BIA Building and Remodeling EXPO 2012

RECYCLING DRIVE

WINE TASTING

NEW ARTISTIC VENTURE

Broken and unused electronics welcome at Expo - PAGE 6

Sip some sweet fruit on March 3 for $10 - PAGE 11

Metal arts meet stained glass at Baut Studios - PAGE 13

SPECIAL SECTION, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012

BIA HOME EXPO 2012

Top 10 kitchen and bath trends S

o, has the home-improvement bug bitten again, perhaps due to this run of warm-winter weather? Ready to stroll the aisles of the cavernous 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre and fill your head with ideas? It might help to know what’s on trend for 2012 in the world of building and remodeling.

Kitchens and baths are biggies, of course, and the National Kitchen & Bath Association recently asked more than 350 of its member designers to cite the materials, products and styles they’ve incorporated into their designs over the final three months of 2011.

Broad trends, the association says, won’t be evident in every local market, but the top 10 overall trends for kitchens and baths across the United States and Canada are: • Cherry wood is on the outs: Cherry has consistently been the first or second most popular type of cabinetry wood, jockeying for the top spot with maple each year, but designers are slowly shifting away.

A number of lesser-used woods are specified more often, including oak.

• Darker finishes rule: Natural kitchen cabinetry continues a move toward darker finishes.

While 30 percent of kitchen designers have specified light natural finishes recently, medium natural finishes stand at 55 percent, with dark natural finishes at 58 percent. Among painted cabinetry, white remains most popular.

• Glass has class on a backsplash: Although glass remains

a niche material for countertops, more than half of kitchen designers recently have used it as a backsplash material.

Glass trails only natural stone tile and ceramic tile (including porcelain).

• LEDs light our worlds: Energy-efficiency is clearly not a fad. Despite the higher initial cost, 50 percent of NKBA designers recently have chosen light-emitting diode lighting.

• Pull it out: Pull-out kitchen faucets have become the dominant type of kitchen faucet. Designers are eschewing the standard faucet with a detached side spray in favor of pull-out models that integrate the two functions into a single unit.

• Medicine cabinets are back: The tried-and-true medicine cabinet had been swept aside in bathroom remodels during the past several years, replaced by decorative wall mirrors.

But as homeowners look for

more efficient use of space, most designers now turn toward medicine cabinets as an effective way to gain additional storage without increasing a room’s footprint.

• Transitional over traditional: In both the kitchen and bath, transitional is now the preferred style. The transitional style is a blend of traditional and contemporary, typified by simpler lines but a bit more elaborate.

• Solid as a rock: A year ago, solid surfaces were a key trend in the kitchen; this year, the trend has picked up more steam, in the kitchen and the bath.

While granite and quartz remain the clear No. 1 and 2 choices, their popularity has waned just slightly.

• Shades of gray: When artfully incorporated into a space, gray can allow for very attractive, distinguished looks without overpowering. Gray color

schemes have risen dramatically in kitchens and baths.

Whites and off-whites remain the most popular color schemes in the kitchen and bath, followed by beiges and bones.

Brown is the third most popular kitchen color and the fourth most popular bath color, just behind gray. In the kitchen, bronzes/terra cottas also have risen. Green was the color trend in baths last year, and it’s just as popular this year.

• The polish returns: Supplanted by brushed-metal finishes in the past, polished chrome is staging a comeback, and polished nickel is up as well. Polished finishes are clearly rising at the expense of brushed finishes.

Only stainless steel has managed to buck the trend away from brushed finishes.

Bronze finishes remain popular but dipped a bit from a year ago.

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SPECIAL SECTION, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012 PAGE 4

BIA HOME EXPO 2012

Much to do, see at Expo

By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com

V

isit the Building Industry Association Home Expo and you’ll learn about home improvements or building a home from the ground up and even about financing possibilities.

There will be face-painting and treats for children, a chance to win $2,000 toward a vacation and even a way to unload your old TV, cell phone and computer.

And, there’s more – the opportunity to help families who need a home away from home during a most trying time, when a child is ill.

The Ronald McDonald Houses, in Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, will benefit from the sales of raffle tickets, which give the purchaser a chance to win a shed, one of two picnic tables or a pond bridge.

“The BIA was generous enough to donate those items,” said Rick Bradshaw, a spokesman for Ronald McDonald Houses.

Younger visitors may enjoy meeting Ronald McDonald himself, as well as Grimace, Hamburglar and Birdie the Early Bird.

The costumed characters will appear at the show from 1 to 4 p.m.

March 3.

Adults may be glad to learn more about the Ronald McDonald Houses, which are near Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center off Route 115 in Plains Township as well as on Wheeler Avenue in Scranton.

“That’s the most important part on my end,” Bradshaw said.

“We’re going to have an opportunity to promote the Ronald McDonald Houses and introduce the opportunity for volunteerism.

“Most of the families that use the Ronald McDonald House in Scranton are from Luzerne County,” he added.

Luzerne County residents whose attics, garages or basements are cluttered with old elec-

S. JOHN WILKIN FILE PHOTO/THE TIMES LEADER

The BIA’ s Home Expo has become an early-in-the-year tradition at the 109th Field Artillery Armory in Wilkes-Barre.

tronic goods also may be glad to know they can bring these old appliances – but not such “white goods” as washing machines, refrigerators and stoves – to the Expo for recycling.

There’s no charge for that other than the $3 entry free, which is actually a $2 entry fee if you bring a non-perishable food item for the needy.

If you want to partake in a wine-tasting event on March 3, during which four regional vintners will offer samples of dry, semisweet and sweet wines, there is a separate $10 charge, which includes admission to the Expo and a wine glass you can take home.

Home, of course, is a theme of the show.

The Expo is a place to learn about all sorts of ways to beautify, clean, remodel or otherwise improve your home.

Organizers were confident they would fill 100 booths, Don Casterline said, and the people who staff them will have plenty of information to share.

Stop by the Luzerne Lumber

exhibit, for example, and you might learn about such environmentally friendly products as Bestdeck and Beyond Green/Beyond Clean, staffer Kathleen Knappman said.

Bestdeck is a lightweight yet strong composite material you can use for a deck addition on your home. It’s made from recycled plastic and rice hulls, which keeps those materials out of a landfill and spares trees.

Beyond Green/Beyond Clean, according to the website of its parent company, is a cleaning solution that removes mold and bacteria by transforming them into harmless amino acids and peptides. It is made in the USA. As charming, clean and moldfree as your home might be, sometimes you do want to get away.

At the Home Expo, you’ll have a chance to win $2,000 in a vacation giveaway from Ken Pollock car dealerships.

“When you come in, we’ll hand out an entry form and you can fill it out and take it back to where

IF YOU GO

CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK/TIMES LEADER FILE PHOTO

Members of the Business Industry Association gather for the start of last year’s show, during which co-chair Dave Balent cut a ceremonial board, as opposed to a ceremonial ribbon.

Pollock will have some trucks,” Casterline said. “Basically the purpose of the show is for our members and others to let people know about their services.

“Verizon Wireless is a co-sponsor. They’ll have big self-contained unit with all their latest wireless phones. They were the first ones to sign up this year,” Casterline said.

Also represented is the Luzerne County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which may bring some adoptable

What: Building Industry Association Home Expo When: 4 to 7 p.m. March 2; 10 a.m. to 7 pm. March 3 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 4.

Where: 109th Field Artillery Armory, 280 Market St., Wilkes-Barre Note: Saturday is the most eventfilled day, with the wine-tasting, the McDonalds characters and the recyclable-electronics pickup. You can, however, drop off recyclables on Friday.

More info: 287-3331 Admission: $3 for adults; $2 if you bring a non-perishable food item Children: Admitted free Parking: Free

dogs. Girl Scouts from the local Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania Council also will attend and sell cookies.

Their organization, incidentally, celebrates its 100th birthday in the United States this month.

All in all, with children’s activities, wine tastings, lots of homeimprovement ideas and the chance to win prizes, Casterline said, “It’s a nice weekend out.”

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BIA HOME EXPO 2012

Old electronics welcome at Armory

By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com

D

o you have an old computer in your garage or an old radio in your attic?

Who wouldn’t want to get rid of those broken-down, antiquated electronics?

You can dispose of a long list of unwanted items, from cellular phones to microwave ovens, for no cost other than the nominal admission fee to the Building Industry Association Home Expo at the 109th Field Artillery Armory.

It’s a win-win situation for everyone concerned, as well as the environment, said Frank Funicella of Advanced Recovery Inc. of Port Jervis, N.Y. “You know why it’s important to recycle old televisions and computer monitors,” he said.

“They have lead in the glass, anywhere from1.5 to 4.5 pounds, and if it goes to a landfill and the glass breaks, that lead can leach into

PETE G. WILCOX/THE TIMES LEADER FILE PHOTO

Do you have any old electronics you’d like to get rid of? You can bring them to the BIA Home Expo. This file photo shows the popularity of a collection of recyclables at the Hanover Area Junior Senior High School.

the ground.”

Old appliances also can contain such poisonous substances as cadmium, arsenic, mercury and more.

Bring them to the Armory, and Funicella can take them away.

Your home will be less cluttered, and the components can be reused.

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He’ll bring a truck on March 3 to cart things away, so that’s the best day to bring your electronic appliances. If you come on March 2, you can drop things off inside the Armory.

“Ask for where the elephants stay (when the circus is held at the Armory),” said Funicella, who’s been told that would be a good sheltered area for storage.

“White goods” such as refrigerators, washing machines and dryers will not be accepted.

Acceptable items include: Computer monitors, CPUs (towers), flat-screen monitors, televisions, laptops, printers, copiers, fax machines, scanners, speakers, keyboards, computer mice, main frames, telecom equipment, videocassette recorders, stereos, radios, electronic games, USB and other cables, DVD players, toaster and toaster ovens and microwave ovens.

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BIA HOME EXPO 2012

Wine pairs well with renovations

By MARY THERESE BIEBEL mbiebel@timesleader.com

A

fter you’ve perused shingles, doors, windows and such at the Building Industry Association Home Expo, you might want a chance to mull the information you’ve gleaned – perhaps over a few sips of the noble grape.

Four regional wineries will help in that regard, bringing a variety of vintages to the Home Expo at the 109th Field Artillery Armory, where you can taste them between11a.m. and 7 p.m. March 3.

“We’ll bring a selection of fruit and grapes, dry and sweet,” said Steve Unis of Antler Ridge Winery, which has four locations in Hawley, Waymart, Rome and the little village of Skippack in Montgomery County.

Fruits that lend their flavor to the wines include raspberry, blackberry, cran-raspberry, blueberry and apple. “We grow most

of it ourselves,” said Unis, whose family farm is in Rome, near Towanda.

Maiolatesi Wine Cellars of Jessup is likely to bring one of Sal Maiolatesi’s newest creations, a “sweet tea wine” that staffer Pauline Toboulidis said “tastes just like iced tea.”

“He likes to experiment and play with flavors,” said Toboulidis, who expects Maiolatesi will bring to the wine-tasting his semi-sweet Coal Miner’s Red, which she described as a fine accompaniment to pasta and pizza, his Sangiovese Chianti, which goes well with pasta and steak, and a blackberry concord, which is one of his most popular dessert wines.

The grapes come from such areas as Erie and Lancaster, Southeastern Pennsylvania and Long Island, N.Y., Toboulidis said.

Capra Collina Winery, with a vineyard in Wayne County and a retail outlet in Jessup, expects to bring samples of cranberry and blueberry wine, as well as peach and a classic blend of various grapes.

At Capra Collina, whose name

IF YOU GO

What: Wine-tasting at Building Industry Association Home Expo When: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 3 Where: 109th Field Artillery Armory, Market Street, Wilkes-Barre Admission: $10, which includes Home Expo admission and a wine glass

is Italian for “Nanny Goat Hill,” the winemakers take pride in crafting small artisanal batches.

“We are proud to say that the term ‘modern winemaking’ means very little to us,” the company’s website proclaims.

The fourth participating winery is Ferrone Family Winery from Peckville, which garnered attention last year for its watermelon and raspberry acai wines.

Those two wines won a gold medal and a bronze medal, respectively, in competition in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Perhaps owner Tim Ferrone may bring them, or something else entirely, to the Expo.

“What I like to do,” he told a reporter last year, “is come up with something unique and creative.”

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Capra Collina Vineyard co-owner Pat Betti pours some blueberry wine, a popular variety, at her shop in Jessup.

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Baut turns railings into artwork S tained glass. Tripleglazed windows. A “Coal to Diamonds” sculpture at Mohegan Sun Casino. When someone mentions The Baut Studios of Swoyersville, those are a few of the thoughts that might come to your mind.

The family-owned business is well-known for traditional as well as lead-free stained glass you might see in churches as well as for triple-glazed windows that can add energy-efficiency to a home.

Then there are the sculptures Gerhard Baut has crafted over the years, from the Vietnam Memorial that graces the River Common in Wilkes-Barre to a bust of Pope John Paul II that he presented to the Vatican’s art collection to the “Coal to Diamonds” artwork at Mohegan Sun, that speaks to Northeastern

Pennsylvania’s rebirth.

A more recent Baut endeavor is the addition of Arrow Metal Arts.

The new division specializes in steel railings, which can be used along stairs and balconies and as fences, gates and window guards.

Other uses are fire escapes, clothesline poles, customized weather vanes and decorative sculptures, said Heide Baut Cebrick, who works as a designer at the family business.

During a tough economy, Cebrick said, homeowners may still opt for the railings.

“If they can’t afford stained glass, which is a luxury item, maybe they’ll look for railings, which are a necessity,” she said.

“If you need it,” she added, “You can rationalize having it be pretty. And that’s what we do.

“We’re artists.”

Cebrick also is the president of the Luzerne County Federation of Women’s Clubs, which has organized a collection of non-perishable food items for the needy

This decorative enhancement has been crafted by Baut Studios.

AIMEE DILGER/THE TIMES LEADER

Metal fabricator Frank Bullock and Conrad Baut work on a decorative security gate at Baut Studios in Swoyersville.

at the Building Industry Association Home Expo.

She expects to divide her time at the Expo between The Baut Studios exhibit and the food collection area and is happy to report visitors to last year’s Home Expo donated 2,287 items.

“We have a friendly competition with clubs all over the state” to see who can collect the most, she said.

Admission to the Home Expo is $3 per adult, but if you bring a canned good, box of pasta or other food item, admission is $2.

Conrad Baut is framed by some of his work at his studio in Swoyersville.

PAGE 13

739740

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SPECIAL SECTION, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012

Stk. #25895

Stk. #25914

Stk. #26052

Stk. #25744

Stk. #25826

Stk. #26039

Stk. #25964

Stk. #26002

Stk. #25366

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SPECIAL SECTION, THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012