Popular parades

Home showcases draw big crowds

By Janine Anderson

Parades of homes let companies show off their best products.

In Wisconsin’s two largest markets — Milwaukee and Madison — this summer’s events enjoyed a successful season, enticing tens of thousands of people to tour showcase homes built by top builders.

“I think people like to dream, so they come through the homes to get decorating ideas for their own homes,” said Matt Moroney, executive director of the Metropolitan Builders Association. “A lot of people come through the Parade of Homes to begin designing their own dream home for the future.”

A parade of homes is also a great place for people to get a look at the newest trends in home building and decorating.

“It’s a place where members of the public can view the latest products in the housing industry,” said Rebecca Wasieleski, communication and education coordinator for the Madison Area Builders Association.

“They can get ideas for their own homes and store ideas away for a future home they might want to build.”

The MBA Parade of Homes, held Aug. 18 through Sept. 25, showcased 30 homes in three subdivisions. Each subdivision averaged 18,000 visitors.

The winners of MBA’s People’s Choice Award were Lifestyle Homes of Wisconsin LLC, Mequon; J. Anthony Homes, Pewaukee; and Kings Way Homes, Elm Grove.

Kings Way Homes’ showcase house in Waukesha’s Fox Lake Village subdivision features curved walls and ceilings. Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Builders Association

Mark Henry, president of Lifestyle Homes, said a stand-out feature of his company’s parade home in Mequon’s Cobblestone Woods is the master suite, which has a spa-like feel with a steam shower, private deck and doors opening to a view of the fireplace. It also features a family focus with a large back foyer with cubbies for kids to use and a utility room for crafts and chores.

Joe Wendelberger, president of J. Anthony Homes, said the exterior of his parade home in Waukesha’s Rolling Ridge South is a major feature, offering natural stone and thick mortar joints to create a French country feel. The great room, with 15-foot ceilings, links the kitchen, dining and living areas for easy entertaining. A sunroom and study provide cozy spaces for smaller family gatherings.

Michelle Luckiesh, sales and marketing manager for Kings Way Homes, said the floor plan of her company’s showcase home in Waukesha’s Fox Lake Village is one of its major design features. Laid out like a fan, everything radiates from the foyer.

A curvilinear theme is carried through the home, with circular vestibules and curved walls and ceilings. The home also features a playhouse with a climbing rope, built-in television, bunked play area and a ceiling lit with fiber optics.

The MABA Parade of Homes, which ran from June 10 to June 25, featured 35 houses on three sites, each of which drew about 10,000 people. The companies that won the People’s Choice Award were Impala Homes Inc., Madison; Craftsman Construction, Baraboo; and Temple Construction Inc., Madison.

Bill Gehl, president of Impala Homes, said the prairie-style house in Windsor’s Wolf Hollow subdivision won visitors over with its open and livable design scheme. It features popular kitchen amenities like granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and tile backsplashes.

Travis Zick, vice president of Craftsman Construction, said his company’s 5,000-square-foot house in the Blue Ridge addition to the South Bridge subdivision in Waunakee offers plenty of space for one-of-a-kind features, like a built-in, 50-inch plasma screen TV and barrel-vaulted ceilings with faux painting. The finished lower level features a hidden theater room behind bookshelves that slide open at the touch of a switch.

Justin Temple, vice president of Temple Construction, said the Mediterranean-style home that his company showcased in Madison’s Blackhawk subdivision has an impressive entry that catches the eye. The 20-foot rotunda features a custom-made, wrought-iron, spiral staircase to the basement. While the home has an impressive master suite, it also features a family focus, with the kitchen, living and dining areas all in one room.