Parade of Homes pivots to spring
LivingStone Design + Build’s “Casa Bonita,” featured in the Parade of Homes, is on the fast track to national recognition.
Every October, Western North Carolina home builders showcase new — or newly updated — homes in the Parade of Homes, organized by the Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Obviously, last year’s catastrophic storm changed things. As Megan Carroll, the group’s executive officer, recalls, logistics were almost all set for the fall 2024 event when Helene hit. “The judges were coming to town the following week.”
After regrouping, Carroll and her staff pivoted to spring. “It didn’t make sense to have the participating builders wait a year to showcase their homes,” she says. About half a dozen participants had to withdraw from the Parade due to storm damage, but otherwise it’s the same 43rd Annual Parade that was previously planned. A virtual-tour option brings the number of featured homes up to 44, while at least two dozen can be visited in person on a self-guided tour.
The new event takes place over two weeks in late April and early May. Attendees can expect the usual “expansive custom builds,” says Carroll, but also “efficiently designed tiny homes.” She notes: “This year’s Parade highlights a range of housing options that fit various lifestyles and budgets.”
Sustainability is another theme. Even the most high-end custom homes — with their breathtaking architecture and stunning interiors — use cutting-edge “smart home” technology. The goal, Carroll says, is to offer inspiration for anyone dreaming of their next home — but the event also acts as a muse for the builders themselves, because they have a chance to win awards in distinct categories (decided beforehand, with results revealed to viewers at parade time). Other houses on the tour have already gained prominence: LivingStone Design + Build’s Scandinavian-inspired “Casa Bonita,” for instance, was chosen last year as House Beautiful magazine’s “Whole Home” feature.
Homes in this year’s Parade will earn industry accolades for integrated energy-efficient technologies, eco-friendly materials, and green-building practices that reflect the future of new-home construction. But existing homes are spotlighted as well. The “Renewed Spaces” category showcases renovations and repurposed structures, demonstrating the imaginative ways that older homes can be transformed into modern, functional spaces — while taking care to preserve their original character. “Thoughtful design and skilled execution can breathe new life into a home, making it more functional and tailored to the owner’s vision,” Carroll notes.
Events Manager Jessie Edington offers such new-build examples as “Monstera Modern” by builder Ward Enterprises & Ventures of Leicester. Named after the dramatic houseplant, the home features Kodiak thermo-spruce cladding and a full solar array, among many other high-tech amenities. Another Buncombe County GC, WSM Craft, will present “Ridgetop Retreat,” an original design “that embraces a simple yet dramatic interplay of lines derived from harmonies of the Golden Ratio,” according to Edington.
Judges for the competition are chosen from across the nation. “Each panel includes folks such as designers, architects, builders, and other building professionals. We try to create a diverse balance,” says Carroll. Overcoming obstacles in the building process is one official criterium.
Having already overcome the most significant obstacle in recent memory, event coordinators will also hold a Fall 2025 event.
The Builders Association of the Blue Ridge Mountains (bablueridge.com) presents the Western North Carolina Parade of Homes 11am-5pm on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 and again Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. For a map and more information, see wncparadeofhomes.com.