Ideal Home Show Scotland 2018 prepares for Glasgow launch

Returning to the SEC, Glasgow from 31 May to 3 June for another year of home and garden inspiration, this year's Ideal Home Show Scotland is set to be bigger than ever before.

The Ideal Home Show returns to Glasgow at the SEC. Picture: Christian Cooksey/CookseyPix.com

From interiors, home renovation, DIY, gardens, food and drink, technology, lifestyle and kitchenware, you’ll find it all under one roof at the award-winning show. To help you plan your day out, we’ve rounded up some of the top things to see and do at this year’s exhibition:

Meet the experts at the Ideal Super Theatre

There will be plenty of specialists on-hand at the Ideal Super Theatre by Argyll Holidays with workshops and demonstrations packed with top tips and advice. There will also be famous faces taking to the stage to talk all things homes, interiors and gardens, including Phil Spencer, David Domoney, Amanda Lamb, John Amabile and Kunle Barker.

Innovation Home

This year’s ‘show home’ masterpiece – the Innovation Home connected by Scottish Gas – is set to take centre stage and focuses on the theme of transformation. Showcasing a typical Victorian town house, remodelled for modern day living, the conventional structure has been transformed by adding a huge cantilevered extension to create an open plan living space on the first floor.

With interior design by Simone Gordon at Owl Design and furnishings by Sterling Furniture, the inside is designed to celebrate the home’s original brick construction with bright family friendly décor.

The house will also feature the latest in home innovation, with state-of-the-art smart technologies such as the Hive thermostat which can be controlled via smartphone, Scottish Gas smart meter and Verv home energy assistant which allows you to get a breakdown of energy usage per appliance to save money on bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

Renovation Advice Hub

New for 2018, the Home Renovation section features dedicated areas for kitchens and bathrooms, build renovation and smart homes. Within this section visitors will find the Renovation Advice Hub, where they will have the chance to get one-to-one sessions with the experts; from architects, interior designers and landscape gardeners, to kitchens and bathroom specialists.

Embrace the outdoors

For green-fingered gardening enthusiasts there is an entire space at the show focusing on outdoor living. Taking the spotlight will be the Ideal Show Garden by Erskine, the official charity partner of the Ideal Home Show in Scotland.

This year’s show garden is designed to commemorate the vital work done during the First World War when a hospital was set up to care for Scotland’s injured and limbless soldiers returning from the frontline. The garden will feature a replica Nightingale ward, and gardens of the original Princess Louise Scottish Hospital for Limbless Sailors and Soldiers.

The Erskine plant market will also return as part of this feature, filled with a selection of plants and shrubbery with horticultural experts on hand to inspire you to create your summer garden.

Continuing the outdoor theme, Ideal Gardens exhibitors will be showcasing the latest in urban landscaping and patio design with selections of the newest garden furniture. For the ultimate luxury living experience, keep a look out for top of the range hot tubs, saunas and log cabins which would be sure to take your green space to the next level.

Eat & Drink Festival

Launched in 2017, the Eat & Drink Festival makes a welcome return alongside the Ideal Home Show and is set to be the perfect digestif to the day out. Ideal for all foodies, the festival will tempt the taste buds with chef masterclasses and demonstrations at the Eat & Drink Stage sponsored by Love Food Hate Waste. Top names from the world of Scottish food and drink include Tony Singh, Jimmy Lee and Mark Heirs, plus Zoltan Szabo from the Blythswood Square Hotel and Gaucho’s master griller Fernando Larroude, as well as the nation’s favourite cookery teacher Rosemary Shrager.

For the best selection of Scottish produce and flavours, head to the Artisan Producers Market with an empty shopping basket ready to be filled with cheese, chutneys, craft beer and local gin.

For one night only, the Eat & Drink Festival will be staying open after hours on Thursday 31 May from 5-8pm offering the perfect opportunity to gather your fellow foodies or office colleagues to enjoy an evening of live music, food samples and drinks from the festival’s expert mixologists. Entry to the Eat & Drink Festival is free with Ideal Home Show Scotland tickets.

Interiors inspiration and Ideal Roomsets

Showcasing the latest must-have products from a wide variety of exhibitors, the interiors section of the show is the place to go for those simple and often inexpensive items to update your home. From soft furnishings, artwork, kitchenware and bespoke furniture, these small additions can be all it takes to give your home a lift and make your space look great.

For inspiration from some of Scotland’s best independent interior designers, the Ideal Roomsets provide endless inspiration for your decorating project, however big or small. With furniture and accessories styled in-situ, the Ideal Roomsets give you the chance to steal some fantastic ideas for your own home, using colour, textures and patterns to achieve a stunning result.

Expect to see warm earthy tones accentuated with bright colours, industrial metallic highlights using brushed steel and brass, luxurious textures such as leathers and velvets and an abundance of greenery, with house plants presented in pots on the floor or hanging from the ceiling.

Ideal Style

A complete section of the show dedicated to the ideal lifestyle. With everything from fragrances, candles and wax burners to beauty products, jewellery and cleaning products, there is every kind of item needed to help keep you and your home at its best.

The great ‘Scottish’ bake off

Whether you want to try your hand at creating a masterpiece or simply marvel at the spectacular creations of others, the ‘I Love Scotland Cake Competition’ will be on display throughout the weekend. Entrants will be tasked with creating a cake that celebrates all things Scottish – whether that’s whisky, shortbread or Scottie dogs you will have to wait and see.

Time for champagne?

After an enjoyable day at the show, you’ll no doubt need to rest your feet. Take a well-deserved rest stop with a glass of bubbly at the Ideal Champagne Bar sponsored by Hydropool, and celebrate your newly inspired ideas and purchases.

The Ideal Home Show Scotland, 31 May-3 June, SEC, Glasgow, 10am-5pm daily. Tickets from £13 for advance bookings, tel: [phone], www.idealhome showscotland.co.uk