Turning your home into the dream home you have always wanted doesn’t have to be a complicated or expensive process.
The first step in making this dream come true might be attending the Madison Area Builders Association’s Dream Home Showcase (formerly the Home Products Show) at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on Feb. 28-March 2.
This event gives attendees the opportunity to draw on the collective expertise of hundreds of seasoned building professionals. With a stronger economy, and consumer confidence growing, more people are making the decision to invest in their existing homes. Visitors to the Dream Home Showcase will learn about the latest trends, products and services in the home-building industry from more than 150 exhibitors. The showcase is also the perfect place to compare solutions and products and find the best value for your construction budget.
Waunakee exhibitors include Andersen Windows, Classic Custom Homes of Waunakee, Hellenbrand, Premier Builders, Simon Builders, Stagecoach Plumbing, The Groutsmith and Waunakee Remodeling.
“You can see more in a few hours than you could see in several days of traveling to independent showrooms,” added Bill Evers, sales representative for Andersen Windows.
The Latest Trends
Building and remodeling trends are constantly changing. Demand for sustainable design and building, and products made from recycled materials, continues to be strong. As baby boomers downsize into smaller homes/condos, creative storage and organization solutions have never been in higher demand.
Advanced technology is driving many of the new products on display during the show. Smart-home technology is increasingly popular for controlling lighting, stereo systems, TVs, garage doors, thermostats and security systems.
According to Nicole Hartmann, job operations manager at Classic Custom Homes of Waunakee, customers have increased interest in livability and originality, combined energy savings.
“We are a custom-home builder, so we’ve always been focused on singular customer design needs,” said Hartmann. “Now, however, with Pinterest and Houzz, there are a lot more creative solutions and ideas that people bring to us, such as hidden rooms, appliance houses in the kitchen and bookshelf doors.”
“Sun tunnels” are also becoming more popular as a free-energy light source.
“They are a great way to get natural light in normally dark areas, such as bathrooms or closets, and are easy to install,” added Hartmann.
Seminars and Stage Presentations
How-to seminars going on throughout the showcase include how to select a builder, refacing or replacing cabinets, fireplace design, bath and kitchen remodels, metal roofing, color trends, energy efficiency, outdoor lighting, building a dream floor, innovative use of interior space and creative outdoor landscaping.
For Evers, the best part of the showcase is meeting new people and helping them find solutions for their specific projects.
“It is fun to interact with customers and learn about their unique projects,” he said. “Providing them with the information they need to make an educated choice is our goal.”
This year’s Dream Home Showcase non-profit partner is the Wisconsin Women’s Health Foundation, which will receive a portion of the ticket sales. Throughout the show the foundation will conduct free health screenings, raffle off a wine refrigerator, and host coloring contests for children. Other highlights for kids include a Home Depot building project and activities about fire prevention and safety at the Fire Safety House.
For more information about exhibitors, seminar schedules and maps and directions, visit www.maba.org/dream-home-showcase.
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