Bird's Nest

The 24^th annual St. George Parade of Homes is in progress; 28 lovely homes ranging from $349,000 to well over a million. We spent the weekend exploring nearly all of them and found several common themes. They all seem designed with energy efficiency in mind. Most are decorated in muted earth tones. At the heart of each home is a great room so that cooking, dining and lounging happen in one space. Many have “casitas” –small exterior suites we initially mistook for mother-in-law apartments. We eventually decided they’re for houseguests. Most master suites have garden tubs and doorless showers. Bigger closets and smaller bedrooms seem to be in fashion. Who needs space near the bed for a dresser if all your clothes are in the walk-in? I love the mudrooms, marble floors, glass tile and outdoor living spaces. The best part? Several homes have a clever passage between the laundry and the back of the master closet. Pure genius!