New looks just add to its charm

Byline: By John Murdoch

Go faux. The murals and trompe l'oeil of years past are gone. Plain walls are in, but if you want a little more flair, take the faux route. "We didn't do any murals on our walls. Instead, we did some creative faux painting -- a reptile-skin look, a leather look in the study, and fossil-type finish with embedded leaves," Vincent says.Think big in the kitchen. Everyone always ends up in the kitchen, right? So make them shine with granite countertops, stainless steel or brushed-chrome appliances, built-in wine racks, work tables, breakfast bars and family office centers, complete with utilitarian drawers, shelves and nooks.Pamper your towels. The biggest houses on this tour had the biggest closets -- most bigger than a typical New York City studio apartment. But the shelving inside these giant storage rooms is something anyone could do.Cabinets are rich wood, with alder a favorite, says Mary Jean Dalton of MJ Design Studio, who worked on Mountain Surrender, a Petra Home in Peregrine. "Alder is really popular. It has a lot of character, with knotholes that give it a warm texture."Equipment includes automatic air conditioning, and special 17-inch alloy wheels.The next step: Visit the 38 homes on display through Sunday, and see how the big boys and girls decorate.CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0264 or dacord@gazette.comSome will argue that the XK is past its sell-by date but not me. It is still a stunning car to look at and to drive. What more could you ask for?So the XK gets a deeper valance, new alloys, meaner-looking exhausts and a bigger boot spoiler.THE DETAILSWHAT: The 50th anniversary 2004 Housing & Building Association's Parade of Homes, featuring 38 new homes in Colorado Springs and Woodland Park. Homes in this year's parade range from $145,000 to nearly $2 million.At Symphony Homes' The Serenade in High Forest Ranch, model home merchandiser/designer Elaine Ausmus shows how hand-textured walls in a mustardy color can add warmth. Throw in reds, golds and green, and you've got an inviting space.

Some will argue that the XK is past its sell-by date but not me. It is still a stunning car to look at and to drive. What more could you ask for?