Growing helps you GROW

Tips and troubleshooting for the garden and beyond

There are plenty of reasons this spring to pursue your approach to gardening with renewed purpose. Growing plants successfully is an immensely satisfying experience that refreshes the spirit again and again. Optimism is in the air. Despite the low amount of . . .

Posted: 2021-05-29

Watering under decks, additions can help foundation

Question: Hello Ari. You have been to our home in the past and we appreciated the information we received. I just read one of your Free Press articles on avoiding cracks in foundations. I water as well, but we have a . . .

Posted: 2018-09-01

Simply wonderful

Appearance deceiving; River Heights bungalow sparkles inside

There's an old saying (or is it a cliché?) that says not to judge a book by its cover. That's easier said than done when you drive down a street -- even if it's in an area such as character-laden River . . .

Posted: 2009-04-05

Adding West Coast style to your home

Los Angeles-based designer talks tips and tricks

Los Angeles designer, artist and product creator Justina Blakeney joined Washington Post staff writer Jura Koncius last week on The Home Front online chat.   Question: I am a broke college student living in a tiny apartment with some other girls. We want to . . .

Posted: 2017-11-10

Location, location… no thanks; vacant, derelict properties slam brakes on nearby home sales

For almost a year, Ed Artola tried to sell his one-storey rental bungalow in the 500-block of Atlantic Avenue before finally giving up. He didn’t receive a single offer, and he’s blaming a vacant home next door. “There are reports of . . .

Posted: 2024-08-07

Let it rain

Precipitation not a problem with proper planning

The recent rainfall had me drifting back to the time when the main second-storey addition was being framed above my triple attached garage. Because the roofline was completely dismantled to prep the new joists and sub-floor and erect the . . .

Posted: 2023-08-12

CONNIE OLIVER: Black is black -- and it can be stunning

Just like that 'little black dress' or a well-tailored man's black suit, using black as a base in any fashion arena is a safe bet to a great look. This stunning Moen bathroom is a handsome testament to that. In . . .

Posted: 2011-11-05

Hard to find 'old-world' stucco contractors

QUESTION: Throughout the last two years of renovation and addition to a 1931 River Heights home I purchased and recently moved into, I've enjoyed your column both for items to consider in construction and occupancy. I am in the last . . .

Posted: 2013-10-19

ASK THE INSPECTOR: Dual power sources best for smoke alarms

Backup needed if electricity or battery fails

QUESTION: My home is 22 years’ old and has hard-wired smoke detectors in the main floor hallway and in the basement. We also have battery-operated ones installed in the bedrooms. The hard-wired units are connected to the house alarm system. . . .

Posted: 2010-01-16

Surprises await

Vintage 1900s home not what you would expect inside

It's a saying we all know well: Don't judge a book by its cover.As clichéd as it might be, in this case -- 102 Ruby St., a two-and-a-half-storey, early 1900s-vintage home in Wolseley -- the saying is very much appropriate. . . .

Posted: 2015-02-21