Thanks for sharing. I enjoy seeing both hits and misses. In this case, my opinion FWIW is that the coffered ceiling and the entry door are hits and the rest is rather ho hum.

jujubean71, you're welcome. Yes, the things I was looking for was the detail on the ceilings, the columns, and french doors in particular.

I did like the colors in the other home that I did not have time to post yet, it had light and airy colors, and lots of ceiling design, column trim and such.

I also enjoy seeing where the builders decide to put things (especially in the kitchen and bathrooms part of the layout).

I appreciate your posting, too, Judith. It's always interesting to see what choices people are making. We have a very small main floor bath with a tub that's right next to the toilet similar to the small bath you posted. I've thought of replacing the tub with a shower some day or replacing the curtain with glass. Your photo helps me visualize what the proportions would look like, so thank you!

lazydaisynot, I am in the same position as you, I have a bathroom that the layout is almost the same as the smaller one pictured above (although mine is a little bit longer in length, but the same width).

I find with alot of these large homes at HomeShows, that one can take ideas from them (especially the details, molding, lighting, types of flooring etc.) and incorporate them into smaller homes, on a smaller scale, in this particular case my own.

Judith, GREAT to see you post the homeshow! Dang I miss going with you! :)
I can feel the house as you showed it because it is so popular up there (and people buy, so they will build more) with Formal LR and DR at front of the the house, Formal LR to be either office or other.... with doors for noise privacy. Peter built a lot like this in Williamsburg and Yorktown. And of course you know mine was this layout in the front (but we used our Formal LR or office as the down master. Ours of course was a different price point..

I like all the extra molding... 13 years ago when I moved to that area, I was shocked to see so 'little' put in the homes... but they improved some over time. Custom homes of course do not make it in the shows... they are on individual land, etc.
But the homeshows are better now, not too generic in that area.
Maybe someday I will catch one with you! I like the Williamsburg one...

You are so nice to SHARE your photos!!! I so miss you! and will look for more of your posts!

I really like the more modern-looking BR in the other house that has the tray-type ceiling. The other one with the huge canopy--not so much.

I also like the curved entry doors.

Thanks for posting.

Hi MaryRuth! I miss you too and all the decorating jaunts we used to go on! Yes, you definately have to visit me if you are ever on your way up north!

Below are the pictures of the other house I had mentioned in the original post above. The house is almost the same as the house I had posted last year here from the HomeShow in Chesapeake (same builder, he kept most of the design the same except for this time the master is on the 2nd floor instead of the main floor.
I also prefer the lighter brighter look that the decorator used, and I also liked all the detail that was put into the ceiling moldings and column/ponywalls.

Love the second set of photos! I am planning that type of shallow coffered ceiling look for my kitchen, since I have 8' ceilings I don't want to lower the ceiling to much.

You are wonderful to take those great photos and SHARE!!!
I will review the photos a few more times to see if I missed anything. Great to see you posting!

gsciencechick, I love the coffered ceilings in the bed room too, but that is one design that I won't be able to do/remodel in my home unfortunately. But, I will be going with the more shallow style showing in the FM/LR that just has the slightly raised criss-crossed molding on it (I only have 8ft high ceilings to work with so deep coffered ceilings will not work for me)

MaryRuth, I know it will look great in your home, plus you are so lucky to have your husband's great carpentry skills to make it all happen.
There is another home show in Chesapeake ending Nov. 3, I am thinking about going to that one too, I will try to take pics of that one too.

Judith! I can't wait to see those photos! I LOVE seeing all the pics you post, they are well taken and really get the details in!
I SO MISS going to all that 'builder' stuff!!! AND of course having you right there to spew out comments on EVERYTHING!!! we didn't miss one detail in our adventures!!!
Now if ONLY we could have gone to lunch at Smithfield station after this one! Who knows maybe next year's shows!!!

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This post was edited by mary_ruth on Sat, Oct 26, 13 at 11:41

I'm into blues right now, so I looovvvee the 2nd house!

I don't like either of those houses--- the marching orders were clearly to use as much woodwork as possible, everywhere, in every room, regardless of how cluttered and inappropriate, and the furnishings are trendy and overdone.

We both know what the builders are all about in the area and how they top off one another, all in competition for the awards and for the most return for price points. Molding AFTER one moves into the home is outrageously expensive because it is LABOR cost mostly. Wood has also risen in price, in the past 10 yrs, paint grade wood and trim has more than doubled. What used to be a few hundred for a room, now is way out of range especially for all the trim shown.

These homes reflect a higher price range and show MANY custom pieces. Home show homes are to show the BEST that the builder can put into the home he is showcasing. So, yes they will be full of molding and shelving etc. But not all homes that the builder builds look like this. This is a home FULL of options.

In our development, where we bought, we bought the model, so we had extra features not put in other homes, and some were different, such as a tilt out front on a guest bath vanity, but not in the master bath... and hardwood foyer as a standard, other homes built chose tile... The kitchen was in the back with French doors leading to the dining room, the other houses, the buyers chose open concept.

I can see the potential in your photos for people to be able to SEE what the options look like, a lot have EXTRA COST to them. There are particular buyers who purchase only model homes and Parade of Homes houses because they get it ALL for a good price because the builder doesn't make that big of a profit on the showcase houses, they are for exposure, advertising, and showing off the builder's quality.

You get to see how they handle a jog in the wall with trim, doorways, windows (quality they offer in that price range), flooring.

At the after parties with the builders and trade all conversing, it is enlightening to hear what 'they' thought were good features and what the people coming through thought! One builder was proud of his 'pantry room' and yet no one thought it was special.... LOL He said 'why didn't I win an award for that laughingly.

And to critique a Parade of Homes or Home Show house is pointless because it does NOT represent the typical home... that is why they are usually NOT in a development, they are in a separate area that has a capacity for 7 to 9 houses each one built by a different builder and when all sold that is it.... for that area.. Because if you start building around these, the difference would be too stark in reference to the style and amount of work in the building...

Showcase houses and model homes are the 'visual' business card and portfolio of work on display...

Just my two cents after living in the area for 11 yrs and being involved in the process of Parade of Homes for most of those years as well as the Builder's Association meetings, etc.

Judith,
I wanted to keep my coments about the builder aspect of the home shows and my personal comments about the second house...

I also like the lighter brighter look of this house. And the ponywall with column is nicely done with the pilaster against the wall to balance out what would have been a lone-column. Large furniture for that room with fireplace, but you feel as though you could sink in and relax to watch TV.
I am really loving that shallow coffered ceiling treatment! And that you can see windows with the greenery outside. I like that X in the panels that is interesting and makes a feature people will remember about the house.

One time about 6 yrs ago I went into a Parade of Homes house in Williamsburg that had 'antiques on loan' from a local consignment/antique mall throughout the house. OH MY you could NOT escape the MUSTY smell in that NEW house no matter what room you went in to! I could hear others commenting on it too... pieces were gorgeous and the house was amazing, but I never forgot that smell... and all the candles lit and plug-ins they put around the house to try and cover it over.... I think everyone learned their lesson on that one since Antiques can't be delivered until just before the open house, so you don't know what will happen....

There are two types of people who decorate rooms (my own observations) and they are the PLAIN and the WALLPAPER types, that means some people love PLAIN walls, and some people like texture (like me) or things on the walls, something other than plain painted sheetrock staring back at you... LOL So I LOVE seeing molding and texture and STUFF around the room!

And of course the flooring (looks like woodgrain tiles) I love, and love brown, or wood-tone tiles!

I also love the way the crown wraps onto the ceiling, gives that cove look. The light blue ceiling is something I am considering in my home... so I like seeing it done...

I like the kitchen, for open concept is is very nice, I like how the backsplash behind the stove and wall colors are similar, not too much blue, but enough.

Lighting, love the above cabinet lighting (did that in my son's kitchen remodel) as well as below cabinet ligting and coordinated for spacing.

Love the over-door windows! That is so 9' ceiling glam I wish I had! (8' ceilings)

Remembering that Smithfield is COUNTRY not citylike this makes the houses a more elegant country style, I like this for that area! I have done work and seen many older homes in that area, and the high end ones always on the lake or on large farmland. This shows the area is growing with more upscale (for the area) being spread around. It is a diverse city with many transplants who now live there.

Dining room is sparce, but I would fill it 80% more! LOL.... Love the natural light and the space that the dining area has... perfect for the family to gather for Thanksgiving in that traditional and old town with lots of extended families.

People in that area LOVE their panties!!! We made a change to our small pantry in this house, to a tall pantry cabinet full of pull out trays, then retrofitted a CL Armoire into a 'Baker's' pantry and my neighbors said 'why'? No one cooks! But WE DO, and ENJOY trying new recipes, that means lots of spices and..... I LOVE organized storage for kitchens!

Well, I LOVED this thread, thank you again Judith for all the time you invested in doing this and sharing!
Talk to you soon!

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing, I will be looking at these for most of the day, they are LOADED with ideas!

Thanks so much for the photos! How thoughtful.

The first house is kind of surprising. It looks to me like it was done 10-15 years ago! The color palette and use of dark wood, especially. It goes to show you that those of us who are addicted to design see things very differently than people who spend their time more productively!

The second one has the palette that I think most buyers would prefer today, and some neat details. Too overwrought and pat for me, but I think it'd be very popular.