2026 Parade of Homes

If you tour only two homes at this year's Parade, make them these! Classic Homes is opening the doors on two Sterling Ridge homes that answer the same question in two very different ways: what if your next home came with a second one built in?

Both the Paintbrush 2242 and the Preamble 279 include a full accessory dwelling unit—a complete, self-contained residence with its own kitchen, living area, bedroom, bath, and laundry. Not a finished bonus room. Not a guest suite off the hallway. A second home, on the same lot. 

WHY ADUs, AND WHY NOW?

The questions buyers bring us have changed. Aging parents who want to stay close but keep their independence. A recent graduate landing back home while they get established. A monthly rental check that makes the mortgage math work. Remote work that needs a door that actually closes.

An ADU answers all of those without asking you to choose today which one you'll need in five years. That flexibility is the real product.

8711 Shorewood Drive | Portrait Collection

2,260 sq. ft. | 4 bedrooms | 3.5 baths | Model Home

The Paintbrush pairs a 1,699-square-foot primary residence with a 561-square-foot ADU above the attached, alley-load two-car garage.

The main level opens with a welcoming living room at the front of the home that flows seamlessly into a spacious kitchen and dining area that conveniently opens to a covered side patio. An Owner's Entry with drop zone tucks in at the garage return, giving coats, mail, keys, and groceries a proper landing spot before the family reaches the kitchen. Upstairs, the primary suite features a private bath and walk-in closet, joined by two secondary bedrooms, two additional full baths, and a dedicated laundry room.

Above the garage, the self-contained ADU claims its own private exterior entry, full kitchen, living area, bedroom with walk-in closet, full bath, and stacked laundry.

Inside, the design leans warm and current. Two cabinet finishes work together—a warm stained wood that reads organic and cozy, balanced by a crisp painted white that keeps the rooms bright. Gold plumbing fixtures meet matte black hardware for contrast. Soft sage ties it all together, showing up as a glossy handmade-look tile in the primary bath and a penny-round mosaic in the secondary bath.

Worth knowing: the Paintbrush is available in three distinct exterior elevation styles—farmhouse, modern, and craftsman.

8760 Naperville Heights | Preamble Collection

2,341 sq. ft. | 4 bedrooms | 3 baths

The Preamble takes the same idea and separates the two dwellings entirely. Its 489-square-foot ADU sits above a detached two-car garage out back, reached by its own private stairs and entry—about as much separation as you can get while still sharing a lot.

The primary residence spans three finished levels. The main level lives open and easy, with the living room, dining area, and kitchen sharing one bright, connected space, a walk-in pantry close at hand, and a covered patio just beyond. Upstairs, the owner's suite offers a private bath and walk-in closet, joined by a secondary bedroom, a dedicated laundry, and a central loft that works as a study, mediaspace, or quiet retreat. The finished basement adds a rec room, a fourth bedroom with walk-in closet, and a full bath.

The interior is the quieter of the two. Pale oak-toned plank flooring and Egret White walls keep the rooms open and airy, while Black Fox painted maple cabinetry anchors every space in a deep, warm charcoal. That single cabinet color carries from the kitchen through the baths and into the ADU, which gives the whole home a cohesive, intentional

feel. The owner's shower wears a large-format tile that reads like warm travertine.

Outside, the exterior reads warm and current: earthy stucco paired with soft neutral board-and-batten, offset gable and shed rooflines, and a wood post-bracketed porch that gives the entry real presence.

This is the part you can't get from photos.

The Paintbrush puts its ADU above an attached garage, which keeps everything under one roof and makes the unit easy to fold back into the household when you need the space yourself. The Preamble sets its ADU across the yard, which trades that convenience for real separation—quieter for both parties, and an easier sell to a long-term tenant.

Neither is the right answer. They're two different answers, and walking through both in the same afternoon is the fastest way to learn which one fits how you actually live.

Both homes are in Sterling Ridge, east of Vollmer Road, just off Marksheffel Road and Sterling Ranch Road in Colorado Springs. The

Paintbrush sits at 8711 Shorewood Drive. The Preamble is nearby at 8760 Naperville Heights, off Sterling Ranch Road and Oak Park Drive.