Homes On Parade

I've shared a little about our recent Parade of Homes tour.  This post is a bit more about those things I noticed on the tour.

Reclaimed wood and the look of wood is quite trendy.

This bonus room featured a wet bar on one end.  The reclaimed wood planked wall drew me closer and made me want to check it out.  It is truly as rustic as it looks - rubbing a hand along it might provide a splinter or two.  Here they featured the wood look tile for flooring and had set it in a herringbone pattern.  Then, there was the pattern of the granite counter top.  I liked the look of the wall but also wondered if it might prove to be a dust catcher over time.  I also liked the look of the floors and counter tops.  However, I didn't like the combination of all this together.

The reclaimed lumber and plank ceiling in this great room were eye appealing and certainly made one notice the lofty ceilings.  So much so that I cannot recall what the remainder of the room looked like - not the walls, not the floors, not the furniture!  Again, I wonder how this might hold up over time - will spider webs collect there?  Will dust?

This wet bar in a corner of the bonus room of the house also had a reclaimed wood plank wall and I liked the look.  I also liked the look of the metal and industrial looking light fixture and the dark cabinetry for the bonus room.  the bar/snack area was along the wall and looked nice and was efficient use of the space.

There was also this reclaimed wood that was above the fireplace in this grand room.  The ceilings were vaulted.  There were beautiful beams in it.  The wood on the chimney area set in a herringbone pattern was fabulous.  The built-ins on either side of the fireplace were wonderful.

I loved the mantel that was raw wood - looked sort of like a railroad tie or the beam of an old barn.  The rustic elegance was fabulous.  I loved the huge iron chandelier.  I loved the stone fireplace.  I also loved the huge canvas that had feathers painted on it above the built-in cabinetry with the rustic metal tub used for decor.  And the mirrors on the other side with the rustic horses crafted of wood were beautiful as well.  I liked the neutral color of the furniture and the mix of furniture.  The entire room was just gorgeous.  (And if you would like to see more photos of this room, hop over to Kari Anne's post at Thistlewood Farms.)  I'm not a fan of the TV above the mantel because I think it gives the feeling of sitting on the front row in a movie theatre.  It seems like one needs to lean back in the seat and look up toward the ceiling.  I prefer having the TV lower on a cabinet or mounted on the wall sort of at eye level when seated on a sofa or chair.

I liked this cork-covered wall with the hand-painted dart board.  I wish the wall downstairs here in my house had been covered in cork before it was used as a dart-throwing area.  Maybe all those many, many holes wouldn't be peppering the wall.

I thought this wood and industrial looking light fixture was pretty cool.  Not really my style, but pretty cool looking nonetheless.

I liked the rustic look of this staircase banister.  The spindles were simple rebar.  Very industrial and simple but also very functional.  The detail to the wood newel posts and the color of the stain on the wood pieces were also very appealing.  (That little guy climbing them is pretty cute, too!)

This wooden door might not be reclaimed lumber.  However, I do love the look of it.  I like the glass and wood.  I like the color.  I like the arched top.  I like the woodwork at the top.  I like the oil-rubbed bronze hardware.  I like the brick entryway flooring.  Herringbone is quite the trend, too, isn't it?  I'm not a fan of the two-toned baseboards, however.

The window boxes on some of the homes were beautiful.  I'm not sure how easy that would be to maintain, but it was beautiful.  I also liked the stained-wood look of the garage doors.  These that were styled to look like old-time carriage doors were my favorite.  They were all typical lift garage doors but the look was much more appealing.

These garage doors were painted and had a style to look more like old-time wooden doors, too.  I took the photo, however, to remind me of the beautiful way to style containers in the fall.  This would work great for that time when the summer flowers are looking a bit bedraggled but it is too early or different than the pansies that will perk up the containers throughout the winter.

As you can tell, from my multiple posts, I got lots for my money on our quick afternoon tour of the Parade of Homes here!