Local families open homes for the Harvest of Talents Holiday Home Tour

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[December 09, 2015]   On Sunday afternoon six beautiful homes in the Lincoln vicinity were opened to the public for the Harvest of Talents for World Hunger Holiday Home Tour. Every home visited would be considered beautiful on any day of the week, but with the theme of the tour being the holidays, the addition of Christmas-themed décor at each home made all of them simply breathtaking.

Tickets for the tour were issued for a $10 donation with all of the proceeds going to the H.O.T. fundraising effort for 2016. The Harvest of Talents is a fundraiser conducted by the Lincoln Christian Church. The church has been conducting H.O.T. fundraisers for more than 30 years. In 2015, concluding the primary fundraiser for the year with the annual Harvest of Talents sale and celebration day in October, planning immediately began for the next year.

In 2015, H.O.T. raised a record number of dollars for world hunger exceeding $128,000 for the year.

Marsha Fernandes



Among the homes on the tour was that of Marsha Fernandes. The home is lovely from the outside with plenty of curb appeal. When the front door opens, and one is welcomed inside, the experience is a genuine jaw-dropper.

The home features an expansive open floor plan with large windows on the far side looking out on a tidy backyard and adding lots of light into the room. The rich hardwood floors and soft pale colors on the ceiling and walls, along with the room being “zoned” with a dining area, family area, and modern open kitchen, give the large expanse a warm and cozy feel.

Just off the open living area is a smaller sitting room space that is still large enough to accommodate a grand piano with room to sit and enjoy the view out the large windows that again, look out onto the back lawn.

Every room in the house was beautifully decorated, and the addition of Christmas themed decorations was beautiful, but not overwhelming. The home featured a corner fireplace in the family area and was nicely accented with white Christmas décor and a Christmas tree with white and metallic accents.

The Fernandes home also featured a special guest. Little Miss Logan County Preslee Sherren was on hand greeting visitors as they entered and giving each one a chocolate kiss.

Buck and Megan Braid



The home of Buck and Megan Braid is an expansive stone ranch sitting on a very large lot with a circle drive to the front door. Inside the home has been extensively remodeled by the Braids. Most, if not all of the rooms have been redesigned to better accommodate the needs of the family and create a very comfortable setting for everyone, including the family pets.

The family recorded their transformation of the home, and in each room that had been remodeled there were photos on display of what the room looked like before the work started.

Entering the home, the dining room is the first thing to catch the eye. The white wainscoting, soft gray walls, and rich dark wood dining table give the room an elegant feel. On the dining room table, an antique child’s sled flanked with two black iron candelabras add a rustic quality to the room that hints of things to come throughout the rest of the home.

Another lovely attraction is a vintage metal toy horse in the hallway that again speaks to the style of décor that make the house a home for the Braids.

The bedrooms are located on one end of the house and were all nicely decorated for everyday living with subtle hints of the holiday added to each one with tasteful holiday decorations.

At the other end of the home is an expansive open family area that includes a completely remodeled kitchen and family room. Off the kitchen is a glassed-in patio area with a large grill, and comfortable furnishings. On this day, it was the place where one of the family pets spent its time, enjoying watching all the traffic passing through the home.

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A ‘before’ photo of the family room shows that it was once done in wood paneling making it dark and not nearly as inviting as it is now that the remodel has been completed. The room is now light colored with a massive sectional sofa making for a very comfortable place for the family to gather.

Another feature of the room is the glass tiled fireplace that was completely re-done by the Braids.

Throughout the house, the Christmas décor delivered a warm rustic feel with the use of natural materials, vintage and antique pieces well blended with modern whimsy.

Seth Goodman



Just in time for Christmas, Seth Goodman has moved into his new construction home, and opened it up for Christmas and the Harvest of Talents Holiday Home Tour. The modest, three bedroom home is very nicely appointed with rich wood cabinetry in the kitchen and high ceilings that give every room a spacious and airy feeling. The kitchen area is partially enclosed, with an open end leading to the formal dining area that then flows easily into the living area.

The living area has a warm, homey feel with a nice fireplace flanked by windows on the back wall.

The three bedrooms include one specifically decorated with reminders of Seth’s passion for hot air ballooning. That room also features twin beds to accommodate his new twin nephews. The master bedroom features sliding glass doors that lead out to a huge elevated back deck. The deck is also accessible through glass doors in the dining room area.

Each of the three bedrooms featured its own Christmas tree tastefully decorated to blend in with the existing décor.

The Christmas décor in the living, dining, and kitchen area had a Victorian feel with metallic accents of gold, and copper, and a hint of modern whimsy mixed in.

The home was decorated inside and out by Seth with some excellent help coming from Dan Bailey at Three Roses Floral, and Lori Paige of Bee’s Floral and Landscaping.



Goodman’s home was also the location for the Mrs. Claus Workshop this year. The gift shop area was set up in the three-car garage of the home, next to Seth’s balloon basket and envelope bag that was accented with photo pillows of Seth’s newest balloon Done Deal.

Items on sale at the gift shop included Christmas décor items and bake sale items, which were all selling well, as several guests were seen leaving the garage with purchases in hand.

While there were six homes on the tour, three of the homeowners requested that their home not be photographed for publication.

For any who had the opportunity to take the full tour of all six homes, it was a treat that must have added to the happy feeling of Christmas.

[Nila Smith]

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