Utah County Parade of Homes Trends

Here are a few fun trends and neat ideas that I noticed at the Utah County Parade of Homes. Overall I saw a lot less Tuscan, Old World and Rustic than previous years and a little more East Coast, Contemporary, and fresh colors. Can't wait for the upcoming Salt Lake Parade of Homes, which starts August 7th.

Fabulous outside spaces, especially flagstone patios and BBQ pits. These patios are low maintenance a great space for gathering with friends and family.



To-die-for craft rooms with all the extras. I love these little ribbon holders. I found some similar drawers at Ikea that can be stained any color and then attached to the wall underneath cabinets for the same effect.


I also loved this clever art holder. Just a piece of wood with a few clips attached but it is perfect for a kids room, play room or craft room. It's much more kid friendly than using pins or magnets that can get lost or accidentally swallowed!


There were tons of other great storage ideas, like this cute mud room corner and the extra towel hooks in the bathrooms. Notice all the beadboard throughout these pics, very Pottery Barn.





Wish I had thought to take more pictures. I will post a ton after the Salt Lake Parade. By the way, McArthur Homes has won plenty of awards at Parades past. Check out our award-winning Stratford plan online here.

More grant money might become available for Utahns looking to purchase a new home!

In a recent Salt Lake Tribune article, Lt. Gov. Herbert indicated that additional funds may become available to further boost the Utah housing market. This is fantastic news for home builders and those looking to purchase a new home. The following is quoted from the Salt Lake Tribune Article by Robert Gehrke:

Lt. Gov. Gary Herbert said Tuesday he is considering a second round of state stimulus to the housing market, similar to the $6,000 Home Run Grant incentive to homebuyers that helped generate $376.7 million in home sales in the past three months.
"Housing led us into the recession and housing will lead us out," Herbert, a past president of the Utah Association of Realtors, said in a statement. He is expected to become governor should Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. be confirmed as U.S. ambassador to China.

The specifics of the new stimulus program are still being worked out with a working group, led by Utah Housing Corporation CEO Grant Whitaker, that convened last week.

Jason Perry, Herbert's transition director, said the lieutenant governor wants to make sure any additional housing stimulus is specifically tailored to have the best possible impact.

Perry would not comment on specifics, but one possibility the group is considering would be a smaller grant that could be given to more people and could potentially include the purchase of existing homes. The Home Run grant was limited to purchase of a new, never-lived-in home.

Another option would use state funds to provide an advance on the $8,000 federal tax credit to first-time homebuyers, who would then have to repay the state when the federal money arrived.

Perry said that the governor would have the authority to implement the new program without further approval by the Legislature.

For more information, you can contact a knowledgeable McArthur Homes Community Sales Manager, or visit www.mcarthurhomes.com

Carpet from Corn? Mohawk SmartStrand Sorona

Anyone looking to re carpet their current home or planning design options for a new home- check out SmartStrand Sorona by Mohawk. This amazing new carpet is 37% renewably sourced using corn sugar! The fibers are stain resistant without having to add a stain protector that can wear off with time. They even resist bleach!


Here's what Mohawk has to say about their new product:

Mohawk's SmartStrand carpeting features break-though stain protection built into every single fiber. No chemicals to apply, no treatments to schedule and no worries — that’s the beauty of SmartStrand with DuPont™ Sorona®.

In repeated tests on tough stains like mustard and red wine, SmartStrand’s permanent built-in resistance outperformed similar fibers, including premium stain-treated nylon. SmartStrand doesn't fade even with carpet’s most feared enemy — bleach! Most stains remove easily with water and mild detergent. The spill happened days ago? It’s still no match for SmartStrand.

The McArthur Homes Design Studio carries hundreds of style and color options in this amazing new fiber. Click here for more information on our State-of-the-Art Design Studio.