By Sharon Smith
A tradition begun in 2011 will continue Dec. 7, when the Samford University Legacy League welcomes guests to five fabulous homes in Homewood, Mountain Brook and Vestavia Hills.
The slate of residences on the organization’s 13th annual Christmas Home Tour includes an array of architectural styles, ages, décor and holiday trimmings to suit all manner of tastes. Visitors to the Samford President’s Home may, once again, shop from a carefully curated selection of vendors and nibble on festive holiday treats.
In the 12 years since its inception, Samford Legacy League’s Christmas Home Tour has become ingrained in the community. Many guests attend annually and list the tour as their favorite holiday tradition. To date, the event has included 51 houses, more than 6,000 attendees and hundreds of volunteers.
For the eighth year, ARC Realty is the Presenting Sponsor for the tour. This year’s Premium Sponsors are AllSouth Appliance, Byrom Building, Community Bank, Firefly Electrical, Mountain Brook Plaza 280 and Oak Leaf Lawn & Landscape.
With the support of these businesses and robust ticket sales, the event has raised more than $365,000 to provide transformational scholarships for students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances.
To date, the league has awarded more than $1.5 million in scholarships, helping more than 200 students experience a Samford education. Legacy League scholarship recipients have endured obstacles including homelessness, violence, death or disability of a parent, foster care, abandonment, parental addiction or incarceration, and the sacrifices of full-time ministry.
The homeowners wsupporting the league’s mission by sharing their homes this year, are:
Deidre & George Robert Booker
3105 Roxbury Road, Homewood
Built in 2019 by Byrom Building, the Bookers’ Homewood residence is the newest one on the tour. Though just 4 years old, the custom-built home has numerous wood elements that date back much further.
The antique reclaimed pine floors and exposed beams in the kitchen and family room add warmth and interest to the dwelling’s welcoming first floor. Three jib doors in the horizontally paneled foyer cleverly open to reveal two closets and a powder room. Floor-to-ceiling blue painted cabinetry provides useful storage and a visual focal point in the large family room and kitchen.
Floral fabrics bring an English country cottage feel to the home. The upstairs guest room mimics a memorable room in the Double Red Duke in the Cotswolds, which the family visited in June.
For the holidays, the Bookers use lots of fresh greenery – including 16 boxwood wreaths and yards of magnolia garland – to adorn their windows, banister and mantel. The centerpiece of the family room is a large Christmas tree covered with ornaments gathered through the years, including a collection of little Snoopys.
“We buy an ornament everywhere we go,” Deidre said, “but our favorites are the tiny handprints and preschool treasures.”
Shiny Brite ornaments, which had their heyday in the 1950s, embellish a second tree in the formal living room.
Liz & Doug Guest
2065 Magnolia Ridge, Vestavia Hills
The open floor plan of the Guests’ home in Magnolia Ridge works beautifully for a couple who entertains regularly. Built off Dolly Ridge Road in 1996, the house underwent a major renovation when Liz and Doug bought it to live closer to their grandchildren.
They conquered the interior first, taking the kitchen to the studs and updating it with new cabinetry and appliances, including a six-burner Thermador oven from AllSouth Appliance. They also transformed the primary bath and installed hardwood floors and new light fixtures throughout the home.
Liz describes the décor as “very eclectic with a combination of contemporary and traditional pieces.” A handmade chest in the den is more than 100 years old, as is a small loveseat given to Liz on her 16th birthday by her grandmother.
Garland, magnolia and five Christmas trees add cheer to the home for the holidays. One of the trees, described by Liz as “whimsical and fun,” goes up with their six grandkids, ages 7-15, in mind. Another, made by a friend, sits above the front door, where its large, bright, funky balls are visible from inside and outside the house.
In addition to the numerous trees, Liz displays Dickens’ Christmas Carolers, a treasured collection assembled through annual gifts from her children, and a plethora of Santa Claus pieces.
Sharon & Billy Harvill
2122 Longleaf Trail, Vestavia Hills
“At a time when most people are downsizing, we did just the opposite,” Billy Harvill said of the couple’s 2021 move to their Longleaf home.
“Shopping real estate is a hobby of Sharon’s,” he explained, “and this house has two things she had always wanted – a pool and a view.”
Tucked off Altadena Road, the Harvill’s spacious residence and gorgeous yard, recently landscaped by Oak Leaf Lawn & Landscape, are perfect for hosting their extended family and friends. Nearly 40 family members, ages 2-75, will gather there to celebrate Christmas. They, like home tour guests, will be greeted by wreaths on the front windows, bountiful fresh greenery, multiple decorated trees and a pergola specially outfitted for the holidays.
The upstairs bedrooms are primarily for their grandkids’ frequent visits, and Sharon and Billy Harvill live primarily on the main level.
Their first floor walls showcase local art, every piece attached to a memory. Their collection of paintings includes a variety of subjects and styles. From abstracts by Shannon Harris and Jamie P to a landscape by Les Yarbrough and cityscapes by Nancy Lloyd, the Harvills enjoy adding to their home gallery by bidding at events such as the Cancer Art Blink Gala. A favorite procured at that event is one of Ahmad Austin’s paintings of jazz musicians, known for their square heads, blank faces, energy and texture.
Julie & Beck Taylor
Samford President’s Home
1994 Shades Crest Road, Vestavia Hills
Set on the ridge of Shades Mountain overlooking Birmingham, the Samford President’s Home is a replica of Monteigne, a mid-18th century neoclassical house in Natchez, Mississippi.
Like the original, the president’s home features black and white marble flooring, a wall-papered entrance hall and a harp-shaped balustrade.
A much-used event space for the university, the residence is also the dwelling place of Samford’s president, Beck A. Taylor; his wife, Julie, the university’s first lady and Legacy League’s executive director; their youngest daughter, Chloe; and Peanut, their Goldendoodle.
University-owned antiques and art, as well as Taylor family furnishings and collections, are integrated throughout the stately residence. More than 1,800 books fill the bookcases in the four-story house, which receives thousands of visitors annually. University guests are welcomed by the portrait of Samuel Sterling Sherman, a Vermont native who served as the first president and only professor when the school was founded in 1841.
With its panoramic view of Samford’s campus, the city’s skyline and beyond, the hilltop residence is magnificent when the Taylor family and their “elves” decorate for the yuletide season.
The home features six Christmas trees, each uniquely festooned. Yards of ribbon and greenery adorn the homes’ two majestic staircases, while each of the four mantels is festively dressed for the holidays.
Opening their home for hundreds to tour is just one of the countless ways the Taylors live out their commitment to the Legacy League’s ministry and their calling to serve the university.
On home tour day, guests at the Taylors’ will be treated to live Christmas music, holiday treats and pop-up shops in the ballroom. A portion of all pop-up shop purchases will support the Legacy League Scholarship Fund.
Kathy & Tommy Thomson
3121 Brookwood Road, Mountain Brook
Kathy Thomson had admired the Cape Cod farmhouse on Brookwood Road for decades before it finally became her family’s home – and her 50th birthday present – in 2013.
During a seven-month renovation, the Thomsons expanded the kitchen and family room space, rebuilt the his-and-her bathrooms and added an upstairs playroom, while maintaining the integrity and charm of the original residence.
Erected in 1960, the welcoming New England-style home has a large front porch that has been the Thomsons’ primary dining area since a summer storm forced their kids’ outdoor pandemic party undercover.
Inside the house, Kathy’s roots are evident in the oil paintings by Mississippi artists. Her grandparents’ farm in the Mississippi Delta is portrayed in a piece by Richard Kelso, whose work is also displayed in the primary bedroom. A cherished painting by Thomas Wilson, a classmate of Kathy’s, depicts her with her twin brother in a trailer on the farm, a favorite childhood spot. The Thomsons commissioned the piece after Kathy’s brother passed away in a car wreck.
Among other special pieces in the Thomson residence are paintings from Kathy’s mother’s collection and paintings and carvings Tommy brought back from multiple medical mission trips to Africa. The nativity scene displayed in their study came from Mwandi, Zambia.
Seven Christmas trees of varying sizes and adornment add to the festive décor throughout the house.
If You Go
Advance tickets are required for the tour and may be purchased at samford.edu/legacyleague for $40 through Nov. 30, then $45 Dec. 1-5. Guests will select their start time and first home during ticket purchase. Limited slots are available; selection is subject to availability. Tickets are not available at the door.
After visiting their first home, guests may tour the other homes in any order at their leisure during tour hours. Visiting all the homes will take about 2½ hours. Homes will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Guests will drive to each home; carpooling is highly recommended.
The Legacy League is a philanthropic organization with more than 800 members, ranging in age from 22-101. The 2023 Christmas Home Tour Committee, chaired by Jan Service, planned the event, which is one of the organization’s largest fundraisers. The annual tour draws hundreds of people every year, attracting visitors from across Alabama and multiple other states.
Sharon Smith is the Managing Director of Samford University Legacy League