Matt Millsap, CEO, rating the lastest trends
“They want you to rate the builder trends. So, I’m gonna give you 10 topics and we’re gonna go one through 10 right here. Ready?” — “Let’s go.”
“Black exterior paint.” 
— “Three.”
“Floating kitchen shelves.” — “Eight.”
“All white interior.” — “Six.”
“Smart home automation.” — “10.”
“Natural wood accent walls.” — “Eight.”
“Hidden rooms.” — “Seven.”
“Outdoor kitchens.” — “Nine.”
“Freestanding tubs.” — “10.”
“Open concept floor plans.” — “Five.”
“Metal roofs on any sort of construction.” — “10.”
Moving Away from Open Concept
“You kind of roasted me regarding open floor concepts, [rating a five out of 10].
So, what we’re seeing is it’s loud. If your kids are watching TV and you and the wife are trying to talk in the kitchen, like they can’t hear you, you can’t hear each other.”
“And then we’re seeing people, they want a desire of a little bit of separation. They want a formal dining room. They want a separated living room. So, the open concept while I like it, it’s just it seems that people are moving away from it. We’re getting more and more requests for even half walls. They want that line of sight, but they also want some separation.
“If you’ve got vaulted ceilings, you know, the sound can be a little bit overwhelming. I don’t know about your kids, but mine like to listen to the TV on about 23, which is about 12 too high for me. I can’t hear my wife when I’m talking to her.”
“Those are the trends. Separation is back. For better or for worse. I enjoy it.”
Moving Away from Black Exterior Paint
“Why did I give a three [out of 10] to black exterior paint?”
“Especially in the city. It’s just played out. It’s been done. Everyone did it. You see it everywhere on the big homes, on the small homes, on the medium homes. It’s just everywhere. It’s just been done too much. So, if you want to be unique, we’re probably going to veer away from that.”
“The other thing, being kind of a building science guy myself, just a little bit, that black attracts heat. We all know that it raises your heating bill. Now, the converse to that is here in Tennessee, our winters are very mild. So, maybe the heat saves you a little bit of money in the winter, but that heat is going to destroy your house. It’s going to attract sunlight. It’s going to warp everything on the house. We, it looks cool. I love it. However, practically speaking, probably not the best choice. And you probably don’t want a $600 AC bill.”
Thinking of Building in Nashville? Let’s Talk.
At BuildCo7, we bring your vision to life through a personalized, stress-free design-build experience. With over 16 years of experience in custom home construction across Nashville, our team is ready to guide you from concept to completion—with attention to detail, clear communication, and unmatched craftsmanship.
Schedule a consultation today and start designing your dream home with the features that matter most to you.
Explore our latest projects and learn more about our design-build process.