Like the community in which it is located, Chez Noel is based on relationships. The annual vacation home tour organized by the Assistance League of Bakersfield continues in large part through word of mouth and connecting people.
This year’s event, taking place on December 6 and 7, is no exception. The four qualities listed are all built through connections and determination.
“Our old friend and decorator, Robert Moseley, asked us if we would be interested in participating this year. We didn’t know what that meant,” Meredith Carter said with a laugh.
Carter and her husband, John Haddad, quickly learned what would be involved in opening their northwest Bakersfield home, which they moved into in August, thanks to the events team.
Luckily, the couple is enjoying a festive home look for the holidays.
“We decorate every year. Robert comes and surprises us with all these great ideas for Christmas. But this is the first year in this house.”
“We have glitter in the air for days after he’s done, so I hope we’re winding down. … I always love it. I love it when the house is decorated for Christmas. And we decorate early so that we can enjoy it Usually it is decorated in the second week of November, and we enjoy it until January 1st.’
Technology has also helped make this year even more festive.
“We’re a smart house — it’s smarter than us — so there’s music playing everywhere,” Carter said. “And so we love that part. It’s really fun.”
The decor included trees in green (Haddad’s favorite color) and less natural but equally festive shades of pink (Carter’s favorite), red, silver and gold. Figures of Santa Claus, reindeer and snowmen pop up throughout the house as fun accents.
Along with two other homes – one in the Sunset-Oleander neighborhood and another in Stockdale Estates – this year’s tour also includes a barn and event space in west Bakersfield.
“As you turn off Westside Parkway at Allen (Road), you can see the barn in the distance,” said Glen Lagerstrom, president of Chez Noel. “It’s a huge wooden structure.”
It was recommended by Chris Bertolucci, whose construction company assembled the custom-designed, kit-built 7,000-square-foot barn and added custom features for the owners.
“The barn is a post-and-beam structure built of Douglas fir and cedar, with natural stone accents,” Lagerstrom said. “It was pre-designed by a firm in Oregon, with each piece of frame and wood pre-cut, drilled and labeled, then shipped to Bakersfield.”
A large steel framed and wooden door leads into a spacious two-storey interior with high ceilings. An upstairs gallery runs around it and looks down on the ground floor.
Not surprisingly, the interior features Western-themed artwork, along with wood and stone accents and custom forged iron lighting fixtures.
Lagerstrom said the family, which has hosted fundraisers for Bakersfield Christian High School in the space, is considering opening the school for more events.
He looks forward to the more than 700 Chez Noel ticket holders who will enjoy this year’s event.
“It’s pretty cool. We’re going from a bungalow-style home in Oleander-Sunset to a modern home in Stockdale Estates, and then to a very unique building in west Bakersfield to an over-the-top home in northwest Bakersfield .It’s a really fun house tour this year.”
Lagerstrom, a transplant from New York City, said he’s also touched by how open people are to helping support a good cause.
“These homeowners are so generous and so friendly. … There’s a lot of community spirit here.”
Proceeds from Chez Noel will benefit the Assistance League of Bakersfield’s Operation School Bell, a philanthropic program that provides school clothing to local children.
Chez Noel will take place from 10am to 3pm on December 6 and 7 with the Bargain Box, 1924 Q St., as the meeting point.
No cell phones, photography, or high heels are allowed while visiting the homes, and the tour is not wheelchair accessible. It is also not recommended for children under 12 years of age.
Tickets are $40, available at the Barga Box; Unique Chic Florist, 9500 Brimhall Road; The Patio Place, 6801 White Lane; and Baby Me Simply Me, 4021 Calloway Drive.
Visit assistanceleague.org/bakersfield for more information.
