It’s not too soon to be thinking about your spring home improvement to-do list.

We attended the first weekend of the two-weekend Miami Valley HomeWorld home show at the Airport Expo Center in Vandalia and talked with several home improvement vendors on site to learn more about some of the top trends on display. These trends can help inspire your project list.

1. Outdoor kitchens

Outdoor kitchens are the hottest trend in landscape design, said Jason Gebhart of Michael’s Land Designs in Fairborn. “It’s gone beyond just having a grill outside,” he said. “We’re seeing more seating, built-in refrigerators, sinks and stoves.” One display even featured an outdoor pizza oven.

If you’re looking to jump on board with the trend, make sure you weigh your options carefully.

“Realistically, the customer is looking at $30,000 or $50,000 and up,” said Gebhart, adding that customers should select every element, such as textured vs. smooth bricks, with care because minor costs add up quickly.

2. Wooden cabinetry

Kitchens are going back to basics. “We’re seeing more and more people going back to oak, which we haven’t seen in a long time,” said Beth Spegal, an interior designer with Remodeling Designs in Dayton. “Another popular look right now is a gray sheen on the wood… very earthy colors are still the big contenders.”

In bathrooms or kitchens, wooden cabinets painted black “are also very big as accent pieces,” Spegal said. Popular choices for black accent pieces include vanities and the cabinetry surrounding sinks.

3. Accessible baths and showers

If your household is big or growing, grab on to the latest trend in shower design: grab bars. “Mainly, people are thinking grab bars and lower shelving,” said Donna Pequignot of Luxury Bath Systems in Beavercreek. “These make sure everyone in the house is comfortable accessing the shower.”

“More and more people are looking ahead to retirement” as they design their bathrooms, Pequignot said, adding that accessible tubs and showers are beneficial to all ages and can help prevent falls.

4. High-efficiency windows

Both the economy and the planet have those searching for doors and windows thinking green. “There’s a big focus on high efficiency,” said Mark George, a factory representative with Champion Factory Direct in Dayton. “Many companies offer some version of energy-efficient glass” which can help customers save on heating bills.

“We apply our own version (of energy efficient coating), so all of our windows and doors are high-performance,” George said. Energy-efficient coatings on glass help to seal in heat in the winter and block the heat of harsh sunlight in the summer, as well as filtering out ultraviolet rays.

5. Exotic hardwood flooring

Changing technology is changing the look of hardwood flooring. “Engineered hardwood flooring using exotic types of wood” is a growing trend, said George Valentino, owner of Floor Coverings International in Waynesville. “New technology allows flooring products to be made thinner and greener with the use of veneers.”

The style as well as the materials of hardwood floors is changing. Traditional hardwood floors use thinner planks and standard woods such as oak, but now “hardwood with wide planks is popular,” Valentino said. “Especially made from veneers like cherry and eucalyptus.”