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.
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