This October, North Star House is inviting guests to experience the historic estate a little differently.
Our upcoming autumn evening on October 17 brings together period-inspired fashion, dancing, parlor activities, refreshments, and creative details designed to make the House feel alive for the evening. Guests are encouraged to explore, participate, dress for the occasion if they would like, and enjoy the kind of atmosphere that feels especially fitting inside a historic estate.
One of the creative elements joining us for the evening is Michele of Artistic Edge Salon & Spa in Grass Valley, who will be sharing her approach to period-inspired hairstyling.
For an event where clothing, movement, music, and setting all help create the experience, hair is another part of telling the story.
An Autumn Evening Inside a Historic Grass Valley Estate
North Star House was completed in 1905 and designed by Julia Morgan early in her career. More than a century later, the estate continues to be a place for people to gather, create, celebrate, and experience local history firsthand.
That makes it an especially fitting setting for an evening inspired by another era.
Guests can expect opportunities to enjoy historical dance, period-inspired entertainment and activities, time to explore the House, and details throughout the evening that bring a little of the past into the present.
You can dress in period-inspired clothing and fully embrace the theme, or come exactly as you are. The goal is not historical perfection. It is to have fun with the setting, try something different, and enjoy North Star House in a way you would not experience during an ordinary visit.
How Hairstyling Helps Create an Era
Clothing may be the first thing we notice when we think about fashion from another period, but hair can completely change the way a look feels.
That is part of what Michele will explore during her period-inspired hairstyling demonstration at North Star House.
Her approach to hair and makeup is rooted in artistry, self-expression, and individualized design. Rather than treating styling as a formula, she looks at the entire person, including their features, natural texture, personal style, clothing, inspiration, and the feeling they want the finished look to have.
Her creative influences are just as varied.
Michele draws inspiration from high fashion, modern and edgy styling, avant-garde design, and vintage aesthetics. That gives her the ability to take elements from different periods and translate them into a style that still feels intentional and personal.
It is less about copying a historical hairstyle exactly and more about understanding the details that make a look recognizable: silhouette, shape, texture, volume, placement, accessories, and how the finished hair works with everything around it.
For an evening centered on stepping outside of the everyday, that creative process fits right in.
Styling as a Creative Collaboration
One thing Michele emphasizes in her work is collaboration.
A client might arrive with a very specific reference, an era they love, a favorite fashion image, or simply an idea of how they want to feel. Michele takes those starting points and considers what will actually complement that individual.
Hair texture matters. Facial features matter. Clothing matters. Personality matters.
That individualized approach is especially important when working with vintage and event styling. A hairstyle can reference another era without feeling like a costume, and a dramatic style can still feel like the person wearing it.
Today, Michele specializes in curly hair, extensions, custom color and lightening, and event styling, giving her a broad technical foundation to draw from when creating different shapes, textures, and finished looks.
About Michele of Artistic Edge Salon & Spa
Michele is the second-generation owner of Artistic Edge Salon & Spa in Grass Valley, continuing the salon legacy her mother, Eva, began more than 30 years ago.
She is also a second-generation cosmetologist, with experience spanning salon work, fashion shows, editorial projects, commercial productions, celebrity styling, and makeup artistry.
Her career has taken her to Los Angeles and San Francisco and behind the scenes of fashion shows featuring names including Oscar de la Renta, Bvlgari, and Carolina Herrera. She has also provided makeup artistry for the Los Angeles Ballet Company.
Today, one of the things she values most is bringing that experience back to Grass Valley and continuing what her mother built.
Where History and Creativity Meet
Events like this are one of our favorite ways to use North Star House.
The property has an extraordinary history, from its connection to the North Star Mine to its architecture and the people who once called it home. You can explore more of that story on our North Star House history page or learn more about Julia Morgan's design of the estate.
But preserving a historic property is not only about looking backward.
It is also about continuing to fill it with people, ideas, creativity, music, movement, and community.
Bringing a local artist like Michele into the House is one small example of that. Her demonstration connects historical inspiration with modern technique while giving guests another way to engage with the evening rather than simply observe it.
Join Us October 17 at North Star House
Come spend an autumn evening somewhere a little unexpected.
Explore the historic estate, enjoy dancing and demonstrations, spend time in the card room, take part in period-inspired activities, see Michele at work, and experience North Star House after hours.
An Autumnal Evening in Another Era
October 17, 2026
North Star House
Grass Valley, California
Period-inspired attire is encouraged, but never required.
Visit our event calendar for upcoming event information, and review directions and parking for North Star House before your visit.
https://www.northstarhouse.org/event/an-autumnal-evening-in-another-era →
North Star House
Published September 20, 2026
