PARK SLOPE — An "absolutely enormous" bathroom that could house an entire family and a chandelier that's part of theater history are some of the highlights on this year's Park Slope Civic Council House Tour.
"It's always nice for a house to have a little surprise," said tour organizer Candace Woodward, who helped select the seven houses on the tour.
Previous tours have included a home with wallpaper designed by Mike D of the Beastie Boys, and this year's list has a few standout features as well, Woodward said.
One stop is a certified "passive house" with high-tech energy-efficiency features hidden behind an 1875 Italianate facade. It includes solar hot water, an ethanol-burning fireplace and a parrot named Oliver that lives in the kitchen. (The bird isn't one of the eco-friendly attributes.)
Another has a chandelier that was once owned by theater impresario and songwriter Billy Rose.
Photo by Nigel Spong
There's also a house on the tour with a huge children's bedroom outfitted with three beds featuring identical pink bedding and a zoo's worth of stuffed animals.
Photo by Audrey Gray
The centerpiece of another house on the tour is an "absolutely enormous and beautifully designed bathroom" that was once a large bedroom with a fireplace, Woodward said. The fireplace is still intact in the bathroom, though she didn't know whether it still works. A tub sits in the center of the room and a glass wall stands between the roomy shower and the rest of the spacious water closet.
"It's extremely unusual," Woodward said. "A family of three or even four could live quite happily in that bathroom."
Though it may be tempting, taking photos isn't allowed on the house tour, and neither are kids under 10. Visitors also have to take off their shoes or wear shoe covers in the homes.
The 57th annual tour is slated Sunday, May 15 from noon to 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 on the day of the tour. Proceeds from the event fund grants that the Civic Council distributes to neighborhood schools, nonprofits and cultural groups.
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