Reeves-Reed Decks the Homes

If you're looking for an event to get you in the mood for the holidays, you'll want to attend today's Holiday House Tour, hosted by Summit's Reeves-Reed Arboretum.

House tour members are invited into five Summit homes that will be fully decked for the holidays. The selected houses will be on display between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

"Some (homes) are decorated one hundred percent by the homeowners. Some homeowners use floral decorators or designers of their choice," explained Ellen Donovan, the Development Director at Reeves-Reed Arboretum. "We really leave it up to the homeowners."

A different set of Summit homes is chosen each year to participate in the tour. This year, one of the houses has been decorated by a New York City designer while another homeowner has enlisted the help of a local decorator, said Donovan.

In addition to the five Summit residences, the arboretum's own Wisner House and Summit Historical Society's Carter House will also welcome guests to admire their holiday décors.

For even more decorating inspiration, stop by the Holiday Designer Boutique in the arboretum's Wisner House, which is open to the public and will be featuring the works of nearly 25 regional floral and interior decorators. Included among these artists is The Summit Sampler with their own customized Christmas tree.

Tabletop arrangements, custom-trimmed trees, and other original holiday accents will be available for purchase from The Holiday Boutique on the day of the tour.

To complete the event, a buffet luncheon will be served at the Beacon Hill Club for participants who've made advance reservations.

This will be Reeves-Reed Arboretum's 17th annual house tour. Tickets are available for $40 per person on tour day. All event proceeds directly benefit the arboretum and go toward funding its educational programs and the preservation of its grounds.

Major sponsors of the 2009 Holiday House Tour include Lois Schneider Realtor, New Jersey Monthly, and Elena and Roger Matthews. Other local sponsors are Canterbury Design Kitchen Interiors of Morristown, Details Painting Co. of New Providence, Hilltop Community Bank, Lassus Wherley of New Providence, Regent Atlantic Capital of Morristown, and Woloshin Jewelers and Woodward Properties of Summit.