WINNER Best Exterior

McArthur Homes is pleased to announce that our new Cordova home was awarded Best Exterior by the 2011 Utah Valley Parade of Homes. This gorgeous new home is available in three exterior styles, Craftsman, French Rustic and New American. For more information, see this new home design on our website. 

Final Photos- Utah Valley Parade of Homes 2011

 The 2011 Utah Valley Parade of Homes is underway and we couldn't be more excited to show off our new Cordova home! Yesterday I spent opening day at the Parade home and the response was unbelievable. People LOVE the decor, the layout and all of the thoughtful details that went into this home. A big thanks to all of our trade partners who participated in building this home!

So here are some things that people couldn't stop commenting on yesterday... we'd love to hear what you think too!

The small "drop zone" cabinetry between the mudroom and the kitchen was very popular. The space is perfect for a laptop, cell phone charger and bill pay area. It's the simple details like this that can make your new home fit perfectly with your lifestyle. There's also a nearby powder room featuring a great spring green that people have really responded to.

The family room makes a huge impression with it's large size and open feeling. People have said that they could really see themselves entertaining or just relaxing with family in this comfortable space. (I personally L-O-V-E those blue and white upholstered chairs and the playful drapery fabric!)

The kitchen has also been very popular and people are surprised to hear that the cabinetry and flooring are both affordable options from our McArthur Homes Design Studio. The cabinetry is Beech with an Espresso stain (an included finish for McArthur Homes homeowners) and the flooring is a beautiful engineered Birch in a Driftwood finish. The countertops are also a huge hit in a White Ivory granite.

The area that has received the MOST comments in the home is this clever reading nook tucked into the stairwell. Designed by our very own, Roger Bess, this window seat and open shelving turns a previously "wasted space" into a highlight of the home.

 At the top of the stairs is another clever nook designed as a homework area for the kids. I love the idea of giving the kids an area to do their homework while still being open to the rest of the home.

The master suite is especially impressive with its large size, vaulted ceilings and adjacent nook (see next pic). People have loved the open feeling and details such as the fresh fabric choice for the drapes and accents.

As part of the master suite, this is the PERFECT place to get some peace and quiet, a little sanctuary all your own. To me, those chairs seem to be begging for someone to curl up on them and enjoy a good book!

The master bath also turned out beautifully! It has a clean, refreshing look with white tile and that same spring green in the accents and drapery. The white octagon tile from DAL tile has a lot of people talking. They either LOVE it or they don't, but I'm definitely a fan.

The front living room (which can also be converted to an office) has a slightly more formal look than the rest of the home. It stays fresh and playful with white paneling and fun details like the furry white pillow on the sofa. The paneling look shown here and in the mudroom has been a huge hit. For directions, see our "how to" post here.

To see the rest of the home, visit us at the Parade of Homes through June 18th. You can buy tickets online here, or purchase them at the Cordova home in Thanksgiving Meadows, Lehi. 

Here's one last photo that I think sums up the style of the home. The chair is tailored and elegant, the pillow adds a pop of color while the numbered boxes and gumball machine add a touch of whimsy. I think Emily from HGTV would call this Tailored Whimsical Elegance... or something like that. :)

Here are some links if you'd like more information on this home design or the home builder, McArthur Homes. Enjoy!

More Parade Pics

The Parade of Homes is getting closer and we can't wait for you to see our Cordova home. Here are a few pics from the recent cabinet installation. These cabinets are beech with an espresso stain in a shaker-style panel called "Ashton." I love the clean lines. What do you think?

Oh, and I can't forget to show you the great built-ins in the stair landing. You are not going to believe all the storage we fit into this new home! More pics coming soon...

Photo Update- Parade of Homes 2011

Our Utah Valley Parade of Homes entry is coming along beautifully! I hope you will all be joining us in June to see the completed home. In the meantime, here are some more fun pictures of the progress.

This new home is our new Cordova design, which was designed specifically with our McArthur Homes homeowners in mind. For instance, check out this great mud room. Wouldn't you love to have a place to keep all your kids' stuff that is tucked away from the rest of the house?

I am loving the fun wall paneling. The best part is, this is something easy you can do in your own new home! Check out this post with how-to instructions.

Below, you can see the open great room. The new hardwood floors are covered with protective paper, but let me tell you... they are amazing. Plus, they are only a level 3 hardwood at the McArthur Homes Design Studio. So affordable!

 

This master suite features a separate retreat area. What would you do with this space? I imagine it as a cozy reading nook, or maybe a place for my spin bike... hmmmm....

What do you think of this octagonal tile in the master bathroom? I can't wait to see how it looks with the cabinets installed and the white cultured marble on the tub and shower.

Here's one final picture for now. Isn't this a fun tile treatment for the laundry room? I love how the Cordova plan has an upstairs laundry room so you don't have to haul big baskets of dirty clothes up and down the stairs!

Well, that's it for our Parade of Homes tour for today. Next week... cabinets get installed!

Still want more info? Click here to view this new home design on our website. The Cordova is available at ALL of our new home neighborhoods so you can also visit any of our model homes to find out more.

A New Home Perfect for a Growing Family

Our newest floorplan, the Cordova is perfect for a growing family. When designing this home, we took into account all the things our homeowners tell us they want:

Large bedrooms with walk-in closets (up to 4 bedrooms upstairs)
Fabulous kitchen with an island for casual dining, plus a huge pantry
An open concept with great flow between the family room, kitchen and eating area
A separate office or formal room (perfect for a piano, visitors, etc)
Handy mudroom with cubbies to corral clutter
Upstairs laundry room (no more hauling laundry up and down the stairs)
And plenty of storage mixed in throughout the home!

The first Cordova home is now being built at Thanksgiving Meadows in Lehi. Here is a sneak peak at the main floor of this awesome floorplan...



Click here to see the floorplan for this new home in Utah.

Habitat for Humanity with McArthur Homes

McArthur Homes, and many of our contractors and suppliers, helped complete the Habitat for Humanity home this year with the Salt Lake Home Builders Association.  Last week, we turned over the new home in Utah to the new owners, the Yussuf Family.  

 

The home was approximately 2000 SF, 6 bedrooms, 4 baths, and built entirely with donated materials and labor from HBA member suppliers and contractors.  It is amazing that even in these difficult times, commonly called the Great Recession, that so many people and organizations are still willing to donate so much to help others.  It really is amazing!  Seeing the joy in the faces of the family – especially the kids – made all the effort worth it, many times over.

The Life of a "Parade of Homes" House

Like many of you, I LOVE the Parade of Homes! It is an exciting opportunity to see what is going on in the world of interior design and new homes. I always end up with tons of notes and photos of things I want to try in my own home.

Well... McArthur Homes is excited to announce that we will be participating in the Utah County Parade of Homes this June! For all you Parade of Homes lovers, we will document the construction and design process of our entry home. We'll give you an inside look at what goes into building a stunning model home for the Parade of Homes, and give you ideas for your own home along the way!

Our Parade of Homes entry will feature a BRAND NEW 2-Story Home Design in our popular Thanksgiving Meadows neighborhood. This new Cordova design is so flexible and perfect for growing families. Our model will feature a large master bedroom with bonus master retreat, two extra bedrooms upstairs and a handy loft/study area for the kids to do homework. On the main floor their are fun features such as a mud room with "drop zone" cabinetry for mail, keys etc. and plenty of built in cubbies for backpacks and coats! (Floorplan pics coming soon.)

Our interior design experts from Pace Interiors are getting started on the interior selections for our Parade of Homes house. Here's a sneak peak at what they've been working on at our Award Winning New Home Design Studio.

Coming up, we'll share their recommendations for top styles and products for your home. In the meantime, we'd love to hear your opinions! What's your favorite part of attending the Parade of Homes? Is there a home or feature that was so impressive that you still remember when you saw it at a Parade of Homes entry? Leave a comment, or share with us on Facebook!

New Golf Course Community- Stonebridge at The Ranches

This morning I dropped by McArthur Homes' newest community, Stonebridge. This new neighborhood is located near the entrance of The Ranches of Eagle Mountain, right on The Ranches Golf Course and across from the charter high school, Rockwell. Could the location be any better? The views from these large estate home sites are gorgeous too, so I pulled out my camera and snapped a few pictures of this prime location. With homes starting in the high $100s, golf course living is affordable now! Follow this link for floorplans and pricing on these golf course homes.

Our new model home is now open! Monday-Saturday, 11am-7pm

A Sleek, Modern Transformation

These amazing before and after photos show how just changing the color of your cabinets can completely transform the look of your kitchen.

Before, this kitchen's basic knotted alder cabinets are nice, but too traditional for homeowners Ty & Kumari. Vinyl floors and laminate countertops blend into this brown & black color scheme.

After, sleek white cabinets now contrast with the existing countertops and floors. The black, white and stainless steel color combination is cool and modern. Ty & Kumari transformed the cabinets themselves with paint, a rented sprayer and lots & lots of hard work. I don't recommend this do-it-yourself project for everyone. Getting results like this take lots of skill and hard work. Consider hiring a professional, or even better, build a brand new home and choose cabinets that fit your style from the start.






For those of you who (like me) love Ty & Kumari's clean, modern style- here's a few more shots of their beautiful home. Notice how they took a basic background of neutral flooring and paint then made it pop with contemporary furnishings, lighting and cool accents like the wall paper treatment below.

For more information on how you can personalize your new home, click here to visit the McArthur Homes Design Studio on the web.

Love at Home

I recently heard this adorable Valentine's Day story from two of our McArthur home owners, Matt & Melissa. Last February, their home was under construction and this is what Melissa said about it on her blog,

Our house has the stucco and rock on now and is primed and ready for paint. It is so fun to watch everything we have picked out come together in real life! We go down at least once a week and just walk around in awe of how fast it seems to be coming together! While we have been EXTREMELY blessed to have such a beautiful home to live in (with the best roomies in the world-my parents) we can't wait to get into our house.  

That Valentine's Day her husband planned a creative surprise for Melissa. They were both so excited about their new home, that he decided they should have a romantic Valentine's breakfast there. Matt even decorated the table with confetti, ribbon and romantic candlelight! Talk about husband of the year!

We hope these two wonderful homeowners enjoy Valentine's Day this year in their beautiful new home!

New Home Spotlight

There are always a few homes each month that we build which really stand out to me in terms of design. The Boogaard family did a fantastic job of designing their home and I can't wait to see it once they've put their finishing touches on everything. Here is what they had to say about building and designing a new home:

What is your favorite feature or aspect of your new home?
We love the open floor plan. Having the kitchen open to the family room all with vaulted ceilings make the space feel large, but still intimate and welcoming.


What was the best part about designing your new home?
The ability to make specific product choices that work for us. We got to pick the cabinets and flooring we have always wanted, making our home custom to our lifestyle.


How did you decide on your color scheme?
We chose the cabinets and worked around them.


What plans do you have to enhance your home once you move in?
We hope to add accent colors to some of the spaces to tie in our decorating style.

What advice would you give to other new home owners who are designing their homes?
Put you upgrade money into things that will make the most difference. For us that meant the kitchen, flooring, and bathrooms. We felt that those are things that will really hold their value and be appealing to other buyers should we sell in the future.


Thanks Jordan & Ereka for letting me spotlight your home. You did a fantastic job contrasting the creme cabinets with rich floors and counter tops. I hope you enjoy your beautiful new home!