It's nothing to be ashamed of: We all secretly want to peek into other people's houses. And there's no better time to get an eyeful than Saturday's historic home tour of the Avenues in Salt Lake City.

The tour is part of the Utah Heritage Foundation's annual preservation conference, Thursday through Saturday at the University of Utah. Events include a lecture by Blair Kamin, Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic at the Chicago Tribune, and the Heritage Awards Luncheon, which recognizes exceptional renovations of historic buildings in Utah.

This year's tour features nine houses, built between 1850 and 1950, in such architectural styles as Gothic revival, Victorian, bungalow and cottage. One stop on the tour is known as the J.C. Penney house, a four-square, box-style home once owned by the famed retail king himself. The house is now owned by Linda Kelley and Wayne Green, professors of medicine at the University of Utah.

"It was love at first sight. I loved the stature of the house, the simpleness of the architecture. And the fact that it is over 100 years old and part of the [National Register of Historic Places] was a huge appeal for us," Kelley said.

Built in 1906 by Florence and Alexander Watson, Penney and his wife Berta bought the home in 1909 for $6,750. Penney managed the growing company for nine years in Salt Lake, which served as its national headquarters before eventually moving to New York City. In 1918, he sold the house to Frank Payne, his Salt Lake store manager.

After that, the house switched hands a few more times until Kelley and Green bought it in 1994. The couple immediately began a major restoration on the roof and plumbing, adding central air and two bathrooms, combining bedrooms and finishing the basement - all of which took place in three phases over six years. During one phase they actually moved into a nearby apartment for a year so contractors could finishe more quickly.

"When we moved out I just really wanted the renovations completed. And it would have taken so much longer if they had to work around us, but because they could turn off the water for four months, it really sped up the process," Kelley said.

It was truly a labor of love. But they had support from the Utah Heritage Foundation, which helped Kelley and Green find a team of contractors, architects and designers, said Brett Garner, the foundation's office and membership director.

"It all depends on what the homeowner wants. The key thing is that [owners and contractors] have the same vision, because we really want to make sure the home is liveable," Garner said.

Through all the remodeling, the original wood has been preserved and has never been painted, a rare find in older homes. Many other details such as door knobs, stained-glass windows and marble fireplaces also date back to the home's beginnings.

"One of the most appealing things about the home is how eclectic the neighborhood is. And older, historic homes like these, it's just not something you find everyday," Kelley said. "The floors creak. I love that."

Peek inside

* The Utah Heritage Foundation's historic home tour is Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., beginning at Ensign Stake Center, 135 A St., Salt Lake City, where organizers will provide a map of the nine homes on the tour. Tickets are $15 at the center or by calling 801-533-0858 or visiting www.utah heritagefoundation.org (online sales end Wednesday).

Preservation Conference schedule

Utah Preservation Conference is Thursday and Friday at the University of Utah and Fort Douglas. Tickets can be purchased for individual events. An all-in-one registration package is $150, which includes all events and the home tour. Call 801-533-0858 or visit www.utahheritagefoundation.org. The schedule:

* Thursday, 5:30 p.m.: Blair Kamin, Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic from the Chicago Tribune, talks about preservation at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA), 410 Campus Center Drive, Salt Lake City. Free.

* Thursday, 7 p.m.: Opening reception at UMFA. Free.

* Friday, 7:45 a.m.: Speakers lecture on historic preservation and new green building practices over breakfast at the Officers Club at Fort Douglas. Tickets are $30.

* Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.: Educational workshops, including Preservation 101, upgrading historic wood windows, plaster repair techniques and more at Fort Douglas. Tickets are $20 per session.

* Friday, noon to 1:15 p.m.: Heritage Awards luncheon, at Officers Club at Fort Douglas. Tickets are $40.

* Friday, 4 to 7 p.m.: Preservation marketplace at the Officers Club at Fort Douglas where architects, contractors and green builders will be on hand to answer questions. There also will be live entertainment and hors d'oeuvres. Free.

Foundation's Heritage Awards

The Utah Heritage Foundation every year acknowledges projects and organizations for excellence in preservations. This year's winners:

* Artspace City Center, Artspace, Salt Lake City.

* Silver Star, Paladin Partners, Park City. The historic building has been restored into apartments, lofts and condos.

* Salt Lake Tabernacle, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City.

* State Capitol building, The State of Utah.

* Jim and Jennifer Levy home, 953 E. Second Ave., Salt Lake City. The Levys added a master bedroom and a two-car garage while maintaining the lines and scale of the 1890 home. It is one of the few wood-frame structures built in the Avenues.

* Gilgal Garden, The Friends of Gilgal Garden, 749 E. 500 South, Salt Lake City. Thomas Child created the gardens in 1945 with 13 sculptors who engraved more than 70 rocks with scriptures and poems.

* Old Iron Town State Park, Utah State Parks, Cedar City. Old Iron Town ruins - the foundry, machine shop, a brick school house, blacksmith shop, pattern shop and blast furnace - were stabilized to stop deterioration.

* Porter Farmstead, Porter Farmstead, LLC, Centerville. Consisting of two homes, a wooden barn and a rock granary, the farmstead underwent a two-year restoration; originally owned by Nathan Tanner Porter and his wives.

* Stratford Hotel, 175 E. 200 South, Salt Lake City, The LaPorte Group.

* Russell J. Bezette, LaVerkin, Utah's leading adobe repair expert, will receive an individual award for his many restorations, including Old Iron Town.

* Robert L. Bliss, dean of the University of Utah's architecture department, was awarded the LucyBeth Rampton Lifetime Achievement Award for his advocacy for preservation of historic buildings..