Shabby to Chic tour set for Sunday

COEUR d'ALENE - Ever caught a quick sliver of a glimpse in the window of what appears to be a comfy, inviting, creatively decorated place to call home, and wondered what it looks and feels like inside?

You can have that question answered, several times over, when the now-shuttered Shabby to Chic Shoppe's Tour of Homes returns to Coeur d'Alene on Sunday.

Sandy Bechtold, former owner of the Fourth Street store and now manager of the Women's Center Thrift shop, is resurrecting the once-popular annual tour tradition to raise money for the Women's Center.

"I started the tour because I'd been on tours in big cities where the houses were showcase homes with expensive decorations," Bechthold said. "I could never afford that, so I'd go home feeling bad instead of good."

The Shabby to Chic store that Bechtold owned for a dozen years until 2009 featured a decorating style accessible to anyone. "Shabby chic" celebrates the beauty of imperfections, and cherishes the history of furniture and objects that are worn, familiar and comforting.

"There is nothing for sale on the tour, no pressure. Just come, look and enjoy," Bechtold said.

The event features a continental breakfast, refreshments and a collection of six homes to visit. Most tour stops are in Coeur d'Alene, with one in Hayden Lake.

It begins at 10 a.m. at the Women's Center Thrift Store, 848 N. Fourth Street, where tickets and maps will be distributed. The tour runs from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at the store, or online at www.cdawomenscenter.org.

The Women's Center provides 24-hour crisis intervention and assistance to victims and families in crisis due to domestic or sexual violence. The nonprofit is advocacy-based and funded by support from the community, the Idaho Council on Domestic Violence and Victim Assistance, United Way, The Friends of the Center, grants, fundraisers and public and private donors.

Tour information: 664-0958