MIKE HOLMES: Train nose to recognize dangerous odours

You need to put all your senses to work to make your home safe and healthy. That means using your nose to sniff out problems, as well as your eyes to see what's wrong. I'm not just talking about noticing and . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14

Nurture that indoor garden

Holiday gift plants can charm year-round

Hostess gifts during the holiday season quite often include a beautifully presented plant ranging from the exotic, such as anthurium, orchid, hibiscus or bromeliads, to the more traditional, including amaryllis, Christmas cactus, paper whites and, of course, poinsettia in its . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14

Spa features create a luxurious bathroom

Dear Debbie: In your opinion, what would make a bathroom really luxurious and special? We are remodelling our master bath and are looking for some direction. Thanks for your help, always. PhillisDear Phillis: When you are planning a complete remodel, . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14

Classic and contemporary?

Cobi Ladner tries to marry the two designs in a sophisticated palette

Those who follow home decor know Cobi Ladner. During her time as editor of Canadian House & Home magazine, she was well-known for the warm way she drew readers onto the pages, guiding them through the design principles and tricks . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14

Maxing it out

Realtor shares Top 10 space-saving secrets

With 12 years' experience in the real estate industry and having bought, renovated and resold 54 homes, Shirley Evans knows how to take even the smallest of houses and turn it into a functional home. Here are her Top 10 tips . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14

Soaking up design tips

Design*Sponge's DIY maven puts best of her blog in a new book

The way Grace Bonney saw it, design books fell into two categories: eye-candy or practical. One contained beautiful photos full of inspiration and gorgeous interiors. The other showed you how to prettify your home with do-it-yourself manuals and step-by-step instructions. But Bonney, . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14

Second chance for furniture

Accountant goes full-time into vintage furniture

Tara Jamieson is doing what she loves the most: playing with paint. Last year, after spending all of her spare time in her garage, sanding, stripping and painting the dressers, tables and nightstands she picked up second-hand, Jamieson decided it was . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14

CONNIE OLIVER: Final touches

Have fun accessorizing

After you've painted the walls in your home a great colour and placed the furniture in a pleasing arrangement, you'll want to tackle the final (and I think the most enjoyable) part of the decorating process: accessorizing. Accessorizing your rooms involves . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14

Last days to gain insights at unique show

TODAY and Sunday are the last two days of the Kitchen Bath and Renovation Show at the Winnipeg Convention Centre. The show runs today from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. If Friday's . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14

Almost perfect

Design change adds room to popular cab-over

When it comes to home designs, one needn't reinvent the wheel to create a winner. All that's needed are some revisions in key areas, Hilton Homes' Spencer Curtis said. "In the case of the Amherst III, it's one of our older, most . . .

Posted: 2012-01-14