Not only was the show enjoyable for home and garden enthusiasts, but smiles were also brought to the faces of children as Mud Hen the Klown was on-hand making balloon animals. Whether it was exterior décor or custom-made cabinetry, event attendants were sure to find what they were looking for.
With the slowing economy creating financial strains for many homeowners, one local business owner said he hopes to see more opportunities for landscape and design projects.
"We're hoping that since people aren't selling their houses as well that we can do some exterior improvements," said C's Landscape & Design owner Chris Luetkeman.
C's Landscape & Design began business in Cherokee County in 1991 and for the past two years the business has been making a name for itself in Boone County offering services in landscape design and installation.
Luetkeman said brick patios are becoming an increasingly popular addition to home exteriors as many homeowners enjoy spending time in the comfort of their own backyards.
"People want something special in their backyard," Luetkeman said. "They spend a lot of time back there so they'll get kind of fancy in their backyard."
Luetkeman said a lot of homeowners will attempt to complete landscape projects on their own by taking shortcuts and not taking quality into consideration. He said 70 percent of the projects that his company completes are touchup jobs or jobs that were not done correctly the first time around. If projects are completed with quality design and products, homeowners can expect the longevity of a project to be approximately two decades.
"They try to do it cheap, and in landscaping cheap isn't good because it doesn't last very long," Luetkeman said. "I always tell them the stuff we do should last 18 to 20 years."
While many may decide to add a new shade to their home, either indoors or outdoors, Boone Hardware has recently remodeled its paint department, making the selection process more convenient.
"It's a friendlier atmosphere," Boone Hardware owner Dan Niday said. "There's natural lighting and it just makes it easier to pick out colors."
As spring inches closer, Niday said bird feeders and wind chimes are becoming hot items. "
With spring coming up, people want to get the different styles of bird feeders out," he said.
Boone Hardware also features a full rental department consisting of lawn and gardening rentals along with small toll rentals including drills and augers.
The store also implemented Total Choice Shipping which allows customers to ship anything from basic packages to crates at the cheapest and fastest rates through FedEx, United Parcel Service and DHL Express to name a few.
Boone Hardware also carries Weber Grills, which Niday said have 10-year warranties and lifetime warranties on the shells of the grills.
"We have a wide variety and a very nice display of Weber Grills in the store," Niday said. "We also carry all of the accessories."
As yard work will soon become a weekly task for many, R&W Power co-owner Tim Reece displayed his business's three main product lines, STIHL, Snapper and Snapper Pro.
When redoing a section of the lawn or leveling an area for a patio, the new Snapper Front Line Tiller is one product that can do the job.
"There are a lot of people who want to have a small plot," Reece said. "This is somewhat less costly, requires less maintenance, is easy to use and is very user-friendly."
Another new product that Reece said is handy for outdoor work is the STIHL Kombi System. Reece said it is a "multi-use tool" and it can accommodate up to 13 attachments, including a leaf blower, hedge trimmer, mini cultivator, power sweep and a pole pruner.
On the interior side of home improvement, Swan Creek Cabinetry Company featured its offerings which involve "anything in cabinetry," including kitchens, baths, bookcases, offices, mantel systems and entertainment centers.
"For 20 years, Swan Creek has manufactured custom cabinetry and upgraded their product continually over the years," said Swan Creek Cabinetry Sales and Marketing Representative George Karwoski. "We build a beautiful, high-quality product for a tremendous value."
Now in its 21st year of business, Swan Creek Cabinetry Company recently added a medium-priced product line and a stock-price range product line.
"We really cover the whole price range from what you would be going for the home centers for," Karwoski said. "People in Boone now don't need to drive somewhere else and they can get local service."
Swan Creek Cabinetry Company offers competitive pricing, one-on-one design, custom design construction, custom finishing and custom-manufactured products with hands-on attention to detail. Aside from cabinetry, the company also completes countertops and hardwood floors.
Karwoski said current design trends in cabinetry create a sense of nostalgia.
"The most common trend in the cabinet business, and it has been for a number of years, are that new cabinets look old," Karwoski said.
Painted cabinetry with glazing that creates an antique-style finish is also growing in popularity as well as rustic alder, which is a wood that grows in the Northwest.
"The old traditional square-raised panels and oak, cherry and maple are as popular as ever," Karwoski said. "And also the rustic look is getting more and more popular."
With in-home plumbing and heating always being a concern for any homeowner, Mike Pritchard, owner of Pritchard Brothers, featured his business to answer any questions.
Prtichard said that both heating recovery ventilating systems and instantaneous water heaters have increased in demand. He said instantaneous water heaters can save up to 40 percent on energy used to heat water.
"The gas turns on only when you turn on a faucet," Pritchard said. "So if you leave for three months, there's no gas running - it's very efficient."
Pritchard Brothers has been a Lennox dealer since 1950 and offers in-home and commercial installation and service, as well as a 24-hour emergency service.
One tip of advice that Pritchard suggested is that homeowners should change their furnace filters prior to the heating and cooling seasons.
"Homeowners should change their filters three or four times a year if they can - a minimum of two times - but that's a big thing that can prevent a lot of potential problems with their furnace and air conditioning."
Aside from changing filters, a working carbon monoxide detector should always be in place.
"They should have a yearly checkup on older equipment to make sure everything's working okay," Pritchard said. "Especially check for carbon monoxide, cracked heat exchangers and things like that."
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Reach staff writer Matt Oliver at moliver@newsrepublican.com
