It’s my favorite season of the year (work-wise, that is) as it’s TQ Home Award season! I LOVE the Home Awards! Last month, I joined TQ and the panel of experts for two days of home tours. It’s a very fun group and I really enjoy our annual get together tours.
The first day was our Tahoe day. We always somehow get crazy weather for tours, so it was practically a white-out as I drove over Mt. Rose Highway, but then much more manageable in the basin. We saw a gorgeous house near Palisades (and I trusted the builder when he said there were fabulous views when it wasn’t blizzarding), a minimalistic zen-style home in the trees and a glamorously styled lakefront (everything Aspen Leaf’s Marcio Decker designs is amazing) before breaking for lunch.
Afterward, we saw a building that I feel qualifies in the category of construction by people who just have way too much money. This guy acquired the property beside his lakefront estate, then tore down the cabin there to build a gym. Because of zoning regulations, it also had to have a kitchen and bedroom, but really it’s just a glorified gym, albeit a glorified gym on a gorgeous piece of property with stunning views. Then we ended the day with a home in Clear Creek Tahoe, which ALSO had beautiful views, though of the surrounding Carson Valley.
On the second day, we toured some Reno homes: A modern masterpiece in Arrowcreek, an ADU that complemented this wild 1970s era home (where I really could have spent hours exploring and hearing stories about from the very knowledgeable owners), as well as this very cool contemporary gem in South Reno.
I called dibs on five of those homes to write about (not the glorified gym, as my take on it was that some people really just have way too much money), so as soon as kids go back to school on Tuesday following the winter break, I’m looking forward to deep diving into all of them!
Tahoe Quarterly’s Winter issue came out a few weeks ago and it looks great! I wrote an article about Tahoe City artist Karey Dodge, who is reviving Lake Tahoe’s traditional art of basket weaving. Her works are beautiful, and she often incorporates unique rocks and gemstones into her creations.
I wrote about quilt designer Karen Colbert, who is based in Incline. She creates these beautiful and intricate designs out of fabric that are so much more than just quilts—they’re art. She was really interesting because she never considered herself an artist growing up. She worked in an engineering firm and later got her degree in business administration from Sierra Nevada College. It wasn’t until she was pregnant with her daughter that she took up quilting was a hobby and yet, somehow, it became her livelihood. I think it’s fascinating the different routes people take in life, and a reminder that even though you may think you know and understand the track you’re on, things can always change.
Alison O. Bender 