LIFE

Rehoboth cottage tour lets guests see drama of designs

KIM HOEY
THE NEWS JOURNAL

Expect to see a lot of art and soul on the Rehoboth Art League 66th Annual Cottage Tour of Art Tuesday and Wednesday.

The collection of eight private homes in the Rehoboth and Dewey Beach area offer very different landscapes, interior and architectural designs, ranging from historically significant to contemporary and eco-friendly. Some homes have quite an evolving history and many homeowners showcase memories and collections in creative ways.

Perfectly illustrating those differences are the Zen House, owned by Gary Phillips of Bay Vista, Rehoboth, and the Preate/Pantano house at the Rehoboth Yacht and Country Club.

Connecting the house to the setting and the owner's emotions was part of the design scheme for the Zen House, owned by Gary Phillips of Bay Vista, Rehoboth. The 4,200-square-foot house features a second floor of 360-degree views and several hundred square feet of screened porches.

The home of Gene Pantano and Karl Preate at 165 East Buckingham Drive in Rehoboth Beach Yacht & Country Club will be on display at the Rehoboth Beach Art League Cottage Tour.

"You can't go anywhere in the house and not be connected to the outside," said Shawn Ewbank, of Lewes, the designer of the home. His goal was to make the house a habitable art work that is both distinctive and blends in to the surroundings, he said. The large corner beams on the house are designed to imitate the trees that surround them. The colors are purposefully muted so they flow with the surroundings.

It was also the first house Embank designed in 2011 when he graduated from the San Francisco School of Architecture. He got the job with a sketch made on a scrap piece of paper as he listened to Phillips, a friend of a friend, explain what he was looking for to another architect.

Ewbank credits some of what he brings to being design to working his way through school as a massage therapist. A massage therapist doesn't just work with a person's body, but also with their emotions. Ewbank designed the Zen House the same way, so that the structure is in tune with the owner and connects at a soul level, he said.

The Living Room with oil paintings by Bill Koons of York, Pa at The home of Gene Pantano and Karl Preate at 165 East Buckingham Drive in Rehoboth Beach Yacht & Country Club which will be on display at the Rehoboth Beach Art League Cottage Tour.

While the Zen House is about soul, it's all about heart at the Preate/Pantano house at the Rehoboth Yacht and Country Club. This home is not one of the giants of the beach, in fact, the owners are thinking of moving some chairs to the attic for the tour to accommodate the human traffic.

This house is about love and art as seen in the collections on display of Fiestaware, salt and pepper shakes and even framed black and white photos of Carl Preate's great and even great-great grandparents from Pennsylvania.

"It's very cozy," said Preate, who said he's seen a lot of homes that are huge, but so sparsely decorated they don't tell him anything about the people who live there. The Preate/Pantano home has a comfortable personality.

Master Bedroom/ Suite with "Charlie" and artwork by Deborah Brisker-Bruk at The home of Gary Phillips, designed by Shawn Ewbank at 21276 Bald Eagle Road in Bay Vista near Rehoboth Beach will be on display for the Rehoboth Beach Art League Cottage Tour.

Throughout the house, they features art from local artists from Delaware and Pennsylvania, mixed with original posters from turn of the century France. Look for the "Hollywood" room, featuring vintage movie posters from from the 30's through the 70's.

Back at the art league, the Historic Peter March Homestead will be transformed with furnishings and décor by the tour underwriter J. Conn Scott. Richard Scott, Lisa Scott and Steven Bendyna. Their design plan was to blend modern furnishings and decorations to compliment the historical design in the three main rooms of the Homestead. In previous years, this has ranged from a white, slipcovered cottage look to a more colorful red and turquoise theme and last year a throw-back to the 50's and 60's with bright orange.

Looking toward Dewey Beach from the 2nd Floor balcony at The home of Gary Phillips, designed by Shawn Ewbank at 21276 Bald Eagle Road in Bay Vista near Rehoboth Beach will be on display for the Rehoboth Beach Art League Cottage Tour.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The self-guided Rehoboth Art League 66th Anual Cottage Tour

WHEN: Tuesday and Wednesday

WHERE: Throughout Rehoboth and Dewey Beach

TICKETS: $30. They are available at www.RehobothArtLeague.org; the Art League at 12 Dodds Lane, Henlopen Acres, Rehoboth Beach; the RAL Art Studios on Route 9, 12000 Old Vine Boulevard, Lewes; and other sites in Lewes and Rehoboth. On the day of the tour, tickets are available at any of the homes or art league locations.

PARKING: Parking is limited at several of the houses, particularly Dewey Beach. Free parking will be available at the Rehoboth Elementary School parking lot located at 500 Stockley Street, Rehoboth Beach. The Art League is providing Jolly Trolley transportation for Cottage Tour ticket holders. Shuttle service will begin running at 9:45 a.m. and continue until tour ending each day.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:www.RehobothArtLeague.org; (302) 227-8408.