Protea blooming in popularity

Researchers, breeders in Hawaii exploring design trends with exotic cut flowers

Quick, where does protea grow? If you answered the Western Cape of South Africa, you wouldn’t be wrong. The King protea is the national flower of South Africa. Plants in the protea family also occur in the cool, dry areas of . . .

Posted: 2019-12-28

Perfectly balanced

Luxury bungalow ideal for either families or empty-nesters

It’s all too easy to put fashion before function when designing a luxury home. Fortunately, Artista Homes’ design team didn’t fall into that trap with their latest show home in at 73 Cassleman Cres. in Oak Bluff, says Artista’s sales representative . . .

Posted: 2019-12-28

The best of open-concept and traditional

Charleswood home's floor plan features designated living spaces without ruining light flow

As popular as today’s open-concept floor plans are, they’re not for everyone. That’s because, as functional as they are, they come with some subtle drawbacks. First, visitors can often see the entire main living area — kitchen, dining area and family room . . .

Posted: 2019-12-28

Surprise handy homeowner with plumbing gifts this holiday season

Question: Dear Ed, I’m a big fan of your column and would like to include a couple of plumbing-related gifts this year. Can you suggest some fun plumbing gifts I can surprise two of my special handy homeowner friends with . . .

Posted: 2019-12-21

10 tips to get your home organized

Containers and cartons help eliminate clutter

Clear the clutter! More than ever before, people are opting for minimalism instead of overstuffed and cluttered homes. From items purchased on a vacation to treasured mementos and those that have been gifted, the accumulation of items may be what . . .

Posted: 2019-12-21

Forecast optimistic for Manitoba homebuilders

Recent housing reports and economic projections for 2020 are providing Manitoba’s residential construction industry with some optimism for the upcoming year. This is welcome news following two years of declining single-family housing starts and challenging market conditions. According to the Canadian . . .

Posted: 2019-12-21

Homemade salsa easy to make and delicious

Question: I want a recipe for homemade salsa? Do I need to cook it before I serve it? — Britany Answer: Salsa does not necessarily require cooking; however, uncooked salsa has more of a bite. If you choose not to cook . . .

Posted: 2019-12-21

Dreaming of a black and white Christmas

Laurie Mustard fondly remembers past holidays

Christmas was a wonderful time back in the mid-1950s when I was a young lad growing up in Killarney. Seems to me the season was more about family and get-togethers back then, and people home for the holidays, presents, too, of . . .

Posted: 2019-12-21

Bring warmth to a modern house with decor

As a home decor enthusiast and shop owner I am always looking for new and exciting challenges. It is truly amazing how much decor can change an entire home. I got my wish this October when Nell Hill’s had the . . .

Posted: 2019-12-21

Adding more insulation to attic a simple process

Question: We have a bungalow built in the early 1960s that was moved to our farm location near Winnipeg in 1991. At the time it had only three inches of insulation between the attic rafters, so we had a local . . .

Posted: 2019-12-21