Qualls Family opens their home to community for Christmas Tour of Homes

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The Christmas Tour of Homes returns in 2021 after taking 2020 off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Joining the Tour will be Richard and Tiffany Qualls, who will be on the Tour for the first time.

“I think I’ve always wanted to be on the Tour,” Tiffany said. “It seemed like a great opportunity. We’ve always said if God blessed us with a home we would open it up to the community and do whatever we could to use it. Plus, I love Christmas. I’m the crazy Christmas lady around here.”

Tiffany started decorating for Christmas in October and said the process took four to five weeks. All of the decorations have been accumulated over the years by the Qualls and most of it carries some sentimental value. Tiffany said “I don’t like things that are just new, I like things that have some character or a story behind it.”

“It’s all stuff I’ve collected over the years,” Tiffany said. “I’ve always been obsessed with Christmas time and over 20-plus years it’s something I’ve personally picked out. I don’t know that I have a style, but it’s things I like or I’m attracted to. It’s not anything you may see in a storefront, but it’s my personal style.”

When visiting the Qualls, guests will be greeted with a pair of nutcrackers, as well as a bike decorated for the season.

“The bike is there year round and we keep it lit up,” Tiffany said. “When Celanese was around my dad worked in the traffic department with the trains. About a year ago, a co-worker of his called me and said they had an old bike that was probably my dad’s. It was probably one he rode around Celanese and she gave it to me. So I painted it and my husband put some lights on it. So it’s kind of meaningful to me.”

The Qualls’ home is a 1967 ranch-style home that they moved into in 2005. They have kept that ranch-style theme throughout the decorations in the house.

“I love the farmhouse style and my family has a farm in Missouri that my grandparents had growing up,” Tiffany said. “I love the farmhouse style, [there is] a milk-can that was from my grandfather’s dairy that my dad worked on. The house, when we bought it, was a plain ranch style house that didn’t have a lot of character to it.”

The process of adding that character came in the form of a number of renovations: an addition, which includes a master bath, an additional half bath, a great room with vaulted ceilings, and a covered patio. Every room has been redone in some way with Richard using his extensive skills to bring life to Tiffany’s creative ideas and designs. Some of the renovating came shortly after the Qualls found out they were expecting.

“Not one part of it hasn’t been touched in this house,” Tiffany said. “Most of it has been Richard. Richard jokes, ‘I don’t know why we needed a kitchen to have a baby.’”

Tiffany’s favorite part of the decor would be what she calls her “forest” in her dining room.

“I just love it,” Tiffany said. “There’s nothing fancy about it, they are just trees with lights (around the fireplace). It’s very simple and classic.”

The Qualls love Christmas and while Tiffany enjoys the lights and decorations, she said the atmosphere and ultimately celebrating the birth of Christ is what she loves.

“Everyone’s hearts seem to soften during that time of year,” Tiffany said. “It’s not all about the lights and decorations, as much as I love it. It’s about Christ’s birth and, as a Christian, celebrating that is such an important thing to our faith.”

Richard, Tiffany, and Rylan would like to wish God’s blessings to everyone this season as we celebrate Christ’s birth.  Merry Christmas!

The 25th Century Cotillion Study Club’s Christmas Home Tour is set for Sunday, Dec. 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. Proceeds go to benefit The Opportunity Plan, Inc., a non-profit organization providing financial assistance in post-secondary educational programs.