Waukesha County Home

The 53rd annual Mil- waukee/NARI Home Improvement Show will be held Feb. 12 through Feb. 15 at the State Fair Park Exposi- tion Center, 8200 W. Greenfield Ave., West Allis. The event features more than 300 Milwaukee/NARI member exhibitors providing a wide range of home improvement products and services. In addition, experts will provide edu- cational demonstrations and semi- nars.Tickets are $8 at the door. For more information, call 414-771- 4071 or visit www.milwaukeenari.org. By Katherine Michalets HOMES PLUS CORRESPONDENT WAUKESHA — During the holi- days when homeowners host fami- ly and friends for large gatherings, they often notice the less-desirable aspects of their houses, such as an outdated bathroom or a cramped kitchen. After the holiday rush is over, homeowners often start plan- ning home improvement projects to complete before the next festive get-together. Phil Callen, co-founder of Callen Construction in Muskego, said during the holidays, homeowners "start seeing the limitations of what they can do in their house." As a result, the homeowner may want to open up the kitchen into the dining room. Matthew Jahns, a certified remodeler and owner of Refined Renovations in Wauwatosa, said at the start of the new year people have the mental freedom to address the home projects that have been nagging them. "They have been reminded of what they should do, want to do, could do," Jahns said of holiday entertaining. As people become confident in the economy, Jahns said, the size and cost of home remodeling proj- ects increases. He said he began to see an uptick in activity in 2014 and expects that to continue this year. "They are allowing themselves to dream a little bigger and splurge a little bit more on the really nice projects," Jahns said. Before consumer confidence improved after the Great Reces- sion, Jahns said homeowners were doing the bare minimum to main- tain their homes or to spend on projects. "Now people are starting after the recession to realize their house is where they want to be and they are not going to move to that next house so let's fix this one up," Callen said. Kitchens and bathrooms remain hot Scott Riemer, vice president of Mukwonago Remodeling, said remodeling bathrooms and kitchens are consistent projects for companies like Mukwonago Remodeling. The most popular reason for a home addition recent- ly has been a three- or four-season porch, he said. 241686019 C O N T E N T S Homeowners 'dream a little bigger' Common mistakes made on home renovation projects ■ Bilkovo top perennial plant ■ Do's and don'ts of kitchen remodels Photo courtesy of Mukwonago Remodeling After the holidays, many homeowners realize they would like to improve their house for entertaining. This Mukwonago kitchen opens up into the eating area. Kitchen and bathrooms remain most popular remodeling projects See REMODEL/Page 4 HOMES HOMES WAUKESHA + Your Guide to Homes, Home Improvement, Lawn & Garden and MORE! A publication of the Waukesha Freeman and Oconomowoc Enterprise • February 2015 Milwaukee/NARI Home Improvement Show

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