This year marked our seventh Parade of Homes! It’s a time of year that’s busy, sometimes a little stressful, but always rewarding and exciting. It’s wonderful to see local builders put their hearts into producing a home that truly showcases their style and skill. We hope you had a chance to attend the Parade of Homes. If you did, you got a chance to see our Tempo Bonus for yourself! We put a lot of hard work and care into the craftsmanship of this home, and were so thrilled to see that reflected in being awarded “Best Workmanship.” What made this particularly exciting was that this was the fifth year in a row we have received that award!
Whether you got a chance to tour our home or not, we’d love to give you a tour and take a closer look at some of the features!
For purposes of music nerdery, we will be using tempo markings to guide our movement through this perfectly-composed home.
Larghetto
We start with a broad view of the home and give ourselves a chance to take it all in. This house presents a very sleek exterior, due in part to the side-loading garage, which streamlines the front of the house. The light grey body color pairs well with the white stone accents and makes the black roof and window frames really pop. The staggered concrete walkway and simple, contemporary landscaping add to the appeal.
Here you can see the side-loading garage. Also notice the striking geometry of the landscaping. What a cool modern look!
Più mosso
This home’s curb appeal sets our anticipation high, and it quickens as we enter. The entryway floor might be my favorite thing about this house. During the Parade of Homes, many visitors pointed out what look to be cracks in the tile. Above, you can see some of that on the second tile from the left. But those aren’t really cracks, just natural defects in the natural stone. They don’t impact the structural integrity of the floor in any way, and we love the aesthetic. Against this creamy, gently striated natural stone, a striking white border evokes the look of bone inlay.
This entry also features streamlined wainscoting for a contemporary look. A chandelier sparkles brilliantly from the coffered ceiling. Talk about first impressions!
Rallentando
In the great room, we are moved to slow our pace a little, as its inviting elegance stirs our desire to linger. If you had a chance to visit our Parade homes in past years, you’ll definitely notice something different about the Tempo Bonus. While it has all the signatures of a Prodigy home (dramatic millwork, excellent craftsmanship, LED lighting to highlight architectural features, etc.) it’s a little more subdued. For the 2018 Parade of Homes, we wanted to try something a little different, and you can see it in the refined, quieter aesthetic of this home.
On the fireplace surround, you see more of that natural stone tile, which beautifully offsets the modern fireplace. Behind the shelving on either side, there is a subtle plaster wall treatment in a soft grey. Absolutely beautiful, this creates a powerful focal point.
We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the decor, which was done by Spencer Carlson, a local company that offers a wonderful furniture and design services. During the Parade, a visitor commented to me, “This one is the only home that has been really decorated. It’s the most tasteful, I mean.” While we have to say that the other homes in the Parade were beautifully decorated as well, we certainly appreciated her compliment, and we have to thank Spencer Carlson for their tasteful staging!
Lentando
The living room was very inviting, but the island is magnetic; at a party, guests will inevitably drift toward it until everyone is gathered around. Huntwood cabinetry in “Colonial White” extends all the way to the ceiling, meeting the modern crown molding for a seamless look. The lighted glass uppers help to draw the eye to this detail. The perimeter countertops are “Designer White” quartz, which blends into the cabinets. This keeps it from competing with the backsplash, which echoes both the fireplace surround and the entryway, this time in a 3-D lineal stack tile. A stainless range hood from Zephyr contrasts well with this textured backdrop.
This is a good time to draw attention to the flooring, which is an engineered hardwood. Its texture and greige coloring contribute beautifully to the warm elegance of this home and help offset all of the crisp white in the kitchen. Glass pendants sprinkle brilliantly over the island. On top of the island, Cambria’s “Britannica” quartz, with its grey striations, gives the sense of gentle movement.
Before leaving the kitchen, we need to express our gratitude to Ron Swanby of Swampy’s BBQ for participating in the Chefs on Parade event with us! He (very deservedly) won People’s Favorite Chef on Parade, as well as 3rd place from the judges. The other star of the evening was Kris Lapp from the local distillery Solar Spirits. He provided sustainably-produced, phenomenal quality drinks for the evening. We’re very thankful to both of these great guys and their companies for making the evening so memorable!
Meno Motto
The Tempo Bonus is so-named for the bonus room, which can be used as a rec room, a gym, or—as in this case—a media room. In this room, we temporarily lose the desire to move ahead at all. With its emphasis on comfort, we’d rather settle for a little binge-watching and relaxing with family. The great thing about a room like this is that it allows for the tech-free living room that is gaining popularity right now.
We love that Spencer Carlson staged the room with a bar-height table and seating behind the recliners, facing the window. This could function as a little bar area, and provides an excellent place to ponder the panoramic views!
Vivace!
This little room makes a lively statement, largely due to that gorgeous accent wall. What you’re looking at is tile, with a textural, corrugated look that lends a tactile element to the space. You’re probably also noticing that rapturous countertop, which is Cambria’s “Summerhill” quartz. A delightful space indeed!
Stringendo
We’re forced to quicken our pace and press on faster to one of the high notes of this home. Certainly not least, and actually not even last (because there are so many more rooms to see, if only we had more time,) is the master suite. This room has its own patio access, as well as a large window that allows one to take in the view. From this vantage point, you can see the river and the surrounding hills.
Bathed in marble and warmed up by warm, taupe cabinets (painted “Phantom,” from Huntwood), this master bath is an elegant retreat indeed! The corner tub layout puts the tub at center stage and provides complete separation between the his-and-hers vanities, eliminating bathroom-countertop-turf-wars!
In the curbless shower, the niche extends along the entire back wall, giving plenty of space for all of your spa-essentials. The subtle, rippling effect of the accent tile is absolutely stunning and evokes the serene aesthetic of running water.
Don’t Miss the Rest of the House!
Due to the length of this post, we were forced to end on a moment of high tension; as we mentioned, there is so much more to this house than we can examine here. To see more, hop on over to our Houzz account, where you can also learn the specifics of the materials we used. One that I think you’ll especially enjoy is the hall bath. Be sure to check that out! Thank you to everyone who worked hard to make the Parade of Homes a success once again. We are particularly grateful to our hard-working subcontractors, who do Parade of Homes quality work year-round, in every house that we build. We couldn’t do it without them!
And if you really love this home, we have great news for you: as of the writing of this post, it’s available right now!
Reach out to us on our social media platforms to let us know: which was your favorite room in our 2018 Parade house? We think you deserve a home as stunning as this one! Call us at 509.737.6227 to schedule a meeting.