SEATTLE -- Curious about the latest trends in building design?

Looking for ideas to update your decor?

Checking out some of the new building materials like bamboo?

Or perhaps you have some very specific items on your home shopping list. Things like wind-resistant roofing, generators and propane systems for heat and light.

Home shows nationwide have had vendors offering alternative energy systems -- solar, wind, wood fired and more -- for decades.

But it's likely King County residents -- who had more than one windstorm whistle through dropping trees and snapping power lines, leaving residents without power, sometimes for weeks -- will check out the emergency systems and equipment a little closer this year, said Barbara Bratsberg of Seattle.

She's one of the organizers of the Seattle Home Show, scheduled to open Feb. 17 at Qwest Field Event Center.

"You don't know how good you have it until you walk through your house, reach out and flip the light switch and nothing happens," she said.

We didn't have it so bad here on the east side of the state this winter. But power outages, windstorms, flooding, even earthquakes can happen here too.

"And as we all found out, keeping your home or condo's heating system, appliances and lighting working is a challenge during a prolonged power outage. A lot of people turned to generators, and they disappeared off store shelves fast, Bratsberg said.

That's one solution, but generators have their own dangers.

One is carbon monoxide poisoning from poorly vented gas and diesel generators.

"That can make you sick, even kill you," Bratsberg said.

Another is plugging a generator into an outlet in the home which can feed into the transformer outside and injure the public utility crews working on the lines. Instead, have an electrician wire it in for you, well ahead of the time you'll need it.

One of the newer types of generators at the show uses batteries to store energy while the power is on. Then, when there's an outage it taps the energy in the batteries to power the building's systems. Check it out at Household Power's booth, where representatives also will be showing solar energy systems.

One of the more unusual alternative energy solutions coming to the show is the Turbo Burn Water Stove from Spokane. It uses wood, propane or waste oil to heat water in a reservoir. Then the hot water is pumped through piping to some type of heat transfer device in the house: radiators, radiant floor heating, forced air, etc.

The company's Web site, www.turboburn.net, claims the water in the unit will produce heat up to five days on one burn. During an outage, a generator can be used to run the pumps and fans.

Other home safety equipment you'll find at the show are rollshutters to protect windows, roofing materials that resist winds up to 150 miles per hour and prepackaged emergency kits like those at earthquakeprepared.com.

"And there will be all the traditional vendors too -- flooring, cabinets, heating systems, appliances, landscaping, home decor. With nearly 600 exhibitors, if it goes into a house, someone is sure to have it on display," Bratsberg said.

While there, be sure to scope out the five full-size homes on Idea Street.

"They'll all be constructed, decorated and landscaped in just five days and feature everything from modular construction to mini cabins," she said.

The largest, 3,600 square feet, is built around a central courtyard and includes a spacious gourmet kitchen, master and guest suites, a butler's pantry and den.

The smallest buildings are a cluster of prefabricated mini cabins -- several are 200 square feet or less -- displayed in a vacation home setting.

"They have a very small footprint, very compact, perfect for a piece of vacation land," Bratsberg said.

The show will also feature a series of free seminars, different each day, on a wide variety of topics.

-- Seattle Home Show

When: The show runs Feb.17-25. Hours are Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Monday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; and Friday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Qwest Field Event Center, 1000 Occidental Ave. S. (between Safeco Field and Qwest Field).

Admission: $10 adults, $6 seniors (60 years and older), $3 juniors (7-15 years) and 6 and under are free.

* Reporter Loretto J. Hulse can be reached at 582-1513 or via e-mail at lhulse@tricityherald.com.