Austin Modern Home Tour 2014 Coming February 1st

4902 Tortuga Pl., exterior by Paul Bardagjy (Photo credit: Austin Modern Home Tour)

As cities grow up and start to develop their own personalities and distinct characteristics, their citizens begin to get creative with the homes they choose to settle down in. Often times, homes reflect the charm that makes each city unique.

Enough of these homes get built and we start to get curious about how our neighbors are setting up their kitchen, or what’s up with that unique lawn landscape down the street? How did they get that garden on the roof? If you have asked yourself questions like these and are looking for answers, the 7th Annual Austin Modern Home Tour was made just for you.

On Saturday, February 1st, Austinites will get the opportunity to explore a few of the more unique and contemporary homes in Austin. They’ll also have a chance to meet the creative folks behind the architecture and design of the homes. Thirteen homes from all over Austin will be part of the tour this year, with the list being curated by Ingrid Spencer, contributing editor for Architectural Record magazine in New York City.

How Does It Work?

700 West Monroe pool by Ethan Stead (Photo credit: Austin Modern Home Tour)

Tickets for Austin Modern Home Tour 2014 can be purchased for $30 in advance from the event website or for $40 the day of the tour at any one of the homes. It is important to note that this is a self-paced and self-driving tour, so you are under no obligation to hit up all 13 houses. Take this tour at your leisure.

The homes will begin to open up at 11 AM and will stay open until 6 PM, with an after-party to be announced once we get closer to February 1st.

Architects, interior designers, and and/or builders will be on hand at each home to answer questions. While most of us may not be able to afford to hire professionals to design our homes like this, we can bend their ear to garner ideas and adapt them for our own spaces. Think of this as a live Pinterest tour for your dream house, and then go to the official Pinterest board for the tour to remember your favorites.

1911 Cliff Street # 1 interior (Photo credit: Atelier Wong photography)

The homes featured on the 2014 tour will include:

314 Ridgewood Road, Austin, Texas 78746
2601 Pickwick Lane, Austin, Texas 78746
2017 Hamilton Avenue, Austin, Texas 78702
1010 Juniper Street, Austin, Texas, 78701
4503 Oakmont Boulevard, Austin, TX 78731
6709 Vireo Cove Drive, Austin, TX 78746
6909 Daugherty Street, Austin, Texas 78757
1021 W. Milton Street, Austin, Texas 78704
4902 Tortuga Place, Austin, TX 78731
2704 Rock Terrace, Austin, TX 78704
1500 Oxford Avenue, Austin, TX 78704
1911 Cliff Street, Austin, TX 78705
700 West Monroe Street, Austin, TX 78704

If you would like to be a bit more selective about the homes you visit, you can see photos and a brief description of each home here.

Modern Home Tours

314 Ridgewood Rd. dining (Photo credit: Andrew Pogue Photography)

Formal tours to admire architecture in homes aren’t anything new, but Modern Home Tours, LLC and The GoodLife Team have found a niche in the industry by providing fun and informative tours to the masses. It just so happens that this company was founded here in Austin, TX by Matt Swinney and James Leasure and has since spread to dozens of cities throughout the United States and Canada.

The founding partners wanted to create a tour that provided the latest in architecture and design within each unique cityscape, and make the tours accessible to the general public. The idea is to get attendees’ creative juices flowing and perhaps give them an idea or two for the next home project.

In addition to Modern Home Tours, Swinney and Leasure are working on a “Smarter Spaces Tour” for 2014 that focuses on efficient design and making the most out of available resources. We’ll be keeping an eye out for that tour later this year.

@Crafty_Ed asks:

Have you included any unique “Austin-eque” features in your home?