I Attended the Inspired Home Show As a New Homeowner and It Forever Changed the Way I Shop.
Your home has its own style, but that style was determined long before you ever set foot in a store. These decisions were made by shoppers who attend trade shows like The Inspired Home Show , where popular brands from around the world showcase their latest home goods to retailers, who then stock those items in the stores where we shop. As a new homeowner myself, I wanted to see what was coming to stores, so I made plans to attend The Inspired Home Show in Chicago from March 10th to 12th. Suffice it to say, there was a lot to see.
What is The Inspired Home Show?
The Inspired Home Show is organized by the International Housewares Association , a nonprofit trade organization dedicated to “maximizing the success of the home and lifestyle industry.” Held annually in March, the show features over 2,000 brands showcasing their products, connecting with buyers and fashion trendsetters, and sharing the latest trends and innovations in home furnishings. The show is divided into four categories: Clean & Protect, Decor & Styling, Electrical & Security, and International Supply.
How Visiting a Home Goods Show Changed My Shopping Approach
When I bought my first home in November, I began to understand the importance of choice when decorating. Just as the selection at my local bookstore or the first page of search results determines what I read, the selection at stores like Walmart, Home Depot, or Target often influences the functionality of my kitchen, the organization of my linen closet, and the appliances on my countertops long before the thought even occurs to me. Admittedly, I don’t always care —I rarely find the shelves of big-box stores empty, let alone online shopping in general—but I decided to approach the display with the same imagination as in a fantasy draft. Stores make their selections, but what if I don’t like their selection? A deeper understanding of brands and their products allows me to make my own choices.
In general, knowing brands, products, and sales is part of my job description, but since I work for a tech brand, my focus is much more on Apple, Google, and Microsoft than Dreo , Carote , and Vacane . The prevalence of online tech shopping makes my selection of the best tablets , fitness trackers , and digital notepads more meaningful. But as a homeowner, I realized the range of home goods and appliances is just as vast, it’s just that the selection is far less well-known. The more I consider home goods, tools, and appliances across a spectrum of countless brands, the more I want to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff.
The home goods market is full of cheap, low-quality junk, and for most of my life, I furnished my apartments with kitchenware, appliances, and cleaning products, trying to save money. This was largely due to financial constraints, which I understand perfectly. I rolled my eyes when people told me that “nothing is more expensive than cheap shoes”—after all, cheap shoes were all I could afford. But my habit of buying cheap home goods persisted for two reasons: a resistance to consumer manipulation (I still remember the first TV shopping product I bought as a teenager, which turned out to be complete junk) and the belief that all home goods brands were created equal.
The first of these reasons remains unchanged. I religiously use online ad blockers, ignore algorithmic suggestions on social media, and block brands on Instagram. As of today, I’ve blocked almost 10,000 accounts on Instagram alone, where I manually block every account that tries to sell me a product I don’t need.
But the belief that all home goods brands are the same has been shattered, and walking through the exhibit hall at a trade show dedicated to the evolution of the industry reminds me how much work goes into an industry I once found easy to ignore.
Meet the winners of the 2026 Global Innovation Awards.
Of course, not everyone can attend trade shows, especially those closed to the public. And while your own opinion of a brand may be formed through trial and error, word of mouth, YouTubers, or online forums, I hope to include more home goods trade shows and conferences on this list. Only by knowing what’s available can we make more informed choices, engaging directly with companies we trust rather than limiting ourselves to store shelves. To that end, take a look at the winners of the 2026 Global Innovation Awards from the International Home Furnishings Association. You can also read about my experience attending Inventors’ Corner, where 32 small brands share their niche home furnishing innovations they hope will become mainstream. Finally, you can keep up with the coolest brands I saw at the Home Innovation Show by subscribing to our Home & Garden, Smarter Home & Living newsletters.