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11/23/2015 11:00 PMThere are all kinds of treats and surprises during the holiday season and for those who attend the 13th bi-annual Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut Essex Holiday House Tour on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the treat that awaits behind the front door of Bob and Susan O’Brien’s historic home is quiet fantastical.
The house on Bushnell Street is one of seven included in the tour. As the small white door—half wood, half glass—creaks open, visitors are instantly transported into a holiday haven. The welcoming family room area of the home, once a cow barn, is draped from head to toe in Christmas-themed decor.
“We love to share our love of the holidays with others,” said Susan O’Brien, as she proudly pointed out some of her favorite pieces
One notable element is her Mackenzie Childs Farmer Santa prominently displayed in the couple’s award-winning country kitchen, a space that has been showcased in Kitchen and Bath Magazine. This handsome Santa, adorned in wire-rimmed spectacles, is holding a lamb and wearing a flannel vest and black and white checkered rain boots.
O’Brien has collected upwards of half a dozen of these cherished Santas throughout the years on her shopping expeditions, which often bring her to antique shops all over New England. With a designer’s eye and a flair for sophisticated country style, O’Brien has a knack for choosing just the right piece, for just the right place in her Essex home.
In addition to the elaborate decorations, portraits by artist Tom Rose pepper the house with charm and farmyard whimsy. Although the exposed wood beams and rafters as well as the original steel calving pen area are sights to behold, the highlight is the couple’s dining room. A long country table graces the center area, decked out in holiday glory from the large wooden cow centerpiece, wearing a festive checkered bow, to glittery reindeer, and red plaid blankets set neatly on each dining chair. Beautiful Lynn Chase winter scene dinner plates, a gift from O’Brien’s mother more than 20 years ago, are set and ready, coupled with red and green napkins to the left, adorned with silver reindeer napkin rings.
The wide window sill of this perfect space makes an artistic, light filled, frame for O’Brien’s display of seasonal horse and buggy decorations, weimaraner Santas, carolers, and angels, as well as other fun, colorful Christmas decorations. The O’Briens have even taken the time to decorate the rafters with collected bird houses and a beautiful rod iron chandelier dressed with red candles.
But, that’s not all. At the back of the room rests a very special piece, close to Bob O’Brien’s heart—his grandmother’s original wood burning stove from Middletown, where he grew up. The stove is still used for heating, as well as for adding ambiance to the perfect New England scene.
“When the kettle on the stove starts to whistle you know it’s warm enough in here,” said O’Brien with a smile.
He enjoys decorating for the season as much as his wife does, since his birthday falls on Christmas Eve.
“When the kids were little, we used to have a live Christmas tree in every room in our...house,” said O’Brien, whose favorite Christmas decoration is the 15-foot live tree they choose each year from Joe’s Tree Farm in Deep River.
“I have two different height ladders I use to decorate the tree,” said Bob.
“This is a wonderful house, a real treat for guests,” said Wendy Rieder, co-chairman of the house tour. “It is so special for people to see this home and when they leave, we know they will have a smile on their face. That is the gift of this tour!”
She added, “When buying tickets for this event, people are giving to a great organization. You couldn’t give to a more community based organization than the Child & Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut. We help over 18,000 families each year in the shoreline area and this event is one of our largest fundraisers. This house tour is not only a festive treat for those who participate, but also an important way for people to give back in their own community.”
When the holiday house tour was held in 2013, $60,000 was raised from the event, and the Child & Family Agency is aiming to top that number this year.
Tickets for the tour, which also features six other beautiful village homes, including a landmark house, all within walking distance from the Town Hall, are $25 each in advance. They can be purchased from 1 North Main (Essex), Saybrook Country Barn, The Bowerbird (Old Lyme), Celebrations (Deep River), Ceramica (Chester), and Walker & Loden (Essex, Madison, and New Haven). Tickets on the day of the tour will be sold at the Essex Town Hall for $30 each; tickets ordered after Saturday, Dec. 5, will be held there. For groups of 15 or more, tickets may be ordered in advance at $20 each. When ordering by mail, include a self-addressed, stamped envelope, and send checks to: Child & Family Agency, Holiday House Tour, 168 River Road, Essex CT 06426. Essex Historical Society’s Pratt House and the Connecticut River Museum will also be open free to ticket holders on the day of the tour.
For more information, visit www.childandfamilyagency.org or call 860-443-2896.