Turns out, you can't nap in their beds either

I had mentioned last week that I was going to check out the The Providence (RI) Preservation Society's 29th Annual Festival of Historic Houses on Saturday.

The homes, many built in the early to mid-1800s ranged from the magnificent to the everyday...just like homes built today. But they were all interesting to see.

Here's an idea we (my sister Kat and friend Chris) loved: Asian silk lanterns hanging from an arbor and over a table in a city garden. (No photos were allowed, so I've posted this one from JustLanterns.com to give you the general idea.)

We wanted to sit right down and plan a party: We'd put LED lights in all of them and use lanterns in rainbow colors for a kids' party; monochromatic for a twilight dinner; blue by the ocean...

But here's the thing about house tours: They don't let you plan parties in their homes, or rearrange the furniture, or try on their clothes... selfish, very selfish.

A Snapshot: I had no choice

Check out the bookends I picked up the other day. I saw a pair like them at the Newport Showhouse Guild's 14th annual Designer Showcase a few weeks ago and loved them. And they were only $12.

Please don't tell my neighbors

Here's one of my favorite things: It's dusk. I'm a passenger in a car, driving through a neighborhood. The homeowners haven't gotten around to pulling their shades yet...

...and I get a peek (at 20 or 30 mph) at how they've decorated their homes.

If that's also your idea of a good time, you're going to want to know about The Providence Preservation Society's 29th Annual Festival of Historic Houses on Saturday.

Buy a ticket and you can get a really good look inside 10 historic homes in the Fox Point neighborhood of Providence, RI.

All the homes were built in the 19th century. I've been in one of them, where I worked on interior redesign. (That's the foyer of the house in the photo above.)

I'm not going to tell you where the house is...you're not supposed to know any of the details until you pick up the map at Brown University’s Maddock Alumni Center, 38 Brown St, Providence.

But I can tell you that it's got wonderful millwork, five fireplaces and beautiful gardens. I'm sure the other houses are fantastic, too.

So buy a ticket ( $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the tour). The self-guided walking tour runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the houses within about a half-mile loop.

The best part: You won't have to yell for your husband to slow the car down so you can get a better look...

Go ahead, pretend you live there

What would designers do with the prospect of transforming the blank slate of some 20 rooms - and nearly as many outdoor spaces - in a 100-year-old house overlooking the ocean?

Drool, drool, drool. Then get to work.

The result: the Newport Showhouse Guild's 14th annual Designer Showcase. It's in Narragansett, RI, and I recommend checking it out.

The showhouse is at Southwinds, 545 Ocean Road, the home of Judge Frank (of ABC’s Caught in Providence fame) and Joyce Caprio and State Rep. David Caprio. It's open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $25 (the guild puts on showhouses to raise money for charity).

Designers from Rhode Island and beyond have contributed to the metamorphosis, which required the Caprios, who have lived at the 10,000-square-foot home for 35 years, to move out for several months.

Despite the individual efforts of the designers, their work shows some common themes: The ocean is well-represented, with shells, summer hues, and organic materials often used. Many incorporated animal prints.

There are unexpected touches as well...the pink in the dining room, the coral in a sunroom, family photos decoupaged on trompe l'oeil painted walls in an upstairs hallway.

The showhouse folks were nice enough to let me take a few photos outside, but you'll have to put your mouse down and head over there yourself to get a look inside. And while you are there: be sure to look up. Nary a ceiling is overlooked...with materials such as sailcloth and lattice put to use in addition to painted finishes.

And if you find something you really love...many of the furnishings and accessories are for sale, with 25 percent going to charity.

So, be sure to visit before the showhouse closes on June 8. After that, the Caprios will kick you out.