Renovation & Design Articles
Watching their every move
'Smart' condo tracks seniors' activities
Edmonton researchers have tracked the daily movements and activities of a group of seniors living in a sensor-laden "Smart" condo to find out how to help them live independently. From June to October, six seniors preparing to go home after rehabilitation from conditions such as stroke, fractured hips and Alzheimer's disease . . .
March 3, 2012
SOLUTIONS: Decaying food cause of disposal-unit odour
QUESTION: I have a garbage-disposal unit connected to my kitchen sink. Lately, there has been a very strong odour coming from it. It is pretty bad, especially when we come in from the outdoors. The smell is wafting throughout the house. I have used baking soda, vinegar, and even washed . . .
March 3, 2012
Fantasy house, fantastic reality
Vancouver Island heritage home is Winnipeg couple's dream come true
VICTORIA, B.C. -- This classic, century-old house overlooking Beacon Hill Park stood empty for six years while its owner, who lived next door, lovingly undertook a painstaking and extensive renovation. Meanwhile, a visitor from thousands of kilometres away quietly yearned to live in that house. She walked by it every time . . .
February 25, 2012
Old-fashioned fun
Classic board games make a comeback
During Christmases past, children would find all sorts of simple games under the tree: Tiddlywinks, pickup sticks and board games could amuse young minds for hours. Batteries and computer chips have made much of kids' play an electronic spectator sport today, but there are signs of some push-back. Retailers are now offering . . .
February 25, 2012
CONNIE OLIVER: Get inspired and think outside the paint can
I wanted to feature this particular dining-room photograph today because of its unconventional design. Dana Tomic Hughes, the designer who created this avant-garde space for Dulux Paints, has piqued my interest. You're probably asking yourself if this room is actually finished, and the answer is yes. How brilliant of the designer . . .
February 25, 2012
MIKE HOLMES: Make sure you avoid the 'con' in contractors
I just heard a news story about some contractors getting arrested for taking homeowners' money and not completing the jobs they were hired to do. In one case, a contractor is accused of scamming a 90-year-old man from B.C. out of more than $200, 000 for renovations he never did. Contractors . . .
February 25, 2012
ASK THE INSPECTOR: Zonolite insulation gives rise to questions
QUESTION: I am in the process of upgrading the energy efficiency of my home, which is 40 years old. I have Zonolite in the attic and just recently had a pre-retrofit eco-energy audit done. It was suggested to me to increase my insulation in the attic by adding eight inches of . . .
February 25, 2012
SOLUTIONS: Whitish mark on oak table can be removed
QUESTION: For 30 years I have always put a heavy protector on my oak table whenever I use it. However, a couple of weeks ago I just threw a tablecloth directly onto the table. Now I have a whitish mark several inches wide on the wood. I put a hot . . .
February 25, 2012
Handmade buckwheat pillows earning fans
For five nights, I shared my bed with a cotton bag stuffed with 18, 000 buckwheat hulls. No, I wasn't on vacation at the Upper Canada Village, though I did feel like a pioneer bedding down with a sack of crunchy shells. My "Buckwheat Challenge" all started two weeks ago when . . .
February 25, 2012
Slipper orchids for your home
Surround yourself with the beloved blooms
There is something about orchids that has enthralled the human race for over 150 years. The words "mysterious... captivating... beautiful..." are just a few of the adjectives most often used in describing orchids. Of the more than 20, 000 different orchid species, the three slipper orchid genera, with their prominent lip . . .
February 18, 2012
