ROCKFORD, MI – Walk into the sleek Fall Parade of Homes entry by Scott Christopher Homes and enter a peaceful and logical world in which everything makes sense.
At least it makes sense if you’ve got more than $1 million to spend.
The 6,700-square-foot home at 7973 Wildermere Dr. NE is one of two homes worth more than $1 million on the 2012 parade. The other entry is a
$2.8 million “cottage” along Lake Michigan near Fennville.Presented by the
Home Builders Association of Greater Grand Rapids, the Lakeshore Homebuilders Association and Lake Michigan Credit Union,
this year’s parade features 27 new homes, two remodeled homes and two “conceptual homes” that can be toured online.
Among the most unique homes on the tour is the contemporary home designed by Visbeen Associates and Jeffery Roberts on the east shore of Silver Lake.
Matthew Reinsma, of Scott Christopher Homes, describes the design as “urban prairie with an Asian flair.” He’s not authorized to say how much it cost, except that it was more than $1 million.
IF YOU GO: The 2012 Fall Parade of Homes is open today and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Parade homes also will be open for viewing from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. next Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets may be purchased online atparadeofhomesmi.com, at Lake Michigan Credit Union branches and at the homes.
Designed for a professional couple with dogs and a family in mind, the house features big rooms for entertaining on two levels, peaceful views of Silver Lake, a dog wash and boarding room, plenty of room for kids and high-tech systems that knit everything together.
Light flows into the house through large insulated windows with mitered corners that offer a sleek, contemporary look.
“This house can live small or it can live large,” Reinsma said as he showed off the home’s mix of large rooms and private spaces.
With its large living areas that include a bar and a theater, a screened-in porch with heated floors and a fireplace, the house can handle a party of more than 130 guests, Reinsma said. It includes a catering kitchen designed to set up for and serve large parties.
But the house also off becomes an oasis for just two through its intimate furniture arrangements and room placements, Reinsma said.
For personal space, the master suite includes a sitting room with 10-foot ceilings outside of a 225-square foot walk-in closet and dressing area.
In the bathroom, the centerpiece is a bathtub that faces a television that emerges magically from the mirror above the vanity. The bathroom also features a walk-in shower with two drying areas and heated floors.
On the second floor, two bedrooms are set around a “flex area” aimed at entertaining kids or providing homework space. “It’s set up to handle an expanding family,” said Reinsma.
Downstairs, there’s a guest room that has its own bathroom and a door with direct access to a patio overlooking the swimming pool.
Outdoors, the pool and hot tub offer the opportunity to relax, provided the lake is too cold for a swim. There’s also a large changing area and shower just inside the door on the ground floor.
Outside of the three-stall garage and leading up to the front door, the sidewalks are heated to melt the snow.
Inside the garage, light flows onto the textured flooring through translucent garage door panels. A ramp provides accessibility into the home.
In the basement’s mechanical room, a five-zone heating and cooling system manage the climate. There’s also a closet which houses a six-foot bank of computers, receivers and monitors. “This is what it takes to run the house from a media perspective,”
Reinsma said.
The tour, which began Oct. 5, continues today and tomorrow and on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday next week. Tickets can be
purchased online for $10, for $11 at Lake Michigan Credit Unions or for $12 at the homes.
RELATED: Visitors to 2012 Fall Parade of Homes can vote on their favorite entries
E-mail Jim Harger: jharger@mlive.com and follow him on Twitter attwitter.com/JHHarger
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