Homes Tour

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KCH&G is introducing a brand new version of our popular Boulevard of Dreams homes tours — a gorgeous green home! (And that isn’t referring to its current exterior color!)

1010 Brentwood, KCMO

This October, the Sunset Hill residence will be open to the public to create awareness about reducing your environmental impact while still achieving the look and feel of luxury. Because the home is on the high end, our team took the greatest care to select appropriate materials and higher energy-efficiency systems and construction methods. From the deconstruction (rather than demolition) of the previous home and the solar orientation of the new one, to the airtight measures, rain water capture and Energy Star fixtures, our team is seeking LEED certification. Follow along with us as we give updates on the progress of the showhome and discuss the many components of green living on our blog, GreenLivingShowHome.com. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

And don’t forget to make some time this fall to stop by and see it in person!

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Mowing your lawn and maintaining your siding isn’t for every homeowner. Many Kansas Citians have given up their yard and house in the suburbs for a condo in the city, trading in housework for the lifestyle and entertainment that’s constantly evolving downtown. In fact, units are 95- to 98-percent occupied. Intrigued? You can envision yourself living a new life June 5-6 on the Downtown KC Urban Living Tour. The tour starting point is at 14th & Main in the Power & Light District, where you can catch a ride on a chartered bus to 30 locations.

Christina Boveri of Boveri Realty Group and chair for the tour, expects an increase in attendance this year, topping between 5,000 and 7,000 people. “It’s a big event and a lot of fun,” she notes. Surveys indicate a change in who is stopping by. “Fifty percent are over 40, which is quite surprising because we’ve been seeing mostly young professionals for years,” Boveri adds.

This year, the 10th anniversary, is peaking as downtown has more to offer than ever in its history. “We’ve invested $6.5 billion in the last six years,” Boveri says, specifically naming the Power & Light District and the Kauffman Center for Performing Arts.

While there is much incentive for buyers to make the move, incentives for developers has not kept pace, and Boveri predicts a housing shortage in the near future. “Demand is the highest it’s ever been, and i think there may be a rude awakening if we don’t do something about it,” she says. The moral of the story? If you’ve been thinking about making a move to the city, let the tour jumpstart your decision. “There are good deals now but not for much longer,” Boveri adds.

Tour details:

May 5, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; May 6, noon-5 p.m.

Start at bus stop at 14th & Main

Tickets are $5 each and include admission and transportation; buy at www.downtownkc.org.

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We adore the printed word and pretty pictures, especially when they feature our favorite topics: homes and gardens. Below we pick a few of our favorites that have come across our desks.

Prefabulous + Sustainable: Building and Customizing an Affordable, Energy-Efficient Home (available in April) by Sherri Koones, with a foreword by Robert Redford.

If you think prefabricated = low quality, you should see the 25 unique factory-built homes Koones profiles in this book. They vary in style, design, size and type of construction, but each is green, efficient, sturdy and more cost-effective than site-built homes. The book not only dispels the negative myths surrounding prefabricated houses but illustrates how beautiful these types of homes can be. It also includes a resource guide for builders. www.abramsbooks.com

27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home by Tisha Morris, a certified life coach and feng shui expert.

Feng shui has been around for centuries, yet it continues to intrigue homeowners to this day. When you move a couch, mirror or even a vase, for instance, the energy shifts in your home. Following the tenets of this ancient Chinese art, you can make sure that energy is positive. Geared toward beginners, this guide succinctly covers how to de-clutter, select colors, integrate the five elements, stimulate the senses, make repairs and improvements, and much more. www.turnerpublishing.com

The NEW Low-Maintenance Garden by Valerie Easton

Low-maintenance doesn’t have to mean lots of mulch and ugly groundcovers as the photography in this book proves. Hardscaping covers surface area for a user-friendly environment, and an appropriate plant palette can also help keep weeds under control. By following some of Easton’s maintenance-reducing strategies, gardeners can spend less time working and more time enjoying the scenery. www.timberpress.com

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Some of the area’s grandest homes are located on and around Gladstone Boulevard, Kansas City’s original Ward Parkway. On Sunday, Dec. 13, you can visit five of them as part of Good Samaritan’s Project’s Holiday Homes Tour and Concert. Explore these amazing homes and the Kansas City Museum from 3-7 p.m. then enjoy hymns from the Kansas City Boys and Girls choirs from 7:15- 8 p.m. at Melrose United Methodist Church. Registration begins at the church (200 North Bales) at 2:30 p.m.; tickets are $40 per person/$75 per couple. 816.561.8784

       

 3500 Gladstone                           3501 Gladstone                3511 Gladstone

       

3223 Gladstone                    3616 Gladstone                  Melrose Methodist

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It’s obvious how important having living space outside is to homeowners by taking a walk through our Boulevard of Dreams homes. All three dedicated space on their main levels for up-close and personal time with Mother Nature while still enjoying the benefits of a luxurious interior. Each has comfortable seating and a grill for cooking, as well as a fireplace to extend the season. With views through the treetops, who wouldn’t enjoy a little quality time al fresco?

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Bryant-Ratliff’s show home exudes luxury in a comfortable Country French style. Throughout the house, distressed woodwork and natural stone create a warm, textural palette that feels much older than its modern construction. In the hearth room, the team created drama by highlighting the vaulted ceiling with gorgeous beams that hold their own visual drama against the floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.

It’s hard to tell what it is now, but this image shows the faux detail of an animal skin texture on the walls of the study. It’s the first step in a multi-level process that will next include color. Joann Romano of Architectural Elements has been working diligently on masterfully swathing this wall and nearly every wall in the home with these custom touches.

Ron Ratliff picked up this piece of onyx tile that will be added around the fireplace in the living room. We’re looking forward to seeing more of those lovely colors swirling around the house!

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Many of Bruce Rieke’s homes have a rustic or Prairie look, and The Prairie Stone is no exception. This home is about earth tones and comfortable yet high-end design. One of the ways the team is achieving this is through the inclusion of stone and wood. Bruce brought in pine logs from his field and is using them everywhere from a log mantel to hiding support posts in the lower level that will flank a wet bar. Each of the logs, like the one above, weighs 400 pounds, and is hand-hewn to give it a finished look.

As if this Coloradoesque home weren’t unique enough, Bruce wants it to have features that aren’t in every home on the block. The newel posts that lead to the lower level are a perfect example. We can’t wait to see what else will debut in this creative home! Stay tuned as we get closer to the tour…

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With its East Coast feel, The Nantucket shines in bright whites and colorful mixes of pastels. Interior designer Gail Golden says color is coming back and uses it to just the right extent. The photo to the left shows an example of the bead board in the laundry room alternating in coastal blues and greens. Can you hear the waves crashing?

There’s also punches of coral and yellow, as seen in the carpet sample shown to the right that will be used in the dining room. You’ll also have to look up to see a unique ceiling treatment that looks like the hull of a boat. Oh, I wish we could set sail today…

In good time, this home will be open like a treasure chest for all to see its secrets inside. Secrets, like the ones behind this hidden room in the library? You’ll have to wait until the third week in August to find out.

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If you loved our first Boulevard of Dreams Homes Tour in 2007, wait until you see what we’ve got coming this summer. Our builder partners are hard at work in the North Shore Estates at Cedar Creek preparing for our second annual public tour, a benefit for the Fox 4 Love Fund for Children. We are so excited about this year’s homes that we couldn’t wait to give you a preview of them as they’re coming together. Our last tour went off phenomenally well and after getting a private tour from the builders this week, I am confident that these three homes will be just as amazing. What strikes me the most is how different the homes are from each other. Forner-LaVoy‘s home looks like it belongs in the Hamptons, while B.L Rieke‘s could nestle into the side of a Colorado mountain and Bryant-Ratliff‘s into a French vineyard. Each one brings a unique floor plan and finishes that you won’t see anywhere else in Kansas City. Over the next few weeks, we will be posting snipits of each so you can follow the progress. Just remember to purchase tickets at any area Hen House or Nebraska Furniture Mart for August 22-23 and/or August 26-30 so you can see it in person!

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