Bryan Bauemler stars in Calgary Home + Garden Show’s return

Bryan Bauemler

stars in Calgary Home + garden sHow’s return

by PePPer rodriguez

Bryan Bauemler

Bryan Baeumler really needs no introduction. The affable, gregarious host has several home renovations shows on HGTV Canada, but his live stage appearances are something he always looks forward to.

His next appearance at the Calgary Home + Garden Show this month serves as a welcome breath of fresh air after the show’s pandemic-induced cancelation last year. “I’m looking forward to coming back to the show to connect with everyone - it’s definitely been a while,” he says.

Appearing at the Trail Appliances Home + Garden Stage this year, Bryan will be tackling a host of fan-favourite topics including his own personal experience of opening a resort during the COVID-19 pandemic.

His latest TV series, Island of Bryan, saw him and his wife, Sarah, leave their home and business behind and move their family to an undeveloped island in the Bahamas to renovate and restore a run-down beach front resort. And then the pandemic hit.

“I’ll be talking about some behind the scenes insights into the show - opening a resort during COVID and everything in between. Plus sharing my tips with homeowners and what they can do to improve their own home,” he tells Calgary New Home + Condo Guide.

A natural-born teacher, Bryan has been educating and entertaining viewers across Canada and the US for about a decade with his string of hit shows that include Bryan Inc., House of Bryan, and Leave it to Bryan.

The other topics that are top of mind among his audience is how the pandemic affects home renovation. He says delays brought about by supply chain issues have had the biggest impact. ‘Definitely timelines. We experienced that on the resort ourselves and had to manage with being creative with what we had available. I think folks need to have Plan A, B and C when it comes to renovating and be aware that their top choice might not be available in time - so either they have to wait or choose something else,” he says.

As far as popular trends go, Bryan says he is seeing the rise of developing multi-functional spaces. “I think multifunctional spaces were obviously a huge trend during the pandemic. It’s something I think everyone - especially families with school-aged kids - had to adapt to. Creating spaces for temporary (or permanent) offices, or separate spaces to relax. I think people will be a lot more conscious of those considerations moving forward.”

He says the pandemic lockdowns of the past two years will likely result in increasing the popularity of home

renovations. “Many people were staying inside a lot more than they anticipated so renovations will likely continue to grow,” he says.

But safety needs to be guarded more vigourously. “A big part of renovations is in-person interactions (estimates, install) and being able to see products and such in person has always been important in this industry. I think folks can move parts of the discussion virtually - some designers are able to work virtually by just seeing the space over the computer and sending over rooms specs. Other jobs like contractors (electricians for example) will of course need to be in person. Always follow the guidelines and keep everyone safe by masking indoors and keeping interactions to a minimum.”

Those are key advice that the Home + Garden Show is taking to heart, says Kristy Cairns, Group Manager at Marketplace Events, the show’s organizer. “We are continuing to follow all health guidelines set out by the Government of Alberta, The City of Calgary and the BMO Centre. We have extra sanitization stations around the venue, as well as larger aisles to ensure social distancing. Our Trail Appliances Home + Garden Stage is also social distanced seating,” she says.

“If people are concerned about coming down to the show, we do encourage them to come during our shoulder hours, where there are less crowds. This is typically after 6 p.m. or in the morning just after the show opens.”

The show remains to be the biggest trade attraction for the home improvement industry in the city. Cairns says this year will see more exciting features like Van Life, a few marketplace features like the For Your Home Marketplace, Do Your Part Refillery and Grasslands Flower Co. as well as a fun feature called Thrift Flips with the Calgary ReStore. Besides Bryan, the Renovation Husbands can also be seen at the Trail Appliances Home + Garden Stage.

“Our Home + Garden Show is typically the biggest show of the year, and we know lots of homeowners are looking forward to joining to meet with local experts on their home and garden projects. Coming off of a successful January show we are really excited to be back - a bit bigger - than before,” Cairns says.”

“We still don’t expect large crowds at the show, but we do expect to see quality consumers who are looking at tackling projects within the next few months.”

The Calgary Home + Garden Show is being held February 24-27 at the BMO Centre, Stampede Park. For tickets and schedules, visit www.calgaryhgs.com

Bryan Bauemler