Stay In Tonight ... Outside

Our lives happen everywhere, indoors and out, whether it's a quiet day or evening at home or a special time to invite friends and family in for a party or a meal. "Outdoor space is again on the rise," said Barclay Allen, homebuilder, of Timberlin Homes, who is presenting the Modern Rustic-style Fort Wayne Monthly Home No. 9 in the 2014 Parade of Homes and Lifestyle Show. "I want to create more of a true outdoor space, not just a covered patio." Timberlin designer Jodi Golm believes Allen's home design achieves his goal. "It's an outdoor room," she said. The 2014 Parade homes overlook the 17-acre lake in Forest at Foxwood, so everyone expects that outdoor room to get lots of use. But Allen is emphasizing his home's street-side outside space, too, with an expansive front porch he calls "a taste of Americana." The Timberlin home is designed with a family in mind, Golm said, and she envisions a parent on that front porch, perhaps working on a laptop, while the children play in the front yard. "Sight lines are important," she said. "Most of the people buying homes at this price point have younger children." Outdoor living may well be the most striking home design and lifestyle trend in this year's Parade of Homes, given the lake location and recent history. "Outdoor space is everything," Quality Crafted Homes' Jhonelle Kees said. "We had a hard winter, and people really look forward to being able to go outdoors. The outdoor space is so important here." An outdoor fireplace is the single most-asked-for item, she said, and seeing outdoors is very important, which is why Quality Crafted uses a lot of glass in its homes. Quality Crafted presents the Rustic Craftsman-style Big Brothers-Big Sisters Home No. 5 in the 2014 Parade of Homes and Lifestyle Show. "We love our outdoor living. It's where your blood pressure drops. It's your safe haven," she said. Parade of Homes attendees will want to study how the builders have woven the inside and outside spaces together. Timberlin's Allen is planning a special door treatment to throw open his interior to the exterior. The Star Homes Parade home has an extensive backyard featuring the stone from the front exterior in its design with features enabling its homeowners to entertain, including built-in seating, designer Susan Moran said. Star Homes by Delagrange and Richhart is presenting the Traditional Eclectic-style Frontier Communications Home No. 7 in the 2014 Parade of Homes and Lifestyle Show. Don Fischer, homebuilder, of Hickory Creek Homes, calls the veranda he has designed on the home he is presenting in the 2014 Parade of Homes and Lifestyle Show "a very warm, cozy area to enjoy the outdoors." It will feature a grill and a television in addition to an impressive fireplace. His French Country-style Home No. 8 is sponsored by Lutheran Health Network. Fischer's gestures get expansive as he explains how people will flow through the home to the veranda and how different features connect the entire space for cooking, dining and conversation. Nothing is too far away, and no one needs to feel crowded.

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	Hickory Creek Homes  by Hickory Creek Homes
	Quality Crafted Homes  by Quality Crafted Homes
	Star Homes by Delagrange and Richhart  by Star Homes by Delagrange and Richhart
	Timberlin Homes  by Timberlin Homes