’s Virginia-Highland Tour of Homes, there’s plenty of excitement and anticipation in the air for the weekend of December 8^th and 9^th.

Driving around the neighborhood you’ve probably noticed all the yard signs and banners. They’re brand new this year and are really helping get the word out. The Tour of Homes website is live and full of great content and online ticket sales are increasing daily. Please visit www.vahitourofhomes.org for a preview of this year’s tour homes. And if you’re on Facebook, find us and like us – there’s a lot of great information there, too.

This year’s tour features eight inspiring homes including several turn-of-the-century bungalows expertly renovated in designer style; a 1920’s Tudor Cottage reinvented for relaxed, luxe living; a contemporary masterpiece reminiscent of Frank Lloyd Wright’s signature prairie style; and a fully-restored, historic bed & breakfast.

In addition, nine local restaurants – La Tavola, Atkins Park, DBA Barbecue, Murphy’s, El Taco, Genki, Osteria 832, Pozole’, and Noche – will be hosting food samplings on both tour days. I’ve seen their menus and they’re all going out of their way to “show-off” their incredibly different offerings. The food is a serious bonus on this tour – you could easily consider it your appetizer and lunch for the day!

All our sponsors and home vendors are ready to market their goods and/or services as well. If you’re planning to renovate, update or just gather great ideas for your home there will be so much eye candy and information available to you in a real home setting, not a showroom. I have files from many past VaHi Home Tours that I still refer back to and have used on my home.

Tour, Eat and let’s not forget…SHOP!  All our local merchants are ready for tour goers as well. Stores are filled with new merchandise and shop owners are eager to help you with your holiday shopping. Several merchants are offering deals or coupons with your Tour Ticket Book. It will definitely be a great weekend to enjoy our “small town neighborhood” with a big city bustle and pace. It’s the very reason many of us chose to make Virginia-Highland our home in the first place.

And for the frosting on the cake, how incredible will it be to enjoy live holiday caroling throughout the neighborhood by some of the most amazingly talented students from Grady High School? The sound of children’s caroling always gets me during the holidays and I am so honored these kids will be sharing their gift with us this year.

OK – ‘nuff said.  Proceeds from the Tour of Homes go toward funding the many important initiatives of the Virginia-Highland Civic Association so GET YOUR TOUR TICKETS TODAY! Tickets are $25 each prior to Tour and $30 day of Tour. You can get them conveniently online at www.vahitourofhomes.org or, starting the weekend before the tour, get them locally at Intown Ace Hardware (VaHi location), Aurora Coffee Shop or San Francisco Coffee Shop. So, make it a date weekend, a girls day out, a new family tradition or buy tickets as gifts and hand them out to your friends, family, clients etc. This event is rated A for All Audiences!

Here’s to another successful event in our wonderful neighborhood!

Angelika Taylor - Chair, 2012 Virginia-Highland Tour of Homes

By: Angelika Taylor, 2012 Tour of Homes Chair

The 2012 Virginia-Highland Tour of Homes is right around the corner and the TOH committee has been working hard to make sure this year’s event is a fun and successful one. In addition to nine outstanding restaurants, there are eight spectacular homes on the tour and we just can’t keep it a secret any longer so here’s a sneak peak at this year’s lineup.

Each home is different and has its own personality, character and style. As you browse through the brief descriptions, start planning your Tour of Homes weekend. Tickets go on sale in November and this would be the perfect event to kick off the holidays with your friends, family and out of town guests. And remember – tour tickets make excellent gifts as well.

For more information on this year’s Tour of Homes – including how you can get involved by volunteering – don’t forget to visit our recently updated website at www.vahitourofhomes.org.

1 - 957 Rosedale Road: The oldest home on the tour, built in 1910, the homeowners kept the original floors on the main level along with a few rooms and then they took it down to the studs. In the crawl space below they added 18 steel pillars to support the house. Their extensive renovation reveals a comfy, spacious cottage style home with serious “wow” factor influencing the owners’ passion for art and entertaining.

2 - 1089 Rosedale Road: An art enthusiast's dream home. The homeowners’ impressive collection of local and internationally known artists has been carefully displayed in every room of this house. An open airy kitchen and family rooms lead you outside where the art continues. Lush landscaping surrounds a Palm Springs-esque swimming pool and garden.

3 - 1109 Los Angeles Drive: A gorgeous renovation of an original 1926 Tudor/Bungalow home, its rumored that at one time a member of Margret Mitchell’s family lived there. During recent renovations the current owners found a signature on the inside of one of the original door frames signed “Mr. Mitchell”. This home has one of our favorite kitchens on the tour.

4 - 1030 N. Virginia Avenue: Built in 1929, this cute frame white house is a true little gem. While the current owners walked into a perfectly well preserved home, in 1996 they renovated the upstairs for a teen suite and in 2011 they took on their kitchen. One of the highlights, the kitchen is a throwback vintage/modern feel complete with 50’s style Big Chill appliances. You will find this little unassuming home is chock full of the past but makes use of every inch of space for a small family.

5 - 1139 Lanier Boulevard: This Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Prairie-style home was custom designed and is entirely new construction. Built by the homeowner himself, this home features extensive millwork/trim of tulip poplar, which was locally harvested. You don’t want to miss this one.

6 - 1029 Kentucky Avenue: Once a small 2 bedroom- 1 bath Tudor cottage in 1928, now a 5 bedroom – 4 bath home with three finished floors and a fantastic layout perfect for entertaining. This home features a wine cellar, bar and spectacular outdoor living. The back yard boasts a serene setting centered around a beautiful lighted spa and waterfall.

7 - 760 Elkmont Drive: A 1930’s original bungalow floor plan, this home is an inspiring example of casual yet luxe renovations. The floors, doors and built-ins remain originals and the color scheme both inside and out aspire to evoke a coastal California beach cottage feel. The master bedroom and retreat spa bath are one of a kind and a must see.

8 - 630 Orme Circle: After a 1995 fire, this 1920 Craftsman Bungalow was fully restored to its original charm and opened as a Bed & Breakfast in 1996 in time to host international guests to the Summer Olympics. This B&B has 5 bedrooms and 5 baths all distinctively decorated with an eclectic collection of turn of the 20th century antiques and mid century modern collectables. The owner, a master gardener, designed the extensive gardens which are part of the Audubon Wildlife Sanctuaries and the Worldwide Labyrinth Project. Open year round, this Bed and Breakfast is a special place to stay.