Calgary Fall Home Show: Advice and inspiration all part of the fun

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If you look carefully, there are plenty of freebies to be had once inside the Calgary Fall Home Show (a ticketed event), to be held Sept. 27 to 29 at the BMO Centre. There will be free information, free ideas, free estimates on some potential projects and freedom to let your imagination run wild.

In addition to the free celebrity presentations on the Main Stage, including home renovation expert and all-round good guy Bryan Baeumler, there will be free advice from interior designers on the home show floor. Two such designers who are home show favourites in Calgary, Brittany McNab of Fifteen Twelve Home Co. and Abby Richards of White House on the Prairie Designs, will be on hand during the three-day show to provide top-notch opinions on everything from paint colour to furniture arrangement.

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“Honestly, the home shows are such a fun opportunity to meet people, and create something I love,” says Richards, who will be styling a design feature called Homestead Haven. It’s a bedroom vignette with a timeless esthetic using natural materials native to the Southern Alberta prairie.

She says that nine times out of 10, when you ask people where their favourite place might be, they say somewhere in nature. Alberta has beautiful prairies, majestic mountains and big, open blue skies that are perhaps taken for granted.

“We become accustomed to it because we see it all the time. Nature is truly a work of art. I love the idea of bringing these elements into our homes,” she says.

Richards’ colour palette will contain muted greens, browns, tans and creams. The display will be adorned with a cozy rug, wood beams, an upholstered linen headboard and leather to create a visually interesting space. It won’t be perfect though, she admits.

“As we create our homes, often we want that show home feel. But this piece will be bringing nature indoors and what is appreciated in nature but imperfections, like disorganized shapes and edges,” she says.

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Over at Living Local, the feature that McNab is creating, is a similar homage to Alberta. Her design intention with this feature is to inject a sense of place into where we live, emphasizing local materials and artisans.

“The style is reminiscent of a ranch house with super simple materials and colours that remind us of an Alberta fall. Browns, blues, tans and lots of whites. Fresh, airy and crisp,” she says.

McNab is highlighting locally made pillows, warm wooden floors, furniture made of reclaimed wood and a Calgary artisan who is plastering a fireplace. She has observed in her work that often design doesn’t always look like it belongs here, geographically speaking.

“Let’s paint a picture of what it’s like to live in Alberta,” she says.

Homestead Haven and Living Local are just two of the many features, presentations and exhibitor showcases to be found at the 2024 Calgary Fall Home Show, running Friday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Sept. 28 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Save $2 by purchasing tickets online in advance at calgaryfallhomeshow.com.

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