The Chronicle is proud to present the 2022 Columbia County Home & Garden Show April 23 and 24 at the Columbia County Fairgrounds. The show is sponsored by InRoads Credit Union.
The Home & Garden Show is one of Columbia County’s biggest family-oriented events of the year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the last two shows were canceled. The 2022 show reemerges this spring and will feature a varied line-up of special guests and events.
DIY expert Shannon Quimby is a special guest speaker at the 2022 Columbia County Home & Garden Show.
D.I.Y. with InRoads is bringing special guest Shannon Quimby to the show Saturday, April 23 for two live demonstrations. Quimby, with a worldwide television audience, is a well-known DIY expert, photo stylist and interior designer. Catch her on Create with Quimby on CBS and KOIN News AM Extra.
In the following conversation, Quimby gives us insight into her passion and what we can expect during her presentation in St. Helens.
The Chronicle: How did you get into this salvage Do It Yourself (DIY) business?
Shannon Quimby: From day one, my family was very resourceful, creative and we always had a workshop. I was taught to save it, fix it and if it couldn’t be fixed, change it into something else. We were “DIY” when it wasn’t popular. We reused, recycled and repurposed not because it was cool, but because we had very little money. Add that taught mentality of living rich with very little with parents who were always supportive of my exploring new ways to rethink, design and build things, it was a DIY win-win formula. Heck, at age nine I made my first furniture line for my sister’s Barbie dolls, all made from popsicle sticks.
The Chronicle: What is the passion you have for the salvage DIY and what is it about this that captures your spirit?
Quimby: Knowing there is no cap on creativity. I’ve always said, don’t worry, the DIY police will never give you a ticket for trying something new. Plus, recreating something that most think is worthless or junk, into a showstopper conversation piece. Example; my grandfather used empty baby food and mason jars to store nuts, bolts, screws and small parts under shelfing in his basement workshop. I took that same concept and mounted vintage jars under my upper kitchen cabinets. I call this DIY “Ode to Grandpa Buzz.” And to this day, it is one of the most popular DIYs featured on HGTV.
The Chronicle: What is your recommendation for homeowners and renters who want to recreate their living space? Where should they start, and can they recreate without spending a lot of cash?
Quimby: Oh, that’s a slam dunk easy answer. Paint It! Furniture, doors, cabinetry, floors, tables, you name it. It’s by far the most cost effective and freshens up any space in under a day. Another DIY idea that’s totally free is to shuffle and move around what you already have. A wood trunk can be a coffee table, bedside table or kids playbox. A family heirloom quilt can be artwork on a wall. That old ugly side chair? Cover it with a vintage tablecloth. How? Come to the Columbia County Home & Garden Show, and I’ll show you; it’s one of the many DIYs I’ll be sharing. Change your hardware. Hobby Lobby, World Market, and HomeGoods all have great selections that are really reasonable, price-wise. If you rent, just store the old hardware and replace when you move it.
The Chronicle: What will your message be as you make your presentation at the Columbia County Home & Garden Show?
Quimby: Use what you got to create something new. It’s original, it’s yours and it saves a ton of do-re-mi. A great surprise at the show this year and located at my DIY presentation table will be Individual How To postcards with DIY photos and all will be given away for free! Come and collect your favorites, add them to an InRoads Credit Union keychain, and build your very own recipe deck of DIYs.
Join The Chronicle for the 2022 Columbia County Home & Garden Show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 23 and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 24 in the Pavilion at Columbia County Fairgrounds, 58892 Saulser Road in St. Helens. Parking is free. Admission is $3 at the door or stop by InRoads or The Chronicle to pick up free tickets.
There is still time for vendor opportunities for inside and outside the Pavilion. For more information, contact Katherine Mace at [email protected] or 503-397-0116.
For show highlights and links to vendor participation forms, visit thechronicleonline.com. The event program will be in the April 20 print edition of The Chronicle.