CAMBRIDGE — Cambridge Woman’s Club is busy preparing for their thirtieth Annual Holiday Tour. This year’s tour promises to feature an exciting group of homes with beautiful charm and splendid decorations. The homes will be open to visitors on Dec. 14, from 1:30 -4:30 p.m. This year, much to our delight, St Paul’s United Methodist Church will hold a special music performance during the same hours. All guests are invited to attend and be inspired by music of the season.

Four homes will be included in this year’s outing, all located in the downtown Cambridge area. The Phillips and Butcher Families are located on Riverside Drive, the Hull Family on Hambrooks Blvd., and the White Family on Maryland Avenue will be graciously opening their homes for our enjoyment. This year promises to be both convenient and lovely.

As always, Cambridge Woman’s Club will be serving delicious homemade cookies and wassail at the Sycamore College for all to enjoy. Tickets can be purchased for a $10 donation in advance of the tour date or for a $12 donation the day of the tour, at The Dorchester Center for the Arts (410) 228-7782).

You may also see a Woman’s Club member or call JoAnn Ream at 410-228-0066. Please watch for more information about this special day over the next few weeks.

Butcher’s home

The gorgeous waterfront entrance of 100 Riverside Drive featuring a large open portico surrounded by Corinthian Columns graces the home of Jane and Daryl Butcher. This couple and their daughters have opened their home to celebrate the Christmas season with the Cambridge community.

The family has experienced 25 years of relaxation and pleasure in this home, though three different remodeling sessions interrupted in an effort to add space, charm and modern convenience to the home. Daryl’s architectural skills allowed him to direct a major portion of the renovations headed by Dan Kurth, contractor. A picture of the home before the renovation reveals dramatic contrast.

A second entrance from Oak Street welcomes guests into a gracious marble-tiled foyer. The foyer leads to a cordial living room warmed by a friendly fire and decorated in a style so well established, which Jane refers to as, “Less is more.”

Two wings were added to the house during remodeling in 1990; both dominated by giant palladium windows. To the right is a library with built in shelves displaying a collection of best loved literature. Here the sparkle of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree is reflected in each window. The library boasts a cozy foyer of its own where one might lounge in bright sunlight, engrossed in a good book.

The opposing wing of the house contains a comfortable breakfast room, from which an elevated master bedroom suite is accessed by a short stairway. This bedroom’s restful atmosphere reflects aspects of décor guided by Robin Dean, a local interior decorator who offered expert advice for adorning the entire home.

From the breakfast room, two dazzling chandeliers brighten a grand formal dining room beyond which is an enclosed spacious sunroom. A modern efficient kitchen services both dining room and sun porch and glistens in simplicity and size. A local antique shop was the source of a 1920s chandelier which is suspended above the large island. A portion of the original kitchen now acts as a butler’s kitchen with lots of room for food prep and storage.

The upper floor which is not available for the tour expands the home for a total of five bedrooms and five bathrooms. The vista from Riverside Drive presents an expansive view of the ever-changing conditions of the Choptank River from calm and serene to tumultuous and angry, but evening sunsets are always glorious.

Jane and Daryl thank you for sharing the Christmas spirit with them and wish you a blessed Christmas.