Fall Home Show: Learn what the experts advise for creating your best home ever
Credit to Author: Mary Beth Roberts| Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 13:28:56 +0000
As always, there is much to see at the Vancouver Fall Home Show. But this year, show manager Tyson Kidd is encouraging people to take time to listen as well, especially with such a stellar lineup of speakers on the program.
Of course, HGTV stars like Bryan Baeumler (who is back this year) tend to attract the most buzz and attention when speaking on the main stage. But Kidd is just as proud of working with members of the local design industry, such as designers Sarah Gallop and Jamie Banfield, who have become popular for the insights they provide.
Interior designer Jamie Banfield.
“Having relevant local talent on the stage is super important to us—these are the people serving our consumers,” he points out. “When it comes down to needing the hands-on help for a reno, they eat, sleep and work in the same region. You can call them and visit their offices for meetings and consultations.”
Among them is custom-home designer Kathy Yuen, whose Phase One Design operates out of both Vancouver and Calgary. She will be speaking about designing a dream home, and advises homeowners start by getting down on paper their must-haves and their wish list. That will help show design professionals what your vision is, and that, in turn, will help establish the budget.
Bryan Baeumler will appear live on the HGTV Canada Main Stage Friday, October 25, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, October 26, at 1 p.m.
Kidd is also excited about the lineup for the cooking stage. Great Canadian Baking Show judge Bruno Feldeisen, former Top Chef Canada contestant Dennis Peckham, and wine educator and writer Kurtis Kolt are all set to do demonstrations and answer a range of questions. Kidd recommends people take a look at the speaking schedules for both stages so they can plan out their visits, and schedule around the specific talks they want to take in.
BC Hydro has two significant exhibits in the show this year, designed to spark deeper thought into the ways we live and commute in this province. The “Dave’s Reno” display—named after BC Hydro’s ubiquitous spokesman—really breaks down how to create more energy-efficient homes. That can mean draft-proofing and weather-proofing a house, picking proper insulation by considering the heat retention properties of different materials, and designing HVAC systems to be energy efficient. It also explores the rebates and benefits of designing greener homes.
Custom-home designer Kathy Yuen.
“The display literally breaks all of this down.” Kidd explains. “It shows how renovating properly sets you up for years and years into the future, and that you’re protecting the environment by doing it right the first time.”
The “Dave’s Garage” installation is all about electric vehicles and covers everything from rebates to the charging network around B.C. to installing a home charging station.
“Almost all of the people who walk into the show are customers of Hydro, and they’re used to Hydro educating them about power usage and environmentally friendly ideas,” says Kidd.
“This is a perfect way to have conversations about things our showgoers are alread-y curious about.”