Beautiful homes tend to bring out the voyeur in us. (See this interior designer’s Bow Mar abode, this eco-friendly ranch in Boulder, and this Queen Anne/Tudor remodel in the most recent issue of 5280 Home.) Which is why we’re excited about indulging, responsibly, in our house habit at this weekend’s University Park Home Tour. The annual fundraiser for University Park Elementary has a lineup of six stunning homes in a variety of styles, and the historic Chamberlin Observatory will also open its doors for the tour.

Here, a sneak peek at a few of 2013’s highlighted homes:

Left: An example of modern Mediterranean architecture, this newer home has an open floor plan and is built to invite light and fair weather in. Balconies beckon off every room. Don’t miss: the curved staircase and railing, designed by the homeowners; the pergola over the patio; and glass bead wallpaper in the powder room.

Right: Built in 1910, this home was purchased by its current owners in 2006. A mix of architectural styles makes for a visually dynamic exterior; four bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms wait inside. Don’t miss: original quarter-sawed red oak floors in the entry; the eat-in kitchen featuring Carrara marble; and Denver’s largest surviving elm tree in the backyard.


Left: The newest home on the tour was built in 2012 and is designed for entertaining with a dining room that fits 12. The house also has five bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths, and a full basement kitchen. Don’t miss: a see-through fireplace that allows views from the family room to the backyard; a hand-painted cowboy on the wall of an upstairs bedroom; and the leathered granite bar and beetle-kill pine wall and flooring in the basement.

The tour kicks off this Sunday, May 5, at University Park Elementary (2300 South St. Paul Street) and goes from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $20 in advance (buy online or at Weaver’s Automotive or Guiry’s Denver South) or $25 day-of. Bonus: Tickets include entrance to the 2013 Tour de Classics Car Show. Bring extra cash for the silent auction and the baked goods sale; the day’s proceeds go toward the school’s PE, technology, and library programs.

—Images Courtesy of University Park Home Tour

Follow copy chief Jessica Farmwald on Twitter at @JessicaKF.