Photos: 5 spring trends to watch from the 2016 B.C. Home + Garden Show

The B.C. Home + Garden Show kicked off last night at B.C. Place Stadium (777 Pacific Boulevard) and will be around until Sunday (February 21) with handy solutions for all your design and renovation woes.

We stopped by the show during its opening night yesterday and, among the multiple speakers’ stages, gorgeously landscaped greenery, and seemingly endless labyrinth of some-400 exhibitors, were able to spot home and gardening trends that are blooming in full-force for spring.

From condominium gardening to life-proof decks, here are five home and garden trends to watch for from this year’s show.

Condo-friendly gardening

Condos aren’t exactly known for their abundance of green space—or space in general, for that matter—so we were pretty stoked to see these self-watering condo farms and planters from North Vancouver-based company LifeSpace Gardens.

The self-contained gardens are locally crafted from natural wood and suitable for edible greens, herbs, root veggies, and your basic floral and greenery. 

The compact designs—some even double as furniture—and patented self-watering system (just add water, and forget it) make these especially ideal for urban living and self-described black thumbs.

Upcycled furniture

The environmentally friendly task of upgrading your sketchy Craigslist finds into appealing furnishings and décor is still going strong, as demonstrated by various designer booths and displays.

Interior designer Kendall Ansell upcycled a pair of second-hand, lime-green side tables with a fresh coat of white and gold paint. We love how she complemented the new colour scheme with a set of glam, metallic accessories.

Ansell’s darling silver teapot, meanwhile, was found at Value Village, and the tableware was sourced from Homesense, another budget-friendly retailer.

Downsized appliances

With condos becoming an increasingly inescapable housing option for Vancouverites, small appliances continue to pick up steam in compact living.

We spotted a range of miniature refrigerators, washers and dryers, dishwashers, and ranges from German manufacturer Blomberg, which don’t sacrifice style or function despite a considerably smaller shape.

In some cases, the appliances work even more efficiently—and are more eco-friendly—than their full-sized counterparts.

Live-edge wood accents

We spotted an assortment of live-edge wood accents warming up the interiors of some of the show’s most stylin’ features.

In the B.C. Hydro Power in Style home, local designer Jamie Banfield places a live-edge wood speaker system against a clean, panelled wall, adding a rustic charm to the contemporary space.

In the bedroom, the designer accents a green wall with an industrial, wood side table.

Interior designer Kendall Ansell also makes use of live-edge accents in her Balanced Home feature, which showcases a set of natural wood mirrors in the modern, cabin-chic living room.

Though not live-edge, we also love the enchanting, tree-branch mobile that hangs above the crib in the designer’s eclectic, gender-neutral nursery.

Low-maintenance decks

Traditional wood decks are typically a costly investment, as they need to be repaired or replaced to prevent rotting down the line. But these weather- and life-proof decks from SigmaDek are a game-changer.

Decks by the Calgary-based company are crafted from durable aluminum and tiled with porcelain that resembles the grain of natural wood. They’re resistant to rotting, fading, scuffing, and even staining, so you can break out the wine during patio parties without any worries.

The decks are custom built and come unassembled with an easy snap-construction, so we can see them catching on with small space dwellers in the city.

For more information about the B.C. Home + Garden Show, or to purchase tickets, click here.