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A Green Christmas

Tribune photo by CHRIS URSO

Brian and Kristy Dell pose for a photograph in the living room of their bungalow style home in Seminole Heights. The Dells moved into the home three and a half years ago. The home will be featured as part of the Southeast Seminole Heights Holiday Home Tour.

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By KATHY STEELE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 26, 2008

SEMINOLE HEIGHTS Walk, ride a bicycle or hop aboard an electric cart. Go green for the Southeast Seminole Heights Holiday Home and Garden Tour.

The neighborhood is celebrating the season with an eco-friendly theme.

The first 100 arrivals can pick up a shopper-friendly, recyclable green bag courtesy of Publix loaded with goodies such as water-saving shower heads and nozzles, tablets to check for toilet leaks and brochures with environmental tips.

"To me, that's the most exciting part," said tour organizer Stan Lasater.

Tasty morsels from some of the neighborhood's eateries, including Bungalow Bistro and Ella's, will be on sale along the way for a dollar or two.

The tour, which took a holiday break last year, is back for its fourth year. There will be eight homes decked out in garlands, baubles and greenery, and the tour's starting point — Seminole Heights Baptist Church — also will welcome visitors.

Among the homes featured is a 1928 bungalow spruced up with garlands and a winter village scene on the mantel. "Just holiday decorations all over," said Kristy Dell.

She and husband Brian moved to Southeast Seminole Heights from an apartment in New Tampa more than three years ago. She is band and orchestra director at Wilson Middle School; he is band and orchestra director at Gaither High School.

"We like older homes," said Kristy Dell. "It was in relatively good shape when we bought it."

"We could live in it and do the work," said her husband.

With help from Kristy's father, Gerald Leduc, they have done major overhauls of the kitchen and bathroom. The kitchen was gutted and redesigned with white bead board and painted in a soft "brick" color. Built-in cabinets and new countertops were added. Leduc turned an open nook into a breakfast spot with a table and built-in benches covered in red and white plaid.

Outside, Leduc designed a garage to match the 1920s Craftsman bungalow style of the home.

"We try to keep everything relative to the time period," Kristy Dell said.

The annual tours bring in the crowds, attracting between 700 and 1,000 visitors. The route is a loop of about three miles.

Near the halfway mark between McBerry and 12th streets, the Business Guild of Seminole Heights will have a business expo to meet and greet tour visitors. A drawing also is planned.

Electric carts from Green-Go's Tampa Inc. will ferry people along the route. Donated bicycles will be available for people who like pedal power. They can be "rented" by leaving a driver's license with volunteers at the church.

One home on the tour is a modular home assembled on-site about three years ago. It's in bungalow style and "really cute," Lasater said. "If you're driving down the street you'd never know it was a modular."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Seminole Heights Holiday Home and Garden Tour

WHEN: 1 to 5:30 p.m. Dec. 7

WHERE: Tickets can be purchased the day of at Seminole Heights Baptist Church, 801 E. Hillsborough Ave.

COST: $10

FOR INFORMATION: www.myspace.com/
holidayhometour

Reporter Kathy Steele can be reached at (813) 259-7652.

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TOPICS IN THIS ARTICLE

craftsman bungalow • toilet leaks • gaither high school • tasty morsels • soft brick • bungalow style • seminole heights • environmental tips • winter village • breakfast spot • white bead • orchestra director • wilson middle school • bead board • electric cart • tour organizer • lasater • good shape • shower heads • baubles

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