Use your plants to their full potential

Are you taking full advantage of your plants? Believe it or not, trees, bushes and flowers are good for more than just adding colour to your yard. Whether they’re slowing fires, providing food or increasing your home security, your plants . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18

Dos and don'ts of the perfect family room

Tips on how to make your space as appealing and cosy as possible

Whether in basements, filled with light or spaces that pose spatial challenges, family rooms are often the most popular room in a home. So why not make a family room as appealing and cosy as possible? Creating a family-friendly family . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18

Packing the perfect picnic

With summer coming, here's how to prepare an easy-breezy outdoor meal

As the weather warms up, many of us start thinking about enjoying our meals outdoors. But a seamless, successful picnic takes some planning. Having a checklist and some ideas for what foods work best can keep the easy-breezy notion of . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18

Old chimney space can be used for fresh-air intake

Question: We have a new Carriere high efficiency furnace, which is one year old. We love it except for the interior humidity in winter. We never had a fresh air vent before because the old system using the chimney drew out . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18

Tips to extend the life of your furniture

A lot of thought, care and creativity goes into picking out and designing your upholstered pieces. It is a labour of love. Once the piece is in your home, you want to be able to enjoy it for many years . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18

Many options to remove smell from leather furniture

Question: How do you remove the off-gas odour from a leather sofa? -Sue Answer: Whenever attempting to clean leather, you should always test cleaners on an inconspicuous area first and read the manufacturer’s instructions. Over the years readers have had great results removing . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18

As millennials reject family treasures, baby boomers start to ask, 'What do we do with all this stuff?'

Every time I enter the blue-tiled bathroom off the back door of my home I think about my mom, my millennial offspring and the overflowing shelves at the local Goodwill. In that bathroom, displayed next to the outdated mahogany vanity, is . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18

Putting the work back in yardwork

Not much nostalgia for the garden tools of yesteryear

Good day, and welcome to another exciting episode of "Home — Then and Now." Last week’s historic home phones versus "the cell" got a terrific response, so this week I’m shifting the focus to yet another home history category: "Lawn and . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18

Problem underfoot well in hand

A little foresight goes a long way when fixing floor-tile issues

Over time, tiles of a well-travelled floor can slowly begin to loosen, providing a slight shifting sensation beneath your feet. When not addressed in a timely fashion, this motion can cause tiles to crack, resulting in much bigger problems. It’s always . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18

Trees to enhance your yard's beauty

Nursery owner back to business after brush with death

Sheldon Falk is planning and planting for the future because he can. After a brush with death last fall, this May long weekend has special significance. Falk is the owner of Falk Nurseries, a family-run nursery and garden centre located eight . . .

Posted: 2019-05-18