Velvet Cat home tour, luncheon, holiday bazaar on Oct. 26 to raise funds for scholarships

FALLBROOK –Ever driven by a huge house, on an expansive, scenic property, and wondered what it looks like inside? Terry Hamilton’s equestrian estate is one of those dreamy homes that could create that desire. That’s why the Fallbrook Woman’s Club asked Hamilton to open his home on Oct. 26 for all the public to see.

The annual Velvet Cat Home Tour is a fundraiser put on by the club. For $30, one can see inside, take a guided tour of the Fallbrook property, and then chill out at a poolside luncheon. The views of the 6.5 acres of Granny Smith apple orchards, two islands, a lake stocked with bass, waterfall, five bridges, windmill, and horse corrals are breathtaking.

The inside is equally impressive. Hamilton used to work as an ambassador host for Crystal Cruises, an upscale liner, and basically traveled the globe. He bought something from nearly everywhere he went and his nearly 6,000-square-foot manor is filled with fantastic photos and paintings, artsy statues, and other swanky object d’art from nearly every corner of the world.

He built the Tuscan-style home and its adjacent caretaker unit from scratch after they burned to the ground in 2000. It has five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, a gourmet chef’s kitchen and enough bonus rooms and amenities to satisfy even some of the Hollywood movie star types. The master bathroom alone could probably hold a couple of pool tables.

Hamilton was an avid horseback rider and horse aficionado growing up and it shows both inside the home, and out. He has a number of custom-painted portraits that pay homage to his beloved horse, Nijinsky. When Nijinsky died, it broke his heart, he said.

The panoramic, countryside landscape boasts state-of-the-art, seven-stall barns with turn-outs, all the amenities, five corrals and an arena, and, of course, horses.

The tour runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and the price goes up to $35 beginning Oct. 14.

The event benefits the nonprofit club’s scholarship and philanthropic programs. Tickets can be purchased at the clubhouse, 238 W. Mission; or by mail at P.O. Box 208, Fallbrook, CA, 92088; or by calling (760) 728-5413. Visit http://www.fallbrookwomansclub.org.