Mid America Events & Expos

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Need help digging out of the clutter and reviving your home’s style?
Learn how to create a home where you love spending time at this year’s Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo

If you live in one place long enough, your once spacious home may start to feel overstuffed with belongings. Maybe you’d love to finish your basement but you don’t know what you’d do with all the 'good stuff' you have stored down there. Or perhaps you’re ready to make your home environment cleaner and healthier, and need just a little encouragement to get started. There is hope!

"It is possible to achieve what feels like a new living environment that you absolutely love," says Laura Dyer, of Dyer Designs, who has been helping homeowners breathe new life into their overstuffed residences for more than 10 years. Dyer will show you how to blend architectural details with good design during a seminar at this year’s Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo, November 1-2 at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Would you like to start digging out from your clutter even before the expo? Some of Dyer’s favorite tips include:

Always start small. "One trick if you have a tile floor is to count off nine tiles. Just clean out whatever is in that space first, then move onto the next nine tiles. You can do it! It's simple. Take it a little at a time."
Don't take all day to de-clutter. "Start with your closets. You get one closet and only 20 minutes to decide whether each item in the closet stays, goes or if there’s another option for its use."
Keep only a month’s worth of everyday supplies. "I once had a client whose basement pantry contained enough food to feed about 50 people for a month. There were only two people living in the house," Dyer recalls. "They were thrilled to discover such an easy way to gain more space."
Devise a way to maintain your clean environment. "Toys are a common problem for younger families. A simple way to manage that is to have someplace where children can store their toys in less than five minutes. If they can pull them out, they can put them away. You’re training your children to pick up after themselves and you are maintaining your clutter-free environment."
Slow down. "Don't rush into a re-design project or you might have regrets later. I hear from so many clients who say they wish they'd done things a different way. Talk with professionals to get ideas, not just your friends. And keep a notebook with things you like (such as color schemes, architectural styles, etc.), so that you’re better prepared to make decisions."

Dyer says that getting started is often the most difficult part of a design project, especially when clutter is involved. “Initially, people don’t like to hear that they need to get rid of some of their belongings,” she says. “But as we get into the process, they begin to discover what items have meaning and which ones don’t. The decision to discard or donate an item isn’t always based on its usefulness or even its monetary value. Often people decide to keep things for sentimental reasons.

"What's important is that when homeowners learn how to categorize their belongings, and to understand their motivation for hanging onto things, it becomes easier for them to make the de-cluttering process part of their lives."

Dyer explains that after you creating some breathing room, it’s then time to breath new life into your home with simple to complex redesigns, in what she refers to as the REVIVE design process. She’ll talk more about that at the expo.

The Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo offers homeowners several advantages. They can interview reputable contractors, browse new products, get valuable tips by listening to the free seminars, and quite often they can save money by negotiating their work for the off season and by taking advantage of show specials.

Many of the companies exhibiting at this year’s show are very knowledgeable about green remodeling and living techniques, something in growing demand among area homeowners.

For additional information about this expo, visit www.101expos.com or call 612-798-7256. The 2008 Mid-America Remodeling & Design Expo is sponsored in part by Twin Cities Home Improvement magazine, KOOL 108 and KSTC Channel 45., Finished Basement Company and 5 Eyewitness News.

Media Note: For additional information, or to schedule an interview, contact Media Relations, Inc. at 612-798-7220.

Biography – Laura Dyer

Laura Dyer, owner of Dyer Designs, has been designing for 10+ years with experience in both the commercial and residential fields. In both of these areas her focus has been to incorporate architectural details with good design to suit each client’s specific needs and personality.