Showtime for Modern Homes

Anyone who loves modern homes has come across a beauty that simply beckons one to come inside. But how many of us have the courage to knock on the door and invite ourselves in?

Not many—and that’s why organized tours of modern homes have become an increasingly popular pursuit, run over the years by neighborhood groups, architectural and preservations organizations, and now, by at least two for-profit companies.

In fact, the way we see it, we’re in the midst of a modern home tour uprising.

As 2013 gets under way, so do the tours, with upcoming events by one for-profit firm, Modern Home Tours, LLC, set for Venice, California February 16, and in Silicon Valley March 23.

Another opportunity to visit some great homes happens during Palm Springs Modernism Week, February 14 through 24. Other tours are planned this year for the Bay Area, Sacramento, and Southern California.

It’s more than beauty that makes these tours so appealing. “The number one reason” people go on house tours, says Linda Siguenza, who has organized tours of Eichlers in the San Mateo Highlands, “is people want to get creative ideas” by seeing how others have handled their homes.

For more on the modern home tour phenomenon, and to learn about specific upcoming tours, here’s a sneak-preview story from the new winter ’13 issue of CA-Modern. It’s ‘Showtime!’