St. Charles home show helps remodelers personalize houses

A house is just a box, but with some creative design advice — like the expertise hundreds of designers and contractors shared Saturday at the 27th annual Old House New House Home Show in St. Charles — it can be transformed into a home.

A theme of personalization carried through the booths and seminars at the home show, held at Pheasant Run Resort. It's a trend Normandy Builders of Hinsdale is seeing more and more, said Kristina Ferrigan, marketing director. Instead of keeping renovations classic and neutral to avoid offending the preferences of possible future homebuyers, many of the company's customers planning kitchen or bathroom remodels are playing to their own tastes.

“One trend we're seeing is people really doing it for themselves, for them to enjoy, and making these spaces very personal and unique,” Ferrigan said.

Normandy Builders provides customers the expertise of an architect who helps develop bathroom or kitchen plans and the leadership of a project manager who handles all the details.

“We know how to help people in their homes so they can live through” the remodeling process, Ferrigan said.

Interior designer Laura Gleamza, president and senior designer at Laura Gwyn Interiors of Geneva, showed dozens of before-and-after pictures from homes she's helped renovate to get the creative juices flowing for future home remodelers.

“My big focus today is to inspire you to think about the projects in your home in a slightly different light so that you can have the home of your dreams,” Gleamza told about 50 people gathered for her “Inspired Design: Before and After” seminar, which she'll present again today at 1 p.m.

Gleamza suggested small changes — such as installing decorative heating vent covers, upgrading light fixtures or refacing cabinets instead of replacing them — can help homeowners quickly enliven their living spaces.

“I don't know so much that any ideas stuck out, but after listening to her, we might consider consulting with an interior designer, which we weren't considering before,” said Dave French of St. Charles, who attended Gleamza's seminar with his wife, Deb, because the couple is planning to remodel their living room and bathrooms.

Saturday was expected to be the busiest of the home show's three days, said Sally Boland of Kennedy Productions, which puts on the show. The event continues from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today.