Artisans help showcase, market Colorado Springs Parade of Homes

There will be 46 homes in the 2008 Parade of Homes, according to officials at the Housing and Building Association of Colorado Springs, including 16 model homes priced at $1 million-plus.

That means the average "executive" home sells for about $250 to $300 per square foot or more -- and each is loaded with drop-dead furnishings, ultimate window coverings, the latest upgraded kitchen appliances and eye-popping wall and floor finishes.

During the two-week event (Aug. 17 through Sept. 2) participating homebuilders will be front and center, but it's often subtle design features -- landscaped waterfalls, old world Italian plasters, the custom-colored interior and exterior stonework along with furniture and accessories -- that help sell the home.

As a result, an increasing number of builders are working with interior design, finishing or furnishings partners on traffic flow, ambience and that "aha" reaction that turns prospects into buyers.

As the new home market has slowed during the last 12 months, builders are looking for creative ways to differentiate their masterpiece from the pack.

Set in stone

Bill Boggan, owner of Boggan Construction, began planning his $2.5 million 10,500-square-foot "Bouganvilla" Parade model more than a year ago. Earlier this year, he began searching for just the right stone quality and color to use on interior as well as exterior walls and columns.

"I'd looked through all the manufactured stone catalogs and saw the same selection of beige-ish colors," he said. "And from past experience I knew that most of those lines didn't feature color all the way through the stone. That mean that if someone's little boy hit the stone with his bike, the gray underneath the surface color would start coming through. I wanted something better."

In his search for just the right product, the custom builder visited Denali Stone.

Jose Garcia realized that Boggan was looking for a specific colored stone that would accent the home's Colorado-Tuscan flavor.

"We do custom color mixes to achieve what our clients' need, and because we like quality, I actually went out and interviewed the masons who install the stone," he said.

Boggan was so pleased with getting exactly what he wanted that he purchased almost 3,000 square feet of Denali's manufactured stone and plans to use the customizable material in future homes.

Lived-in look

Builder Jack Patterson of Crystal River Homes Inc. sees the work of artisans and creative consultants as "the frosting on the cake."

His $1.5 million Parade home at the Reserve at Walden Pond benefits from a picturesque setting next to a pond and waterfall, with wide Front Range panoramas. But it's the detail, the finishing touches that he credits with making his house an attractive buy.

He teamed with Ann and Eric Fetsch of Drexel Heritage who not only supplied more than $200,000 in home furnishings and accessories but who also worked to create the easy traffic flow and inviting spaces so vital to a successful Parade home.

"Whether it's dramatic window coverings that draw your eye up to beamed ceilings, or stylish appliances in the kitchen and a well- designed foyer, in upper end homes, our goal was to help Jack maximize his floor plan and design," Ann Fetsch said.

The design team is also able to select from a wide range of dining, bedroom, living room and other lifestyle furniture within their retail store.

"Drexel Heritage carries more than 37 lines of furniture, and we have 6 to 7 percent of it in stock," Eric said.

Patterson, who finds "balance" in furnishing all levels, including a lower walkout to the same degree of quality and detail as the rest of the house, said he expected his partnership with the Fetschs to pay off in marketing the home.

"I couldn't have done this without them," he said.

Style and texture

And then there are builders who rely on artisans to emphasize a home's architectural and design features through textures, finishes and color enhancement.

Old World Designs President and master craftsman Chris Lobato, an avowed purist who uses genuine Italian plastering techniques, custom motifs and stone accents, has contributed his talents to more than one Parade home.

During 2007, his work will be on display at the $1 million-plus "Tramonto Toscano," or "Tuscan Sunset," built by Paul and Tara Rising of Tara Custom Homes and pre-sold to local homeowners with family ties to Italy.

"They wanted a true Italian villa," Paul Riser said. "They brought back 1,000-year-old molds for door hardware and $4,000 in real Italian terra cotta pots, so it made sense to use true Italian colors and finishes on the interior and exterior."

Riser admitted that the time and additional cost to create an authentic Tuscan look and feel throughout the home would not fit every budget, but in the end, the value of genuine limestone window surrounds, burnished orange with cream overtones in the exterior plaster and countless other details will add as much as $100,000 to the home's value.