Visiting the Bergen home will change your ideas about interior design. Linda Bergen’s ability to contrast and juxtapose old and new — with a host of different styles — results in an eclectic dream.

An antique chandelier in the foyer dates back to the late 1800s and lights the multi-color slate flooring, which is original to the residence.

In a nearby family room, Bergen has worked an African theme. Animal prints, leather furniture and a wood-burning stove with a faux finished mantel give the room a masculine feel.

Above the mantel is a beautiful iron grate. “I love ironwork and I don’t know what it was originally for, but I thought it really worked in here,” said Bergen. And it does.

The Bergen home in Franklin Township is among those to be featured this year in the Butler County Symphony Association Holiday Tour of Homes, set for Nov. 19.

Despite this year’s date, which sets the tour earlier than past seasons, the event will feature the same traditional holiday showing of decorated homes in Butler County.

“This is the most diverse and best tour we’ve ever put together,” said Joyce Catt, a co-chairwoman of the tour who calls the lineup “a feast for the eyes.”“We have four remarkable and different residences, the Butler Arts Council Building which used to be the Troutman estate, and Trinity Lutheran Church,” Catt said.This year, due to narrow roads, a shuttle will be available from the Unionville Fire Hall to the Hermitage Road home of Dan and Kay Heineman and to the Bergen home nearby.The Victorian two-story farmhouse owned by Bergen and her husband, Jeff, features a turret off the country porch. One of the most recent acquisitions on the tour, the Bergens purchased the home in April and have been restoring the 1890s dwelling.A photograph of the house and its original owners, one of them believed to be a district attorney, is on display in the foyer. “It has been handed down to each of the occupants of the home,” Bergen said of the photograph.A statue of Father Christmas stands guard at the foot of the stairs.To the left is a sun porch that was added to the original structure in the 1920s as a recovery room for a former occupant who suffered from tuberculosis. The huge windows and bright interior lend to the cheery feeling of this room, which is heated by a small electric stove that resembles a wood stove.Elegance and rustic are mixed here with much success, as the comfortable room is well used. “We eat in here quite often,” Bergen said.

To the right of the front door is the music room, or parlor. In the turret is a lovely piano where Jeff plays. In the corner stands a Victorian Christmas tree.The Bergens have placed an antique mantel in the foyer adorned with grape leaves. “We found it in South Carolina. They were redoing an old estate and I saw it and really wanted it,” said Bergen. Magnolia blossoms are carved into the lovely, dark wood of the mantel.The hallway opens up into another bright room, which serves as the formal dining room. The glass tabletop is mingled with French reproduction chairs. While the chandelier is new, Bergen has antiqued it to give the room a warmer feel. Stained-glass wall sconces flank built-in shelves.In the corner of the room stands a lone windowpane. “We found this windowpane in the barn and I thought it was too interesting to leave there. We don’t know what it goes to, so it is our little mystery,” said Bergen.A unique hexagon table sits in the bow window. “It is an antique that was created for use in a department store of some sort,” said Bergen. Tile inlays trim the sides of the handmade table.A stairway that leads past a stained-glass oval window takes visitors to the second floor, which houses the bedrooms. A dollhouse made by Bergen is on display at the top of the stairs. The master bedroom, done in golds and yellows, is home to a wonderful contemporary Christmas tree in the turret. This somewhat small room is full of large furniture which, ironically, produces a much larger feel.Down the hall are two guest bedrooms and an interesting utility room. The former owners, the DePews, spent 10 years working on the house, stripping floors and restoring the woodwork, only to grow out of it with their burgeoning family. They cleverly added a laundry on the second floor and installed beautiful cabinetry in the room. “I use this as my sewing and craft room,” said Bergen.

Heading down the back steps, one enters the country kitchen accentuated with cherry cabinets. “We chose a pumpkin color for the walls so that it would be warm,” Bergen said. She did a faux finish with copper that gives the terra cotta-looking walls an almost leathery appearance.A stained-glass lamp in the butler’s pantry makes the little nook a cozy eating space. Large windows make the space incredibly bright and airy despite the rich, deep hues.Exiting out the rear of the house, one is treated to the view of three water fountains. Just across the road and down a path is the Heinemans’ house.The tour also includes these homes.* The home of Dan and Kay Heineman, 124 Hermitage Road in Franklin Township, is a low country Carolina house. The 10-year-old home sits amidst a dense grove of trees on 82 acres.The porch spans the width of the house. The great room features vaulted ceilings, a fireplace and sliding doors. A vast collection of Robert Bateman’s wildlife works is on display throughout the house.* Joan Chew, owner of the stop at 216 Center Ave., was actually born in this museum of a home. Joan Chew and her husband, Van Peterson, have kept the integrity of this 1890s structure.A unique bathroom on the upper floor is flanked by three bedrooms. The entry features a stained-glass window and an original gasolier light on the ceiling. An extensive oriental art collection is on display.The updated kitchen still features a 1950s electric range.* Dr. James and Susan Backstrom own the exhibit at 308 Belmont Road in Butler Township. This large seven-bedroom Tudor home includes a ballroom on the lower level. The home was originally built in 1933 for Mary and Vernon Wise. The home boasts beautiful oak floors and seven fireplaces. The ballroom has been converted to a child-friendly playroom.

* John and Kelly Giles own the home at 101 Timothy Lane in Center Township. The contemporary home with vaulted ceilings and stone fireplaces has a striking openness to it. The décor is contemporary in every sense of the word. The four-bedroom, six bathroom home contains a special assortment of dishes Kelly collects as a hobby. A Jack and Jill bathroom connects the children’s rooms. The house sits on a beautifully landscaped 4-acre lot.* Trinity Lutheran Church at 120 Sunset Drive in Center Township was dedicated in 1960. The church had to add a second unit in 1980 and yet another new sanctuary became a reality. The brightly lit interior accents the aqua-blue seats. The church will be open for refreshments from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. the day of the tour.* The Butler Arts Council house at 421 N. Main St., formerly the Troutman estate, reflects typical 1870s architecture.A lovely library with original bookshelves boasts 12-foot-high ceilings. The former dining room of the house is presently the art council’s boardroom. The upstairs is the living space of Tom Panei and is decorated with his works of art.

WHAT: The Butler County Symphony Association 16th annual fundraising Holiday Tour of HomesWHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 19. A reception is set for 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 120 Sunset Drive, Center TownshipWHERE: Maps are included in ticket/programCOST: $15 presale at the symphony office, May’s Music Shoppe, Truly Yours (Clearview Mall), The Versatile Gourmet, Flynn’s Tire, and The Thinking Cap.