In a town where home tours seem commonplace, news of Modern Home Tours making its Seattle debut on Saturday, September 29 may be, well, not news. But such indifference is reserved for the uninformed. Unlike other tours of its kind -- of the stiff, dull variety guided by someone with excited an intonation as Ben Stein calling out "Bueller" -- Modern Home Tours shakes things up to appeal not only to architecture fiends, but also lovers of modern design, Seattle history buffs looking to pad their knowledge, and especially those with a penchant for (celebrity) voyeurism.
For the first time, Austin, Texas-originated Modern Home Tours is expanding the tour nationwide.
"[Bringing the tour to] Seattle was absolutely a no-brainer," explained tour curator, Ingrid Spencer. "There are so many architects and such an appreciation for modern architecture that we couldn't pass it up."
This self-guided driving tour offers attendees the opportunity to see within ten of Seattle's most architecturally modern homes built by local architects like Stannard Conway, Hutchinson & Maul, David Coleman, and Pb Elemental.
"Seattle has a unique take on modernism that connects the indoors and outdoors and I think these houses really show that," continues Spencer. "The architects are also very sensitive to the particular climate of Seattle and what the region proscribes so you see a lot of local, natural, and recycled materials being used. That's what Seattle does -- that's your "thing."
What sets this tour apart from many of other home tours available is the fact that the architects themselves will be on hand at each of the houses to answer questions. In some cases, attendees will be viewing modern homes designed and currently lived in by the architects themselves. Case in point, the Fauntleroy home designed by architect Suyama Peterson Deguchi and the work studio sitting behind the private residence of architect Rob Hutchinson (of Hutchinson & Maul) are being occupied by the designers themselves. Architecture junkies, rejoice!
"We like to show houses that work for a modern lifestyle," says Spencer. "We reached out to these architects in particular because there is a high quality to their work that is classically modern. There's a lack of ornament to these houses that stay away from multiple finishes. There's a quest for elegance and innovation that I wanted to show for people to see."
And the best news? Curbed readers who are interested in attending are offered an exclusive discount by entering the discount word "CURBED" after purchasing tickets online. And if you want to bring the kids, all children under 12 are free! All details are on their the official Seattle Modern Home Tour website.
· Seattle Modern Home Tours [official site]
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