You may not be in the market for a new home, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy looking at other people’s homes and possibly finding your “dream” home. Of course your dream home will most likely be out of your price range, but hey, that’s why it’s called a dream home!
Fall Parade of Homes – while I personally feel there should only be one Parade Tour each year, instead of two, for the next couple of weekends you can peruse through the model homes of local builders. The Tour runs from September 8th-30th and is open Thursday-Sunday from Noon-6pm. The last weekend also features the Remodelers Showcase which is open Friday 1-7pm and Sat-Sun from Noon-6pm.
Homes by Architects Tour – The AIA Minnesota is putting on its 5th Architects Home Tour featuring 16 new and remodeled homes located throughout the Twin Cities, greater Minnesota and western Wisconsin, all designed by registered architect members of the American Institute of Architects Minnesota. Some of these homes are not in the Metro, so if you want to see a specific home, expect a drive and plan your day accordingly. The tour runs September 22-23, 10am-5pm.
Summit Hill Association House Tour – if you love historic homes, than don’t miss this tour in St. Paul. It always has amazing homes featured that you just don’t get to see very often and is only on for one day, September 9th, Noon-6pm.
If you haven’t had the chance yet to view the Parade of Homes, then today is your last chance to check out the newest trends in luxury new home construction. I was able to check out a few in my spare time this week, and I have to say that some of the homes are simply stunning. My favorite by far was the “Dream Home” located in Edina.
Not only does it sit on a fantastic lot, the design inside and out is classic. Designed by Charles Cudd De Novo, one of the premier luxury home builders in the Twin Cities, the home boasts 8700 square feet.
From this home and others on the market, here are some of the newest trends found in luxury homes in the Twin Cities:
Deep, rich, and dark hardwood floors. Some almost look black giving a great contrast to the lighter colors of the home
Built-in cabinets and bookcases everywhere. Many are made to look like furniture, placed in nooks and along walls. These features are not only classic, but very functional on eliminating clutter and keeping a grand home organized.
Marble. For high end homes, granite is no longer the staple. The use of marble for counters and floors is being seen more and more, especially for tiled bathroom floors, tiled luxury showers, and kitchen/bathroom countertops.
White cabinetry and trim has made a dramatic comeback with a high end twist. Many of the most expensive homes available today feature white everywhere, which mixes well with dark furniture or colorful accessories.
Huge, organized closets worthy of Rachel Zoe.
Informal office space open to the home. For instance, in the home above, informal space is part of the huge mudroom off the garage giving easy access to computers and such to family and children.
There are tons of additional features highlighted in the newest luxury homes found in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Edina, and Lake Minnetonka, but if you want a first hand glimpse, take a free day and visit some of the local open houses on weekends throughout the area.
If you forgot about the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Lake Minnetonka Luxury Home Tour, aka the Twin Cities, then you have one more weekend to get off the couch and out of the house to view some major architectural homes for sale. Half of the homes surround Lake Minnetonka, and the rest are mostly in Edina, Prior Lake, Credit River Township, so there should be no excuse that the homes are too spread out.
If you have been on the tour in the past few years, you might have already visited a few of the homes as they are repeats, but hey, sometimes it’s fun to keep dreaming. I have always like the home in Credit River Township, so it might be interesting to see it again, but I know I just have to visit the home on Palmer Pointe in Minnetrista.
Tickets cost $20 at Caribou Coffee, or $25 at the luxury homes, but if you only want to see one or two of them, you can always just go the $5 route for each single home. Let me know which homes you liked the best!
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All views expressed on the Minneapolis - St Paul Real Estate Blog are those of Jennifer Kirby, and are not to be assumed the views of the Brokerage. Please contact me if you have any questions.
