By Barry Wise SmithWhen a busy over-the-mountain family visited friends at their vacation home in a quiet, gated community on the western end of 30A in Santa Rosa Beach, they started dreaming of owning their own piece of paradise.So when a new-construction home came on the market just down the street, the family jumped at the opportunity. “We love the area,” the … [Read more...]

By Madoline Markham KoonceTwo putting greens. A peninsula that extends onto a lake. A pool with tanning ledges and a bar. More than 6,500 square feet of interior space. It all sounds like a resort design, but in fact it’s a home–the 2025 Parade of Homes Ideal Home.Touring its colossal primarily stone-exterior is sure to feel like a vacation too. Located on a private … [Read more...]

 By Madoline Markham Koonce Photos Courtesy of J.Fante StudioDrive down Stoneridge Lane off Overton Road in Mountain Brook, and you might do a double take if you’re familiar with homes on the street. Where a white split-level home sat not too long ago on a corner lot, you’ll now see a ranch home with a darker coat of paint that no longer looks so split in … [Read more...]

By Barry Wise SmithMarianne Strong grew up in Nashville a nascent designer. “I loved design growing up. I was that kid who constantly rearranged her room,” Strong says. “My parents were very supportive and encouraged my creativity. They gave me free reign to paint and do what I wanted to do. But Strong also knew that she wanted to own her own business. She went to business … [Read more...]

By Barry Wise SmithPhotos by Joan AllsoppJulie Terrell never planned on being an interior designer. She graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a degree in Art History and went on to get her master’s degree from the University of Alabama with plans to get her PhD and be a professor. “But I saw how limiting that could be,” Terrell says. “You might spend your … [Read more...]