Home briefs: Explore downtown living tour; learn about 1920s architecture

Stock your pond with the best varieties from the Upper Midwest Koi Club, which is holding a live koi and pond supply auction May 20. The club will auction about 40 koi of many sizes and varieties, from small to large, standard fin to long, and pond grade to show grade. Viewing starts at 9 a.m., with the auction from 10 a.m. to noon. The event is free at Bachman's south parking lot, 6010 Lyndale Av. S., Mpls. For details, go to bachmans.com.

What would it be like to live in a compact cabin, tiny home or a lakeside boathouse? Chris Hudson, editor of Architecture MN magazine, and three Twin Cities architects will take part in a panel discussion on "Compact Living Spaces." The free event, which includes prizes and light bites, begins at 5:30 p.m. May 17, followed by the panel discussion at 6. It's hosted by Room & Board, 7010 France Av. S., Edina. RSVP at roomandboard.com/events/ArchitectureMN2017.

Get a taste of downtown Minneapolis' sights, housing and walkable amenities at the Explore Downtown Living apartment tour, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 20. It's a chance to visit 23 residential apartment buildings in five downtown neighborhoods, ranging from 222 Hennepin in the North Loop to 700 Central in northeast Minneapolis. Area businesses will offer promotions and giveaways. Pick up a guide at Twin Cities Whole Foods stores or go to exploredtliving.com.

Minnesota experienced a dramatic housing boom during the Roaring Twenties. "Architecture of the 1920s" explores the architecture of this era, including home features such as built-in buffets and three-season porches, construction methods and societal context of housing trends. The class also examines popular house styles, builders and the neighborhoods they formed.

"Architecture of the 1920s" is from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Hennepin History Museum, 2303 3rd Av. S., Mpls. Cost is $20. Register at mnpreservation.org. Click on "Events" and "Classes."

Learn how to repair and restore old wooden windows at Litchfield's historic 1913 Little Red Schoolhouse. The hands-on Rehab Lab offered by the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota explains the parts of a window, how to remove and assess sashes, and preservation and weatherization methods. Tasks include paint stripping, glazing, weatherstripping and reinstalling the sash.

The Rehab Lab is from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. May 20, Little Red Schoolhouse, 20553 County Road 28, Litchfield, Minn. Cost is $50. Register at mnpreservation.org. Click on "Events" and "Classes."

Looking for one-of-a-kind artwork for your home or lake place? At Art-A-Whirl, dozens of artists' studios and galleries, and other business storefronts will display and sell original art, May 19-21 in northeast Minneapolis.

More than 600 artists will offer works in a variety of media, including clay, glass, photography, paintings, sculptures, printmaking, furniture and more. Artists also will offer demonstrations and mini-workshops.

The Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association's free event is from 5 to 10 p.m. May 19, noon to 8 p.m. May 20 and noon to 5 p.m. May 21. Go to nemaa.org/art-a-whirl for a map and to download a free Metro Transit pass.

You could live in a home that's smarter than you. HGTV is giving away a modern high-tech residence in the Arizona desert that mixes comfortable stylish decor with smart features for daily living. This year's Smart Home sweepstakes will award the 3,300-square-foot, three-bedroom Southwestern-style abode in Scottsdale as the grand prize, a package valued at more than $1.5 million.

The fully furnished and decorated home features everything from a graphic black and white kitchen to a navy blue-hued master chic retreat. Family-friendly high-tech tools include home-automation systems to control lights and temperature, door and window sensors, key-free locks, digital canvases and even an app-operated garage bicycle lift. You can enter daily, once at HGTV.com and once at diynetwork.com. The deadline is June 2.

Do you own furniture that came from the State Capitol? The Cass Gilbert Society, named for the architect who designed the historic building in 1905, has kicked off a new research project to search for missing original furnishings. Gilbert designed or selected about 1,600 pieces of furniture for the State Capitol. In addition to furniture, the society is seeking architectural fragments, photos and light fixtures. Anyone with knowledge of Capitol Building furnishings is invited to contact Natalie Heneghan at natalie.heneghan@cassgilbertsociety.org.

People have long looked at woolly caterpillars and bushy tails on squirrels to predict winter weather. The Twin Cities Chapter of Wild Ones is offering a presentation on "Backyard Phenology: Tracking Nature's Cycles and Seasons in a Changing Climate." University of Minnesota Prof. Rebecca Montgomery will share her research into the causes and consequences of changing Minnesota phenology. The free program will be offered 7 to 8:45 p.m. Tuesday at Wood Lake Nature Center, 6710 Lakeshore Dr., Richfield. Come early (5:45) for a walk in the Nature Center and some observations of your own.

Ready, set, plant! The Hennepin County Master Gardeners will hold their annual plant sale on May 20 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Most plants have been grown by Master Gardeners, including seedlings that have won the statewide Master Gardener seed trials and can't be found elsewhere. Master Gardeners also will be on hand to answer questions about plants and gardening. The sale will be held at the Hopkins Pavilion, 11000 Excelsior Blvd., Hopkins.