Nineteenth Century brownstones, an industrial-contemporary loft-like penthouse, and a classic "foursquare" private home will be on display in an excursion that promises to be more intimate and enriching than a Bob Vila Historic Homes special.
On Sunday, Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Hoboken Historical Museum will present its annual self-guided Hoboken House Tour. The tour will feature the restored interiors of eight of Hoboken’s finest late 19th and early 20th century homes.
"The tour is not just traditional, single-family brownstones," said Diane Daley, a member of the Historical Museum’s board of directors who helped coordinate the event, last week. "Some [homes] are traditional single-family brownstones. But in addition, we have two modern loft-style apartments, as well as two free-standing detached private homes. We’re trying to the show the range of living styles and homes in the community."
As a coordinator of the Hoboken House Tour, Daley is responsible for finding homes for the tour.
"Very often, we just know people who have wonderful homes," she explained. "But sometimes people volunteer their homes."
This year, the Historical Museum’s annual tour will be an Architectural Digest lover’s dream. Attendees will be privy to a wide array of sensibilities and styles including a Manhattan architect’s bachelor pad featuring a Danish banquet table, a new B&B Italian sofa and a striking view of the city; a 19th century brownstone filled with antique furnishings and an expansive garden; a penthouse apartment that has been converted into an industrial-contemporary loft-like space with custom-designed furniture; a slim line townhouse with a rooftop deck; and a single-family Victorian home where the owners are in the throes of a meticulous historical restoration. Most recently, they have restored the original staircase and stairwell design.
"First and foremost, the event is a fundraiser for the museum," Daley said. "But it’s also an important community event because it demonstrates the range of housing available in the community. There are some really lovely houses in Hoboken."
No one knows that better than Paul Kairis, the founder of Hom Personal Interiors, an interior design firm with offices in Hoboken, Newport and Palm Beach. Kairis, who has lived in Hoboken for 16 years, designed four of the spaces on exhibit this year.
Kairis is in the process of designing the foursquare private home on Castle Point Terrace. "It’s totally gutted out," Kairis said Monday. "It’s going to be like a haunted house. There’s no electricity and there are wires everywhere. But my staff and I have put together a vignette of an English formal living room in front of a roaring fire to give people the idea of what it will look like when it’s finished. It’s a wreck now, but it will be really beautiful – very Charles Dickens, so to speak."
Kairis also decorated the slim line townhouse with rooftop garden for Lucy’s (92 Hudson St.,) a new women’s contemporary clothing boutique that, while not an official abode, will nonetheless be a stop on the museum’s House Tour. "We really vamped [Lucy’s] up," Kairis said. "It’s really charming. It’s warm and chic." (Lucy’s will donate 10 percent of all sales on Sunday to the WTC relief efforts in Hoboken.)
Finally, Kairis was asked to design one of the upscale condominiums in the Cast Iron building specifically for the tour.
"The tour will be a fun mix," Kairis said. "The Cast Iron building is very sleek, very modern, very dramatic, and then Castle Point will be warm and fuzzy, very Charles Dickens. It’s a mixed up tour. There will be a lot of variety."
The Hoboken House Tour will begin at the Museum (1301 Hudson St., Hoboken) where a silent auction will be held, offering gift certificates, antiques, art and collectibles. Ticket holders may visit the homes at their leisure throughout the day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guides and owners will be on site to tell each home’s story. Tickets cost $15 for museum members and for advanced purchase, and $20 on the day of the tour.
Advanced tickets may be purchased at Amanda’s Restaurant (908 Washington St.), Hoboken Antiques (511 Washington St.), Hudson Place Realty (132 Washington St.), Swift Morris Interiors (1208 Washington St.), Swift Photo (608 Washington St.), and at the Hoboken Historical Museum during its regular hours, Tuesday through Thursday 5 to 9 p.m., and Saturdays and Sunday noon through 5 p.m. For more information call 656-2240.