Ultimate Upcycle Challenge Supports Habitat For Humanity Toronto

Toronto's Fall Home Show 2012 presented by Scotiabank - September 20-23. End Quote

(1888PressRelease) September 07, 2012 - Celebrity experts and emerging style, décor and DIY bloggers including Monika Schnarre, Mag Ruffman, Carson Arthur, Lisa Canning, Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault, Vicky Sanderson, Shannon and Dean Acheson, Sarah Gunn and Wendy Russell are taking part in the Ultimate Upcycle Challenge at Toronto's largest Fall Home Show presented by Scotiabank, where they sourced and repurposed a household item from a Habitat for Humanity Toronto ReStore location. All items will be on display in the Habitat for Humanity Toronto Exhibit Area at the Fall Home Show from Thursday, September 20 to Sunday, September 23 at the Better Living Centre, Exhibition Place (151 Princes' Boulevard). For more information or tickets call 1-877-715-7469 or visit www.fallhomeshow.com.

"Upcycling is currently a huge trend," says Fall Home Show manager Tina Holmes. "The Ultimate Upcycle Challenge is the perfect way to draw attention to how easy it is to turn something used into something new and functional while raising awareness for ReStore and Habitat for Humanity Toronto."

Toronto ReStore locations sell quality new and gently-used renovation and décor materials, with proceeds going to cover all of the charity's administrative and fundraising costs. Each celebrity expert purchased a household item of their choice from a ReStore and repurposed and restored it adding their own personal touch.

"We are very excited about this collection of creative genius coming together to support Habitat for Humanity Toronto and being a part of this sustainable design movement," adds Neil Hetherington, CEO, Habitat for Humanity Toronto. "The funds raised from this auction will be used by Habitat for Humanity to purchase building materials so that volunteers can build new homes with families in need."

The entries will be voted on by the public online at www.fallhomeshow.com and the top three finalists will be judged by the Fall Home Show Management team. The winner will receive the grand prize of a $500 Visa card. Bids can be placed on the upcycled creations in an online auction at www.torontohabitat.ca from September 10-25 with the proceeds from the sale used to support the ongoing work of Habitat for Humanity Toronto.

Celebrity experts and emerging style, décor and DIY bloggers took the Ultimate Upcycle Challenge and unleashed their creativity to upcycle their finds into truly amazing one-of-a-kind items:
• Eco friendly landscape designer and TV personality Carson Arthur ( ( @ ) Carson Arthur / www dot carsonarthur dot com)
dropped by the Bermondsey ReStore and has taken a lamp and upcycled it into a bird bath.
• Décor stalker, fashion hunter and art maker Christine Dovey ( ( @ ) BijouAndBoheme / www dot bijouandboheme dot blogspot dot com) has transformed a coffee table from the Bermondsey ReStore into an upholstered bench dot
• Professional organizer, productivity consultant, and most recently product developer Clare Kumar ( ( @ ) Streamlife / www.streamlife.ca) visited the Carlaw ReStore where she chose a bar cart to upcycle into a functional home office piece.
• Colour aficionado, DIY ninja, TV personality, design blogger, college instructor, wife and mother, Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault ( ( @ ) LeighAnnAllaire / www.benjaminmoore.com) visited the Bermondsey ReStore and chose a mid century modern TV console which she has upcycled into a funk-tional hipster cocktail station.
• Owner of Lisa Canning Interiors, market editor for Dabble magazine, fashion lover, blogger and mom of 3 who can be caught on HGTV and The Marilyn Denis Show on CTV, Lisa Canning (@Lisa_Canning / www.lisacanning.ca) has turned chair frames from the East York ReStore into chairs for urban, small space dwellers.
• Designer, communicator and social media expert Lisa Ferguson (@DecorMentor / www.lisafergusoninteriordesign.com) chose a kitchen cupboard door and commercial luggage strapping
at the East York ReStore and has upcycled it into a magnetic wipeable message board.
• TV host, producer, writer, book publisher (wereallinthistogether.ca), author, woodworker, welder, trail-running enthusiast and kids' building advocate Mag Ruffman (@MagRuffman / www.toolgirl.com) has taken 35lbs of masonry nails, 3 hand saws and some open ended wrenches to create a whimsically eccentric steel garden trellis.
• Actor, model, television host and entrepreneur Monika Schnarre (@MonikaSchnarre / www.monikaschnarre.com has used salvaged wood from the Bracebridge Restore to create a coffee table.
• Interior stylist, guest expert on CityLine and regular contributor to yummymummyclub.ca, Sarah Gunn (@SarahGunnStyle / www.sarahgunn.com) has let her artist side out to turn a cabinet door from the Etobicoke ReStore into an original painting.
• DIY design blogger couple who share thrifty design finds, organization ideas and affordable DIY projects Dean and Shannon and Dean Acheson (@akadesigndotca / www.akadesign.ca) have transformed an old door, 2 stair spindles, 2 brackets and a few old crystal door knobs from the Bermondsey ReStore into an entryway table.
• Lifestyle expert on CityLine who loves organizing, entertaining, decor, food, tech, pets, fashion and sharing ideas, Shoana Jensen (@ShoanaJ / www.shoanajensen.com) has taken 1980's side tables from the Bermondsey and East York Restore locations to create an updated side table/pet bed.
• Freelance columnist for The Toronto Star and CasaGuru, amateur chef, devout re- and up-cycler, news junkie, and opinion-ista Vicky Sanderson (@VickySanderson / www.thestar.blogs.com/onthehouse /) has teamed up with architectural salvager Michael Simardone (www.simardonedesign.com ) and used stairway spindles, mirror glass, cupboard doors and hardware from the Bermondsey and Carlaw ReStore locations to create an entryway table.
• Part-time furniture upholsterer, amateur design follower, blogger, closet jig-saw puzzle-lover and full-time fun-seeker, Lindsey Gerrish (@LGrecreated / www.recreated.ca) has made old movie theatre seats
from the Etobicoke ReStore into an entryway bench.
• Décor producer on The Marilyn Denis Show, TV Host of She's Crafty (airs on ION Life in USA), event speaker, freelance writer and creativity ambassador to the world, Wendy Russell @ShesCrafty_ / www.wendyrussell.com) has turned old bi-fold doors from the Bermondsey ReStore into a jewellery organizer.

SHOW DATES AND HOURS:
Thursday, September 20, 2012 11am to 9pm
Friday, September 21, 2012 11am to 9pm
Saturday, September 22, 2012 10am to 9pm
Sunday, September 23, 2012 10am to 6pm

ADMISSION:
Adults: $15.00 at the door / $12.00 online
Senior (65+): $13.00 at the door / $10.00 online
Children 13-17: $13.00 at the door / $10.00 online
Children 12 years & Under: FREE

About The Fall Home Show
In its 24th year, the Fall Home Show is Toronto's largest fall consumer show with more than 32,000 people attending the show annually, seeking helpful advice, solutions and new products for in and around their homes. The Fall Home Show is produced by Marketplace Events in partnership with the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). Visit www.fallhomeshow.com for full show details.

Marketplace Events creates vibrant expositions connecting enthusiasts with experts, products and services in dynamic face-to-face environments. The company now produces 34 consumer shows annually that collectively attract 15,000 exhibitors, 1.1 million attendees and another 1.3 million unique web visitors annually. From 14 offices, the 115-person staff produces some of the most successful and longest-running consumer shows in North America, including market-leading home shows in Cleveland, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Orlando, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver - some of which have thrived in their markets for more than 75 years.

For additional information, please contact:
Peter Ashworth | Ashley Lloyd | Ashworth Associates | 416-603-6005
peter@ashworthassociates.com | ashley@ashworthassociates.com

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