Times Free Press ‘06 Trends
April 28th, 2008
10 top trends
Tri-State Home Show introduces an array of exciting products
From products that harness primeval energy sources to space-age entertainment spas, the recent 39th annual Tri-State Home Show boasted an eyeful of innovations for building, enhancing or maintaining a house.
Some 450 exhibitors filled 100,000 square feet of floor space at the Chattanooga Convention Center during the three-day event. Among their newest goods and services: A combination firepit and fountain for outdoor use, it has three button controls to send up flames, sprays of water, or both.
From mock ostrich skin to marble look-alike, today’s faux finishes are more varied and durable than their earlier counterparts, according to Michelle Simpson of Ambiance Creations in Ringgold, Ga.
“Faux painting has come so far, mostly because of the products that have been developed,” she said. “It goes on over oil, lacquer — there’s pretty much no surface I can’t do it on. It even has exterior applications.”
Prices for the multilayer decorative treatment vary by the design a consumer selects, but “it generally runs three to six times a professional painter’s fee,” said Ms. Simpson. “It’s comparable to high-end wallpaper.”