Get decorating, remodeling advice at Southern Ideal Home Show

A smorgasbord of home improvement choices are on display this weekend at the 30th Southern Ideal Home Show at The Park Expo and Conference Center. Experts will showcase products and dole out advice on topics ranging from curb appeal to interior decorating to major remodeling.

The focus of this years show is Weve done the work for you, says Show Manager Mardee Woodward. We have brought every category of home improvement, decorating and design under one roof, she says. It is one stop shopping, so customers can talk to several experts in the same category and compare. Many customers bring their plans to the show on iPads, which makes it easy for vendors to give personal advice. And its free advice, she says.

Trends include white and light colors in the kitchen and bath cabinet category. LED outdoor lighting is another hot trend. The prices are affordable, and the blue tint is gone, says Woodward. Home security system innovations allow people to check their alarm systems remotely. Plumbing highlights include a Kohler experience tour called Trust the Flush hosted by Ferguson Kitchen & Bath. Hardscape is popular in the landscaping arena. It uses manufactured or natural stone to create usable outdoor space.

Customers will enter the show through the IDEAL Foyer. Its six vignettes emphasize the importance of first impressions in welcoming guests to a home. Cobalt blue and fuscia provide pop. A 5-inch hand scraped hickory floor made by American Scrapes provides class.

On the IDEAL Home Stage, Observer Home&Garden columnist Vicki Payne, designer of a home textile collection and host of the PBS series For Your Home, will speak about reimagining exterior design. WKQZs Brenda Matthews will speak about the role paint can play in home dcor. Cooking demonstrations, hosted by Heidi Billotto will feature a variety of Charlotte area chefs, including Heirlooms Clark Barlow, The Peach Stands butcher Sal Bonsangue, and Kings Kitchens Sam Stachon, to name a few.

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Get decorating, remodeling advice at Southern Ideal Home Show