Home Show features design solutions from area builders, designers

Since 1948, the Greater Kansas City Home Show has been an annual rite of spring, welcoming thousands of Kansas City area residents to view the most current and wide-ranging displays of home improvement, landscaping and decorating ideas to make their home a place of comfort and beauty.

At this year’s show, which continues today and Sunday at Bartle Hall, attendees will enjoy an exciting lineup of presentations by some of the Kansas City area’s best designers.

Among them is Jennifer Allwood, owner of The Magic Brush, who specializes in faux finishing. She will explore “10 Ways to Update Your Home Before Dinner” and “Chalkboard Paint … It’s Not Just For Chalkboards!”

“My presentation will take decorating and painting down to a very basic level where it isn’t intimidating, so people feel like they could actually go home and implement some of the ideas that I am giving them,” said Allwood. “It’s one thing to see something beautiful online or on Pinterest, but I want them to be confident in actually trying those projects themselves.”

According to Allwood, homeowners should focus on one room at a time.

“Make your kitchen, living room or master bedroom into a space you absolutely love being in, and then move forward to the next room,” she said. “And don’t get hung up on perfection. Very few things in this world are permanent. Paint, wallpaper and furniture can always be changed.”

Kristin Rieke, an award-winning interior designer, Kansas City native and owner of rak’ designs, specializing in Kansas City and Rocky Mountain design and lifestyle, will be back this year sharing design trends.

“Trends are fun but they are there for inspiration,” explained Rieke. “It’s how you choose to incorporate them into your style that makes the difference.”

Rieke’s presentations during the Home Show will focus primarily on today’s interior design market and how to bring these elements (big or small) into their homes.

“I’ll include things like the latest in patterns like Buffalo checks and florals, colors, finishes such as gray finished wood and white marble, at home projects that don’t look like you ‘DIY’d’ them, and accessorizing small spaces and organizing with style,” she said. “Our homes are constantly evolving and changing, but you need to focus on what resonates with you.”

Rieke also said to go beyond just choosing a few paint colors and fabrics swatches. “The way you function in your space should be the first variable considered when designing or redesigning, and should actually enhance how you live in that space.”

Ideas on how to restore, repurpose, refinish and renew your favorite pieces is the focus of “Reinventing Your Bathroom Space!” presented by Jeffery and Chrysy Huff, owners of Restoration Emporium, which houses five stories of inspired vintage lifestyle in the West Bottoms.

“Homeowners definitely overlook and under utilize pre-existing items in their homes that do not necessarily need to be replaced, but can be restored or repurposed,” said Chrysy Huff. “My husband and I have been repurposing (and buying antiques) for over 25 years. We have so many great tips to share about using resources already around you.”

From farmhouse to urban chic, Huff said there are no rules on what’s correct or not correct to use and it’s more important to be open to creative replacements, such as using former kitchen cabinets or an old bathroom vanity.

“At the Home Show, we’re going to unravel the myths about spending a fortune in your bathroom remodel and the ease with which you can bring an old piece back to life.”

Other popular presenters this year include Jennifer Bertrand, HGTV “Design Star” winner and owner of Kansas City’s Bertrand Designs, who helped design “18,000 square feet of happiness” in Kansas City’s latest Ronald McDonald House; Theresa Maybrier, an interior designer at Ethan Allen; and photographer Erin Schuerman, who will discuss visual marketing for homeowners considering listing their home for sale.

Home Show headliners this year are Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV’s “Fixer Upper,” sharing design tips for creating inspiring spaces. Chip’s builder/remodeler background, matched with Joanna’s flair to add just the right touch, has evolved into Magnolia Homes, the central Texas home construction business that has rocketed them to fame on HGTV.

This story was originally published March 20, 2015 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Home Show features design solutions from area builders, designers."