Trim triumph

New baseboards and casings can sharpen up a home’s look

Flooring replacement always requires a few extra steps. Beyond removal of existing flooring to make way for the new (as well as any sub-floor preparations that arise), the casings and baseboards are best removed to be re-installed later in the . . .

Posted: 2025-04-26

Gee up your geraniums

Breathe new life into beds and containers with vibrant new varieties

The “why” behind planting geraniums is simple — they are so easy to grow. Plus, there are so many colours to choose from at garden centres, so does it really matter which variety you pick? Most of us are familiar . . .

Posted: 2025-04-26

Living large

Signature Homes’ cleverly designed dwelling offers young families room to grow

With a shortage of inventory, the spring real estate market has seen many small starter homes listed in the $300, 000 range sell for as much as $100, 000 over list price. And with inventory projected to remain low, competition . . .

Posted: 2025-04-26

Riverside gem

Huge, treed lot complements spacious, custom-built Charleswood bungalow

Admit it or not, everyone daydreams about what their perfect home would look, feel and live like. In most instances, the mind’s eye conjures images of a grand home situated on an immense lot, the immaculately groomed greenspace simultaneously setting . . .

Posted: 2025-04-26

‘Hey, while you’re here…’

Sometimes it just makes sense to squeeze in another task

Nearing the completion of a multi-faceted, five-week project during which the homeowners had wisely elected to stay elsewhere for the duration, a ninth-inning query resulted in one of the trickier tasks of the entire project. Since the homeowners had not . . .

Posted: 2025-04-19

Versatility and verve

Kensington Homes’ Oakmont design optimizes family-friendly use of space

One of the most important things a builder can do when designing a home for a large family is to think outside of the box. That means coming up with new ways to enhance time-proven design features. In this case, a . . .

Posted: 2025-04-19

Rustic retreat

Custom-built Headingley South bungalow exudes charm

Drive through the city — and even a bit beyond — and you often find pockets of homes in lovely little enclaves that somehow had escaped your notice. One such niche is Headingley South, which generally encompasses the area between . . .

Posted: 2025-04-19

Spring and summer great times to visit show homes

Last month, over 32, 750 Manitobans visited 137 show homes on display during the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association’s 2025 Spring Parade of Homes. This unique showcase provides Manitobans with the chance to see the widest variety of new show homes . . .

Posted: 2025-04-12

Blooming boon

A true daylily game-changer and putting plant hardiness to the test

In the plant world, the term “game-changer” gets thrown around a lot. It’s true that many plant introductions offer consumers unique and novel traits such as unusual patterns or colouring, exceptional bloom performance or a more compact habit. Plant . . .

Posted: 2025-04-12

Good as gold

To ease kitchen update costs, revive rather than replace

A full kitchen remodel is a very expensive prospect. As I’ve often mentioned in the past, salvaging certain elements of an existing kitchen layout, provided they still serve the desired purpose, can be one way of reducing what can . . .

Posted: 2025-04-12