Factors combine for casual elegance

Colors, textures, patterns and furniture periods combine forcasual elegance inside the Christine.

The $560,000 four-bedroom custom house is among eight models atthe 1991 Parade of Homes, which continues through Aug. 18 in McHenryCounty.

Builder Sentry Homes plans to use the model at Boulder RidgeCountry Club in Lake in the Hills as a design center for about threeyears. It would cost $420,000 to duplicate on someone's own lot.

"The interior is geared for a move-up family buyer who wanttheir home to be casual, comfortable and easy to live in," saidinterior designer Mary Cook, president of Chicago-based Mary Cook &Associates, 4022 N. Sheridan.

Cream-on-cream rag-rolled walls on the first floor, naturaltone cotton duck or sailcloth upholstery and window treatments, andwhite carpeting are accented with deep tones of burgundy, navy andemerald green.

A huge porcelain fishbowl jardinere from Asia greets visitorsin the foyer. It's topped with a 36-inch circle of glass, and restson a carved rosewood base.

A floor-to-ceiling built-in cabinet is crafted fromlight-stained oak. Glass shelves display colorful porcelain andceramic vases from Asia. The built-in also blocks the view of theentrance to the first-floor master suite behind it.

To the right of the foyer, six floor-to-ceiling octagonal oakcolumns define the formal dining space. The dining table's glass topis supported by columns - plaster replicas of the architecturalcolumns.

A bokhara rug is centered on the oak floor. Further definingthe floor space, an inlay border is offset with walnut and greenmarble.

Stained wood armchairs with bamboo detail are brightened withburgundy plaid tie-on cushions. Navy plaid headings are compatibleon the sailcloth drapery.

In the great room, a sailcloth-covered sofa backs up to thedinette. The room's masonry fireplace is constructed frombuff-colored brick used on the front of the house.

Cobalt blue on a field of white forms a decorative pattern inkitchen backsplash tiles. Other kitchen walls are papered inperiwinkle blue on a white trellis design.

In the library, a chair fully upholstered in sailcloth iscombined with a five-drawer oak desk with wrought-iron legs. Twostained fruitwood armchairs with whittled bark detailing areupholstered in another plaid.

In the master bedroom, a queen-size stained wicker headboard hasa hand-painted striped accent border done in teal, navy and red. Thewhite combed-cotton bedspread contrasts with a paisley dust ruffle,shams and window valances, all done in brighter versions of teal, red, gold, whiteand purple.

Matching paisley covers a pair of upholstered lounge chairs withan ottoman in the bedroom's wide windowed bay. The bedroom'soctagonal tray ceiling is backlit with recessed lighting.

Two octagonal architectural columns flank the two-personwhirlpool tub in the adjoining master bath. A paisley valance spansthe bay window that wraps around the tub, matching the bedroompaisley.

Other bathroom walls are papered in a tone-on-tone tealjacquard. Alternating teal green and navy blue tiles follow theperimeter of the bathroom.

A guest room is furnished with a full-size bed and two maplenightstands that match a dresser. A polished brass headboard framestrellis and floral patterned designer bed linens. A rope border atchair-rail height accents the painted walls. Tie-back plaid draperypanels match a shirred pencil-pleated valance.

The teenage boy's room has a blue-and-white grid wallcovering.The four-poster Shaker-style pine bed is painted cream. Bachelorchests on both sides of the bed have jade green painted drawers andbase contrasted by the medium stained wood surface and drawer pulls.

A bedroom for a high school age girl features Laura Ashley bedlinens, in two coordinating floral prints.

The coverlet on the full-size bed is a large floral. A dustruffle and pillow shams are a smaller scaled companion floral.

The Parade of Homes continues through Aug. 18 at Boulder RidgeCountry Club, on Algonquin Road 1/2 mile west of Randall Road.