Stepping up in style

These staircases are the stars of the show

So earlier this week, I got chatting with Lynn Fenwick of Fenwick & Company Interior Design about staircases and the difference their style and design can make to your home. Hold it. Is it staircase or stairway? They don’t sing “climbing the staircase . . .

Posted: 2022-01-29

Function and flair meet in West St. Paul

Attached two-story roomy, practical and attractive

Of all the new realities spawned by the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most unpleasant ones has been a steep and steady increase in the cost of a new home. In many instances, a home that cost $450, 000 two years . . .

Posted: 2022-01-29

Luxury living in Tuxedo

Spacious penthouse condo both stunning and practical

When you design a luxury condominium — in this case a penthouse suite, no less — it needs to be designed 
with care. That’s because as much as you want it to be sumptuous, you don’t want it to be too . . .

Posted: 2022-01-29

On the lower level

Framing basement can be tricky job, but careful planning helps

When planning a full basement project from bare concrete floor and walls to fully finished, the layout is first designed to meet all the desired rooms, typically the main rec-room area, a bathroom, laundry, furnace room, and one or more . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Acetone will help thick nail polish flow better

Question: I have a clear nail polish with colour specks in it that I like to put over regular colour nail polish to sparkle it up, but it has become quite thick. Is there any way that I can thin . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Popular Ontario mail-order nursery pivots

Unprecedented demand for perennials forces a reset

Who can resist scouring online catalogues for seeds and plants? Mail order catalogues put tantalizing plant acquisitions within our reach. Practically speaking, whenever new plant or seed catalogs launch each year — many of them during the month of February . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Anything that can go wrong will go wrong

Murphy’s Law tests Mustard’s patience

Last Sunday was just one of those days. A Murphy’s Law day. Of late, I’ve used the cold and snow to inspire myself to go through the house, pick out a few things to donate or sell, one of them being (sell . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Garage goals

Insulation, sheeting makes sense in our climate

Question: I live in a home built in Winnipeg seven years ago. I wish to make my garage a nicer space. I plan on completing the drywall in my attached garage. I really don’t ever plan on heating my garage, although . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Spring Parade of Homes just around the corner

The snow and cold temperatures we’ve experienced this past week might make it hard to believe, but spring really is just around the corner and we are only five weeks away from the 2022 Spring Parade of Homes! The Manitoba Home . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22

Class & Character

Prairie Pointe two-storey balances style and utility

Builders are always looking to make a statement when they conceive a plan for a new show home. However, there’s an element of risk associated with trying too hard to turn heads: that a bold design theme might not appeal to . . .

Posted: 2022-01-22