Home design event, landscape help and more

Maybe your home is showing its age. Or maybe your lifestyle has changed — a bigger family or an empty nest — and you need a new home that fits your new life.

If you're thinking about remodeling or building a home, mark your calendar for "Right at Home," an evening of architecture and design, presented by AIA Minnesota and Star Tribune, on April 24.

A panel of architects will share smart remodeling and design strategies for creating a home that fits the way you live and that makes the most of your budget. You'll see other homeowners' makeovers and new homes, and have the opportunity to chat with architects and ask them questions about your next project.

You'll also have a seat — and first peek — at the annual Home of the Month awards program, where this year's winning residential projects will be revealed.

Admission includes a buffet of hors d'oeuvres, catered by D'Amico, plus a cash bar, so you can bring a friend and make an evening of it.

This is a great opportunity to see some of the Twin Cities' best recent home projects and to ask leading local architects about your own home — and what it would take to make you feel right at home. (Who knows? The home you're dreaming of today could be a Home of the Month winner next year.)

KIM PALMER

When: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. April 24.

Where: International Market Square, 275 Market St., Mpls.

Tickets: $18 in advance, $20 at the door, includes hors d'oeuvres buffet. Register by phone, 612-338-6763, or by e-mail (mckinley@aia-mn.org).

Every August, thousands of Metro Paint-A-Thon volunteers spread across the Twin Cities to scrape, prime and paint the homes of seniors and people with disabilities. The Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches community service program is looking for volunteer teams to do the work during this year's Metro Paint-A-Thon weekend Aug. 2-3. Teams can vary in size, and coordinators will try to match teams with projects in their neighborhoods. Register online at www.paintathon.gmcc.org/newteamreg.php or call 612-276-1579. Assemble your team soon — the deadline is June 1.

Spring has sprung, and it's time to focus on your outdoor spaces. The Bachman's workshop "DIY Landscape" will explain how to design a plan with plants and hardscape that you can do yourself. The workshops are from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday and 1 to 3 p.m. April 27. Cost is $5; register at www.bachmans.com.

Enter to win a DIY Planting Design appointment or $1,000 off a project purchase of $3,000 or more. Events are at Bachman's Minneapolis store, 6010 Lyndale Av. S. Call 612-861-7311.