Newton Homes

Today we took a trip to Newton to see a series of homes on the town's annual home tour. I wasn't sure what to expect, as I've never been on a "home tour" before, and boy was I amazed! Mostly older homes, with a contemporary green home and mid century modern home thrown in the mix. Beautifully landscaped exteriors greeted us. We were welcomed into the homes and were amazed to find gorgeous interiors. Luxury kitchens, bathrooms and decor at every turn. Each of these homes were home magazine quality, though I'm almost certain that none of them would have been profiled in the same magazines.

It was fun for us to rank the homes by our favorite interiors. Within seconds of walking into one home, Michael and I both looked at each other, our eyes widened and we said almost simultaneously "this is my favorite."

I was able to take photos of the exteriors of the home, though I found that very few were successful photos. Funny enough, the best photos were taken while walking to and from our parking spots at each home, so that's what I've included.

I also had some time to think about all the homes after a rest this afternoon. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Not every interior was my favorite, however I've learned through years of studying design is that no matter what the style of architecture, the amount of time and detail involved in designing, developing, building and restoring space is something to be respected.

2. Four hours is a long time for anyone to look at homes; even interior designers. By the end of the tour I was exhausted and ready for some coffee and some down time.

3. All these homes were beautiful, but I can honestly say that I'm not a large home kinda gal. Sure, I love a beautiful old restored home, but the upkeep must be incredibly tiring (or incredibly expensive).

4. And finally... (don't roll your eyes) money can't buy you happiness. Yes, the marble countertops were gorgeous, the Wolf ranges were sparkly, and the Subzero... oh my, the Subzero! But, none of these things equal happiness. I think this is sometimes the hardest part to understand when designing or dreaming of your dream home. These are things, not memories that you can't take with you. So buy it if you love it, but Wolf, Subzero, calcutta and carrera don't replace the real "stuff" that make a house a home... your family and friends. Okay, that was sappy, I know, but when your job is to sell a "look" and material items for a living, these things can easily become the focus. Its nice to take a step back every once in a while.