A married homeowner for 20 years, Lori Mitchell was struggling with home renovation projects when she learned about Tomboy Tools — a tool and DIY company that creates a full line of power tools, hand tools and specialty tools ergonomically designed to be female friendly — eight years ago.
That’s when the proverbial light bulb went off in her head.
Single women are the fastest-growing segment of homebuyers, Mitchell said yesterday.
“Back in the old days, you waited until you got married to buy a house and now, that’s all out the window,” said Mitchell, now the president and CEO of Tomboy Tools Canada. “Most women will be on their own at some point in their life.
They’re inspired by all the programs and the magazines and they want to install that floating shelf in the bedroom but they’re not sure how,” she added. “You don’t have to sign up for a class to do that.”
Over 30,000 people —women and men — came out to the 30th annual Ottawa Home and Garden Show at Lansdowne Park over the weekend, said show manager Nancy Carrier yesterday.
“We give ideas to people as to how they can adapt their own space,” Carrier said.
Attendance was up from last year, when people were worried about economic recession. Now that the economy is recovering, people are beginning to spend, Carrier said. “When you’re worrying about a recession, you’re not planning to move,” she said. “You’re going to wait and maybe upgrade the house you’re in instead of changing the house.”
