Four exquisite homes decorated for the holidays will be on display during the fourth annual Kiwanis Christmas Tour of Homes.

Homeowners donating their time and talents to the Kiwanis fund-raiser are Cary and Nicole Culler, Charles and Cheri Thompson, Mike Tourville of Buck Ridge Plantation's Edisto Manor, and Jeff and Mary Watford.

Kiwanis Club President Janet Barrett said the service club has three major fund-raisers each year -- the steak house during the Orangeburg County Fair, a road race during the Orangeburg Festival of Roses and the Christmas Tour of Homes.

"Although we have not dedicated the funds from this to any particular project, our funds go to help the children in our community," she said. "We offer scholarships, we have a baseball team, we give to the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. We also sponsor the Citizen of the Year banquet. Our support goes to the schools, the children, the youths -- whatever we can do."

In choosing homes to be featured on the tour, Barrett said Kiwanis members look for larger or unique homes people would be interested in touring.

"Believe it or not, we ask 50 or so people to get the few that are willing to do it," she said. "Normally, we have six, but this year, we have four."

And this year, while Barrett said the club attempts to get homes that are located in the same general area, "There are none in the city. Two of them, we have got somebody to sit by the street with a light."

"We've done right well each year," she said of the tour. And of the participants, Barrett added, "We're really grateful and appreciate them for the work they do and opening their home to the community."

The Cullers' home

To get to Cary and Nicole Culler's white farm-style house, guests will have to travel down a half-mile driveway that passes large oak trees, a winding ranch-style fence and a horse barn.

The home, built in 2004 by Cary and Culler Builders on original Culler farmland, includes a wraparound front porch; an outdoor fireplace, kitchen and fountain; and a backyard pond. When guests arrive for the Kiwanis Christmas Tour of Homes, they will enter through a picket fence, which leads to a courtyard and the Cullers' home.

"The outside is just pretty, country, traditional," Nicole said of the decorations that will be in place for Tuesday's tour. "We have a horse barn that will be all decorated that you will pass prior to getting to the house. ... I've done all the decorating. I love to use lots of live greenery and natural touches. It's just very homey."

Guests will be greeted by the traditional colors of red, green and gold with live greenery throughout the inside and adorning the mantels on both fireplaces.

"I would say one of our better assets would be our outside fireplace, cooking area and fountain," all of which will be decorated for the holidays, Nicole said. "In the dining room, there will be a tree with traditional red and gold decorations. We have a hearth room, and there's a tree and fireplace and mantel all decorated with live greenery. A collection of Santas is also on that mantel. ... The living room's fireplace and mantel will be decorated with reds and greens and will have more of an elegant look, whereas the hearth room and kitchen area could be described as more of a French country look."

The guest and 11-year-old son Hunter's bedrooms will be open to guests and feature tabletop trees decorated for Christmas.

"As you walk through the house, you will see touches of live greenery," Nicole said. "I love to decorate. It's a passion of mine, but it's kind of hard to keep all the live greenery nice and fresh." But she said that's nothing that a nice stroll in the woods near her home can't solve. In fact, she said that's where she gets most of her greenery.

The four-legged members of their family, horses Sassy and Dakota, will also be around for tour visitors to see.

"The barn will be lit, and I will have them in a small pasture," Nicole said. "I've got white lights strung on the rafters of the barn, and their stockings are hung, waiting for Santa's treats."

The Thompsons' home

Cheri Thompson said God told her years ago she would end up adopting children, so she and her husband, Charles, built their house accordingly, on faith.

Today, they are rearing their adopted sons, biological brothers Cameron, 13, and 14-year-old Joe, at Healing Manor, the couple's home on Farnum Road in Orangeburg. There, the Thompsons also care for 14 rescued dogs, part of Cheri's dedicated work with her award-winning character education and violence prevention program Healing Species, which takes rescued dogs into schools to teach children lessons in respect, self-esteem and compassion.

"On an ordinary day, you would be greeted by the rescued dogs that roam the property," she said, "but for this special tour, you will instead be greeted by live garland over the front door and live garland on the curved stairwell. Every year, a live Christmas tree is our focal point. It is decorated with Christmas ornaments that have been passed down through lifetimes that all relate to the Christ child. The living room walls and sofa are a vivid red, which make a natural backdrop for Christmastime decorating."

Wreaths will adorn every window, live garland will be draped across the front entrance and the sounds of a live baby grand piano playing Christmas music will be heard in the front foyer.

While the dogs won't be wandering around and meeting tour guests, Cheri said those willing to brave the cold weather are more than welcome to visit the dogs in their cottage area, where each furry friend has its own heated and air-conditioned dog house. They share a 10-acre, fenced tract of land for their enjoyment.

Cheri said the children's rooms will also be open to guests during the tour -- although Cheri said she makes no promises they will be decorated for the holidays.

"We might be doing good just to get them clean," she said with a laugh.

"We just hope that our home reflects a little slice of peace on earth, which is what we strive for," she said. "It's not to have the most perfect house, but it is to try to honor God with what we have ... to remember what Christ gave and what God gave through Christ. It makes us pleased to share our home for a good cause."

The Tourvilles' Edisto Manor at Buck Ridge Plantation

Completed in October 2008, Edisto Manor at Buck Ridge Plantation is being touted as the newest wedding venue in Orangeburg.

"It's just absolutely beautiful," said Mike Tourville, managing partner of Buck Ridge Plantation, which is owned by the Tourville family. "It's a 19th-century plantation build in the 21st century. It's got all the modern conveniences, but it has all of the accents from the past. ... The cookhouse is about 90 yards away, so it has its own outdoor kitchen, kind of like in plantation days, with the kitchen separated from the house.

"You've got to see it to appreciate it."

Lauren Jennings of Orangeburg has been charged with preparing the manor for the tour. Tourville said Edisto Manor, named for the river that flows along the borders of Buck Ridge Plantation, will be decked out in elegant trimmings, inside and out. Each of the 5,400-square-foot home's six executive-style suites -- decorated in themes including Out of Africa, the Outer Banks, New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah and the Tropics -- will be dressed for the holidays. Each room features a large fireplace, hardwood floors and a private master bathroom.

"It's hard to envision the magnitude of this place, the detail," Tourville said. "We will have two trees, with smaller ones throughout the house. The focal point will be the 12-foot tree in the foyer, just through the front double, eight-foot mahogany doors."

"You're going to see fruits and stuff like you would have seen" in the 19th century, he said. "We have these gorgeous frosted-glass bulbs mixed with more traditional ones ... and garland on the wrought-iron and mahogany handrail leading up the stairs."

Different types of ribbons will be incorporated into the holiday decor at Edisto Manor, Tourville said.

"You'll see some of the traditional reds, but a deeper color, and some with patterns," he said. "There will be live cuttings and poinsettias ... real pine cones, real berries, some faux fruit. And I'm trying to get carolers." The outside of the house will be trimmed in white lights.

Punch will most likely be served to home tour guests, who will also likely be greeted by the scent of baked goods as they enter.

"We'll try to give it that homey feel," Tourville said.

The Watfords' home

With four children in a home, it's hard for them not to leave their mark.

But Jeff and Mary Watford nonetheless agreed to open the traditional river home they share with their children -- Alex, 16, Mary Frances, 11, Patrick, 10, and Sarah, 8 -- and Mary's mother, Mary Ball, to the public for the Kiwanis Christmas Tour of Homes.

"We purchased the home from Paul and Kea Whatley. They had purchased it from Dr. (Kevin) Nahigian, who built it in the late '90s," Mary said. "My husband says that it reminds you of a traditional river house because the back porch runs almost the whole length of the house. You can sit back there in the evenings and hear the animals, hear the creek. It's situated on a canal that leads to the Edisto (River). It's very relaxing to sit back there."

Although the Watfords are not members of the Orangeburg Kiwanis Club, their oldest son Alex is a member of his school's Key Club, a Kiwanis International high school service organization.

Mary said this is the first year they have participated in such an event.

"We are going to prepare the front of the house in traditional garland and wreaths, with lights along the driveway," she said. "In the formal living room, we have it decorated with shades of blue and silver, and we will be decorating the family room in a warmer theme -- the golds, bronzes and coppers."

The living room, in its blues and silver, will also feature peacocks and doves, bringing nature inside and reminding visitors of the chilly winters described in holiday stories, while the family room will welcome guests with a cozy setting perfect for relaxation.

"I've always liked the colors that we used in the formal living room. ... I think the colors that we are going to be using in that room are going to be my favorite," Mary said. "There's an old Japanese chest in the foyer that came from my aunt and a china cabinet from my grandmother, and they're special to me because of my memories of the ladies."

The children's rooms will be off-limits, per their request, she said, "but we will open the downstairs up for anyone who would like to look around."

"We have always wanted our house to be one that people felt welcome to come to," Mary said. "We've had 30-something kids in our pool on a mission trip. We've had church functions, family functions, entertained friends. Our house is a pretty busy house. We try to make it welcoming."

T&D Features Editor Wendy Jeffcoat Crider can be reached by e-mail at wjeffcoat@timesanddemocrat.com or by telephone at 803-533-5546. Discuss this and other stories online at TheTandD.com.

Kiwanis Christmas Tour of Homes

The Kiwanis Christmas Tour of Homes will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, in Orangeburg.

Tickets are $10 per person for adults and children and are available at the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce, Orangeburg County Fine Arts Center and Four Moons Wine and Gourmet Shop.

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