Austin Modern Home Tour 2012

If you are interested in the architecture of custom homes in Austin, there’s an event happening this weekend that you might want to check out! The Austin Modern Home Tour will feature 16 homes in and around Austin. This event will provide you the opportunity to view current Modern trends in architecture and their implementation in urban homes. The tour will take place on Saturday, February 4th from 11:00am to 6:00pm. You can either purchase your wristbands in advance for $20 at www.modernhometouraustin.com, or purchase them on site at one of these five tour locations:

104 Thistle Court
3103 Highland Terrace W.
1127 Lott Ave.
2210 East Side Dr.
1114 E. Cesar Chavez

Following the Tour, stop by for the after party at TreeHouse located at 4477 S. Lamar, in the Westgate Shopping Center. Local Austin drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served at the after party while you get the change to meet some great people with great taste in Modern Architecture until 8:30pm. For more information, check out www.modernhometouraustin.com.

The Austin Modern Home Tour will expose you to ideas and inspirations you can include in the plans for your custom homes in Austin TX. We would love to hear about the Modern inspirations you got from the Austin Modern Home Tour, so contact us at (512) 263-2214 or email Gary!

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"Broadway's biggest blockbuster" comes to Austin

We love being Austin TX custom home builders because when our office and construction sites close for the day, there’s such a wide variety of things to do. One event that we are getting excited about that’s coming to Bass Concert Hall is one of Broadway’s biggest blockbusters, Wicked. This musical about how The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch became the witches they were when Dorothy arrived will be playing from January 25^th through February 10^th. When the show was on Broadway, it received 15 awards including a Grammy® and 3 Tony® Awards.

A few tickets are still available through Wicked’s official website, but there are plenty of tickets available through third party vendors. I would jump at this opportunity while you can because who knows when Wicked will be on tour again, much less come through Austin. I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by, especially with my theatrical background and appreciation for the arts.

If you have an appreciation for the arts, you’ll absolutely love this musical and if you haven’t been to Bass Concert Hall, you are in store for a real treat. It is one of the best venues in all of Austin. You might even pick up some design inspiration that you could include in you Austin custom homes. We would be more than happy to talk to you about your design ideas. Visit us at www.sterlingcustomhomes.com or give us a call at (512) 263-2214.

"Let's go to the show!"

Although the construction of your custom homes in Austin might be complete, the decorating is always an ongoing process. Whether you are changing the landscaping and plants in your flowerbeds or adding a new piece to your mantle or end table, there is always room for improvements. What better way is there to get new ideas for your home décor than attending the Austin Home and Garden Show?

The Austin Home and Garden Show is back for its 14^th year and it’s happening right now at the Austin Convention Center! This Friday, Saturday, and Sunday go out and find new and exciting ways to spice up different parts of your home. If you are in the planning stages of your custom home, this show will provide you with a variety of products, designs, and landscaping ideas for the home of your dreams.

The details of the event are as follows:

Friday, Jan. 13th: 2:00 – 7:00

Saturday, Jan. 14th: 10:00 – 7:00

Sunday, Jan. 15th: 11:00 – 5:00

Admission for Adults 17+ is $8, Seniors (65+) is $6 and Kids 16 and under are FREE. If you buy your tickets online you can save $1 per ticket (excludes Seniors).

Any of the ideas you get from the show, we can include in the home you want to build. Once you are at the show, take pictures and take notes so you have references when the time comes to make selections for your custom home. We can’t wait to talk to you about the ideas you have for your new home.  To start that conversation, call us at (512) 263-2214.

The tree is constructed upon a replica of a moonlight tower in Zilker Park. Since Mrs. Alden Davis started the tradition in 1965, the Zilker Tree has stood 155 feet above the park every holiday season. Atop the tree sits a 10ft double star. The tree’s boughs consist of 39 strings of lights that run from the top of the tree down to its base. The base of the tree measures 380 feet around, 120 feet in diameter, and is perched 14 feet above the ground, supported by 19 poles. Its 3,309 lights illuminate the tree and make it very visible to passersby on Barton Springs Rd. and Mopac.

As one of the most experienced custom home builders in Austin, we have helped many of our clients come up with fresh ideas to use in their holiday decorating, even when it comes to designing their homes with their  holiday decorating in mind. We would be glad to share those experiences with you. For more information, visit us at www.SterlingCustomHomes.com.

Your Austin luxury home builder, Sterling Custom Homes believes just as the song goes “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” With Thanksgiving approaching faster than ever, you know in the back of your mind that Christmas is just around the corner. Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? If not, an opportunity to jump start you into the Yuletide spirit is about to present itself. If you have already started down your gift list, this event will provide you with a chance to complete your list.

On Friday, November 18th from 5pm to 9pm the 5^th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting will take place at Hill Country Galleria.  Located at 12700 Hill Country Blvd. Bee Cave, TX 78738, this event will showcase  a performance from PAIYH Dance Studio, live music by Vintage 15, and Christmas Carolers. Be sure to bring the kids because the big guy in the red suit will be parking his sled at 7pm. Maybe you can overhear them tell Santa what they would like for Christmas. The event will be completed by the lighting of the Christmas tree and the illumination of the Hill Country Night Sky by a fireworks show.

While you are out, be sure to pick up some decorations for your Austin custom homes. Part of getting in the Holiday mood is decorating your home and maybe you can influence your neighbors to get in the mood too. After all, even a scrooge can admit that Christmas Cheer is contagious.

Sterling Custom Homes has been building custom homes in the Austin area since 1989. Over the years, we have helped many of our clients with ideas for their Christmas decorations. If you want to design your home with your Christmas decorations in mind, we can gladly help you with that. Please give us a call at (512) 263-2214. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

2010 Starting Line

The Holiday season is fast approaching and as the premier custom home builder in Austin, we would like to suggest a new tradition for you to adopt in your household. Every Thanksgiving for the past 20 years, ThunderCloud Subs has sponsored its Turkey Trot, giving you the chance to run off all delicious Thanksgiving food you will consume later in the day.

The Turkey Trot will take place on Thursday, November 24 and feature three different races. The first at 8:45am is the Kid’s K, the next at 9:30am is the 5-mile Run, and the last starting at 9:45am is the 1-mile walk. The three different races accommodate all members of your family of various endurance levels. Proceeds from the Turkey Trot will benefit Caritas of Austin.  Last year $250,000 was donated and 18,500 people ran in the races. Over the past 20 years, more than $1,250,000 has been raised.

The registration fees for the races are as follows:

Untimed 5 Mile – $18 until Oct 31st/ $20 until Nov 21st/ $25 Race Week
Timed 5 Mile – $23 until Oct 31st/ $25 until Nov 21st/ $30 Race Week
1 Mile Walk (Untimed) – $18 until Oct 31st/ $20 until Nov 21st/ $25 Race Week
Stepping Stone School Kids K – $8 until Nov 21st/ $10 Race Week

A small price to pay to help so many this Holiday. Follow the link to register for The 21st Annual ThunderCloud Subs Turkey Trot.

Learn more about how one of the best home builders in Austin is having a positive impact on its community.

The Second Annual Community Showcase

A small group of home builders in Austin including Sterling Custom Homes will open their build sites to the public during the second annual Community Showcase at The Reserve at Lake Travis this weekend. The event will take place on Sunday, Oct. 23 from Noon to 5pm. This event will provide  a fantastic opportunity to see two beautiful Sterling Custom Homes near completion.

The two homes we are featuring in the showcase are both located on waterfront properties. The first is at 2109 Ruffian Heights Cove and has 4,649 square feet of living space with 4 bedrooms, 4 baths and 2 half baths. The second home at 1700 Poco Bueno Court is 5,381 square feet and has 4 bedrooms, 4 baths and 3 half baths. When you think of these two homes’ specs you might think that they are very similar. In fact, they are not. They are two completely different homes and both have very unique, Sterling features.

The best way to understand the unique features that we implement in our custom homes would be to come out and see them. When you come to The Reserve on Sunday and register for the event, you will be entered to win a 50” TV, a delightful companion to any custom media room or game room. We look forward to seeing you all on Sunday and discussing your luxury custom homes!

For more information about Sterling Custom Homes or the Community Showcase at The Reserve, email Gary Grambley at gary@sterlinghome.com or call him at (512) 263-2214.

Summer Kitchen and Grill

TexasMonthly will host its Barbecue Festival near your Austin luxury real estate this year. The festival will take place on Oct. 30 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at The City Terrace at The Long Center for Performing Arts. Twenty of TexasMonthly’s 50 Best Barbecue Joints will be in attendance for you to taste. Nowhere else can you find so much delicious barbecue for you to enjoy in one place!

Every year, TexasMonthly publishes an issue that is a fantastic piece to have on any coffee table. This issue features the 50 Best Barbecue Joints in Texas, many of which are a day trip or less away from your home in the Austin area. If you don’t subscribe to TexasMonthly or can’t find the issue at the store, there’s an app for that! Available for free in Apple’s App Store, TexasMonthly Barbecue Finder provides you with its list of Texas’ best barbecue places. The app provides you with a review of each barbecue joint along with a rating on a 5-point scale, address, phone number and its hours of operation.

A few barbecue joints participating in the TexasMonthly Barbecue Festival that we, your Austin luxury home builder, highly recommend include Snow’s BBQ from Lexington, Smitty’s Market from Lockhart and Franklin Barbeque from your own Austin, Texas. If you can’t make it to the festival to try their barbecue, it is still worth the drive to visit these places. We promise you’re in for a treat. If you can make it to the festival hopefully you can learn some tips that you can use with your summer kitchen when you are barbecuing in your outdoor living area.

For more information on our outdoor living areas, visit our website.

Don't Miss Tough Mudder Challenge

You’ve been training and getting mentally prepared; now it’s almost time to leave the comforts of your Austin luxury real estate to participate in the nation’s toughest competition. That’s right. It’s time for Tough Mudder.

On Oct. 8 and 9, the most tenacious men and woman throughout Texas will gather at Cross Creek Cycle Park in Paige Texas to try and make it through the most insane course ever seen. It involves mystery obstacles, crawling through mud under wire, diving 15-feet into a lake, running up a steep cliff, running through fire, crawling through dark tunnels, under water tunnels, sprinting through live wires and more.

This is not a race. It’s an obstacle course designed to test your toughness, strength, stamina, fitness and mental fortitude. Think of it more as a personal challenge: Your only goal is to finish.

When you do finish, there’s fun waiting on the other side. Commemorate the day by attending the Post Party and Red River Tailgate. There will be a live stream of the UT v. OU game with barbecue and refreshing beverages.

If you haven’t registered, there’s still time to participate. Tickets must be purchased by Oct. 7 and are $180 for Saturday and $160 for Sunday. For more information, visit the Tough Mudder website.

When you leave the Tough Mudder challenge, there’s no doubt that you’ll be in need of a shower. But, if you don’t want to trek dirt and mud inside you’re beautiful home then we have your solution. We’re one of the area’s top Austin home builders with unique custom home features such as the outdoor shower that will help you get clean after the course.

For more information, visit the Sterling Custom Homes website.

Chocolate Festival Near Austin Luxury Real Estate

Are the songs from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory familiar sounds around your Austin luxury real estate? Do you love to indulge in a piece of dark chocolate after a long day at work? Whatever reason sparks your obsession for this glorious treat, you don’t want to miss the 5^th Annual Austin Texas Chocolate Festival on Oct. 15 and 16 at the Norris Conference Center!

This chocolate lover’s event features local chocolatiers, chocolate artisans and authors from area restaurants, bakeries, patisseries and catering companies. These delicious vendors offer samples to festival guests and sell their decadent products.

Some of the vendors you’ll find include Taste and See Austin, Dr. Sue’s Chocolate, Zhi Tea, Wiseman House Fine Chocolates, Candies for Katie, Chocolate Prescription, Fat Turkey Chocolate, Texas Pitch Fork Fondue, Objects of Confection and Dove Chocolate Discoveries.

Also, there will be a chocolate competition with several different categories featured on each day. Saturday, you can expect to see best brownie, best mole, most creative dessert and best cookie competitions. On Sunday, you can watch vendors and licensed food companies compete for best frozen dessert, truffle and raw chocolate competitions as well as free kids cookie decorating for the first 30 entrants.

In addition to featuring your favorite treats, the Austin Chocolate Festival will help raise money for Multiple Sclerosis, with proceeds benefiting Walk MS. For more information including ticket prices, visit the Austin Chocolate Festival website.

And when you get home from the festival with tons of ideas for new tasty treats to make your family, give us a call. We’re one of the area’s top Austin home builders and can use our expertise to help you design a gourmet kitchen that’s perfect for baking all kinds of chocolate desserts.

For more information about Sterling Custom Homes, visit our website.