Want to go?
WHAT: Homearama 2016
WHERE: Oaks of West Chester, 8991 Oakcrest Way, West Chester Twp.
WHEN: Saturday, June 11 to Sunday, June 26
SHOW HOURS: 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays to Thursdays; noon to 10 p.m. Fridays to Sundays.
TICKETS: $14 at area Kroger stores and at www.CincyBuilders.com. Admission is $16 at the gate. No tickets will be sold or attendees admitted after 9 p.m.
HOMEARAMA’S BUTLER COUNTY APPEARANCES
1972: Windsor Village (Fairfield)
1973: Reswin Farms (Fairfield)
1974: Morris Hills (Hamilton)
1975: Reswin Farms (Fairfield)
1980: Beckett Ridge (West Chester Twp. — known then as Union Twp.)
1988: Beckett Ridge (West Chester Twp.*
1999: Four Bridges (Liberty Twp.)
2001: Four Bridges (Liberty Twp.)
2011: Foxborough (West Chester Twp.)
2013: Carriage Hill (Liberty Twp.)
2014: Carriage Hill (Liberty Twp.)
2016: Oaks of West Chester (West Chester Twp.)
*shared event with Hamilton County
SOURCE: Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati
HOMEARAMA’S BUTLER COUNTY APPEARANCES
1972: Windsor Village (Fairfield)
1973: Reswin Farms (Fairfield)
1974: Morris Hills (Hamilton)
1975: Reswin Farms (Fairfield)
1980: Beckett Ridge (West Chester Twp. — known then as Union Twp.)
1988: Beckett Ridge (West Chester Twp.*
1999: Four Bridges (Liberty Twp.)
2001: Four Bridges (Liberty Twp.)
2011: Foxborough (West Chester Twp.)
2013: Carriage Hill (Liberty Twp.)
2014: Carriage Hill (Liberty Twp.)
2016: Oaks of West Chester (West Chester Twp.)
*shared event with Hamilton County
SOURCE: Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati
Homearama 2016 kicks off Saturday at Oaks of West Chester.
PHOTO GALLERY: Over 100 photos to take you through elaborate Homearama homes
Here are some of the more unique features we saw during our tour:
Bourbon-themed basement
- Homes by Gerbus Inc.'s The Gables of Woodford boasts a bourbon-themed basement, complete with whiskey display cases on either side of a bar sink that sits under a flatscreen TV, a "Kentucky Bourbon Trail" mural adorning an entertainment room wall and even cask-like designs for bathroom sinks and a serving area.
Focus on entertaining
- Justin Doyle Homes' The Pine Valley offers a basement entertainment area complete with stone bar and an outdoor basketball court.
- John Candle Homes' The Rustica features a full bar with brick backing and movie theater quality recliners in front of a large flatscreen viewing area. The home also offers a wide staircase leading from its backyard patio to the basement entertainment area.
- Infinity Homes offers The Monaco, which features a screened-in porch out back and four fire places — two inside and two outside.
- Sterling Homes' The Jefferson features covered and uncovered portions on the back patio, a basement entertainment area with a bar-like element positioned just behind couches for easy lounging and viewing on both levels.
Dog washing area
- Man's best friend isn't forgotten in Drees Homes' The Sebastian. The home features a full-size dog washing area. The area between the garage and kitchen also boasts a crafting station and walk-in storage large enough to store bulk items. The room is purposely designed to be spacious enough to fit multiple people performing multiple tasks, builders said.
Free-flowing floor plans
- Free-flowing floor plans — combining kitchen, family room and dining room — make up the majority of Homearama homes, according to Dan Dressman, executive director for Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati. "That's because people are typically doing more entertaining at home," he said.
Other trends
- Also found in numerous Homearama are pool tables and wine storage, cavernous walk-in closets and master bathrooms with enormous glassed-in showers.
- John Candle Homes' The John Candle Estate provides a master bathroom area with plenty of natural light and a large, adjacent walk-in closet and a laundry room just beyond.
This year’s Homearama features seven homes ranging in cost from $699,500 to $950,000.
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