I hope you’ve got room in your brain for one last batch of model home decorating ideas. This weekend was the last one to visit the Parade of Homes here in Wake County. I barely scratched the surface of the list of homes we had access to! Builders and designers put their blood, sweat and tears into these houses and every single one of them was gorgeous.

I’ll keep this post brief of text. Just breeze through the pretty photos I took of some of my favorite ideas. Every single one of us can use these model home ideas in our own spaces. The above room is painted in one of my favorite paint colors that I’ve NEVER put in any project. Pale pink!

Didn’t one of the paint companies just name Blush Pink their “Color of the Year?”

There' were lots of dramatically dark dining rooms in the Parade this year. And a ton of modern light fixtures. This green is fabulous!

Tile in the bathroom was gorgeous. It just keeps getting better!

This was a nice combination of tile and cabinet finishes.

Lots of boldly patterned tile, lots of chunky shelves flanking fireplaces, lots of shiplap (but not so rough).

Chip and Joanna Gaines must be very pleased with the changes they’ve made in the world of house finishes. The homes I visited were all at least $1 million!

These adjustable library lights were somewhere in every single house, I swear! I like them a lot.

Fireplace mantels were very streamlined.

It’s so nice to see an old fashioned touch like built ins in the hallway, isn’t it? Notice the dark paint color on the door to the left. There weren’t a lot of white doors in the houses I visited. The color were dark - mostly gray, black or navy.

A rustic ceiling like this makes a room very cozy. And the light from those windows was lovely!

This house had bookcase doors in two different rooms. Lucky dog - I want bookcase doors too!

This was a favorite bedroom - I just like the soothing palette. And beams were on ceilings in a room or two in just about every house.

Pretty view.

This carpet runner is gorgeous.

You’ve got to know that I’m a fan of sparkle and texture. This butler’s pantry is FULL of sparkle!

More sparkle! This chandy was sparkaliscious! Zoom in to inspect - but wear your sunglasses!

And this crystal chandelier was the grandmother of them all. There are no words for how much sparkle and color it gave off - zoom in on this one too. Hudson Valley Lighting, you had me at first glance!

Here I am, hamming it up at the entrance of an enormous closet. It goes around the corner to show a LOT of space. Are you loving my blue booties? They’re de rigueur at home tours!

It was a wonderful Parade. Now back to the real world for everyone!

But I’m fully stocked up with some great new ideas that can be used in anyone’s home to make it feel Parade worthy every day! Want to hear what they might be for your house? My 2 Hour Design consultation for residents in the greater Raleigh, NC area will spill those beans! Head on over to my Contact page to shoot me an email. Then we’ll schedule your free Discovery Call and you’ll be on your way!

With sparkle and texture,

Anne