Due to high demand, the large scale home improvement show returned to the NEC for five consecutive days – an extra day to previous years.

Grand Designs Live , proudly sponsored by Anglian Home Improvements, recently celebrated its eleventh anniversary by returning to Birmingham from 19 -­‐ 23 October 201 6 . The even t welcomed over 60 , 000 visitors . With over 4 00 exhibitors spread across six core show sections, the NEC was transformed into a buzzing design hub for those looking to make home improvements on any scale.

Offering visitors the chance to discover the latest products and trends, and to gather inspiration and advice for upcoming projects, the exhibition was once again hosted by Grand Designs guru Kevin McCloud. With decades of experience in home design behind him, thanks especially to the Ch annel 4 TV series, Kevin played host to a series of interactive events throughout the five days. He was joined by a team o f home and interior experts to discuss pertinent topics o n the Grand Theatre. Highlights included an energetic discussion on the effects of Brexit on the property and self -­‐ build market with a panel of experts including Louisa Fletcher and Charlie Luxton . The programme also featured several Grand Designers from the new TV series and even an upcycling masterclass from Max McMurdo.

Grand Designs Live has always been an advocate of creativity and innovation regardless of budget – a concept mirrored in the Self -­‐ Build on a Shoestring competition run in collaboration with the NACSBA. This year's winner, Barton Will o more with Ecomotive, scooped the £5,000 prize at the show for their green and seamlessly designed 'Starter Home' costing under £50,000.

Beautiful interiors were celebrated in the Grand Room Sets competition , sponsored by Anglian Home Improvements: the theme was set as 'Famous Places That Never Existed'. Fo ur shortlisted interior stylists brought their ideas to life using British retailers, manufacturers and designers, with Cream and Black Interiors being awarded first place with their “Emerald City” themed room .

What's more, three schoolchildren in the Birmingham area were crowned this year's "Mini McClouds". The youngsters , aged between five and ten years old, were tasked with drawing their own 'Grand Design' and were ecstatic to discuss their winning pieces at the exhibition with the man himself . They were even invited to take part in the official ribbon cutting on opening day wi th Kevin.

Lee Newton, CEO of organisers Media 10, said, "Our Birmingham show has been a phenomenal success, catering to every home design need and providing insightful talks and advice to every attendee. The show is always a grand display of the latest trends and innovations in home design and the addition of a fifth day this year meant more visitors than ever were able to join in on the experience. We're already looking forward to next year! "

The show offered an array of other g reat attractions, including:

• Ask an Expert , sponsored by Express Bi -­‐ folding Doors – visitors in the planning stages of home development brought their plans along and booked in a for a free 30 -­‐ minute session with a myriad of experts who specialise in areas such as architecture, project management, interior design, finance and more.

• Live Kitchen Experience, sponsored by Miele – For cooking buffs, the Live Kitchen Experience featured top chefs who showed audiences how to prepare delicious meals and take advantage of kitchen appliances in live demos. With masterclasses from the likes of River Cottag e's Steven Lamb , Chris Burt and Birmingham's o wn Steve Love, the Live Kitchen Experience proved you can cr eate Michelin Star quality food from the comfort of your own home.

• Kitchen Advice Centre, sponsored by Miele – off the back of its successful debut in 2015, the Kitchen Advice Centre was back once more offering free 30 -­‐ minute consultations for those looking at all aspects of kitchen planning and development .

• Kevin's Green Heroes – s howcase d Kevin’s pick of the most innovative and useful eco -­‐ friendly gadg ets and products on the market including Solidwool, the Biomass Light and Newspaper Wood.

• The Light Lab – A first for this year's show, The Light Lab showcase d what has become a major trend in recent years; the smart bulb. Visitors were invited along to see for themselves how much the humble light bulb can now do, by using an iPad to control music, colours and CCTV – all coming from the bulb itself.

For more details or press enquiries about Grand Designs Live , please contact the team at Frank PR on 0207 693 6999 or email granddesigns@frankpr.it