Making Cooking Cool
Contemplating the purchase of a high-end appliance? Head to Tysons Corner’s sleek Miele showroom, one of only 11 across the U.S., to learn firsthand just how to use the fancy features of the German company’s luxe ovens. Whether learning the basics of cooking healthily with steam or understanding the benefits of MasterChef technology, new Miele owners or potential buyers can test their kitchen prowess.
The showroom’s free culinary classes include: Intro to Steam (beginner) and Full Steam Ahead (intermediate) as well as Basics of Bread. The showroom also offers a handful of specialty classes throughout the year that require a fee: Manager Grace Park cooks from her roots for a tasty Korean BBQ class; learn how to make jams and face scrubs in a canning class; or sample fine wines at a Riedel tasting. Space is limited, so register online or by phone.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
For those green thumbs who want to grow their garden skills, and for those who could stand to be a tad greener, dig into Merrifield Garden Center’s expert seminars and workshops for free tips and tricks on a variety of plant topics from trendy to traditional. “We like to think of ourselves as more than a store,” manager Kevin Warhurst says. “We’re a learning center for gardeners of all abilities.”
At its three locations, Merrifield offers a robust yearlong program of Saturday seminars and weekly workshops on gardening, landscaping and decorating. The most popular and well-attended seminars are led by Merrifield experts on container gardening, lawn care and pruning. The garden center often hosts guest speakers from HGTV, “Yard Crashers,” the U.S. National Arboretum and the Northern Virginia Bonsai Society. Sow some seeds of knowledge: Learn basics from the ground up, or sign up for a more intermediate session. There’s even a kids’ workshop for ages 6-12, which Warhurst says teaches budding enthusiasts that it’s OK to get their hands dirty. No RSVP is required for free seminars, but registration for workshops is mandatory so Merrifield can order supplies. Children’s workshops are free.
Empowering Women
No matter the job, Moss Building and Design employees inevitably get asked about small fixes, like how to put a light on a dimmer or patch a hole in the drywall. Jeannine Miller, community relations manager, says Moss saw a need and came up with a series of five workshops with catchy, to-the-point names—Hang it, Power It, Patch It, Tile It and Caulk It—and has since been empowering women with the tools to get things done around the house. Held quarterly, the weeknight workshops, called HandyMom 101, are taught by a team of Moss professionals who do a thorough demonstration then let participants have at it, powering up roaring tools or spreading spackle over drywall mesh. A Q-and-A session about home improvement and maintenance makes for an educational evening. And thanks to a suggestion from Miller’s daughter, Moss adapted the concept for the younger set to offer an age-appropriate tiling workshop for Girl Scout troops or any organized girl group. The girls make a trivet to take home after learning how to weigh, cut and grout the tile. Moss even came up with a HandyGirl 101 patch. Interested DIY-ers (Note: Men are welcome, too.) can sign up for one of Moss’ public workshops or ask Moss to present a free workshop for a women’s or girls’ group.
Easing Into the Process
Remodeling or renovating your home is a big investment, and people often don’t know where to start, says Darryl Crosby, senior director of marketing. So years ago, Case Design and Remodeling sought to educate homeowners about the process with a handful of Saturday morning seminars. The now-quarterly sessions are held in Alexandria at the Ferguson showroom and in Bethesda at Case’s headquarters. A team of experts leads the seminars, which involve impressive before-and-after pictures and a Q-and-A session.
Although Case features five other seminars: Gaining Space in Your Home, Creative Outdoor Living, Living Through Your Remodel, Designing Within a Budget, Renovating Your Condominium, Crosby says the Kitchen and Bath Remodeling workshop is the biggest draw because everyone wants to know the ins and outs of those renovations. But today’s market has increased interest in how to renovate scaled-down quarters, and Case offers a session tailored to those who live in condos in the District, Arlington and Alexandria.
Understanding Basic Brushstrokes
How do I create color flow in my house? What color combinations work? Which ones don’t? These are just some of the questions interior designer and color consultant Andrea Schwartz will answer at a free paint seminar at the Ashburn/Sterling Benjamin Moore on Wednesday, Sept. 30. Find out why gray is such a hot color for use throughout a home’s interior. Learn how and where to add pops of color to give your home that extra oomph. Get answers to everything you always wanted to know about choosing paint color for rooms in your home. Get advice on increasing curb appeal with a couple of fresh coats of bold-colored paint, learn how to breathe new life into a home’s interior with an updated color scheme, and stay for the Q-and-A. Call or visit the store to register.
If it’s actual painting instruction you seek, Florence Jones, owner of Arlington Color Consultants, will set up a half- or full-day session to go over the DIY basics. She’ll even work with kids, an idea that grew out of requests Jones got from parents whose kids wanted to repaint their rooms in punchier tones. Rather than shell out big bucks to bring in paint professionals, Jones helps parents cut costs and teach their kids some useful skills. For a fee, she’ll discuss the necessary supplies, how to prep the room, tape it off and “respect the paint so you don’t get it all over the place.” Painting itself is pretty easy, says Jones, but it’s the organizational and neatness aspects that are essential to doing a good job. Jones provides some supplies; but paint and brushes are the student’s responsibility.
Weekend Workshops
The third Thursday of the month just might be considered Ladies’ Night at your neighborhood Home Depot with events billed as Do-It-Herself workshops. From 6:30 to 8 p.m., women can sign up to take on a home improvement project. Want to make your front door more welcoming? Follow the steps of a Home Depot associate, and you’ll come home with an address plate that doubles as a planter. The company has offered DIY workshops specific to women since 2003, says senior marketing manager Melissa Brown, and they offer DIY workshops open to anyone nearly every weekend. The basics of tiling, painting and installing a faucet are featured on repeat. In spring and summer, workshops focus on grilling techniques and outdoor living. Seasonal events have also proved popular: Attendees can learn to construct a festive lighted marquee perfect for bringing holiday cheer. Even kids can share in the fun by donning free aprons and constructing a new toy from a kit. These workshops are free and open to the public, but registration is recommended to ensure enough space and supplies.
Other Area Workshops:
The Container Store
Let the gurus here help you declutter. Solve your organization problems with weekend in-store demos and Q-and-A sessions on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. Topics range from pantry and closet organization to how to pack like a pro.
Lowe’s
Take the kids to Lowe’s Build and Grow Saturday clinics and they’ll score an apron and have a chance to tinker with wood as they build a new toy from a kit to take home.
Virginia Housing Development Authority
Thinking about buying a home, but not sure how or where to start? Check out VHDA’s free home-buying classes at locations all over the state. Here in Northern Virginia, the six-hour first-time homebuyer classes are taught by local experts, and many are offered in Spanish. There’s even a free online class.
Arlington County Adult Education
Experts lead multiday sessions on the basics of ceramic tiling, how to change out old two-hole outlets and the importance of proper home maintenance.
Fairfax County Public Schools Adult and Community Education
A number of home improvement classes are available, including Interior Design, Designing Your Dream Home and Beginner’s Guide to Dry Walling. There are kitchen and bath design seminars and bath remodeling workshops. Some courses are seminar-style, but others are more hands-on.
Loudoun County Public Schools Adult Education
Classes focused on electricity, furniture refinishing and horticulture are just a few workshop offerings in Loudoun Monday through Thursday evenings at area high schools. Courses vary each season.