The ABC's of the National Home Show: Real Advice, Real Inspiration & Real Experts!

The 2014 National Home Show is on right now! Offering you inspiration for your home and landscaping projects.  With over 750 exhibitors showcasing their best and newest products and services - you won't want to miss all the great opportunities our show has to offer you and your home.
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To get you excited about the show, Show Manager Tina Holmes has done an alphabetical rundown of what to see. Check out the excitement below...

• Appliances.  See the latest in Home Appliances.  From new technology in the kitchen to luxury laundry. 

• Bathrooms. Whether you're renovating or just need some inspiration for your bathroom, there's lots of bathroom experts and new products all under this roof.

• Canada Builds.  The 2014 Dream Home at the National Home Show designed and built by the Canada Builds Company. This year's home embodies the warmth and charm of small town Ontario with the creative touches to support today's active lifestyles. 

• Design!  Green Design.   Humber College presents this one-of-a-kind exhibit that will take visitors on an inspiring journey through the challenges of building green and will be presented in a market like setting featuring interactive multimedia environment aimed at a younger demographic and social relevance

• Exhibition Place, The Direct Energy Centre.  Come on down, free parking after 4 pm and easy access to the TTC and GO!

• Favourite Finds.  You’ll find plenty of innovative products and great home solutions to inspire a wide array of projects for your home. Find the latest ideas and hot new products like the Umbra Whiz Wisk (pictured left) in my Favourite Finds. 

• Gardens Galore!  National Home Show is co-located with Canada Blooms. 1 Ticket, 2 great events.  Canada Blooms, the flower and garden festival.  This year  the festival  theme is  Wild!  The sights, sounds and scents of the gardens, installations and fl oral displays will waken your senses from winter. 

• HGTV celebrity, Bryan Baeumler.  Join Bryan at the show as he discusses how to save your home from yourself!  Live at the show, March 23rd at 2pm. 

• Ireland.  Don’t miss your chance to win an amazing trip to for four people to Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way at this year’s Canada Blooms.  Visit the Wild Atlantic Way Garden for details. 

• Jackie Morra brings to life Urban Living.  You'll find big ideas and contemporary design ideas  for small spaces in this 900 square foot modern space.   Good things come in small packages.

• Kevin Durkee, The Big Cheese of Cheesewerks.  see his popular recipe for Cheddar + Ale Soup come to life.  Delicious and so easy to make and easy to impress your guests.

• Live with what you love!  I have a chair crush on the luxe chair and half by Casalife.  Craving this in Shimmer Chocolate leather. Luscious and luxe!  

• Meet & Eat with culinary masters.  Join Cheesweks' Big Cheese Kevin Durkee as he welcomes View the Vibe.  Kevin and  Nicki will dish on all the secrets behind the best foodie and drink spots in Toronto. Listen, learn and taste.  Plus Meet + Eat with Chef Scott behind The Culinary Adventure Company. 

• North America's largest home and garden show, featuring 2 events, over 750 Exhibitors, over 45 celebrity and industry experts and gardens galore.

• Outdoor Living goes inside out, thanks to the ultra-modern CasaBubble, the newest design trend taking European gardens and outdoor spaces.  In a flash, the GrandLodge turns into a mini apartment in the wilds!

• Parking.  FREE parking after 4 pm Monday to Friday!

• Questions?  Get your Renovation Questions answered.  Free renovation advice by appointment, bring your plans and questions and  visit  Destination Renovation Booth #1916.    

• Re/max presents Get Curbalicious.  Stop by and enter the Get Curbalicious Contest for your chance to win a landscape makeover valued at over $15,000 courtesy of Landscape Ontario & RE/MAX. 

• Sip and Savor.  Enjoy free sampling from our friends at The Wine & Spirits Experience.  Visit them around the Dream Home featuring Molson Cider and Mill Street Brewery. 

• Toyota Ride & Drive.  Buckle your seat belts and put the pedal to the metal!  Plus stop by the Toyota booth for a chance to win a brand new 2014 Corolla S - now that’s a set of keys we wouldn't mind having in our pocket!  

• Unilock Celebrity Stage presented by HGTV, featuring celebrity and industry home and garden experts.  Get great advice, tips and tricks from the pros like Gardening Guru Frank Ferragine, Income Property behind the Scenes with Melissa Davis & Tim Sellars, 1 Boring Room 3 Looks with Designers Glen Peloso and  Jamie Alexander and more...  For the schedule click here.

• Vitamix Idea Stage presented by Reno & Decor.  Featuring local experts from culinary masters, Designer Advice, Quick & Easy Gardening and a guest appearance by Jim Caruk.  For schedule click here.

• What's your Design Dilemma?  This is your chance for a free one-on one,  15-minute consultation with designers and experts who will offer advice on how to tackle your next project.  Don't forget to bring your plans and your colour swatches.

• X marks the spot!  The Style Spots.  Celebrated designers Glen Peloso & Jamie Alexander of Peloso Alexander Interiors bring Style Spots to life at his year's National Home Show.  So much inspiration and great ideas featuring Designer Inspired Interiors. 

• Yamaha Canada Music.  Check out the amazing Silent + Hybrid Pianos. Plus win a year of free lessons!

• Zen Rock.  So many great new products.  The Zen Rock by Scentsy.  The new  Zen Rock, element warmer, Inspired by tranquil spa rocks  Element warmers use a heating element to safely warm fragrant wax without illumination.

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From A to Z there's plenty to see at our 2014 National Home Show, it's not too late to plan your visit and be inspired for spring.  Special thanks to Show Manager Tina Homes, a.k.a. @TinaLovesPinot for alphabetically listing her home show must-sees! 

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The First-Ever Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo Opens TODAY!

The first-ever Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo kicks off today at the Cleveland Convention Center with new and innovative trends and products in home remodeling and design!

The excitement begins on The Main Stage at 1 p.m. with a presentation on “Great Weekend Projects” from the Main Stage Emcee Matt Fox, co-host of HGTV’s Room by Room and host and producer of the public television series Around the House with Matt and Shari. You can catch him again at 4 p.m.

Next, stick around for Metro Home’s presentation on “Modern Design, Classic and Timeless” at 2 p.m., followed by John Hall discussing “25 Design Tips Toward that Perfect Kitchen” at 3 p.m.

Later on the Main Stage, don’t miss home and remodeling celebrities! Presented by Cambria, Ramsin Khachi, the internationally recognized design/build contractor and Canadian television personality, will appear on the Main Stage at 5 p.m., followed by Nicole Curtis, Host of DIY Network and HGTV’s Rehab Addict, at 6 p.m.

Wrapping up the presentations for today is Jim Price from Refrigeration Sales Corp., discussing “Home Energy Management and Maintenance” at 7 p.m.

Highlights on the Main Stage Saturday include another presentation from Ramsin Khachi at 3 p.m. and Nicole Curtis at noon and 4 p.m. Also, known most recently for his work on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, charismatic home design guru Ty Pennington, presented by Carrier, will appear on the Main Stage at 1 p.m.! An autograph session will follow.

In addition to these scheduled events, be sure to tour the Perrino Vignettes created by Perrino Builders & Furniture that will inspire you with ways to remodel your kitchen, create your own pub or wine bar, or design a home theater! The Ultimate Garage, created by EncoreGarage of Ohio, will also inspire visitors with ideas on how to reclaim your space and make it your own. And you’ll want to be sure to check out the two CristalBubble’s by CasaBubble. These totally transparent huts create an ideal outdoor living space and are furnished and decorated by Levin Furniture!

Home and remodeling fun continues through Sunday, so be sure to check out other Expo features, stage schedules, and more on the Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo website! Doors open today at noon – We look forward to seeing you soon!

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MARCH 14-16, 2014

CLEVELAND CONVENTION CENTER

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Toronto's National Home Show Presents, CasaBubble: The First Eco-tourism Living Space

Relive your childhood dreams and sleep under the stars in a CasaBubble! Check them out at our National Home Show in Toronto (March 14 - 23)! These totally transparent huts are one of the first ecotourism living spaces that can be self-sufficient in energy and use bio-air-conditioning.

These bubbles change your natural environment into a living space and can be used in a variety of ways including one of the following rooms! 

•  Outdoor living room
• TV room
• Children’s play room
• Outdoor office
• Dome for art exhibit, cocktail parties or other special events
• Meditation room
• Spa and massage room
• Restaurant and hotel
• Rescue shelter

This eco-design by French designer Stephane Dumas and developer Frederic Richard has an astonishing acoustic effect. Noises outside are muffled and sounds inside bounce back to the center of the sphere so that people instinctively speak more softly. The sphere has a calming effect and generates a feeling of well-being.

For each climate, CasaBubble has a solution! For normal temperature conditions, the bubbles are made in PVC. For country sides where the temperatures are low, the Bubbles are made to stand temperatures as low as -40°F. As for hot temperature areas, the BubbleDrop model is made with a sunblock material that rejects up to 95 percent of the sun intake.

The bubbles are either completely transparent with a 360° panoramic view (CristalBubble), or partly opaque to give the occupants a measure of privacy (BubbleRoom & BubbleDrop).

These inflatable structures have no framework and use a self-adjusting turbine which keeps the structure in shape by light air pressure, renews the air volume, and controls humidity. These dream huts leave mosquitoes, pollen and other allergens outside. The CasaBubble is an ideal outdoor living space and can be equipped with furniture, heaters, and even a shower!

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Don't miss your chance to relax in a CasaBubble at the National Home Show! 

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Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo Presents, CasaBubble: The First Ecotourism Living Space

Relive your childhood dreams and sleep under the stars in a CasaBubble! Check them out at our Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo (March 14 - 16)! These totally transparent huts are one of the first ecotourism living spaces that can be self-sufficient in energy and use bio-air-conditioning.

These bubbles change your natural environment into a living space and can be used in a variety of ways including one of the following rooms! 

•  Outdoor living room
• TV room
• Children’s play room
• Outdoor office
• Dome for art exhibit, cocktail parties or other special events
• Meditation room
• Spa and massage room
• Restaurant and hotel
• Rescue shelter

This eco-design by French designer Stephane Dumas and developer Frederic Richard has an astonishing acoustic effect. Noises outside are muffled and sounds inside bounce back to the center of the sphere so that people instinctively speak more softly. The sphere has a calming effect and generates a feeling of well-being.

For each climate, CasaBubble has a solution! For normal temperature conditions, the bubbles are made in PVC. For country sides where the temperatures are low, the Bubbles are made to stand temperatures as low as -40°F. As for hot temperature areas, the BubbleDrop model is made with a sunblock material that rejects up to 95 percent of the sun intake.

The bubbles are either completely transparent with a 360° panoramic view (CristalBubble), or partly opaque to give the occupants a measure of privacy (BubbleRoom & BubbleDrop).

These inflatable structures have no framework and use a self-adjusting turbine which keeps the structure in shape by light air pressure, renews the air volume, and controls humidity. These dream huts leave mosquitoes, pollen and other allergens outside. The CasaBubble is an ideal outdoor living space and can be equipped with furniture, heaters, and even a shower!

At the NEW Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo, CasaBubble will feature two CristalBubble’s furnished by Levin Furniture, including a comfortable Bernhardt living room set with a taupe/gray color scheme with orange accents and a bedroom from their Chandelier collection featuring a canopy bed. Be sure to stop by to check out these extraordinary bubbles!

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MARCH 14-16, 2014

CLEVELAND CONVENTION CENTER

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That's a wrap! Check out our Vancouver Home + Design Show Recap

All good things must come to an end – including the Vancouver Home + Design Show. The popular lifestyle exhibit, held at BC Place this past weekend, attracted more than 32,000 people to stop, shop and enjoy the show!

The 325+ exhibitors, exciting features and, of course, design celebrities, had people flocking from all over just to get a glimpse of the action. With the arrival of Jonathan and Drew Scott, stars of W Network’s Property Brothers, fans mobbed the Main Stage to hear their expert insight and gut-busting banter. Scotiabank hosted a special autograph signing at their booth for a chance to meet the boys, snap a photo and possibly even steal a kiss.

Jillian Harris and Todd Talbot, co-hosts of Love It orList It Vancouver, were another major draw to the HGTV Main Stage. The duo dazzled their fans with design tips and tricks while entertaining them with jokes and jabs – just like on their show!

The Samsung Passion for Fresh Cooking Challenge heated up the Vancouver Magazine Cooking Stage with a Food Network-style throwdown and a chance to win $7,000 worth of Samsung home appliances. Three seasoned chefs from local Italian restaurants paired with home cooks to battle it out for culinary supremacy under the watchful eye of Chef Massimo Capra, star of Restaurant Makeover, and host Colleen Christie. Chef Massimo went gaga for gluten-free cannelloni by Nathan Lowey from Campaganolo Roma and amateur culinarian Daniel, crowning them the winners of the spicy competition. Congratulations Nathan and Daniel!

  

To see all of the upcycle projects click here!

The Ultimate Upcycle Challenge: Unhinged, brought back after its much-hyped 2012 debut, was a big success. The challenge raised a total of $560 for Habitat for Humanity Greater Vancouver and Vancouver ReStore. Seven locals put their DIY skills to the test to reuse, recycle and repurpose a single old door for $50. From a rustic vanity by Rebekah Gusway to a vampy portrait of Marilyn Monroe by Celina Dalrymple, the upcycled doors were instant crowd favourites. Visitors were invited to bid on their favourite piece in a silent auction.

Urban Barn’s Next Top Designer also drummed up a ton of buzz. Three finalists, Lianna Armstrong, Penelope Sloan and Laura Borrelli, were pushed beyond their comfort zone and tasked with designing living rooms based on a colour palette and a design style chosen in a draw. Exhibited on the show floor, the finished rooms were put to a public vote with one lucky voter winning a $5,000 shopping spree at Urban Barn. Freelance designer Penelope Sloan emerged victorious, winning herself a display at Urban Barn’s flagship South Granville store, a booth at next year’s show and well-deserved bragging rights. Congratulations Penelope!

::GIVEAWAY:: 

Click here to enter to win a $100.00 gift card from our friends at Urban Barn!

Other notable features included CasaBubble, the Western Living Lounge and the BC Hydro Power Smart Home.

A big thanks to everyone who came! 

We look forward to seeing you at the BC Home +Garden Show from February 19-23, 2014. 
Mark your calendars!

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Feature Friday: CasaBubble @ The Calgary & Vancouver Home + Design Shows

A transparent sphere slowly takes shape in the middle of the forest, light sparkling off the clear plastic dome. It sounds like a scene from a sci-fi movie but these otherworldly, inflatable structures from CasaBubble are anything but fiction.

These “dream bubbles,” as French designer Stephane Dumas calls them, are the first ecotourism living spaces that are energy self-sufficient and use bio-air-conditioning. Unlike a tent, the bubbles are inflatable, have no framework and boast transparent walls that allow for a glorious 360-degree view.

The CasaBubble is available in a range of designs, including the chic and completely transparent CristalBubble, the partially opaque BubbleRoom, and the deluxe BubbleLodge and GrandLodge. Visitors to the Calgary and Vancouver Home + Design Shows will have the opportunity to tour four CasaBubble rooms in full effect, with designs ranging from study spaces and sleeping chambers to dining areas and playrooms. Look for IKEA to guest star in all four rooms at the Calgary Home +Design Show, using their signature Scandinavian style in a completely new way.

CasaBubble is made out of 100% recyclable materials and leaves its surrounding environment relatively undisturbed. Quick to assemble and easy to carry, CasaBubble is ideal for a cutting-edge camping or hiking trip. CasaBubble can also come equipped with luxurious amenities and accessories, including genuine hardwood flooring, furniture, bathroom fixtures, air filters, heaters and more. Talk about glamping!

Whether you’re planning a romantic evening in the backyard or hosting a high-design garden party, CasaBubble has the design for you! See the modern, fashion-forward structures in person at the Calgary and Vancouver Home + Design Shows. Purchase your tickets online for Vancouver and Calgary today to save $3 off regular adult admission.   

    

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