Inspiration at the Home Show

I guess everyone has their own resources for inspiration. The hubby and I love to go to all the different shows that come to the South Towne Expo Center.  These shows are the closest thing we have to a date night and we find inspiration there.  It's one of the first places most people will see the latest trends for home design and landscaping. We like discovering new products there as well.
Today I was treated to a bit of a sneak preview of the Salt Lake Home Show which is opening tomorrow.

Opal Design Group talked to our little group about home design. They are giving free design consultations at their booth at the home show this weekend. Some of the tips they shared today go beyond just how to decorate your home. Knowing the latest design trends helps those of us who are selling products we hope someone else will use to decorate their home. Trends/fads come and go. If something seems to get crazy popular, you know it will die out at some point. Decorators look for both the trendy elements as well as the classic ones so the look doesn't get "old" too fast.

When asked about current popular trends, some of the home design bloggers mentioned polka dots, vintage inspired, industrial, reclaimed woods, and airy/light bright colors.  The designer mentioned that they noticed color trends changing in some of the design markets they've attended. Heavy, saturated colors are coming in (like turquoise) and warm gray has become the hot new neutral color. With the way we're all connecting online, a more global influence is being seen in decorating. I know I've already seen the Asian look in a lot of design elements. One trend that is getting popular for smaller spaces is transparent furniture.  Knowing these things will help me as I plan to create new products for our Etsy shop. I may not be able to make transparent furniture, but I like using saturated colors of thread for tatting and it's nice to see that repurposing and upcycling of materials is still "in."

One of the more exciting parts of my day was seeing how they put it all together. I'm very much a "behind the scenes" type of person. The heavy equipment was out building those mounds of dirt and rocks where potted plants and trees will be placed and the vendor will have people dreaming of amazing landscapes.

If you're in Utah and want to attend the Salt Lake Home Show, tickets can be purchased online. Use the Promotion Code SCRIBNIA for $3 off your ticket. Ty Pennington from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition will be there on Saturday. Click on over to their website to see the schedule and the list of other celebrities.

Friday is Hero Day!
Military, Fire, & Police admitted free. 
To receive a complimentary admission pass simply show your valid ID at the information desk at the entrance to the show.