Just like TIFF, the Fall Home Show has its stars. Here some of the more noteworthy speakers who will be appearing.
Colin and Justin
Interior decorators and reality television stars Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan appear on the main stage Friday, Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Sept. 22 at 4 p.m.
Q: Why do you think the Fall Home Show has enduring appeal?
Justin Ryan: The show is a mixture of big names and big ideas. I like that you can go to one venue and walk around and see 10 high streets’ worth of things under one roof. It’s the ultimate shopping experience and a perfect opportunity to feather your nest.
Q: What will you be talking about during your appearances?
Colin McAllister: How to create a million dollar look on a limited budget— how to give the impression you’ve spent a fortune when in actual fact you’ve been really careful. When money is tighter, I think creativity is crucial. It’s less about simply buying everything and more about using things in a way that will look extra special.
Q: Not everyone is born with a knack for design. Can it be acquired?
JR: I think it can. Some people are born academic and some are born creative, and you can learn one or the other with exposure to the relevant things. That’s why when we do our master classes at the home show, they’re relevant, because neither Colin nor I studied design, but we learned. You can immerse yourself in a stylish world and become much more literate and capable.
Glen Peloso
Celebrity Designer Glen Peloso appears on the main stage on Friday, Sept. 21 at 3 p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 3 p.m.
Q: There’s a lot to take in at the Home Show; what’s the best plan of attack?
Glen Peloso: Focus your search so it’s a productive time. If you’re thinking this is the year you’re going to reno your kitchen, make a list of things that you’ll require. Then go through the guide and see who’s at the show who does those things. After after you’ve succeeded at doing all the things on your checklist, go for a general browse.
Q:What will you be talking about during your appearances?
GP: Creating great kitchens. I’m working with York Fabrica, and they do a lot of different stone products as well as manmade products for countertops, surfaces, backsplashes etc. A lot of people get confused about the difference between stone and porcelain or manmade products, and they have no idea what direction to go in. There are some basic principles of how a kitchen must be laid out in order to function. After you figure out how it functions, then you can figure out how to make it beautiful.
Q: What’s coming up in fall design trends?
GP: Colour. For the last little while we’ve seen things be quite muted. This season the trend seems to be really bright, happy, strong colours.
Property Brothers — Jonathan and Drew Scott
TV personalities Jonathan and Drew Scott appear on the main stage Saturday, Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m.
Q: What will you be talking about during your appearances?
Drew Scott: We call it champagne dreams on a beer budget, and that’s the premise of Property Brothers, too: how you can get into your dream home without financially crippling yourself. We show people the different ways you can save on certain items. What to spend money on and what to save on but still get a custom look.
Q: On Property Brothers homebuyers constantly fail to see the potential of a space. Why?
DS: The big thing is a lack of experience, lack of education. That’s a big part of what we lecture about: education is key. I can’t expect somebody who has never bought or renovated a home before to come into a space and think, “Yes I could do this to this room, I could open up this wall.” We’ve done hundreds of homes, so when we walk into a space it’s completely different than a first time homebuyer walking into a space. So it’s about helping them with our experience.
Q: Who would win in an arm wrestle between you two?
DS: Because I’m on the phone, I’ll say me. We’re both very athletic types, but I took kinesiology in school and studied personal training. So I’ll say I’m the stronger twin.
Vicky Sanderson
Toronto Star columnist Vicky Sanderson will be presenting on the main stage on Friday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 5 p.m.
Q: Any advice for first-time Fall Home Show attendees?
Vicky Sanderson: Wear comfortable shoes — this is not the day for your stilettos, no matter how chic they are. And make a list of the two or three things you want to get done in your home between now and the end of the year. Then visit the website and get a feel for which exhibitors and programs can speak to those issues. So you have a bit of a road map.
Q: What will you be talking about during your appearances?
VS: Entertaining during the holiday season. I talk to so many people who want advice on entertaining and they seem so stressed about it. My main message is: remember, having your friends and family over is supposed to be fun, it’s not a performance review at work.
Q: You’re always trying out new home products and appliances. Which ones do you think are particularly cool?
VS: A hand-washer. It’s a plastic tub you put your clothes in to, put some water in and hand crank for two minutes. It’s mostly for delicates but it gets clothes clean with an amazingly small amount of water. In terms of cookware, my favourite new material is anodized aluminum as an alternative to non-stick coatings, which have been problematic. It doesn’t flake at all, you can put it in the oven and it cleans beautifully.
Frank Ferragine (a.k.a. Frankie Flowers)
TV gardening expert and author Frank Ferragine will be appearing on the main stage Saturday, Sept. 22 at 1 p.m.
Q: What will you be talking about during your appearance?
Frank Ferragine: Why fall is one of the best and busiest gardening seasons. Everybody typically thinks it’s spring, but fall is an excellent time to get out there and plant and plan. Warm ground temperatures, greater frequency of rain — those are the ideal conditions to plant trees, shrubs and perennials.
Q: Any fall gardening tips and suggestions?
FF: Spring flowering bulbs, the best time to plant them is fall. If you like daffodils and tulips in the spring; you can’t plant them in the spring, now is the only opportunity. You’re doing things now to add colour in the spring. And if you’re garden is lacking evergreens, in the dead of winter it’s probably going to be uninteresting, so plant things now that are going to add winter interest factor.
Q: What explains your passion for plants?
FF: My family business is Bradford Greenhouses, right by Holland Marsh, the heart of Canada’s vegetable industry. That’s where I grew up. I joke that my family believed in child labour. I’ve been working with plants for a very long time.
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