2025 HHTM Designers

Meet the design teams that bring the 2025 Holiday Home Tour to life!

Casa Del Sol

Designed by Lila Glasoe Francese of Ohi Home and Carolyn Bennett of CDB Design

Home and garden designers and longtime friends, Carolyn Bennett and Lila Francese are local Ojai creatives, culture seekers, and devoted mahjong players.

Carolyn, a passionate gardener, is a frequent lecturer for garden clubs, plant enthusiasts, and arts organizations across the country. Lila has led her interior design firm, OHI HOME, with her husband, Dines Francese, since 2009. She also serves as President of Ojai’s public art charity, CGBF. Lila is the interior designer of Casa del Sol and has managed its renovations since 2022.

Carolyn and Lila share a deep connection to the Ojai Music Festival and a common vision for the Holiday Home Tour – crafting a design that honors the home’s authenticity while adding fresh inspiration to this year’s Thanksgiving holiday.

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Heritage Home

Designed by Sunday Hendrickson and Kathy Smith

Kathy Smith and Sunday Hendrickson have been fast friends since Sunday arrived in Ojai, landing in a cottage just across the street from Kathy’s home. They instantly realized they shared many of the same loves-family, adorable pets, a sense of humor and, drum roll…interior design!

 Kathy and her husband, Jim, have created a home where each room is filled with the quiet stories of those who came before them, strategically placing photos and family heirlooms throughout. Kathy loves to canvas yard sales and flea markets to add vintage finds to her home, complimenting the eclectic mix. She found a soulmate in her creative friend, Sunday. As a magazine art director and photo stylist, Sunday is known for her magical transformations of interiors and gardens for well-known designers, architects and their clients, including Coastal Living, Country Home, House Beautiful, and others.

It’s easy to imagine how excited they are to decorate this home together blending Kathy’s treasure trove with Sunday’s artistic vision –creating a magical Christmas Home!

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Holiday Hearth

Designed by Nereyda Seymore of Grit & Grace and Stefanie Coeler

Nereyda and Stefanie, both lifelong equestrians, met some 20 years ago when Stefanie became a customer at Nereyda’s Ventura Hay business, and have been friends since. They both share a passion for bringing cowgirl grit and grace to their homes, businesses and home decor.

Nereyda, with her husband, owns three thriving local stores – Ventura Hay, Pets and More, and Grit & Grace, a western apparel and home décor shop. One of her favorite pastimes is going all in decorating her stores for the holidays. Stefanie is a local artist and floral designer who finds joy in creativity and the natural world. She has volunteered as a design assistant for the Holiday Home Tour for years and is excited to step into the role of home designer this year. She also serves on the board of the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy.

With its rustic, natural finishes, furnishings, and décor, this home provided the perfect setting for Stefanie and Nereyda to design a Cowgirl Christmas with a touch of Farmhouse charm.

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Wanderer’s Retreat

Designed by Lynn Malone and Kris Griswold

Kris, co-homeowner, and Lynn, local floral designer and artistic liaison for the Holiday Home Tour, recently met and instantly bonded as friends and co-designers for this year’s tour. “When I saw their home, I knew instantly—this wasn’t just a house, it’s a canvas, and the owners are the artists,” Lynn said. She was excited to weave some holiday magic into their unique palette.

Kris and her husband, Chris, love to curate local artworks during their global travels, with a focus on African art from Chris’s homeland which shapes the aesthetic for their home. Both avid gardeners, they can often be found tending to and arranging florals from their beautiful gardens. Kris is also a board member of the Ojai Valley Garden Club. Blending the homeowners’ global eye for art with Lynn’s timeless holiday sensibilities. The designers have crafted a Christmas that dances between cultures—where the warmth of African artistry meets the charm of traditional holiday fare, creating a home that feels both worldly and wonderfully festive