Not entirely traditional

Sage Creek two-storey has a 'modified classic' feel

According to Jack Hood, a new homes sales consultant with Sterling Homes, the Santa Monica C located in Sage Creek is a hybrid design. "It’s what I would call a modified classic, " Hood says. "Its floor plan is quite open, . . .

Posted: 2018-06-02

Pharrell has bought Perry's old spot

LOS ANGELES —Pharrell has found a new spot to hang a large hat or two. The singer-songwriter and producer has spent US$15.6 million for Tyler Perry’s 17, 245-square-foot mansion in gated Mulholland Estates. Built in 1992, the custom residence is visually . . .

Posted: 2018-06-02

Masterpiece with a theatre

One-of-a-kind Wolseley home offers best of classic and modern worlds

From the outside, 168 Chestnut St. looks pretty much like your typical Wolseley classic. Front steps with quaint white picket fence railing on either side, enclosed front porch with its obligatory row of leaded/latticed windows, peaked roofline and a white-shuttered window . . .

Posted: 2018-06-02

Saying good bye to old memories

My good friend Anna took me to see her old farm a couple of weeks ago. She hadn’t been there recently so was understandably a bit surprised when she opened the door to the very old house, stepped into the kitchen, . . .

Posted: 2018-05-26

Fiddling with bed sheets can be a stressful exercise

Question: I become very frustrated trying to change sheets; it’s always a guessing game. I put the sheets on my bed, and they don’t fit, so I turn the sheets and fiddle with them until they fit. Is there an . . .

Posted: 2018-05-26

Sometimes, it just has to be done over again

Job site gremlins can turn up at any time

Best intentions are occasionally no match for Murphy’s Law — sometimes things just don’t go as planned. Despite all precautions, mishaps can still manage to find their way on to the job site. When these unanticipated events occur, costs increase . . .

Posted: 2018-05-26

Gardening in hot, dry conditions

Warmer-than-normal temperatures to continue all summer, climatologist says

After a long winter, soil conditions remain dry across much of the southern prairies. To get a sense of just how dry local conditions are, I talked to Dave Phillips, Environment Canada’s senior climatologist. "There’s a serious soil-moisture deficit situation, " . . .

Posted: 2018-05-26

Late Paramount chief's property fetches hefty sum

Modern farmhouse-style mansion with wood- and steel-framed gates sits on 2.2 acres

LOS ANGELES — You could call it 68 million shades of Grey. The Grey Estate, the Holmby Hills home of late Paramount Pictures chairman and chief executive Brad Grey, has sold for US$68, 822, 500. Even for this leafy west-side pocket, tucked . . .

Posted: 2018-05-26

Gurgling noises just won't leave us alone

Question: We live on the second floor of a new two-storey condominium building. When it is windy, which is a lot out in the country, we get a gurgling sound in our kitchen sink. Yesterday was windy all day and . . .

Posted: 2018-05-26

Country meets contemporary

Oak Bluff West bungalow strikes fine balance between rustic and modern

What does a builder do when presented with the opportunity to come up with a fresh design on an oversized lot in a rural setting? Create a countrified yet contemporary home, says Jennifer Gulay of Royal LePage Alliance, sales representative for . . .

Posted: 2018-05-26