Wichita’s 2016 Home Show to build on trends

Antique brass is new, and the size of tile is being measured in feet, not inches.

Such trends are part of the buzz in home remodeling that will be heard at the 2016 Home Show, next week at Century II.

About 25,000 to 30,000 people attend the show, which is sponsored by the Wichita Area Builders Association. It will run from Thursday through Feb. 14.

Wess Galyon of the association expects 280 exhibitors. The Home Show addresses the home-building process as well as highlighting interior and exterior decor and improvements to existing houses. The housing industry and remodeling are on the upswing, Galyon says, and he expects attendance to be up at the show as well.

The show also features several how-to seminars, including a new one this year: “Ethan Allen is going to do a seminar on home design and decor, new colors,” Galyon said. “We haven’t had that before. They’re re-establishing their presence in Wichita.”

Another seminar that was packed last year and that is returning is one on granite, quartz and solid-surface countertops, Galyon said. And one called Remodeling Basics 101 covers the job whether you’re doing a little or a lot, he said.

Among the movement that one exhibitor, Interior Trends, is seeing is away from oil-rubbed bronze in finishes for such things as light fixtures and cabinet hardware.

“Antique brass is coming back huge this year, which is different from what we’ve seen the past few years,” said designer Ellen Palmer.

“Then there’s different resin wall applications. We have a wavy wall application that we did on a fireplace, and it gives a three-dimensional effect to the walls, so there’s some different options for wall finish.” The resin comes in panels and is installed with screws and glues and then painted.

Galyon also noted that tile is getting bigger and bigger, even in pieces as big as 4 by 10 feet. The application has to be just right, he said, such as in a shower. Such tile has also been used around fireplaces. “It’s got a really cool look to it.”

Online design site Houzz mentions that along with some of these other trends in home decor for 2016: two-tone kitchen cabinets, with the bottom cabinets a different color from the top ones; outdoor fabrics indoors in rooms that need the durability; black and other colors in stainless steel appliances; bidets; deep kitchen drawers; a re-embracing of the formal dining room; barely there kitchens that have open shelves and raw materials; non-tech living rooms, and fireplaces overtaking the void of TV screens; unusual backsplash and countertop pairings; white kitchens with well-chosen splashes of color; bold powder-room wall coverings and statement bathroom mirrors; and farmhouse indoor entryways.

Energy efficiency also continues to become more in demand, Galyon says.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 11:03 PM with the headline "Wichita’s 2016 Home Show to build on trends."