The 2015 Birmingham Parade of Homes is wrapping it up this weekend, so there is still time to get out there and see all the amazing home decorating ideas. I have spent hours touring the homes in the Parade this year, and they are all stunning.
Here are the top five current home design trends that I noticed this year for this area.
1. Grey is IN.
The majority of the houses I saw on the parade featured light grey walls. I’m a fan of light grey, as long as it’s warm and not too prison-like. All of these rooms knocked it out of the park with their paint colors. What’s your opinion on grey?
2. Wood ceiling beams are hot hot hot.
Soaring ceilings call for some kind of dramatic decoration, and wooden beams bring a touch of rustic beauty that draw your eye straight up to them. It doesn’t hurt to have some gorgeous lighting to go along beside them.
2016 UPDATE: I had so many folks asking me about these gorgeous quatrefoil pendant lights in this kitchen so I’ll link it up here. (my amazon affiliate link). These are from the Capital Lighting Ellis collection. They come in antique silver or brushed gold finish.
3. Silestone reigns supreme in kitchen countertops.
Nearly every home that I toured in the Parade this year featured Silestone quartz countertops. They are durable, beautiful and most people won’t be able to tell the difference between them and real Carrara marble. I ADORE Silestone, and if I was going to be having a kitchen remodel any time soon, I would choose either Helix or Lyra. Look at these swoon-worthy kitchens featuring Silestone.
4. Reclaimed wood is still hanging in there.
I keep expecting this trend to fizzle out really soon, but it’s still popping up in trendy new homes. One of these photos below is actually not real wood, but tiles made to look like reclaimed wood. Can you guess which are real wood and which is tile? I had to actually touch it before I was convinced it wasn’t real wood…
Since I’m pretty sure you haven’t guessed it yet I’ll go ahead and tell you that the bathroom backsplash is the tile. Doesn’t it look exactly like wood?? I was amazed.
5. Banquettes, Barn Doors, Built-ins, Laundry Chutes, Mud rooms and more…
It’s the little things that make a house a home, and all of these details make me so happy. Talk about a Pinterest Palooza, huh? It’s like my Pin boards have come to life, all inside these actual houses.
There were so many more amazing photo ops inside each of these houses, but I am trying to keep this post from eating up your bandwidth by sharing just a few of my very favorite images from this year’s Parade of Homes. Be sure to go see these homes and more in person if you are in the Birmingham area! It’s totally worth taking the free tour just to see all that luscious eye-candy.
You can find the homes featured in this blog post at:
4229 Glasscott Crossing in Ross Bridge, built by Murphy Home Builders
110 Burnham Street in Mt Laurel, built by Town Builders
454 Renaissance Drive, Hoover, AL in The Preserve, built by Byrom Building Corp
What are your favorite trends from these photos?
Brenna@Domestic Charm says
I want to move in! Thank you for taking such beautiful photos. While I love gray, I just can’t jump on that bandwagon. But it looks stunning here!
Sandy says
Clean looking but manotonous. Needs good accent colors to liven it up.
Michele Hedges says
Beth,
Thank you so much for posting all these great pics! I pinned quite a few of them. We are starting a remodel and using the gray theme – very excited about it! We are also going to be putting in two sliding barn doors – covering our pantry and one in our master going into our bathroom.
Kay says
Gray rules. Beams are awesome. Marble is swell.
Karen At Home says
Beautiful !! I just love going to a parade of homes 🙂 That mud room is gorgeous!
Katherine @ Grass Stains says
I’m so happy to see that many of the things I’ve chosen to do in our new home showed up in your pictures. That makes me feel more confident about the choices I made! 🙂
kirby carespodi says
I guess what goes around, comes around! I have all of these things in my 1948 cottage, with the exception of Silestone…but we haven’t changed the kitchen yet, so it could happen! Thanks for sharing!
Jessica Furniss says
Great write up! I completely agree with you. I loved the coastal feel in so many of the homes. The light colors make the homes feel like a permanent vacation!
Pam says
loved the pictures but the gray, not so much. I live in Michigan where the skies are gray 80% of the time. I can get my fill just by looking out the window.
Dave says
I like how the light grey looks at first, but I can’t help but think it might look dingy in some areas.
Debbie says
I think I’m on trend for a change! Thanks for the tour!
Debbie
Chickie Mae says
Doing grayish beige in most of the house: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. Looks warm in the winter and cool in the summer and makes whatever is outside the window look amazing. Also it’s a wonderful, calm background for blue, red, orangey yellow or any other pop of color, not to mention a great background for the TV. Colors pop against it. Great background for paintings too.
Donna Davison-Smith says
I just redid my kitchen and used Revere Pewter. I love it. I used Rain Washed in my laundry room and it looks great also. While they are indifferent rooms they go well together.
Beth at Unskinny Boppy says
Yes, those two colors are my faves!
Juli Thurston says
The color gray is supposed to encourage creativity. Many of the rooms seem dominated by gray. Very soothing, but after a while feels like I am in a metal box. I would add some plants and a bit of color here and there. You’ll notice the photos above with a bit of color are more interesting.
Nicole says
Hello. Where are the quartrefoil chandelier you show over the island in the kitchen design?
Ashley Henline says
I am looking for these chandeliers too! I would love to know the brand.
Jaclyn says
Found those pendants here: https://lightingconnection.com/products/ellis-pendant
Beth at Unskinny Boppy says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Beth at Unskinny Boppy says
I believe this is the exact one in the Parade House! http://amzn.to/295y6LG (that’s my affiliate link)
Cat says
Is there a way of knowing the designer or where to get some of the pieces, for example: a dining table?
Kristen White says
If you like neutrals and furniture made of reclaimed wood please check out White x White. It’s my company so I’m partial but our products are on-trend yet classic. I’ve been buying antiques from Belgium for many, many years and love the whole Belgian look. I wouldn’t want an entire house of gray but it’s very soothing and when you add a pop of color (for instance in your artwork) it’s phenomenol!
erin says
Do you happen to know where the tall wingback neutral headboard is from?? Loving it & in the market. Thanks!
Beth@Unskinny Boppy says
The furniture was staged by Bee Martin Little of Set to Sell in Birmingham. You can reach out and ask her. http://www.settosell.com/
Chantel says
We are currently doing a huge renovation of our house. Is there a way to find out what the brick is in the fireplace picture?
gerie says
I have used similar colors in my home. They always make me feel cold or somehow “off”. I go back to golden colors and feel much more comfortable.
Dina Ligari says
I love all the ideas except one, thou I’d probably like it also if I knew what it was. The white door on the wall that opens to a hole……is it a clothes hamper, a fire wood holder fed from outside????? What please??
Beth Bryan says
It’s a laundry chute from the upstairs hallway to the downstairs laundry room. ?
Nadyne says
Thank you! I read the entire post to find the answer to that question! What is the circle with the door. I guessed a dog door, but laundry shut makes more sense 🙂
Pamela Allen says
I love to see what you all are doing, but I don’t want my house looking like everyone else. That being said, maybe I will paint my house some other color.
Mary says
Anyone know the name of the free standing tub shown next to the shower? I love it and want it!