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BOARDMAN -- Sometimes, less can be a lot more.
"I've had no complaints from vendors, no complaints from people coming in," Karen Caruso, the Home Builders Association's executive officer, said Saturday. "It just gives you a bright outlook."
Caruso was referring to the restrictions and modifications, because of the pandemic, to the 70th annual HBA Home and Garden Show at Mr. Anthony's Banquet Center, 7440 South Ave., which began Friday and continues 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.
This year's event has about 55 local and regional vendors, down from the usual 85 to 90, as well as wider aisles to keep attendees safer. Organizers also are strictly following Ohio Department of Health guidelines by requiring people to wear masks, social distance and adhere to one-way foot traffic patterns, she explained.
Despite the restrictions, those who came Saturday seemed festive; many also were looking forward to spring and were enjoying a "semblance of normalcy," perhaps one of the most valuable aspects of the show, Caruso continued.
The key aspect of the event that remains unchanged, though, is the desire for many people to glean ideas for remodeling, repairing and revamping their homes and landscapes as warmer weather approaches. In that regard, there was no shortage of places to turn.
One of those is J.R. Bath, a family-owned, North Canton-based business founded in 1976 that specializes in using custom-made and cut products for remodeling projects with walk-in showers and tubs.
Many workers likely will feel safer in their medical facilities and offices with added peace of mind if they install a new portable state-of-the-art air scrubber, said Bill Wiery president of W.W. Heating & Air Conditioning, which was established in 1982 in North Lima.
"Employees will feel more comfortable going in; customers will feel more comfortable going in. Odds are you aren't going to get sick," he added.
Wiery and his wife, Peg, also run Thompson Heating and Cooling in Warren.
Also at the Home and Garden Show are ideas for roofing and siding products, windows, gutters and gutter guards, landscape lighting, flooring, paints, sealant and waterproofing products, hardwoods, concrete coating and lawn furniture.
Today, the winner of a door prize will take home a five-piece lawn-furniture set valued about $1,500, courtesy of the Home Builders Association and Columbiana-based Pinewood Structures Inc. Pinewood donated to the HBA the two chairs, two end tables and single glider, noted Virgil Horst, a sales representative with the 25-year-old business.
Pinewood Structures specializes in selling a wide variety of custom backyard sheds that range from 48 to 560 square feet, along with lawn furniture, play sets and other outdoor structures.
"This is a prime time to buy, including going into April and May," Horst said.
Before entering Mr. Anthony's main ballroom, it's difficult to miss the artistically crafted and personalized shovels, rain chains, ornaments and wind chimes on one side of a small hallway.
Jeff Ondash, who runs What a Great Gift in Canfield, makes the unique shovels by placing them on a plasma table, then, after conducting spot welding, submerges them in a patina solution to oxidize them quickly. It generally takes about six days for the shovels to cure, he explained.
Despite this year's popular show being scaled back because of the pandemic, it's refreshing to see more people getting out of the house and safely interacting with one another more frequently, said Caruso.
"I think we're turning a corner," she added.