Harmonious Homeownership

Some days, homeownership can be so harmonious.  Everything is flowing and cooperative and lovely.  On those days, I’m making homemade pesto, from my home grown basil, nurtured with soil from my composter and water from my rain barrel.  Step aside Martha Stewart. 

Then there are the days, when Lucille Ball and Jerry Lewis are conducting the orchestra and discord prevails.  On those days, I am staring at the frozen rain barrel I forgot to drain before the winter freeze.  The awkward, listing mass is clearly unstable, even dangerous.  Attempting to shore up the frozen, hulking mass, I accidentally loosen the bracket connecting the barrel to the downspout and in an instant; my downspout is falling into my neighbor’s evergreen.

Those are the days when I am truly grateful for the experts.  The truth is, my home improvement know-how can only take me so far.  There is clearly a gap between my vision and my abilities.  Hearing a specialist say, “We can handle this” is music to my ears, and with a little help from the professionals, my home is in-tune once again. 

Since 1984, The Old House New House Home Show has been connecting homeowners with the capable contractors, proficient architects, accomplished designers, talented landscapers and skilled craftsmen to help translate your vision into the finished product.  We welcome you to imagine the home of your dreams, create your own composition and enjoy the sweet sounds of a successful home improvement.  

This outstanding event returns for its 27^th year, February 11, 12 and 13 to Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 East Main Street (North Avenue) in St. Charles.  Since 1984, award-winning contractors, distinguished designers and creative craftsmen have gathered to present industry trends as well as traditional home improvements.  Show hours are Friday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Adult admission is $7; senior admission (62 and up) is $4, and children (under 18) attend free.  Parking is free.  A portion of the ticket proceeds benefits The Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley.

For more Home Show information, please visit our website: www.KennedyProductions.com 

Old House New House Home Show, St. Charles, IL - February Show Press Release

Old House New House Home Show Returns with Renovations, Repair and Remodeling

Improving Not Moving Trend Continues for Homeowners

 St. Charles, IL – Falling housing prices, tighter lending restrictions and less mobility among homeowners has re-shaped the current housing market.  Maximizing existing spaces and places has become a priority for today’s homeowner.  From simple solutions to magnificent makeovers, The Old House New House Home Show is an exceptional resource for enhancing, expanding and maintaining properties.  This outstanding event returns for its 27^th year, February 11, 12 and 13 to Pheasant Run Resort, 4051 East Main Street (North Avenue) in St. Charles.  Since 1984, award-winning contractors, distinguished designers and creative craftsmen have gathered to present industry trends as well as traditional home improvements.  Show hours are Friday 10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Adult admission is $7; senior admission (62 and up) is $4, and children (under 18) attend free.  Parking is free.  A portion of the ticket proceeds benefits The Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley.

Homeowners can see cutting-edge innovations, explore building materials, find time-saving services and find inspiration to customize, update and refresh home environments.  Deluxe displays from 300 experts will feature the latest in kitchens, bathrooms, additions, landscaping, interior design, painting, patios, ponds, sun rooms, basements, home automation, storage solutions, window treatments, waterproofing, roofing, windows, doors, floors and more.  The Grand Prize is a $1,000 home show gift certificate to use with the exhibitor of choice.  Homeowners can enter to win and there is no purchase necessary.  See web site for contest rules. 

Industry experts share tips from the trades with exciting workshops on: Designing Your Dream Kitchen, presented daily at Noon by Barbara Quatroke of Q’s Cabinet Shoppe, Inspired Interiors, presented daily at 1:00 p.m. by Loren Reid Seaman of LRS Design, and Blueprint for a Greener Home, presented daily at 2:00 p.m. by Michael Pudlik of Legacy Builders, Ron Rous of Tankless Technologies and Joe Konopacki of Insight Property Services.  Workshops are included with admission and seating is limited. 

Green innovations and sustainable improvements continue to be popular among homeowners.  Home energy audits, infrared thermographic imaging, tankless water heaters, rainwater harvesting, low and no VOC paints, bamboo flooring, geo-thermal heat will be showcased, offering homeowners greater energy-efficiency, reduced consumption and conscientious home living. 

New exhibitors include: Instone Masonry Veneer of Alsip, Old World Millworks of DeKalb, Airoom and Elevations Renovations of Lincolnwood, Illinois Infrared Imaging of Elgin, Davis Roofing of Arlington Heights, All American Decorative Concrete of Woodridge and U.S. Waterproofing of Rolling Meadows.

Mature homeowners, not yet ready to sell in this market, can investigate options with Aging-in-Place experts, Don and Carole Williams of Bathcrest in Elmhurst, who specialize in bathroom safety products.     

With lower interest rates, excellent opportunities are available in this market for re-finance.  Lending experts, Steve DePolis from U.S. Bank and Lana Haske of Avenue Mortgage will be available with helpful information on lowering monthly payments, shortening the duration of a loan or freeing up valuable equity for home improvements.  Home buyers, especially first-time purchasers, are benefiting from the high number of homes available for sale, lower interest rates and reduced price points.

Join hundreds of seasoned experts at The Old House New House Home Show and catch the spark of creativity from certified kitchen designers, landscape architects, skilled remodelers, custom cabinet makers, flooring specialists, garden coaches and countertop specialists.  This best-in-class event presents the opportunity to examine possibilities, consider options, tackle projects with ease and ultimately uncover the hidden beauty in home surroundings.  For a current exhibitor list, directions to Pheasant Run, contest rules or a printable $1 off admission coupon visit www.kennedyproductions.com or call 630/515-1160 for more information.

A Slice of Home Improvement Humble Pie

By Laura Kennedy McNamara
The Old House New House Home Show: www.kennedyproductions.com

There is a sense of wonder and accomplishment that comes with restoring an older home. Watching the beauty and potential unfold before your eyes is certainly gratifying, but it can be humbling as well. My husband and I were crazy with ambition (or maybe just crazy) buying a 1938 fixer-upper in Oak Park. The property was in need of immediate maintenance, but we recognized that the structure had beautiful bones and budding possibilities.

As we set out to update and renovate our new home, our low level D-I-Y skills were instantly put to the test. We quickly discovered that “We can just...” were the three most dangerous words in our vocabulary. For example, “We can just strip this wallpaper...” translated into days of scraping and a sloppy, sticky mess. The most humbling exchange occurred when our five year old pitched in and pulled off a piece “as big as California” while we picked at Rhode Island-sized bits. It didn’t take long for me to realize that coordinating a home improvement expo is not the same as actually being handy. After dropping (a few) wet paint brushes and stepping on (a few) messy paint can lids I realized that channeling Lucille Ball was not an effective way to revamp this home. It was time to call in the experts.

Learning limits is an important step of the home improvement process. Renovating a home properly requires tools, time and most importantly, talent. The Old House New House Home Show at Pheasant Run Resort hosts hundreds of talented craftsmen, with finely honed skills to help convert visions into reality.

Luckily, we were able to tap into the talent pool of tradesmen featured in this home improvement expo to help us along. This event is a wonderful resource in the greater Chicago area for meeting these craftsmen, designers, builders and remodelers face-to-face to discuss the projects you have in mind. Seeing our home surroundings transform continues to be rewarding and exhilarating. We are able to enjoy the process even more, now that we’ve eaten our humble pie and turned the work over to the experts.

For more information visit www.kennedyproductions.com 


Laura McNamara is the Production Manager for Kennedy Productions’ Old House New House Home Show, held September 26 and 27 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles. Contact 630/515-1160 or kp@core.com.

The Old House New House® Home Show Returns: February 11-12-13, 2011

Join us February 11 - 12 - 13, 2010 for the opportunity to create the home of your dreams!

The Old House New House® Home Show at Pheasant Run Resort is the largest, most innovative and longest-running home show in the Chicago area. It is well-established, consistently attractive and selective, making it the finest, most highly-anticipated home show in the area.

Kennedy Productions has been presenting consumer shows of distinction since 1984. This bi-annual event features more than 300 award-winning contractors and distinguished home enhancement specialists. Spectacular displays, cutting-edge workshops, appealing attractions and state-of-the-art products focus on home improvement as well as home life and enjoyment. This is a unique forum that brings together hundreds of professionals and thousands of homeowners.

For more information visit us online at: www.kennedyproductions.com