Parade of Homes VIP Tour

I got to walk this year's NIBCA Parade of Homes with VIPs in style.  It was a day of incredible food at House of Brunch where we were then picked up by a limo service and shuttled around local builders' showcase homes.

First, a big thank you to this year's tour sponsors — Honor Built Homes, Infinite Love Jewelry, and Rewritten Klinic — for making the day such a good one.
[Watch the video on Instagram here]

This year (in my opinion) wasn't the best year.  There were some really great trends such as toe-kick lighting under the cabinets, backlit shelving, backlit ceiling details — it showed up in almost every home on the tour.  However, the houses seemed a little plain Jane and there were even "digital" tours where you only got to see the house via a computer screen.

My favorite overal was #19, the Timberline by Anthem Pacific Homes at 963 E Steeple Chase Rd in Hayden. The exterior and lot were nothing special, but step inside and it's a different story — modern cottage vibe, soft archways throughout, and finish touches most builders skip.  It's the little extra details that made it stand apart.  

I would have liked to see more luxury, trendy builds.  Last year there were some great outdoor kitchens and even unique floor plans.  My theory to this year: most of the subdivisions within Coeur d'Alene are pretty built out at this point, so builders are putting their showpieces where they've still got a whole block of lots left to sell — it just makes more sense to draw buyers to a development with room to grow. Makes sense from a business standpoint, even if it meant fewer showstoppers close to downtown this year.  There were quite a few homes in Sandpoint, ID this year which is where we're starting to see more development.

If you want to see the full lineup, you can find all the homes and details on NIBCA's Parade of Homes page (https://www.paradeofhomes.nibca.com/).