Annual show the place to go for new ideas

Chances are, you don't think much about walls. They divide a building into rooms; they hold up the ceiling. But for Stephen Morgan, walls represent possibility.

33rd Spring New Products Show » Hours: 5 to 9 p.m. today; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. tomorrow; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday » Place: Blaisdell Center Exhibition Hall » Admission: $5; $4 seniors, military and children; kids under 7 free » Call: 945-3594

"Every time I walk into a home with light walls, it's like a blank canvas to me," Morgan said.

The artist and owner of Faux Show, a new company that specializes in wall treatments, is among the participants in this weekend's 33rd Spring New Products Show.

Morgan specializes in Mediterranean-style treatments, including Venetian plasterwork and granite-like wall finishes. One of his most popular is the Bellagio finish, which Morgan applies in several layers with a trowel. The result is a slightly textured matte-finish, available in several shades.

Each treatment costs $4 to $5 a square foot; the Venetian plaster finish slightly more at $6 per square foot for wall treatments, and $7 for ceilings. One of the more difficult treatments to produce, Venetian plaster work gives a plain wall the appearance of polished marble, said Morgan.

Morgan previously worked for an interior designer in California, Signature Designs, where he learned custom wall treatments. After returning home, he noticed a lack of businesses that met this need, and opened Faux Show in March.

More than 250 vendors like Morgan will display their products at the Spring New Products Show. They include pre-assembled meals by Dinner by Design; inch-reducing body wraps from It Works!; shoe insoles from Fashion Spree; expandable tissue packs from Kamaaina LLC; an organic jewelry line from La Tagua; an award-nominated burn cream from Burn B Gone; and sun-shielding products from Planet Sun.

University of Hawaii head football coach Greg McMackin and the 2008 Warriors will hold a meet and greet for fans at 1 p.m. Sunday, while returning attraction "Taste of the Pacific" is back for a second year with Tanioka's Seafoods & Catering, the Wedding Café, O Lounge, Kaka'ako Kitchen and more serving up meals and snacks.

Vendors have donated prizes that will be given away hourly - among them a $1,000 shopping spree at Times Supermarket and a Las Vegas vacation from go! Airlines.

Prize giveaways also include the $100,000 "Extreme Home Interior Makeover" package from furniture store ABC Design Center. The winning family will receive furniture, flooring, window treatments, kitchen appliances and a complete kitchen and bathroom makeover.

Orchids added to annual show

New to this year's Spring New Products Show happening today through Sunday at the Blaisdell Center is an international plant exhibit, coordinated by Rod Oshima, owner of Diamond Head Plants.

The exhibit will include flowers from Thai grower Preecha Nursery, and displays by the Honolulu Orchid Society and Windward Orchid Society. The Department of Agriculture's Hawaii Plant Quarantine station will present displays on its inspection program and a demonstration by dogs with the K9 Corps.

"Hawaii was once the center of the orchid culture," said Oshima, "but in the last couple of decades, we have lost our edge."

Oshima cites strong competition from Southeast Asian and Central American countries and waning public interest as reasons for the decline locally. He's hoping the show renews interest in the orchid industry.

"We're an agriculture-based society," said Oshima. "It goes back to the plantation days, but now there's this push to high technology."

Because of its location, Hawaii could appeal to the U.S. market as well as an overseas one, he said. "We could be a go-between. We can bring everyone together, and it would benefit hotels and tourism. ... We're not going to get our foothold back, but we can change and adapt."