Budget for time when planning renovation

Assume the unexpected will add 15 per cent to project cost

Dear Leanne: We are planning to renovate our kitchen this fall and our deadline is Christmas. We were originally thinking of replacing the existing cabinets ourselves. Now we are considering a more extensive reno. We hadn't considered hiring out for . . .

Posted: 2011-10-15

Home newbies get down with the crapper's flapper

On your own? Here are some handy hints

It's that pomp-and-circumstance, tassel-turning time of year that for many means one thing: flying the coop. For graduates living alone for the first time, there could be some rude surprises setting up house without the help of mom, dad or a . . .

Posted: 2008-04-27

Roses prove to be worth the effort

We may be in an era of low-maintenance plants, but don't count out these classics

Who can resist a rose? Turns out that while most plant shoppers take time to stop and smell the roses on display at garden centres, sales of the flower are on a downward trend. In this era of low-maintenance plants, roses . . .

Posted: 2017-10-28

Vegetable oil removes grease from cast iron pans

Question: Do you have a solution on how to remove grease that seems to be baked onto the bottom of my old cast iron frying pan? I have tried some commercial cleaners, but they didn't work. Maybe you have a . . .

Posted: 2015-08-01

Warm lemons are easier to squeeze

Question: How can I get more juice out of a lemon? David Answer: A warm lemon will extract more juice than a cold lemon. Heat the lemon in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Next roll the lemon on the . . .

Posted: 2022-07-30

Boudoir boost

Bedroom the most neglected part of many homes

I've been thinking on the importance of bedrooms. In Canada, the bedroom is the most neglected room in the house. This is especially the case with two constituencies: Young professionals, who tend to commit their energy and money to the kitchen . . .

Posted: 2008-05-18

Light and bright dining

New decor trend sees desire for more inviting eating areas

Like fashion, decorating trends come in waves. One day, everyone wants a sputnik light fixture in their foyer, and the next they want a Moroccan Beni Ourain-style rug on their living room floor.If my clients’ wishes are any indication of . . .

Posted: 2017-02-04

Twice as handy

Twin brothers nail it in reality reno show

Drew and Jonathan Scott are shockingly handsome, in a Harry Connick kind of way, and they're also identical twins. And if that isn't enough to jump-start your pulse, consider that the 32-year-old Vancouver-born brothers buy, sell and renovate real estate, which . . .

Posted: 2011-04-02

GREEN house

Designing with potted plants creates perfect interiorscape

Biophilia, a concept introduced in the 1980s by Edward O. Wilson, describes a human's natural instinct to interact with nature and other forms of life. Elliott Bennett knows firsthand the value of biophilic design. The vice president of Air Strength . . .

Posted: 2016-01-02

10 beautiful plants to plant now

Get a head start on next year’s garden

My favourite garden of all is the late summer garden. Plants have ripened and matured, their long stems and profusion of flowers and seedheads intermingling with neighbouring plants to produce a tapestry of colour and texture. Bees, butterflies and . . .

Posted: 2025-08-23