Candle stands fashioned out of recycled jam jars, a Christmas tree made of cardboard tube, one thousand cranes made of discarded print paper. Nothing seemed impossible in the hands of the 20 College of the Canyons students selected to decorate a home for the 32nd annual Holiday Home Tour.

Hosted by the Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital’s Home Tour League, the Holiday Home Tour raises funds for women’s services by showcasing local homes that have been professionally decorated for the holiday season. This year, a team of COC interior design students transformed the home of Michael and Sharon Higgins into a non-traditional winter wonderland.

“Red, green and gold are the usual colors associated with the holidays, but the students chose a more adventurous departure by opting for a more exquisite color scheme,” said Dorothy Minarsch, chair of the Interior Design and Architecture Department at the college.

Separated into teams to decorate different rooms, students executed their “Peacock Medley Winterland” concept by using the colors bronze, gold, marine blue, turquoise and purple.

“Although the rooms are unified in color, they reflect each room leader’s creative flare and design solutions,” Minarsch said.

With sustainability in mind, many of the decorations were made using recycled or repurposed materials such as bark, twigs, cardboard and broken mirror pieces. Two peacock lamps made from plaster and coat hangers, specifically designed by Jolene Lain, light up the master bedroom.

“It was a wonderful experience that helped me fine-tune my career ideas,” said Lain, who is three classes away from earning her associate degree in interior design. “Once I become a licensed interior designer and start my own business, I’d like to specialize in holiday designing.”

Lain is very happy with the end result of the project, which students started working on in June. “It is a special privilege and honor to present all our hard work to the community.”

To view the Higgins home and the other homes participating in this year’s Holiday Home Tour, a holiday gala event will be held on Friday, November 30 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Holiday Home Tour will be held Saturday, Dec. 1, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

For more information and tickets to the Holiday Home Tour, click [here].