The first-ever Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo, presented by Carrier, will take place today through Sunday at the new Cleveland Convention Center.

If you're planning a spring renovation project, it's the perfect opportunity to see the latest trends and products as well as speak with home building and remodeling experts.

This three-day home improvement expo, which begins at noon today, will showcase new and innovative trends and products in home remodeling and design in a state-of-the-art venue, making it the ideal show for Northeast Ohio consumers looking to make some updates around the house. Attendees will find everything they need to take their renovation project from start-to-finish and be able to shop for home builders, home improvement contractors, home dcor and other products and services all in one place.

Features and attractions include:

n Fully-constructed Perrino Vignettes built by Perrino Builders & Furniture will feature an audio visual theater from Xtend Technologies and inspire visitors with ideas for remodeling and decorating. Get inspiration for remodeling kitchens, creating a pub and wine bar and designing a home theater.

n Step into the Ultimate Garage, created by EncoreGarage of Ohio, and see how you can reclaim your space and make it your own. Featuring a high-performance epoxy flooring system that is stain-resistant, easy-to-maintain with a stunning granite-like appearance; wall-mounted custom cabinets that provide flexible storage, transforming your garage into an organized and efficient space plus durable all-steel organization products to store tools, bikes, sporting equipment, gardening supplies and more.

n Relive your childhood dreams and sleep under the stars in a CasaBubble! The inflatable structure has no framework and uses a self-adjusting turbine which keeps the structure in shape by light air pressure, renews the air volume, and controls humidity. This dream hut leaves mosquitoes, pollen and other allergens outside. The CasaBubble is an ideal outdoor living space and can be equipped with furniture, heaters, and even a shower! Furnishings will be provided by Levin Furniture.

n Kids can have fun in Kauffman Lawn Furniture's KidsZone, which features slides, swings, gliders, rock climbing walls and more! Parents can watch their kids from the comfort of 100 percent maintenance free lawn furniture surrounding the KidsZone.

n Relax and enjoy a bite to eat or a beverage at Club Cambria.

n Enter the expo through an Outdoor Living Oasis designed and constructed by premier landscaper GreenSource LLC. Visitors will be able to envision what's possible for their own backyard as they walk through the Oasis, featuring a children's discovery den, sunken seating and fire pit area, sheer descent water feature and an outdoor bar and cooktop.

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Cleveland Home + Remodeling Expo set for this weekend

Provided by Networx.com

Baby on the way? Congratulations, whether it's your first or any number beyond that! Bringing new life into the world can be a really amazing experience, but there's also a lot to think about, from the mundane to the serious and life-changing. Handling the nursery setup and decoration falls somewhere along that scale, although where exactly is up to you: you need a space that's safe, warm, and comfortable for Baby, as well as functional for you to use in those critical first few years where your child will be dependent on you for everything.

You should think ahead and design a room that will evolve with your baby as she grows, but it's also worth thinking about how to add a little nice decor to the nursery for yourself and the baby now. After all, both of you will be spending a lot of time there, so you might as well have a nice view; and your aesthetics might not match those of an infant and young child! (You, for example, might be more inclined to enjoy neutral colors and restrained crown molding, while infants respond best to bright colors and bold shapes.)

Luckily, both of you can be satisfied in a nursery with a view. Like, speaking of ceilings, check out this built-up coffered ceiling a couple built in their nursery. The ceiling fits in with the decor of the rest of the house so the nursery blends aesthetically, it provides something calming and beautiful for parents and baby to look at, and it's just plain pretty! With colorful artwork on the walls, it can bridge the competing needs of parents who need a little visual relief and an infant who needs some serious stimulus to develop important neurological connections.

This roundup at Style Estate has some amazing ideas. I love the rooms done in charcoal walls with bright, sunny artwork, for example, adding a note of chic and combining it with baby-friendly art. The French country-inspired room is great too, for parents who love the French aesthetic but want a practical, fun take on it for living with a new infant.

Here's a fun, funky wall collage of things for a nursery that can stimulate a baby and add some interesting visuals for grownups, too. The author suggests this is for boys, but I say any gender can enjoy fun things on the wall!

Have a limited budget? You can still have a totally great space; no need to sacrifice when it comes to home decor with a nursery on a budget. There are tons of fantastic design options that won't cost you a ton, and many contractors understand that new parents are often stressed about money matters, so they're happy to work with you on creating your dream nursery, within your dream budget.

And hey -- while you're remodeling your nursery, remember that safety is key. Make sure that your crib and other products haven't been subjected to recalls, and be sure to use nontoxic fabrics, furniture, paints, and other components, right down to the Orlando flooring. Infants and young children are extremely sensitive to environmental toxins, so give your baby's brain a good start in life!

Katie Marks writes for Networx.com.

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Taking pride in the nursery

By Scott Murfey, Murfey Construction

Your home has been good to you. Its provided you with a place to sleep, eat, and entertain friends. Maybe its even given you a place to raise a family. But you have to ask yourself: has my home really given me everything it can? Most likely it hasnt. Chances are theres still a lot of untapped potential in those walls, that ceiling, and underneath that staircase. Here are some creative remodeling techniques that can do everything from increasing storage space to decreasing cleaning time to really upping your homes coolness factor.

Most likely theres an avid reader, a wine connoisseur, or someone with a shoe fetish in your householdor maybe theres all three. In other words, you could really use more storage space! If you have a two-story home, the solution might be right under your feet. Why not turn the space underneath your staircase into a bookshelf or a wine rack? Or if you are a dog lover, why not build Fido his own little dog house under therethat way you wont wake up your household with a squeak when you trip over his toy on the way to your midnight snack. Other creative ways to maximize storage space are building a platform into your guestroom where you can store your things while keeping it usable and installing baseboard drawers in the bathroom and kitchen. And speaking of kitchens, a kitchen island with drawers or an extra refrigerator can also create a lot of storage opportunities.

Weve made room to store everything; now wouldnt it be nice to also cut down on cleaning time? Lets start with the kitchen. If you have a big family, most likely you feel like youre constantly loading and unloading the dishwasher and taking out the trash. Now that you have the space, why not think about installing another dishwasher? And how about installing chutes in your kitchen for trash and recycling that funnel straight into the garage? On to the bathroom: One of the hardest things to do is remove that soap residue from the glass wall of your shower. Well, its not hard at all if you build a walk-in shower without a glass wall. And I want to leave you with two words: baseboard vacuum.

Now that all the practical stuff is taken care of, here are some remodels that will do more than help you keep up with the Joneses; they will help you run laps around them. First of all, do you have an attic? Why not turn it into a pillow room where your kids can have the best slumber parties ever, and you can use as a refuge to meditate, watch a movie, or curl up with one of the books from your stairway bookshelf. Speaking of bookshelves, if you install bookshelves on the door to one of your rooms, it will look like you have a hidden room. And if you have a really tall ceiling, you can stretch a hammock across it and swap out the ceiling above for a star-gazing sunroof.

Murfey Construction would love to help make your house more spacious, easier to maintain, and more enjoyable. For years we have built lifestyles. For more information on how we can help you with creative remodeling ideas to enhance yours, log onto http://MurfeyConstruction.com.

*These and more creative remodeling ideas can be found here.

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Creative Remodeling Ideas: Untap Your Homes Full Potential

Photo by FREY

Photos by Katherine Frey/Washington Post Slava Lazebnikov, shown with his wife, Margarita, bought and installed the latest high-tech bathroom products in the couples home himself. Illustrates DESIGN-BATHS (category l), by Audrey Hoffer, special to The Washington Post. Moved Monday, March 10, 2014. (MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Katherine Frey.)

Photo by FREY

A cast-concrete sink in the powder room has a piece of onyx lit from below. Illustrates DESIGN-BATHS (category l), by Audrey Hoffer, special to The Washington Post. Moved Monday, March 10, 2014. (MUST CREDIT: Washington Post photo by Katherine Frey.)

Homeowners giving bathrooms a 21st century update

WASHINGTON Slava Lazebnikov can set the water temperature of the shower from the living room, program a shower playlist while having dinner and lift the toilet lid while lying in bed.

After 15 years in his Rockville, Md., home, Lazebnikov said the bathrooms were outdated and needed something, well, a little splashy.

Now showering in the upstairs bathroom is a digital spa experience. Its really like in a carwash, he said.

Technology has become commonplace in many American homes particularly in the rooms where families consume their media, with devices that allow them to program their music and TV from their smartphones, and in the kitchen, with refrigerators that tell them when theyre low on milk.

But now its starting to catch on in the bathroom.

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Homeowners giving bathrooms a 21st century update

The Mountrail County Health Center in Stanley will soon have a new emergency room.

The building's expansion and renovation will be a three phase project aimed at handling the town's recent population surge.

Bonnie Campo has more.

Just like other expanding hospitals in the state-- the Stanley health center has seen a dramatic increase in the number of patients in its waiting room, and phase one is almost complete.

(Sue Weston, Hospital Financial Officer) "The first phase has to do with remodeling the emergency room. Our service to the emergency room population has probably grown by fifty to sixty percent, and with that need comes the dramatic need for space. We have enclosed the ambulance bay for the convenience of the patients in the Fall weather conditions. We are adding a C-T scanner currently on site to help diagnose patients."

To help reach those goals--American Bank Center will donate $25-thousand each year over the next decade-- until their total dollar amount reaches of $250-thousand.

(Heath Hetzel, American Bank Center) "You know the hospital has really expanded with the population and the growth in western North Dakota. The things that are going on in the area with the medical needs. With the donation of the $250-thousand dollars we're very excited to partner with the hospital, and I think it's a very worthwhile cause, and look forward to seeing the expansion complete."

The banks donation will go towards the hospitals end goal of $6.25 million. Which will fund the next steps in the project.

(Sue Weston, Hospital Financial Officer) "The phase two expansion if for the clinic. It's to add exam rooms for the physicians, and the final phase has to do with their nursing home portion of the facility, and that last phase we have been waiting on for a number of years and that is just as important as the first two."

The completion of the project has yet to be confirmed until phase two is finished. In Stanley, Bonnie Campo, KX News.

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Stanley Hospital Expansion

Remodeling trends come and go, which is a good thing if you're talking about shag carpet or avocado-colored Formica. But some trends have both staying power and universal appeal, such as the strengthening movement toward homes that are more energy efficient and eco-friendly.

"Demand is high for homes that are not only attractive and comfortable, but also that perform well," says Patrick L. O'Toole, editorial director and publisher of Professional Rebuilder magazine. "Today's homeowners are looking for remodeling options that make their homes more energy-efficient. Cost-savings over the long-term and minimizing a home's environmental footprint make energy- efficient remodeling very appealing to homeowners. At the same time, they're not willing to sacrifice quality design and beauty."

Upgrading a few key systems can help homeowners involved in remodeling projects improve their homes' energy efficiency and operate their households in a more environmentally conscious way. If you're planning some remodeling in the coming year, O'Toole suggests keeping these "green" points in mind:

Energy-efficient appliances

Household appliances account for nearly 35 percent of a home's energy consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration'sResidential Energy Consumption Survey. Reducing the amount of energy appliances consume can help homeowners lower utility bills and save hundreds of dollars over the lifetime of an appliance. The federal ENERGY STAR program provides consumers with a valuable reference when shopping for energy efficient appliances. A newer designation called "ENERGY STAR Most Efficient" recognizes the top products in their category for efficiency, across categories like appliances, TVs and electronics from leading brands like LG. This new classification can be especially helpful to environmentally- conscious consumers when they're renovating, according to O'Toole.

"Increased awareness of the value of energy efficiency has made an ENERGY STAR rating a 'must' for many homeowners when they're shopping for new appliances," he says. "Replacing older, less efficient appliances with newer, ENERGY STAR-rated ones can both transform the look of a kitchen and ensure long-term cost savings while addressing climate change."

Many remodelers today are seeking premium built-in design and innovative technology along with enhanced efficiency, all of which can be found in LG Studio appliances. This high-end suite of appliances, from refrigerators to cooktops, and wall ovens to dishwashers emphasizes savvy, state-of-the art design that is as user-friendly as they are efficient. For example, the 42-inch side- by-side refrigerator/freezer is ENERGY STAR-qualified and offers 26.5 cubic feet of capacity, and the SpacePlus Ice System that frees up valuable top-shelf space by moving the icemaker into the refrigerator door. Also, the counter-depth Door-in-Door Refrigerator provides a built-in and seamless look while the unique, Door-in- Door feature offers convenience and easy organization as well as keeping the cool air from escaping the refrigerator by not opening the main door.

Solar options

Solar energy is becoming increasingly practical and affordable for residential use. Currently, the most common uses for solar power in homes are in heating water and generating electricity.

Water heating accounts for nearly 18 percent of a home's energy consumption, according to the Energy Information Administration survey. Replacing an older, less efficient electric water heater with an ENERGY STAR-qualified solar water heating system can reduce hot water costs by 50 percent, EnergyStar.gov says. These heaters also reduce a home's carbon dioxide emissions by half and can last as long as 20 years.

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Energy Efficiency, a Remodeling Trend That's Here to Stay

WILLMAR - TPI Hospitality, owner of the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center in New Ulm, is announcing the start of a multi-million dollar major reconstruction project of the facility.

In addition to an extensive renovation of the hotel guest rooms, a reconfiguration and remodel of the hotel public spaces will include the addition of two elevators to allow guests easy access to all hotel facilities, a new larger fitness room, and expanded lobby area offering a full hot complimentary breakfast to guests daily.

Exterior upgrades to the parking lot and landscaping, an expansion and remodeling of the New Ulm Conference Center. The current restaurant will be expanded to include an extensive outdoor patio and fireplace.

Staff photo by Steve Muscatello The Holiday Inn in New Ulm will undergo a multi-million dollar reconstruction project, according to owner TPI Hospitality. When completed the hotel will become a Best Western Plus.

The project will be completed in five phases.

"We take great pride in the fact that we have been a member of this community for 35 years," said Mitch Peterson, President of TPI Hospitality.

When the project is completed, the newly renovated hotel will become a Best Western Plus facility.

Preliminary work on the first phase of construction began this week. The renovation of the hotel's public areas is expected to be completed by late spring, followed by the exterior upgrades in June and the hotel room renovation in late summer.

The final stages of the project will include the restaurant and conference center, both of which are expected to be completed in late summer or early fall, in time for Oktoberfest.

Company spokesperson Dee Anne Osborne said the hotel would continue to operate throughout the construction phase. The restaurant renovations will require that it be shut down sometime in the summer for about a week, but not until the lobby has been completed and is serving breakfasts.

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Extensive remodeling planned at Holiday Inn

An architect's rendering of what Brancheau PE Complex will look like after a major overhaul of the recreation facilities. Completion date is projected to be spring 2015. (Courtesy art)

SILVER CITY >> WNMU will soon begin a complete overhaul of the recreational facilities around Old James Stadium, including the repair and redesign of the university swimming pool. At the most recent Board of Regents meeting, a resolution was passed to seek $4 million in outside funding, with a student fee being used to pay back the debt.

"It is amazing to know that soon our students will benefit from an extraordinary project with the addition of this new recreation center," student body President Edna Reyes said in a news release. "It is time to offer our students a great quality experience on campus through more choices. I know it will be a great addition to this campus."

A blueprint shows a running track beneath the bleachers and around the border of Old James Stadium, as well as a basketball court and sand volleyball court. Within the Brancheau PE Complex, more than 10,000 square feet of the existing facility will be renovated to include two 25-meter swimming lanes in addition to a large shallow swimming area for programs such as aqua aerobics. The reduction in size of the existing pool will make way for a state-of-the-art fitness and weight room and an improved changing room and locker facility.

"Since I came to Silver City, reviving the swimming pool has been a priority because I believe it will continue to enhance our students and our community's quality of life," WNMU President Joseph Shepard said in the news release. "Further, the recreation complex will allow us to more effectively recruit and retain students, since studies indicate that if students form relationships among their peers they are more likely to persist and earn degrees. Facilities such as the recreation center provide opportunities for developing these relationships," Shepard added.

Shepard met with several university departments to brainstorm the programs that will operate in the new facility. Students, faculty and staff will receive free memberships to the facilities, with a membership fee for community members.

Originally constructed in 1979, the Brancheau PE Complex was named after former Mustang coach Tim Brancheau. After more than 30 years, an imbalance in chemical stability paired with excessive water loss led to the closure of the pool facility about three years ago.

Renovations will begin once cost estimates are finalized and bonds are issued. The facility is projected to open in spring 2015.

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WNMU's former pool and P.E. complex set for modernizing and remodeling

"I dont know anyone

VIOREL FLORESCU/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Vikki and John Ruisch at a fireplace they added when recently renovating their Woodcliff Lake home. Though the couples goal wasnt to increase the houses value, fireplaces are high on the wish lists of many buyers.

who doesnt like

a fireplace."

VIKKI RUISCH OF WOODCLIFF LAKE, WHO HAD TWO FIREPLACES BUILT INTO HER HOME DURING A REMODELING PROJECT

Vikki Ruisch had a fireplace in her house, but it was in a room her family barely used. So during a remodeling project last year, she had a fireplace built in her heavily trafficked living room, where everyone could enjoy it.

Ruisch figured it would add value to her Woodcliff Lake house, but that wasnt really an incentive. She grew up having a fireplace in her home and just wanted one, or two. She also had one put in the master bedroom.

"I dont know anyone who doesnt like a fireplace," she said. "We use ours, especially this winter. My husband puts the one on in the bedroom when he gets up about an hour before me, and then its nice and toasty by the time I get up."

Ruisch is one of many home and business owners installing fireplaces to add ambience, warmth and financial value to where they live and work. A fireplace can increase a homes value by 6 to 12 percent, according to the National Center for Real Estate Research of Littleton, Colo.

Link:
Fireplaces can sell the home

"I dont know anyone

VIOREL FLORESCU/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Vikki and John Ruisch at a fireplace they added when recently renovating their Woodcliff Lake home. Though the couples goal wasnt to increase the houses value, fireplaces are high on the wish lists of many buyers.

who doesnt like

a fireplace."

VIKKI RUISCH OF WOODCLIFF LAKE, WHO HAD TWO FIREPLACES BUILT INTO HER HOME DURING A REMODELING PROJECT

Vikki Ruisch had a fireplace in her house, but it was in a room her family barely used. So during a remodeling project last year, she had a fireplace built in her heavily trafficked living room, where everyone could enjoy it.

Ruisch figured it would add value to her Woodcliff Lake house, but that wasnt really an incentive. She grew up having a fireplace in her home and just wanted one, or two. She also had one put in the master bedroom.

"I dont know anyone who doesnt like a fireplace," she said. "We use ours, especially this winter. My husband puts the one on in the bedroom when he gets up about an hour before me, and then its nice and toasty by the time I get up."

Ruisch is one of many home and business owners installing fireplaces to add ambience, warmth and financial value to where they live and work. A fireplace can increase a homes value by 6 to 12 percent, according to the National Center for Real Estate Research of Littleton, Colo.

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Variety of choices available in fireplaces