Downtown Davidson (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net photo)

Davidson’s Main Street recently gained more attention for the great place that it is: The North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association picked downtown as a “Great Main Street” in its second annual “Great Places in North Carolina” initiative.

Meanwhile, Union Street in downtown Concord was the People’s Choice for “Great Main Street.” And the Riverwood neighborhood in Clayton, NC., was the People’s Choice for “Great Neighborhood for Kids.” Read the full story

Runneymede residents enjoy the sights of their newly protected common area from atop “The Whale,” a well-known feature of the woods in east Davidson. (Roy Alexander photo)

Residents of the Runneymede neighborhood in east Davidson have voted to protect 50 acres of nearby woodlands through a conservation easement with the Davidson Lands Conservancy.

The easement allows the neighborhood to continue to own and use the land, which extends for about 1/2-mile along both the Mecklenburg and the Cabarrus sides of the Rocky River east of Davidson. Read the full story

A foyer can be an introduction to design elements in the rest of your house.

Foyers, which serve as an entrance to your house, should reflect elements of what to expect inside style and color-wise. In this case, the above picture is of a modern lakefront house foyer; the house replaced a former smaller lake cottage. The new house has some curved walls, large open adjacent spaces and a lot of glass. Built over 10 years ago, it still is unique and modern architecturally. The owners, a husband and wife who wanted the interiors to be modern, had elements of their previous marriages that they wanted to include in the house. These items included traditional furnishings as well as antiques. Read the full story

M/I Homes is offering tours at this home on Market Street in Antiquity Cornelius.

The 2013 Parade Charlotte home tour wraps up this weekend, with open houses Friday through Sunday at homes across the Charlotte region, including Mooresville, Huntersville, the Summers Walk and Bailey Springs neighborhoods in Davidson, and the Antiquity Cornelius and Robbins Park neighborhoods in Cornelius.

Parade Charlotte stops at new homes for sale, decorated model homes, and neighborhoods with lots for building your dream home. Read the full story

Here are a half-dozen current home design trends to consider as you build or renovate your home, from the kitchen to lighting to ceilings.

The kitchen still remains the heart of the home as well as the room most people consider important in a home. If you are designing a new kitchen you should try to include mega-islands for prepping meals, cooking as well as socializing with guests. Read the full story

Local real estate industry employees will help repair a home on Westside Terrace in Davidson and several residences at Barium Springs Home for Children on Friday, April 19, as part of the annual Realtors Care Day, organized by Charlotte Regional Realtor Association’s Housing Opportunity Foundation. For the fifth year, volunteers will be helping homeowners with exterior home repairs, and adaptive and safety modifications for the elderly or disabled, and other projects. Read the full story