Photo by Jessica Johnson.
You are on a leisurely drive through town and decide to take a trip through a neighborhood with large, beautiful homes. You see a few mansions you can only dream of owning or even stepping foot in. Then you remember the Parade of Homes is in town— a perfect opportunity to see inside some incredible homes in and around St. George.
The Parade of Homes started on Feb. 15 and will continue through Feb. 24. You can view homes from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m., except on the final day when they close at 5 p.m.
Attending the Parade of Homes is more than seeing a collection of homes in the Washington County area. It gives the community a chance to see current trends in home decoration and design, said Mari Krashowetz, executive officer of the Southern Utah Home Builders Association.
Krashowetz said the Parade of Homes has been going for 29 years, and this year is the first time they have 30 viewable homes. They had 28 homes the previous year and went up to 30 because of an increase in the market.
If you have never attended the Parade of Homes, a highlight of the event is seeing the different styles each home is decorated in.
“We have a variety of styles,” said Krashowetz. “We have the craftsman style with the lighter colors. [We have] the clean look [with] straight lines in the home and we also have more modern, contemporary homes with the southwest exterior.”
Brass is a home decorating trend that has made a comeback, Krashowetz said. Brass lighting fixtures, kitchen and bathroom accents have not been seen since the ‘80s. The different decoration and design styles are not only for display, but to give onlookers ideas for decorating their own home, Krashowetz said.
“You want a sense of self in your space,” adjunct professor Denise Stewart said. “Really, a house is a house. When you go in and you put your stamp on it, it becomes a home.”
Ellie Smith, a freshman communication major from Richfield, said she and her roommates have a collage of their homework on the wall because they all work so hard on it and don’t want to throw it away.
When one first arrives in an empty apartment or house, one of the first things on our minds is where everything is going to go and how we want it to look.
Stewart said it is important for Dixie State University students to make their room or apartment their own so they can have a space where they are comfortable — a little bit of home in a new place.
“My mom and my sister, they painted little pictures for me, so I hung those up,” Smith said. “I have a lot of pictures of like, my cousin [and] my sister.”
According to singaporerenovations.com, interior design goes beyond making your home beautiful to look at or live in. The website gives five reasons why interior design is important: safety, ease of maintenance, good use of space, increasing the value of your home and a good design helps your home have a pleasant, functional feel.
Interiordesignhub.com has good ideas for college students to make the best of the space they have. According to the website, things students should keep in mind are being creative with lighting, getting a perfectly sized bed, and making every square inch count.
Smith said she and her friends have turned to Pinterst for decoration ideas and discovered the website is a good place for students to find things they like that add to their aesthetic. She said she found Succulents on Pinterest and liked the way the plants look, but has fake plants because she wouldn’t be able to take care of a live plant.
There is still time to attend the Parade of Homes to see what inspiration you can discover for your dorm, apartment or house. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to change all your doorknobs and drawer handles to brass or find a new way to spice up your living space and make it your own.
Tickets for the Parade of Homes can be purchased for $15 at Lin’s market locations, Red Cliffs Mall or online on the Parade of Homes website.