Vancouver Fall Home Show: Golf simulator, pop-up thrift shop new to annual event

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Is the home theatre dead? If not, its future might not be much brighter than prospects for a sequel to Madame Web.

“We’ve found a lot of people don’t use their home theatre,” said Martin Gallant, owner and operations manager of Vancouver Golf Simulators.

Gallant is seeing demand both from owners who want to convert their home theatres, as well as new purchasers opting for a simulator instead.

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“They’re getting way more functionality out of a golf simulator than they ever did for a home theatre,” he said. “When you’re not using it as a golf simulator, you can still watch movies, you can watch sports, you can have the guys over.”

You’ll be able to see the appeal when Gallant and company demo a golf simulator at this year’s Vancouver Fall Home Show.

The simulator is new to the annual event, as is a pop-up thrift shop.

“Thrifting and upcycling is a theme this year,” said show manager Amber Beaton.

Revival, a store on Main, will host the space, complete with clothes, decor and furniture pieces for sale, as well as a dressing room.

Also on the thrifting/upcycling theme, Virginia Chamlee will make her first appearance at the show, sharing tips on where to find bargain vintage and how to style items for your home.

The Florida-based People magazine writer and author of the book Big Thrift Energy has become an influencer in the thrift-osphere. She has over 91K followers on Instagram and has sold items to celebrities the likes of Jimmy Fallon. She is also an artist whose work hangs in the VIP room at the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show and has been purchased by high-end designers such as Pierce & Ward. The L.A.’s firm’s client list includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Dakota Johnson and Josh Brolin, among others.

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Chamlee will appear on the Main Stage. Other presenters include contractor Bryan Baeumler, Su Casa Design’s Andy Friesen, My House Design/Build/Team’s Graeme Huguet, Jamie Banfield of Banfield Design, and Karl Lohnes from Style at Home magazine.

Over on the Cooking Stage, Great Canadian Baking Show judge Bruno Feldeisen will again work his magic. Other guests include food journalist and chef Joanna Tymkiw; Pan Pacific Vancouver’s Sean Murray; Ancestor Café’s Sarah Mierau; and Friendship Catering’s Heat Laliberte.

Lohnes, Friesen and others will also appear at the Ask Us Live booth where Beaton said “rotating design experts will give free home-decor consultations.”

Returning features include craft and art markets.

“Homeownership in Vancouver isn’t easily accessible to a lot of people, so we’re trying to make the show for everyone,” Beaton said.

“You don’t need to own a big home and you don’t need to have a huge window installation to come to the show and have a good time and see some things that you’re interested in. That’s why the pop-up markets are there, and lots of furniture stores. And this whole thrifting idea, of upcycling and buying consignment, is a topic that we’ve heard people discuss.”

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Also new this year is free Thursday admission, compliments of Surrey’s JC Custom Home Improvement. That might be a good day to tee up—and maybe even win a prize on the golf simulator.

Not only will Vancouver Golf Simulators have a full setup, including a 4K projector and a 15-by-10-foot screen, it will also be holding closest-to-the-pin competitions.

“We’re going to be giving away golf balls and gift cards and other things,” Gallant said. “And if anybody makes a hole in one, we’ll have a special prize for them too.”

Probably not a Madame Web Blu-ray.

The Vancouver Fall Home Show is happening at Vancouver Convention Centre-West; Oct. 24 to 27.

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