Johnson Development Presents April Drools! Houston’s Largest Home Tour – Designs to Make Your Mouth Water

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Focus Cover Story  –

Houston’s largest home tour is back, and Fort Bend will have a starring role as seven communities are taking part opening up hundreds of homes in the “April Drools Home Tour.

The communities – all by Johnson Development – will have jaw-dropping model homes and available homes for sale open daily throughout April. Homes will be open 10 am to 6 pm Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 6 pm Sundays. Admission is free.

“Seven of Johnson Development’s 17 active communities are located right here in Fort Bend County,” said Christen Johnson, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Johnson Development. “Fort Bend has so much to offer in terms of location, schools, shopping and employment, and we’re pleased to add to that an award-winning mix of communities and great builders right here in the area. We invite everyone to come see the new trends in home design and why our communities rank as some of the best-selling in the country.”

Johnson Development’s Fort Bend communities include Cross Creek Ranch, Harvest Green, Imperial, Jordan Ranch, Riverstone, Sienna Plantation and Veranda. There, home décor enthusiasts will find a mouthwatering array of design trends sure to inspire and amaze.

Just Say Spa . . .

Some of the biggest advances in architectural and decorative design over the past five years have happened in the master bath. The finishes, flooring, cabinetry and mirror treatments say more “spa” than “home bath.” And perhaps the greatest change? The use of free-standing tubs.

Gracepoint Homes at Imperial has crafted a lovely bath, installing a tub with simple lines and a midpoint faucet. A metallic half-wall adds brilliance to the room. Another “don’t miss” bath design also is in Imperial, constructed by Partners in Building. In this model master bath, a free-standing tub sits in front of a slate wall that defines the shower space found behind. The patterned flooring creates a seamless transition into the shower. A chandelier –  a frequent find in today’s luxe master baths – crowns the tub.

Shea Homes at Sienna Plantation reinvents the concept of shower and bathtub, combining both into one serviceable and stunning space. The tub sits at one end of the glass-enclosed area, while shower faucet and controls are on the opposite wall. The bath surround extends to the shower area, providing welcome seating if needed.

Going to New Heights

Don’t forget to look up when visiting model homes on the tour, as that’s where you just might see the crowning achievement of interior design. Not only will you find painted ceilings beyond traditional white, but you’ll see straight, rectangular and star-shaped beams, as well as round ceilings graced with fabulous chandeliers.

If ceilings are your thing, you’ll definitely want to visit the Taylor Morrison model home at Sienna Plantation in Missouri City. The ceiling is a fifth canvas for the builder, showing several different treatments for ceiling beams – including a bricked background – and a tray ceiling with imaginative puzzle-piece millwork in the dining room. Also, stop by the Darling Homes model in Riverstone, where a curved tray ceiling is clad with beadboard paneling and wooden beams. Meritage Homes also showcases amazing tray ceilings painted in dark colors and styled with millwork to create geometric patterns.

Haute Fireplaces

Decorating your fireplace mantle is still a thing, but if you really want to go all in, then consider the entire fireplace structure as a decorating platform. Partners in Building in Cross Creek Ranch in Fulshear demonstrates floor-to-ceiling treatment with thick limestone making a dramatic statement in the family room. Its creamy color provides pleasant contrast to the dark stain of the surrounding cabinets and wood floor. On a more modern note, Meritage Homes at Imperial in Sugar Land surrounds its sleek, strongly rectangular fireplace with charcoal plank tiles that serve as a backdrop for a flat screen television and anchor floating shelves and cabinets.

Outdoor fireplaces are becoming increasingly popular, allowing year-round use of patio space. David Week- ley Homes at Fulshear’s Jordan Ranch prove that the outdoor fireplace can be just as decorative as one found indoors, with a block wood mantle topped with durable, yet stylish artwork. Also interesting is the fireplace, which is free-standing, rather than attached to a wall.

While We’re Talking About the Outdoors

Patio, porches, verandas and courtyards have increasingly become a go-to area for entertaining, and model homes open during the “April Drools Home Tour” help us understand why. Coventry Homes at Richmond’s Veranda shows how versatile a traditional patio space can be with an outdoor kitchen, mounted flat-screen television and table seating for six, all under cover of a decorative ceiling and fan.

Darling Homes at Cross Creek Ranch even proves your outdoor entertainment space can be out in the yard, with a concrete fireplace stationed along a fence. An open-concept round seating collection is perched in front of the fireplace and invites conversation. Adding structure to the layout are columns topped with horizontal beams. Outdoor pavers serve as the flooring, with landscaped cut-outs providing a bit of greenery. Toll Brothers at Sienna Plantation provides two entertainment areas in the backyard, one connected to the home and another alongside the pool. The poolside patio is topped with an elaborate pergola.

The idea of outdoor patios and indoor family rooms blur, thanks to frameless windows. Partners in Building at Imperial has stacked windows, offering crystal-clear views of the pool and sky. And thanks to accordion window walls in the David Weekley Homes model at Harvest Green in Richmond, you can create one expansive indoor-outdoor space.

Modern Farm Doors

In country-chic style, designers are repurposing barn doors beyond anything you might see on the range, creating entryways that are “farmtastic.” You’ll find plenty of examples of the flexibility of this fashion-forward trend on the home tour. Traditional barn doors separate the breakfast area from the game room in the Partners in Building model home at Cross Creek Ranch, while something much more modern graces Meritage’s model home at Imperial – a single door with six horizontal cutouts hangs on a clean, thick rod. When the door is closed, guests in the dining room can spy upon the stocked wine closet.

Westin Homes at Jordan Ranch uses traditionally styled barn doors that are painted white to separate the game room from the media room, while Highland Homes uses a single door outfitted with modern hardware to close off the master bath from the bedroom in its model home at Veranda.

More Mouthwatering Design

The seven Fort Bend communities are just part of the “April Drools Home Tour,” as all 14 of Johnson Development’s Houston communities are participating. More than 500 homes will be open, filled with tips and tricks to stunning home design. Find a map and more information at www.houstonhometour.com.