Vancouver Home + Design Show Ambassadors at Western Living Design Week

Design and entertaining enthusiasts, this one's for you! Western Living, British Columbia and Alberta's favourite design and lifestyle magazine, is hosting 2015 Western Living Design Week, presented in part by the Vancouver Home + Design Show, at Oakridge Centre from September 19-29, 2015.

Vancouver Home + Design Show ambassadors Sarah Gallop and Jamie Banfield, two of the city's top interior designers, will join the Western Living Conversation Series to chat about all things renovation and design, while previewing their appearances at the show next month.

Get tips from Sarah Gallop on Relationships - Surviving a Renovation at Western Living Design Week on Sunday, September 27 at 1pm and Monday, September 28 at 4pm.

Learn all about Kitchen Space & Design - How to Expect the Unexpected from Jamie Banfield at Western Living Design Week on Tuesday, September 29 at 1pm.

And mark those calendars! The Vancouver Home + Design Show takes over the Vancouver Convention Centre West, October 22-25, 2015. Check out our complete Main Stage schedule to start planning your visit, and buy your tickets now to SAVE BIG. Right now you can get 2-for-1 tickets when you connect with us on Facebook. Treat a friend or family member to the show - we can't wait to see you there!

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Meet Western Canada's Next Home Stylist!

The search is over, and what a search it’s been! The public has spoken, and we are thrilled to announce Christina Dennis of The DIY Mommy as the winner of Western Canada’s Next Home Stylist.

The search for Western Canada’s Next Home Stylist alongside Urban Barn and emi>Western Living magazine began this past February, and each entrant was required to submit an audition video showcasing their creativity and personality along with their application. Christina, along with the other two finalists (Ryan Massel of Calgary, AB and Tijana Popovic of Vancouver, BC) participated in three challenges in order to win a grand prize package valued at $10,000. The public voted for their stylist of choice on Facebook from June to August, and Christina came out as the resounding favourite!

Christina is a devoted mother of three, and has been blogging from her home in Stony Plain, Alberta since 2009. Since then, she has taken the Canadian blogging and social media scene by storm: in 2014, she won the title of “Best in Family or Parenting” Yeggie at the Edmonton New Media Awards and in 2015, she was named one of the “24 Most Awesome Parents on Social Media” by Today’s Parent magazine. All about staying on ­trend and in fashion without breaking the bank, Christina founded The DIY Mommy as a platform to explore, perfect and share crafts for babies, moms and homes while offering a sneak peek at her (oh­-so­-stylish) personal life – not to mention her biggest DIY project ever – building her custom home with her husband in 2013.

Next stop? The shows! Christina will be appearing on stage at the Calgary Home + Design Show on Saturday, September 19th, the Vancouver Home + Design Show on Friday, October 23rd and the Edmonton Fall Home Show on Sunday, October 25th. Be sure to keep an eye out for Christina’s swoon­worthy vignettes at the shows! For more information, please visit www.nexthomestylist.com.

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Breaking News: Meet the Finalists for Western Canada’s Next Home Stylist!

This past winter, we launched our search for the next big name in design, entertaining and all things lifestyle, alongside Urban Barn and WesternLiving magazine. We combed all of British Columbia and Alberta to find the official spokesperson for this fall’s home and design shows in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver - and found you, did we ever! From Vancouver to Stony Plain, Calgary to Kamloops, Nanaimo to Medicine Hat, applicants came out in droves to stake their claim to the title of Western Canada’s Next Home Stylist, not to mention a prize package including a $1,000 Urban Barn shopping spree, media exposure across two provinces, and much more.

And now, we’re ready to announce our three finalists.

Tijana Popovic from Vancouver, British Columbia was a blogger at heart before she even knew what blogging was! A born frugalista, Tijana is the Do-It-Yourself maven behind the blog, Frugal Living Adventures.

Tijana Popovic

Ryan Massel from Calgary, Alberta is all about feeling FABULOUS. As the editor of I’m Mr Fabulous, Ryan shares stories of travel, fashion, home décor, and great eats - all in totally fabulous style, of course.

Ryan Massel

Christina Dennis from Stony Plain, Alberta started her blog, The DIY Mommy, when she was having a tough time finding free resources to make trendy baby clothing for her six-month-old daughter. Today, she features crafts for babies, moms and homes while offering a sneak peek at her personal life.

Christina Dennis

Who will capture the title of Western Canada’s Next Home Stylist? It’s up to you to help us decide. Starting today, our three finalists will compete in a series of three lifestyle-themed challenges - check out the first one here! Vote for your favourites on our FacebookPage starting Monday, June 15 and you could choose our winner and win an Urban Barn gift card.

And, don’t forget to catch our winner at the home and design shows in Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton this fall. See you there!

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The Search Is On For Western Canada's Next Home Stylist

Calling all bloggers, designers, and entertaining enthusiasts: we're searching for the next big name in design, entertainment, and all things lifestyle. Are you it? If you've got a reputation for throwing buzz-worthy parities, creating unforgettable spaces, and styling incredible Instagram snaps, we want to hear from you!

Enter Western Canada's Next Home Stylist contest at nexthomestylist.com and you could make it big by becoming our official spokesperson at this fall's home and design shows in Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton. Our three favourite entrants will compete in a series of lifestyle-themed challenges in partnership with Urban Barn and Western Living magazine, with the winner announced this August.

That's not all - our $10,000 grand prize package includes an Urban Barn gift certificate, connections with Western Living magazine, media exposure across two provinces, and so much more!

Stardom waits for no one. Make your chance count and enter today - we're only accepting entries until April 30, 2015. What are you waiting for? This could be your big break!

For full rules and regulations, please click here.

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Feature Forecast: What's Happening at the Vancouver Home + Design Show!

It should come as no surprise that we can’t wait for fall - even with the gorgeous weather outside. Why, you ask? The Vancouver Home + Design Show, that’s why! We’re thrilled to announce exciting new features that are sure to capture your attention this October. To pump up the pre-show anticipation, we present you with the top 5 features at this year’s Vancouver Home + Design Show, happening October 16-19 at BC Place Stadium.

1. Urban Barn’s Next Top Designer: Reloaded

Back after a hugely successful inaugural year, three of Vancouver’s up-and-coming interior designers will go head-to-head in Urban Barn’s Next Top Designer: Reloaded. It’s the ultimate micro-management exercise: designing a 150 ft² space with $5,000 worth of Urban Barn furniture and accessories for display. Cast your vote at the Urban Barn booth and you could walk away with a $5,000 Urban Barn shopping spree! 

2. Ultimate Upcycling Challenge 3: ChairLIFT

Local media personalities, designers and tastemakers will each upcycle a pre-loved chair for silent auction, with 100% of proceeds benefitting Habitat for HumanityGreater Vancouver and its affiliated ReStores. Be sure to stop by and bid on your favourite stylish seat – but best keep close tabs on the action, or it could be lost to a higher bidder!

3. Vancouver Magazine Cooking Stage

Home cooks, take note. Catch well-known chefs, like Food Network’s Corbin Tomaszeski and local favourites, as they demonstrate top recipes and expert techniques live on stage! Plus, don’t miss the Samsung Cooking Challenge: Tag Team Kitchen, where three home cooks will partner with a top chef in a battle for culinary supremacy (not to mention $5,000 worth of Samsung home appliances for their kitchen).

4. BC Hydro Power Smart Home

Eco-lovers, rejoice! BC Hydro’s Power Smart Home is back by popular demand. Design darling Jennifer Scott from A Good Chick To Know will marry cool style and electricity conservation in this green-loving space. Learn how to stay chic and shrink your home’s carbon footprint at the same time – now that’s called sustainable style.

5. Floform Lounge presented by Western Living  

After a day of digging up design inspiration, you’ll need to recharge and study up on fall’s must-have home trends, courtesy of Western Living magazine. Enter the Floform Lounge, designed by Megan Baker from A Good Chick to Know. Located just steps away from the Metrie Main Stage, you can lay back and relax without missing any of the celebrity action – vino in hand, of course.

Join us this October for these exciting features (and much more!) at the Vancouver Home + Design Show. Remember to buy your tickets online now, for the best deals. 

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Sizzling on Stage: Vancouver’s top chefs to dish it out at the BC Home + Garden Show

Calling all foodies! The Urban Fare Cooking Stage at the BC Home + Garden Show, presented by FortisBC and Western Living, is set to showcase cooking demonstrations as diverse and distinct as the headlining chefs themselves. Arrive with an appetite, because four lucky attendees at each demonstration will also get to sample the still-sizzling, signature creations first-hand.

Better yet? We’re giving away more than $1,000 in prizes from our chefs! Read through the exciting line-up and check out the items up for grabs. With 11 prizes there's something for every foodie on this list!

CLICK TO ENTER

Don’t miss the dish from the city’s top chefs, starting Wednesday, February 19 at BC Place! Click here for a first look at the skilled culinarians we’re welcoming to the Urban Fare Cooking Stage.

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL STAGE SCHEDULE.

Whatever your fancy, the array of talent appearing on the Urban Fare Cooking Stage is not to be missed. Revive stunted stovetop activity just in time for spring, thanks to expert advice and show-stopping creations sure to leave your lips buzzing and your mouth watering!

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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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Opening Night in Vancouver: Celebrating 30 years of design

The Vancouver Home + Design Show kicks off tomorrow with a party to celebrate 30 years of all things design, home improvement and entertaining. You’re invited to join in the fun at our opening night soiree tomorrow, October 17, from 4-9PM at BC Place Stadium.

Enjoy an evening of rubbing shoulders with the who’s-who of Vancouver’s creative set at the biggest design party of the season, complete with au-courant cocktails in the Western Livng Lounge designed by Nicole Sjostedt. Nibble on snacks from some of the city’s favourite eateries, like Beaucoup Bakery, while bobbing your head to a live performance from DNA6 presented by The Beat 94.5. You’ll be treated to exclusive surprises all night long; make sure you don’t leave empty handed, no good party ends without a goodie bag!

For three decades, the Vancouver Home + Design Show presented by Scotiabank has been a major event, attracting more than 30,000 visitors each fall. Every year we bring you high-interest exhibits and high-profile industry personalities, accompanied by the latest in home and lifestyle trends.

  

This year, you won’t want to miss the big names like Johnathan and Drew Scott, stars of W Network’s Property Brothers, Jillian Harris and Todd Talbot, hosts of W Network’s Love It or List It Vancouver and local favourites like A Good Chick to Know. The Vancouver Home + Design Show will also play host to more than 325 exhibitors and tons of new and exciting features. Check out the HGTV Main Stage schedule to mark off your must-sees in your calendar.

Home entertaining will be infused with flair and flavor from Vancouver’s best known chefs and culinary personalities on the Vancouver Magazine Cooking Stage. Chef Massimo Capra, Ned Bell and Trevor Bird are some of the familiar faces that will be cooking up a storm on stage. Check the Vancouver Magazine Cooking Stage schedule so you don’t miss out on all the flavor filled action.

Purchase your tickets online today for the Vancouver Home + Design Show and save $3 off regular adult admission.  See you tonight! 

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