Small-space garden has maximum impact

It's all about the plants for this passionate collector

Gwen Beam’s 33-foot lot is proof positive that you don’t need a lot of space to have an extraordinary garden. Originality and inventiveness — Beam has both qualities in spades — are key factors in transforming a tiny space. Beam’s garden . . .

Posted: 2021-08-21

DEBBIE TRAVIS: Matching frames connect series of prints

Dear Debbie: We have just moved into a new house which has lots of big windows and high ceilings. Even though the rooms aren't big, there is a great feeling of space. We are at the stage where we want to . . .

Posted: 2009-05-17

Spacious elegance for the whole family

Tasteful Royalwood estate on an oversize lot with a lake view

To put it mildly, buying a resale home is never a simple matter. That's because so many different factors have to be considered -- and then judged in their entirety -- before deciding to buy. When it comes to a resale . . .

Posted: 2012-04-07

TV looks like it always belonged in bookcase

The possibility the interviewer could become the interviewee made this project much more enticing. Gordo Fryfogle and his wife Cathy needed an upgrade to their entertainment wall of shelving, to accommodate a large new flat-screen TV they had not yet purchased . . .

Posted: 2018-04-21

Designers pine for natural wood

Using wood in design is nothing new. Keeping it natural — without a stain or a single stroke of paint — isn’t new, either. However, a growing number of designers and woodworkers are putting the natural aesthetics of bare wood . . .

Posted: 2016-08-06

Five easy ways for homeowners to beat the heat

Awnings A simple and affordable way to cool a home is the use of awnings. The great appeal of awnings is that they are a natural way to cool without the need for air conditioning or tinted glass. A deployed awning . . .

Posted: 2009-06-28

Fits like a glove

Irwin Homes' riverside bungalow makes perfect use of lovely setting

We've all driven by them at one time or another -- a new home that catches your attention because it captures the essence of its surroundings perfectly. That's exactly the case with 6 Prairie Oaks Cove, a 2, 466-square-foot Irwin Homes . . .

Posted: 2008-04-06

The best trees to plant in springtime

For many people, spring means planting new trees, so I'm often asked to suggest a good smaller tree for yards. By small, they mean less than nine metres, or about 30 feet. Here are some trees I think you will like. . . .

Posted: 2014-06-14

Designer digs

Multi-level home features practical and spectacular layout

Take an imaginatively designed and meticulously updated home and place it in a secluded, countrified location, and what do you get? A contemporary, country cool classic, that’s what.Or, to be more exact, 225 Egerton Rd., a 1, 900-square-foot multi-level split . . .

Posted: 2016-03-19

Staircase sets tone for rest of home

Visual impact of curved stairway well worth any additional cost

A curved staircase takes up more room and costs more to build, but for some homeowners it is more than worth it. To them, there is nothing more timeless than a well-executed, curved staircase. A staircase can be the focal point . . .

Posted: 2010-02-06