That's a Wrap! The 2014 BC Home + Garden Show enjoyed a successful week at BC Place Stadium

The 2014 BC Home + Garden Show hit BC Place Stadium this past week, showcasing real advice, real inspiration and real experts that drew huge crowds hungry for home improvement guidance.

   

The HGTV Main Stage abounded with top talent and insiders advice from both celebs and local experts. Much to the delight of fans, Bryan Baeumler made a triumphant return, this time (for the first time!) with his lovely and talented wife, Sarah Baeumler. Mike Holmes Jr. & Sherry Holmes also made their Vancouver home show debut, charming new viewers and dedicated followers of HGTV'S Holmes Makes It Right alike with tales of their famous father and life on-set. Jef Hancock, bad-boy artist of Parker Barrow, made his much-anticipated home show debut alongside design darling and business partner, Janette Ewen. Local talent including A Good Chick To Know’s Jennifer Scott and Friendly Decorator’s Christine Friend repped Vancouver’s design industry in fine form.

The first-ever Chopping Block challenge, presented by Urban Fare and 102.7 The Peak, was a huge success on Saturday, February 22. With four talented home chefs going head to head under the expert eyes of host Ned Bell, executive chef for the Four Seasons Vancouver, and judges Vikram Vij, co-owner and head chef for Vij’s and Rangoli, Ryan McDonald, executive chef for Urban Fare, and Clinton Herman, host at 102.7 The Peak, the challenge proved a culinary battle royale for the history books.

While all competitors sweated it out in true chef-like fashion, one by one they faced elimination until only one foodie was left standing: Debbie Calicetto from Abbotsford, a dedicated cook for a homeless youth shelter.

Another first at the 2014 BC Home + Garden Show was the Better Gnomes & Gardens exhibit. 16 of Vancouver’s movers and shakers transformed plain white garden gnomes into whimsical treasures auctioned off to benefit Sole Food Street Farms, a grassroots non-profit created to empower, employ and nourish underprivileged individuals in Vancouver. Funds raised totaled more than $1,500, with Christine Friend’s “East Side Elton” taking the top bid of $160 (pictured below).

Thanks to everyone who came out to the 2014 BC Home + Garden Show and helped make this exhibition of all things home improvement a huge success. See you in the fall for the 2014 Vancouver Home + Design Show, happening October 16-19, 2014 at BC Place Stadium!

 

OCTOBER 16-19, 2014

BC PLACE

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Seeing Double: Duos Dominate the Main Stage at the BC Home + Garden Show

Living proof that two is better than one, renovation and design duos will reign supreme at this year’s BC Home + Garden Show. Catch them all on the HGTV Main Stage, featuring expert twosomes like HGTV’s Bryan & Sarah Baeumler, Mike Holmes Jr. & Sherry Holmes and Parker Barrow co-owners Janette Ewen & Jef Hancock. In the end, it is our ties that bind us. For our lineup of expert dynamic duos, it also means contracts, deadlines, and a whole lot of dedication. Witness firsthand the barter and banter, stabs and jabs sure to ensue between our top twosomes as they take the stage with presentations that are both practically informative and highly entertaining.

We sat down with each of our favourite duos to discuss their current musings in home improvement and design– read below for a glimpse of what’s to come in each of their exciting presentations!

Bryan & Sarah Baeumler

 

With a booming television production company, custom home-building business and two charitable organizations, power couple Bryan & Sarah Baeumler are no strangers to the spotlight or the chaotic frenzy of the design world. Witness the candid couple in action during their All’s Fair in Love and Construction presentation on the HGTV Main Stage on Saturday, February 22 at 6PM and Sunday, February 23 at 12PM.

What trends do you anticipate we’ll see in the home for 2014? And what trends are on the way out?

Sarah: Let’s hope we can do away with heavy, pooling drapery and head back to the days of appreciating the view. Everything doesn’t have to be a mirror image or balanced equally in a room. Have fun with scale and break out of the mould!

Brian: I’m anticipating more open concept, more built-in cabinetry to replace old-school closets, and lots of LED lighting! Personally, I'm hoping the throw pillow gets thrown out - but don't tell Sarah I said that.

Radiant Orchid is slated to be the hue for 2014. Yay or nay?

Sarah: A definite ‘yay’ for me! A splash of pink anywhere in the home makes me happy.

Bryan: What?! Luckily paint is one of the easiest things to change!

Mike Holmes Jr. & Sherry Holmes

 

Siblings Mike Holmes Jr. and Sherry Holmes may have been born with home building in their blood, but the work they have done to become masters of the industry has been entirely their own. Join Mike and Sherry on the HGTV MainStage for three insightful presentations on Growing Up Holmes on Friday, February 21 at 7PM and Saturday, February 22 at 1PM and 4PM.

What is your signature design style? Are there any tools you’re currently jonesing for that would help you achieve your signature look with your next home project?

Mike: For the home and around the house I like the rustic look, with some detail and modern accents. I would love to have my own professional laser level. We have one on set but I really need to get one for myself. You can use it to find any level you need on the job site.

Sherry: My style is eclectic. I like my home to be colourful, bold and exciting! If we’re talking construction, I think I have all the tools I need – a whole truck full, to be exact! My favourites are my mitre saw and stiletto hammer.

Finish this sentence: If I didn’t work in the design industry, I would…

Mike: If I didn’t work in the design industry I would be a firefighter - no question.

Sherry: If I didn’t work in the design industry I would definitely be working with animals in some way, either as a marine biologist or a veterinarian. Failing that, I’d probably be a hippie traveling the world and doing odd jobs!

Janette Ewen & Jef Hancock

 

Co-owners and business partners of Parker Barrow, Janette Ewen and Jef Hancock know better than anyone the true definition of the word ‘team’, and they have a successfully renowned design consultation company to prove it. Janette and Jef will provide useful tips on how to Design Your Life from A-Z with three exciting presentations on the HGTV Main Stage on Thursday, February 20 at 7PM, Friday, February 21 at 5PM, and Saturday, February 22 at 5PM.

Cutting-edge customer alert! What design tips would you recommend to a client looking to get ahead of the design curve?

Janette: Think for yourself! Don’t follow trends - follow your passion and heart. What makes you tick? Think of what colours, textures, materials make you swoon and create your own style based on that. That way, you’ll always be ahead.

Jef: Forget the curve. Focus on your personal creative vision. Go wild. If something’s worth doing, it’s worth doing all the way. Don’t be fearful of breaking through ‘safe’ barriers. Trends are about what everybody else is doing. If you want to stand out, go your own way and your spaces will make you happy. Use color and composition as a guide, as you can’t throw out design sense, but open your mind to unorthodox possibilities.

We love shopping local! What are a few of your go-to spots for retail therapy for the home?

Janette: I LOVE The Cross! Urban Barn is also a great go-to for quirky accessories and mainstay must haves. I also find gems in goodwill, someone else’s trash, and my parent’s basement.

Jef: It’s a three-way tie between Urban Ore in Oakland, The City of Detroit, and my workshop – I can’t choose just one!

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With twice the advice, twice the fun and twice the expert knowledge, the presentations at this year’s BC Home + Garden Show are not to be missed! To view the entire HGTV Main Stage schedule, please click here. See you at the show!

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