parade of homes
Kelly and I love to walk through the houses in the Parade of Homes. We get great ideas for dreaming up our "if I had a million dollars" home and it is just plain crazy and fun to see what people with money do! My brother, affectionately called Nate-dawg, was willing to watch my kids for, count it- 10 hours!!! (Yes, he is AWESOME!) so, Kelly and I spent Friday, from noon to nine, checking out this year's parade.
We had a great time, with only mild discouragement. We don't fit in our current house (remember my baby is in the closet!) but we can't find a house that a) fits us, b) is cute and c) we can afford. So, when we look at these huge homes with SO many outrageous upgrades and beautiful but unneccesary features- we feel like what we are asking for is so reasonable, and yet unattainable as yet! Mostly though, we just enjoyed looking and being together. Some of the "highlights" this year include:
- A gymnastics room with padded floors, a large climbing net, and a rock climbing wall with foam pit below!
- A home theater with an actual stage, in addition to the drop down screen for movie viewing.
- Water features are always one of our favorites and in one home (turns out it is a family we know!), the water feature came down the wall above the fireplace!
- A fireplace that was double sided to the family room and the outside patio!
- A lego room, lined with drawers full of legos! More than my craft room has (for those who have seen it). Every color you could imagine and probably some you couldn't! The ceiling had a dimensional lego space mural and near the ceiling, running around the entire room, was a moving lego train! Unbelieveable! This house was not allowing pictures but the lego hobbiest gave me permission.
posted by jenn | 5/13/2006
7 Comments:
Outrageous! I can't believe there are actually people who live with such excessiveness--gynastics rooms and lego rooms, what the @#$%?
I'm glad you and Kelly got to have such a long, fantastic day together, but I think I would have been discouraged and depressed after seeing so much "stuff". I think I do better if I stick to my little life.
Jenn, did you go to the house in the Riverbottoms with all of the really old lookng furniture? They had a pool in the backyard. Anyway, I was amazed at how that used looking furniture influenced what I thought of the house. Somehow if a house is oppulently furnished I believe that the house if worth nearly $1 million. But if somebody throws their old furniture into their brand new really expensive house somehow it's just not good enough!
My favorite feature at the parade this year has been the kitchens that have these huge pantry rooms that are hidden behind doors that look like their kitchen cabinets. If I could do anything in a dream kitchen, right now it would be that.
And Jill, don't forget that these rooms are created by interior designers who are trying to drum up business. So they propose and do the most off the wall things to rooms so that people will remember them! Frustrating, to be sure, but not anchored in reality at all. At least that's what I tell myself!
I love the parade of homes and try to get to UT for a visit so that I too can enjoy the parade. Some of the things that people do with money is incredible bordering on ridiculous, but I enjoy it just the same.
Alot of the stuff that is used for decoration is from Target or from Tai Pan. I wish I had a Tai Pan out here. Drats.
Good job for getting away for 10 hours and with your hubby, what fun.
I love parade of homes! Here in California you have so much Real Estate that they have so many model homes to visit! It is exciting to see!
I agree about the outrageousness of the parade of homes. Its like the builder/designers are all trying to out do each other every year. Do people really live like that?
I think its great you and Kelly were able to go all day together. Hats off to your brother...what a guy. So even if you weren't able to get that many ideas at least you were together. Quality time. Love that.
A gymnastics room? A Lego room? Wow. Sounds like a kids' dream home for sure. I'm curious Amy, are we talking old shabby furniture or antiques? Shabby chic? I kind of like old furniture. Marc and I went to Street of Dreams in Seattle a couple of times, but I have never been to Parade of Homes. I find I usually don't like much of anything I see. Glad you and Kelly enjoyed yourselves, though!
I always wish I could tag along with you. Someday.
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