HOT TICKET

HOT TICKET

Not much is recession-proof these days, but the Twin Cities Luxury Home Tour doesn't appear to have lost its luster. People are still building million-dollar-plus homes, with gawk-worthy features such as a $200,000 home theater, a "butterfly wall" and a memory-controlled shower that plays your favorite tunes while dousing you with water set to your preferred temperature and pressure level.

About half of the 15 houses on this year's tour were custom-built for particular buyers, while the other half are spec homes, according to Brianne Bauer, trend expert for Midwest Home magazine, which produced the tour. Many of the pre-sold homes were built for empty-nester couples "who have been saving all their lives" to build their dream home, she said.

And while the homes themselves are as upscale as ever, today's economic realities prompted the ninth-annual tour to include some new value-added events, including Wine & Cheese Fridays, back-yard barbecues on Saturdays and a "Girls Night Out" on June 25 featuring wine samplings, "swag bags" and chef demonstrations.

What: Twin Cities Luxury Home Tour.

When: June 12-14, 19-21, 26-28. 1-7 p.m. Fridays, noon-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Where: Self-guided tour of 15 homes throughout the Twin Cities metro area.

Tickets: $25 at the homes, $20 at Caribou Coffee. (Passport does not include admittance to Girls Night Out on June 25.) For details, visit www.luxuryhometour.net.

DESIGN SERIES

As part of its effort to demystify itself to the non-design world and encourage potential customers, International Market Square -- home to 70 to-the-trade and public showrooms -- has initiated a series of presentations on design and decor that are free and open to the public. Next up: Barbara Hafften of Barbara Hafften Interior Design will speak Tuesday on tips for design selections that save money and are long-lasting. Hafften, a residential designer, specializes in remodeling. Roger Zierman of Partners 4 Design is scheduled to speak June 19 on timeless bath design. All of the seminars -- scheduled so far through November -- take place at 1:30 p.m. and last about an hour; RSVP to save a spot to bud@imsdesigncenter.com. IMS, 275 Market St., Minneapolis, 612-338-6250.

WE SPOTTED IT

Fans of all things modern are invited to the launch of a Minnesota chapter of DOCOMOMO -- the international group that promotes the documentation and conservation of the Modern Movement, including architecture, landscape and urban design. Modernists are invited to gather at the Minneapolis Design Within Reach Studio from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at 2939 Hennepin Av. S. for refreshments and conversation with Christine Madrid French, who directs the National Trust's Modernist + Recent Past initiative. The meeting is free, but you need to RSVP today at minneapolis@dwr.com.

NEXT WEEK

We hit the road to Carver, Chaska and Shakopee for the next installment of our series on shopping occasional sales for home furnishings and decor.

KIM PALMER, KIM YEAGER