ATLANTA HOME SHOW!
The Galleria Centre is a really nice events space. It is very open, clean and attractive and always appropriately staffed. You are able to park free for two hours and it will only cost $5 for the entire day. That's a steal!
The Centre hosts the Atlanta Home Show every spring and fall and we decided to attend this year. This annual show runs three days from Friday through Sunday. We normally enjoy going on Saturday but since it's festival season, we had to move our visit to Sunday. If you want to save money on the price of admission, just sign up for their e-mails and wait until the last minute when they start trying desperately to get your attention. Once it gets down to 50% off, pounce and purchase your tickets in advance. This will also help you avoid those long ticket lines.
We actually visited the show because we were interested in landscaping and kitchen renovation ideas. When it came to landscaping, the options were very limited because there was a lot of replication and nothing truly innovative. I wanted to see more than the same brick used in the same way, boring!
***If you are a landscaper presenting at a show, please bring your full arsenal because homeowners are rarely just looking to have a wall built. They want to know if you can address drainage issues, complete grading, add a patio, even a fence. We need comprehensive services because we don't want to have to hire multiple companies to complete the job. Now, I do not expect you to bring a model or replica of various projects but before and after photos are priceless and can definitely tip that scale in your favor.
So, I am looking to remodel my kitchen and wanted to explore organizational options. The national company known for innovative design and helping you organize your kitchen space totally dropped the ball. They came with their pointless builder basic options, (the ones that we are all trying to replace), and just totally failed. The Art of Drawers, a new company who provides custom designs and can help you adjust those awkward corners, virtually drop kicked the Rev-A-Shelf vendors out of the door. Boom!! No competition! The Art of Drawers reps were very helpful with answering our questions and offering solutions for our storage questions. They had a very nice and functional display. Good job!
Home Depot had a great presence at the show because they literally had a "well-staffed" WING that showcased their home improvement services including windows, cabinets and more. They even had a children's activity center where the kids were working on projects. I love Home Depot for hardware and home accents and I actually used them to install a storm door. I was hesitant at first, (because I don't like using sub-contractors), but they did a great job and I had no issues.
Every vendor has information that you can take with you. I always take cards and info so that I can do some research and get additional information. This is how I have been able to actually find a couple of my service providers. I just really enjoy walking through and talking to the vendors because they have plenty of swag and treats. Some people are there just to get you to sign up for drawings or services. Don't do it because you will probably get bombarded with solicitous e-mails. Also, if you are really wanting services, you will need time to make an informed decision. Tread carefully.
In addition to vendors selling wares and services, you will also see cooking demonstrations, interactive demos, (chair massage), and special presentations by Walter Reeves and Ty Pennington.
So, if you are looking for ideas for improvements to your home or garden or you just like to browse for the fun of it, check out the show! read more