River Oaks and Tanglewood’s Most Beautifully Decorated Holiday Homes

A Tradition That Dates Back to 1941 is Updated With Fresh New Looks

By Shelby Hodge // Dec 20, 2018

Photography Jeff Grass Photography

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Susie Miller employed boughs of pine, magnolia leaves and pine cones for this Tanglewood home.

Two luxe River Oaks and two glam Tanglewood homes are decked to the hilt this season as part of the biennial Kappa Holiday Pilgrimage Home Tour. At this point, you have missed seeing the homes in person because the tour was the first full weekend in December.

However, we present you exclusive photos from all four homes which offer inspiration — if you haven’t already decked the halls this year or for next year — with a fresh take on holiday decor.

Out with traditional red and green, in with a more subtle approach to Christmas decorating. Lucia Joklova of Park Flowers Atelier, Susie Miller, Events in Bloom and Mark Anthony Florist dressed the homes in whites and greens — hydrangeas, roses, boughs of fir and magnolia leaves. The occasional spray of holly berries and red amaryllis were merely the occasional nod to traditional holiday decorating.

The two-day home tour launched with a grand preview party at the River Oaks home of Terri and John Havens, which though not on the home tour was certainly beautifully decorated to the hilt for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation pilgrimage fundraiser. That home decor was designed by Kara Childress, whose own Tanglewood home was on the home tour thus showcasing her talents as an interior designer.

The tour was launched in 1941 with tickets priced at $1.00. The 2018 tour price was $20 with proceeds going to a variety of Houston charities.