Annual Parade of Homes, Part 3

Welcome to the last installment of the Builder's Association of Northeast Indiana Parade of Homes tour. I saved one of my favorites for this last post! After seeing all the homes, try and guess which one I rated as number one. The answer might surprise you!

Click on any pic to enlarge it so that you can see the details.

This first home is called the Cove Dreams built by Dennis Spidel Custom Homes. This home was located down a path into the woods and on the shore of Sylvan Lake. It was such a charming home with a huge front porch and in such a quiet peaceful location.


This dining room was to the left, just inside the door.


It had such a pretty living room with the highest ceilings that I had seen on the whole tour. It's windows looked out over the lake. I could not get a good pic of the lake view because this room was all roped off! This is because there was a homeowner already living there. Also, the lake was marshy and swampy looking in front of the home, not nearly as pretty as the other lake shores.


This was my favorite kitchen of the whole tour hands down! Oh, how I love white cupboards, and the decorations and accessories are just my style!



I know that you rooster lovers will love this big boy perched on the oven hood.


The breakfast nook was adjacent to the kitchen.


This was one of my favorite bedrooms on the tour. I love those windows.


There was a lovely ensuite bath. There is a second vanity right across from the one shown.


I just love clawfoot tubs!


Between the bedroom and the bath was the most luxurious dressing area across from not one, but TWO walk in closets! Heavenly!


There was also a finished basement level to the home. It was as lovely as the upstairs. I first saw the family room, and thought it was so comfy with lots of lovely beachy touches. I have noticed that some beach themes are including browns, tans, and oranges rather than the traditional soft greens and blues.


No detail was overlooked, including these fantastic pillows.


I really liked the side table in this reading area, and all the accessories. Check out the sailboat pillow on the chair. Too cute!


There were two more bedrooms downstairs, including this light and lovely bedroom. I think it looks so soothing here!

It had a peaceful view of the woodlands and lake.


I especially loved the furniture and bedding in this room.

I told the builder that I was waiting to be wowed on the tour, and that this was one of the first homes that really had that WOW factor. I asked who decorated, and he told me that it was done by the homeowner! I have to say that I thought she did as well...or better...than the designers on the tour!


The last home was called the Bennington by Ideal Suburban Homes in Kendalville, Indiana.
I didn't take an outside pic of the last home I toured as it was part of a "villaminium" and though pretty, was not especially remarkable, especially as there were several other homes exactly like it. The decorating was also not remarkable, but as this was not one of the big showcase homes, perfectly appropriate, and I did really like some of the touches. The living room was decorated in browns and aqua, a color combination that I really like.


The color theme was carried into the master bedroom.


I included this because I have seen these hanging pictures online before and think they are awesome!


I also thought this combination of colors and patterns was cute, but would like to have seen the bed on a frame. The shelves behind the bed are a creative idea.

That's the last of the homes I have to show. There were a couple homes that were so minimally decorated or not decorated at all, so I didn't include them.

The last place on the tour was actually a business,Club Paradise in Angola, Indiana on Lake James, a local hot spot.


Theirs was a remodel or new addition to the club by Designing Innovations Co. They added on an area that they called the Thirsty Flamingo where an outside patio had once stood. Unfortunately, my pics of the club did not turn out at all, so these are purloined from the Club Paradise website, and to get there you can click on the link above. The club has a Key West theme (though I will let you judge for yourself if it achieves that goal), and I thought it was really a fun area with the brightly painted walls and the mural behind the stage.


I would go there to dance! How about you?

Well it was really fun sharing the Parade of Home tour with you. I have to say though, that I have been attending these for years, and they are just not the same as they used to be. It used to be that there would be at least one or two homes each year which were over-the-top spectacular and decorated lavishly. While this is not a time where such excess is appropriate given the current economy, I really do miss seeing those homes. I also thought that there was not the same effort given to decorating and detail as there have been in past years. I left a comment saying so on the forms they asked us to submit at the end. We were also asked to vote on our favorite. Did you guess which one I thought overal was the best?

My choice was....drum roll...the Pearl Bay Bed and Breakfast! Though there were some features in the other homes that really wowed me, I have to give kudos to the builder for maintaining the architectural and historical integrity of the home. Not to mention that the master bedroom suite was something out of my wildest dreams with it's airy-ness, enormous dressing and closet area (not pictured sadly), and that sweet outdoor shower! Yes, the furnishings were dated, but this was a home that people had been living in for many years and a professional had not gone in to decorate. I was also wowed by the lakeside tiki bar and that incredible outdoor kitchen.

So which would you have rated number one?

Don't forget to scroll on down to my Pink Saturday post so that you can enter my 200th post giveaway!