Ah, the sweet scent of autumn—burning leaves, pumpkin spice everything, and the unrelenting chaos of suburban homeowners descending upon one building in a collective frenzy of granite countertops and emotional support ottomans. Welcome, dear reader, to the 2025 Central Ohio Home & Design Show, the seasonal mecca for HGTV disciples, Joanna Gaines wannabes, and folks who still think “live, laugh, love” decals are edgy.
Held from September 5th to 7th at the Ohio Expo Center’s Bricker Multi-Purpose Building, this year’s show promises a reimagined experience, presumably because last year’s vision board spontaneously combusted under the weight of mid-century modern disappointment. Presented by Rosati Windows—because nothing says “design show” like someone yelling about triple-pane glass insulation—the event is free, which is ironic because you’ll probably leave with $3,000 worth of renovation fantasies and a $7 parking receipt that feels more like an entry fee to suburban purgatory.
So buckle up your faux-leather toolbelt, folks. We’re going deep into the heart of neutral palettes, botanical print pillows, and that one guy who always insists you need a bidet.
The Parking Lot of Doom
Let’s start with the $7 parking, which is absolutely adorable considering the show’s theme is “design and lifestyle,” but the real lifestyle on display is “parking lot rage and passive-aggressive minivan maneuvering.” Follow the signs (or follow the trail of emotional exhaustion) to 717 E. 17th Avenue, and brace yourself for the valet-free Olympics of hunting down a decent spot. Shuttle buses are available, which is a euphemism for “enclosed spaces where strangers talk about their backsplash choices for 10 minutes too long.”
If you survive this phase, congratulations. You’ve already outlasted 12% of attendees who turned around and said, “You know what? Let’s just go to IKEA.”
The Bricker Building: Where Pinterest Comes to Life and Then Dies
Once you enter the Bricker Multi-Purpose Building—a title as vague as your cousin’s career in “consulting”—you’ll be greeted by 150+ exhibitors offering everything from reclaimed barn wood nightstands to “smart mirrors” that probably know more about you than your therapist.
There’s something oddly religious about this space. Rows of booths sparkle like altars to capitalism, while attendees walk around clutching reusable tote bags like sacred scrolls. If you don’t leave here with a handful of brochures, three business cards, and mild emotional whiplash, you didn’t go hard enough.
Design Overload: Bless This Mess
You’ll find aisles named things like “Modern Living Row,” “Kitchen Konfidence,” and “Oh God Why Are There So Many Cabinets.” Wandering through them is like speed-dating for the chronically indecisive. You’ll lock eyes with a light fixture that makes your soul weep, only to be distracted moments later by a sassy mosaic backsplash that whispers, “Take me home, daddy.”
Of course, the RiteRug Home Remodel fully designed indoor room is the centerpiece—an overachieving showroom that exists solely to remind you your living room looks like it gave up on life sometime around 2012. Expect something like an autumnal fever dream: oversized plaid throws, enough throw pillows to suffocate a moose, and at least one decorative ladder whose only function is to hold a blanket that no one is allowed to touch.
Seminars: Where Dreams Go to Die (Slowly)
Yes, there are seminars and demonstrations, because nothing screams “weekend fun” like sitting in a folding chair while a man named Rick explains grout consistency.
Still, if you’re into that sort of thing—and you are because you paid $7 to park—there’s plenty to watch. From Entertaining in the Home Stage segments (think: “How to Set a Table That Makes Your Mother-In-Law Cry”) to Sunday Studio Workshops where strangers bond over the shared trauma of DIY macrame plant hangers.
Just remember: If someone starts using the phrase “pop of color” too liberally, it’s okay to feign a phone call and run.
The Garden Awards: Pitting Ferns Against One Another in Floral Thunderdome
Somewhere in the back, possibly near the restrooms (read: plant parent support zone), you’ll find the Garden Awards. This is where Central Ohio’s most elite horticulturalists battle it out for bragging rights and passive-aggressively humblebrag about their perennials.
You’ll see roses sculpted into spirals, potted succulents arranged like spiritual altars, and one guy who insists on telling everyone his tomato plant listens to Mozart. It’s a lovely reminder that nature thrives on care, attention, and heavy amounts of judgment.
Local Artists & Design Experts: AKA the Good Stuff
Tired of hearing about barn doors and epoxy countertops? Then make a break for the local artist section, where you’ll actually see authentic creativity untainted by buzzwords like “transitional chic” or “Scandi-rustic-industrial.”
These booths are filled with hand-painted tiles, aggressively ironic wall art, and the occasional taxidermied squirrel playing a banjo (Columbus is weird sometimes). Here, you’ll hear phrases like “upcycled canvas” and “textile fusion” from people who actually believe in what they’re doing—not just trying to upsell you a $14,000 dining table made from driftwood and tears.
7 People You’ll Meet at the Home & Design Show
Because let’s be honest, the people-watching is half the appeal.
-
The Overzealous Renovator
Wears a fanny pack and calls it a “tool holster.” Has plans to gut their entire kitchen based on a single inspirational quote. -
The Interior Design Influencer
Here for selfies, not seminars. Has a latte in one hand and a ring light in the other. Will refer to everything as “curated.” -
The Husband Who’s Just Trying Not to Die
Dead eyes. Silent resentment. Occasional grunts of approval. At booth #56, he whispered, “I miss my recliner.” -
The DIY Daredevil
She says “I could make that” about everything, including a $3,000 chandelier. She cannot make that. -
The Free Sample Scavenger
Walks away with 17 pens, 9 keychains, and a weirdly large number of gluten-free biscotti. -
The Actual Contractor Who Knows Everyone is Full of It
Nods politely. Laughs at seminars. Rolls his eyes so hard he sees his own frontal lobe. -
The Lost Child Who Now Lives Among the Throw Pillows
Last seen curled up in a hammock display, whispering, “This is my home now.”
Trend Forecasting (a.k.a. The Good, The Bad, and The Beige)
This year’s show has no shortage of trends pretending to be timeless classics. Here’s your survival cheat sheet:
-
✅ IN: Warm neutrals, curved furniture, sustainable everything, and yelling “biophilic design” like it means something.
-
❌ OUT: Grey-on-grey minimalism, farmhouse overload, mason jars as decor, and saying “open concept” like it’s a sacred chant.
-
🚫 ALWAYS NO: Faux shiplap. No one needs it. Not even Chip Gaines.
Hot Tips for Surviving Without Needing an Emotional Reboot
-
Wear Comfortable Shoes.
This isn’t Paris Fashion Week, it’s 74,000 square feet of people named Linda talking about mulch. -
Don’t Engage with Door Salesmen.
They will follow you. They will use phrases like “thermal efficiency.” You have been warned. -
Bring a Tape Measure.
Not because you’ll use it—just to look intimidating. -
Eat Before You Go.
Unless you want lunch to consist of mini pretzels and regret. -
Have a Safe Word.
If you're going with a partner, agree on a word that means “If I hear the phrase ‘accent wall’ one more time, I will combust.”
Final Thoughts: Bless This Hot Mess
The 2025 Central Ohio Home & Design Show is everything you expect it to be—an oddly sacred pilgrimage into the absurd theater of home improvement, design fantasies, and aspirational living. It’s a place where the middle-class dream reinvents itself in taupe, where countertops are worshipped, and where one man’s “accent wall” is another man’s descent into madness.
But it’s also… kind of wonderful.
Yes, it’s chaotic. Yes, it’s crowded. Yes, there are too many booths selling reclaimed wood that smells suspiciously like your grandpa’s garage. But in a world gone mad, where people doomscroll their lives away, it’s comforting to know that somewhere, someone is passionately arguing about the best under-cabinet lighting system.
So grab your tote bag, channel your inner design diva, and get yourself to the Bricker Building. It’s a three-day carnival of good intentions, overextended credit cards, and couches no one will ever sit on.
And remember: You don’t need a bigger kitchen. You need therapy. But while you’re avoiding that, this show is a pretty damn entertaining substitute.
See you there. I'll be the one judging your grout.