Christmas Comes Early This Saturday With Winnetka Heights Holiday Home Tour

When Valerie Taylor, her husband Gray Cato, and pup Nala moved into their North Montclair Avenue home in May 2022, neighbors were already hitting them up to join the Winnetka Heights Holiday Home Tour. 

Taylor asked for a little patience — something most of us are lacking in these winter months — and said, “Wait and see.” 

After two Christmases in their stunning new-ish Craftsman that looks like it was built in 1915, the couple has fully renovated and is ready to throw on the holiday playlist and open the doors. 

Their home is one of five (or six if you’re a VIP) that will be featured at the 36th annual Winnetka Heights Holiday Home Tour. It starts at noon on Saturday, Dec. 14, at the historic Turner House, 401 N. Rosemont Ave. Purchase your tickets now on the home tour website. General admission tickets are $20 in advance or $25 on the day of the tour. VIP tickets are $40 in advance or $50 on the day of the tour. 

North Montclair Avenue 

Taylor and Cato, high school sweethearts who love traveling and entertaining, moved to Dallas in 2018 but started out in the eastern sector of the city. They loved the vibe of Winnetka Heights for its historic charm and proximity to the eclectic Bishop Arts District. 

“We love the Craftsman style, we knew we wanted something two-story, and we knew we wanted the big front porch,” Taylor said. “We wanted to find a house that had a lot of room for us to give personality, something that felt like a really nice blank canvas so we could come in and have some fun with it.” 

The couple brought in the “dream team” of Kate Thacker Home and Isaac Martinez’s River Oak Renovations and got to work on a few special elements that transformed the five-bedroom, four-bathroom house into a home: 

• A walk-in refrigerated wine fridge with capacity for more than 200 bottles. 
• High-end materials and bold design choices, including Calacatta Viola Marble, Green Maestro Quartzite, herringbone white oak flooring, and custom cabinetry. 
• A custom purple bathtub.
• Upscale kitchen featuring a La Cornufue range and premium finishes.
• Mural wallpapers and statement lighting from top designers such as Visual Comfort and Arteriors.
• Wood-burning fireplace, complete with hand-crafted built-ins, combining warmth and elegance.

“Designing a space where the clients requested bold patterns and statement pieces while paying homage to the neighborhood’s history was an absolute dream project,” said Kate Thacker, founder of Kate Thacker Home. 

Cato said the home reflects their personalities.

“We wanted something one-of-a-kind and unique to our taste, and that’s exactly what it is,” he said. “Features like the wine fridge and the fireplace are perfect for us and our lifestyle.”

Taylor added that while minimalism seems to be the latest trend, “that’s not us.” 

“At our home, you walk in and immediately, you’re hit with fun, big pattern wallpapers and color drenching,” she said. “We didn’t want it to look like every other house. The dynamic duo [Thacker and Martinez] took our inspirational pictures and did an incredible job of paring that down into something curated and beautiful.” 

Winnetka Heights

In addition to seeing the Taylor-Cato home and the dwellings of their neighbors, tour-goers will also be treated to the history and camaraderie of Oak Cliff’s Winnetka Heights. 

Platted in 1908 and designated a historic district in 1981, the neighborhood boasts 600 diligently preserved turn-of-the-century homes with lovingly updated interiors, Holiday Home Tour chair Ted Cogan said in a press release. The Holiday Home Tour is a rare opportunity to explore both aspects of these charming Craftsman homes up close and personal. 

The historic district ensures that the neighborhood’s character is preserved, Taylor explained. 

‘Even though our home isn’t an older one, we appreciate the history behind the neighborhood,” she said. “We love that people can’t knock down the houses here and build little baby mansions. There’s also this really awesome sense of community in the neighborhood. You see kids walking to school in the morning. You see neighbors talking to each other outside. The day we moved in, people showed up with wine and banana bread. There’s a sense of community you can’t beat.” 

The Holiday Home Tour is the Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association’s hallmark fundraiser to make improvements in the community. 

“The association is dedicated to preserving the neighborhood as an enduring symbol of early 20th-century life while ensuring Winnetka Heights remains the most vibrant historic district in the city,” Cogan said.