By Emily Williams
Tyler Hillman, co-owner of AllSouth Appliance Group, has had a busy summer, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down as the company continues to tweak and perfect the interior of its new Homewood showroom.
The space, which opened in early June, offers Birmingham consumers the opportunity to peruse high-end and mid-range kitchen appliances, cabinetry, countertops and more.
Hillman said it’s an achievement that he never expected when he and his brother Josh started the company in 1997.
“I had been in the appliance business for a few years in the Birmingham market, and I saw gaps in some of the products that local vendors were offering,” he said.
The Hillman brothers set out to build a company that offered appliances at the high-end range while also giving consumers a good selection of mid-range products. For years, Hillman said, he relied on catalogs and books to educate customers on AllSouth’s offerings, but nothing beats seeing the product in person.
AllSouth has established showrooms in Huntsville, Montgomery and Chattanooga, but the new Homewood location is pushing boundaries, ushering in the company’s 20th anniversary by featuring the nation’s largest SubZero/Wolf living kitchen. The achievement is something Hillman said he couldn’t have seen coming one decade ago, let alone two.
“You’re never really sure where you will end up years in the future,” he said. “The goal for the company has always been the same and that goal is a satisfied customer. If you reach that goal, then the rest will follow as a result.”
Though they are still putting the finishing touches on the showroom, Hillman said they have saved some space in the building to create an outdoor showroom.
“It goes hand-in-hand with the indoor showroom,” he said. “We want to serve those customers who have completed an indoor project and want to 
create the same environment outdoors.”
A grill is no longer just a grill, according to Hillman, and many popular models such as the coveted Green Egg have attachments to expand functionality.
“Grills have really developed a following around here,” Hillman said. “Everyone has their favorite model and brand just (as) they do with an automobile.”
The pride of the new building – the test kitchen – will begin serving as a multi-functional event space. AllSouth has and will continue to host various events, including live demonstrations, classes and lunch and learn sessions.
“We want to bring people in our door for reasons beyond shopping, and this space is going to be good for hosting different events,” Hillman said. “We’ve had a girl’s nights out and tasting events. Even if someone is just thinking about renovating their kitchen in the future, they get the opportunity to get a feel for what they need.”
Hillman said he enjoyed the unusual opportunity to slip into the shoes of a customer fairly recently when he and his wife chose to build a new home.
“One of the best parts about the whole experience was getting a true taste of what our clients and customers go through,” he said.
When entering the experience, Hillman said, he thought he would be saving some money because he would be supplying the appliances for the kitchen – one of the most expensive rooms in a home. He quickly found that he was wrong and experienced the same surprise expenses that many homeowners loathe to be presented with during the building process.
“There are so many other factors when you are building and so many big decisions to make, so when it comes down to the finer details at the end, you are happy to just pick something so you can check it off of the list,” he said. That’s where he said he finds it is easy to make a mistake.
“People who renovate or redecorate their kitchen are making an investment,” he said. “The kitchen is the room that can add the highest value to a home, so when you are choosing cabinets and appliances, you want longevity.”
When a customer walks into a general hardware store, he said, and pick out a $1,500 refrigerator, they are buying something that will last six to 10 years. Many of the refrigerators found at AllSouth are meant to be serviced over time, prolonging their use and efficiency as well as providing more features to suit specific lifestyles.
“Anyone can design a beautiful kitchen, but whether or not it is functional for you is the point that we like to address,” Hillman said.
Team effort
As AllSouth prepares to mark 20 years in business, Hillman said he is grateful for the support his company has received.
“Nothing has been achieved alone,” Hillman said. “We’re lucky to have a really good staff and strong partnerships with our vendors, as well as loyal relationships with reliable builders that have stuck with us over the years.”
Tips and Trends
While AllSouth maintains traditional offerings such as granite countertops and dark wooden cabinets, the majority of today’s designers and consumers are shifting toward lighter wall colors and cabinetry.
“It varies between customers though,” Hillman said. “I’ve found that people who have a dark kitchen are looking for lighter cabinets and those who have lighter kitchens lean toward the darker colors.”
Regardless of shades and pigments, one thing he has found to be more popular across the board is drawer space.
One of Hillman’s favorite new cabinetry products offers drawers that can be stacked above and below appliances, providing more storage space and bringing ovens and microwaves off of the floor and up to eye level.
“This also has a side-swinging door, so you don’t have to bend or reach over to put something in the oven or pull it out,” Hillman said.
And gone are the days of one bright shade of stainless steel. Hillman has seen a growth in the popularity of slate gray and black stainless steel, which appear lighter or darker depending on the surrounding cabinetry and lighting.
Instead of traditional white or wood-colored cabinets, Hillman has been liking a new slate gray shade that is on display in the showroom.
As far as gadgets and accessories go, a new favorite luxury appliance for Hillman is the Wolf Steam Oven.
“It’s a moister form of cooking,” he said. “It’s not really an everyday appliance, but it’s great for reheating. If you’re microwaving a piece of Little Caesar’s pizza, it’s probably going to taste the same. For someone who is heating homemade pizza or eats out a lot and brings home leftovers, it has much more of an impact.”
An area where Hillman finds a customer can really have fun with refrigerators. One of his favorite new features is the expanded utility of GE refrigerator’s door functions. The simple crushed ice and cold water option has been expanded to include adding on a hot water feature and even a Keurig coffee maker – all controlled by a touch screen.
So, what does the expert suggest before someone enters the Homewood showroom?
“The internet is full of so many resources for homeowners,” he said. “If you don’t do a little research before you enter a showroom, you’ll be overrun on the sensory side of things.”
He suggests that consumers take a look at websites such as houzz.com and hgtv.com, figure out what style appeals to them most and present it to their builder or designer or take it into the showroom.
