Northern Colorado Parade of Homes: How One Berthoud Build Earned Four Awards
Every fall, builders across the region open their doors and invite the public to judge their work in person. At the 2025 Northern Colorado Parade of Homes, Custom On-Site Builders welcomed visitors into a Berthoud custom home at 2805 Potomac Court, in the Heron Lakes community. By the time the awards were announced, that one house had collected four honors: the Golden Key Award, Best Kitchen, Best Bedroom & Bathroom, and Overall Workmanship & Design.
Here is a closer look at what the judges saw, why it stood out, and what the tour itself offers anyone thinking about building.
A Berthoud Custom Home Built to Please Many Kinds of Buyers
The 4,303-square-foot Potomac Court home was designed with a specific challenge in mind, one that every custom home faces. It had to be distinctive enough to be memorable on a tour, yet familiar enough that a wide range of buyers could picture their own lives inside it. The answer was a blend of traditional craftsman character and modern lines.
That blend is visible before you reach the front door. Tan stone, cream stucco, and board-and-batten siding give the exterior a clean, grounded look, while cedar over the windows and decorative gable trusses bring in natural warmth.
Best Kitchen: Where Beauty and Daily Use Meet
Judges gave the kitchen top marks, and the island explains much of why. It stretches more than seven feet long and five feet wide, and its quartzite carries sweeping veins that read as both warm and cool. The same stone appears as a drip edge on the white apron sink and as a ledge behind the range, creating a handy spot for oils and spices.
Practical details do quiet work here too. The island’s front is finished in tile that can handle swinging feet and stray elbows. Deep roll-outs hold larger appliances, and “appliance garages” tuck smaller ones out of sight. Next door, a butler’s pantry adds storage, a beverage sink, and extra counter space for anyone who likes to entertain.
Best Bedroom & Bathroom: A Private Retreat on the Main Floor
The primary suite earned its own award, and it delivers on the calm, spa-like mood designer Lindsay Law set out to create. A coffered ceiling adds dimension overhead, crown molding nods to craftsman tradition, and the walk-in closet carries custom wood trim.
The bathroom leans even further into relaxation. Alder cabinetry, warm tile walls, and soft lighting set the tone, and a large glass enclosure frames a white freestanding tub, a shower, and a stone bench. The shower pan slopes gently and uses its own tile selection, so the whole area feels like a room within the room.
Overall Workmanship & Design: Details Worth Lingering Over
This award recognizes how well everything fits together, and Potomac Court has plenty of proof:
- A floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace with a wooden mantle that runs into built-in cabinetry on both sides
- Seven-inch baseboards repeated throughout, which give each room a consistent, modern edge
- A detailed trim wall running through the hallway and into the laundry room
- A second-floor loft with its own climate control and a glass door to a covered deck facing the mountains
- A basement speakeasy with a brick pillar, dark paneled walls, a brick fireplace, and a rough-edge quartz bar top
Each of these choices adds texture or purpose, and none feels tacked on. Together they show the consistency that comes from a builder and designer working toward the same vision from the first sketch to the final coat of finish.
The Golden Key Award
Taking home the Golden Key Award alongside three category wins is a meaningful endorsement for a home built with everyday living in mind. It reflects a philosophy Custom On-Site’s owner puts plainly: The company’s niche is quality, integrity, and doing what it says it will do.
Bring Your Own Vision to Custom On-Site Builders
The Northern Colorado Parade of Homes gives buyers a rare chance to compare craftsmanship side by side, and Potomac Court home showed what happens when thoughtful design meets careful construction. If you are ready to see what that approach could look like on your lot, explore our custom home building process and then schedule a consultation with Custom On-Site Builders.
