Smaller, lighter and simpler.
That’s the mantra of budget-conscious Northwest homeowners as they look to maintain and improve their homes, according to exhibitors at Seattle Home Show 2010.
Currently, homeowners are more likely to remodel than to move to a new home. If buying, they’re opting for small homes. They’re choosing light colors and seeking simplicity.
“Less is definitely more in today’s Northwest home,” Seattle Home Show exhibitor Pam Saftler said in a news release. “As things become turbulent outside the home, people are tending to focus on what they see as essential in the home. There’s a return to classics because they make people feel safer and more comfortable. People are simplifying and paring down in how they spend on their homes,” said Saftler, whose design firm PCS Design has created home interiors for the event’s Idea Street.
Visitors to the Seattle Home Show 2010 can see nearly 600 exhibits showcasing the latest products and services for homes, ranging from landscaping to siding to model homes. Promoters say the event is the nation’s oldest and largest home show.
Here are five must-see, must-do features at the 66th annual event, which runs Saturday through Feb. 28 at Qwest Field Event Center. According to a Seattle Home Show news release:
1. Idea Street, a community of model homes highlighting the latest residential design trends in the Northwest. See Coast Cabins’ “green” mini-cabins that can be erected using only a rubber mallet. Timberland Homes shows off its Newcastle, a 1,900-square-foot home featuring a beach theme and Northwest native garden designed by Malone’s Landscaping.
2. Seminars. Get tips on green technology, earthquake preparedness and a wealth of other home topics in classes at the show. Among the topics: “Eliminate Chaos,” “How to select and work with an architect” and “Save money and time – the seven most important things to ask your general contractor.” Check the event Web site for the class schedule.
3. The latest kitchen appliances. At the Bradlee Distributors booth, check out new outdoor grills from Wolfe that offer indirect and direct seared cooking options. See the new Subzero 27-inch column units that are either all-refrigeration or all-freezer units.
4. Home automation. Go to the Architectonics booth to see a new home automation and entertainment system that allows users to control security, lighting, temperature, video and music from a touch pad at home or remotely via smart phone or Internet. Also on display: Lamps that include built-in speakers. Framed pictures that “roll up” with the touch of a button to reveal a flat screen TV.
5. Green design. Master Builders has a green building exhibit to showcase its Built Green program, one of the three official green building designations. Look for a resurfacing technology by Siena Faux & Mural Design that gives old counters the look and feel of natural stone.
Debby Abe: 253-597-8694
If you go:
What: Seattle Home Show 2010
When: Feb. 20-28
Where: Qwest Field Event Center, 1000 Occidental Ave. S., Seattle
Admission: Adults $10; seniors $7; kids 7 to 15 years old $3; kids under 7 free.
Bonus: Tickets bought online at www. premierhomeshows.com/ tickets include free parking and a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens.
More info: www. seattlehomeshow.com
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