SOLUTIONS: Mouse in the house? Give it peanut butter

QUESTION: Do you have a "green" solution for repelling mice? We had mice problems last year and would rather repel them than kill them. We are rather low-income people. Linda, Winnipeg ANSWER: Mice love peanut butter even more than cheese. Locate . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11

Don't let your house become a big pane

WINDOWS and doors are as important to our homes as the walls and roof. No part of the home is a bigger culprit for letting heat out in the winter and in during the summer as well as letting in the . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11

CONDOS: Flex space, the final frontier

Rip the doors off and de-clutter: expert

It's the space that's supposed to be a bonus in condominiums: the one marked "flex" or "storage" or even "multi-purpose" on the floor plans. The problem is, the space is often so small it hardly serves any purpose at all. Designer . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11

CONDOS: Makeover solves condo clutter

Space at a premium, but panache and good taste possible

There's an elephant in my living room: a TV with a honking 20-inch back, sitting on what formerly served as my coffee table, and a jumbo multi-disk DVD player lying on the floor beneath in a wrangle of power cords. . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11

GARDENING: Itoh peonies worth a pretty penny

Hybrid flowers bloom unusual colours, size each season

My grandmother loved her peonies. Every spring, just as the last of the winter snow vanished and allowed the exposed soil to be warmed by the amiable rays of the sun, she would tend to her peonies. Armed with her secret . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11

Mini-mansion

Grand-scale furnishings in tiny bachelor apartment win award

Ryan Townsend broke every rule about design and yet managed to win over judges in a national design contest. The 30-year-old's chic apartment in Esquimalt, B.C. won Best Small Space honours in an annual contest held by Canadian House & . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11

Innovation's in eye of creative designers

Furniture fair features the best, brightest international designs

WITH furnishings that run the gamut from edgy to elegant, ethnic to otherworldly, the International Contemporary Furniture Fair is a favourite of serious design lovers. Highlights at this year's fair, which was held May 19-22 in New York: Luminous Lighting Several booths showed . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11

CONNIE OLIVER: Listen to what your walls have to say

SOMETIMES in decorating, the room will dictate which style is best suited to it. That is to say, the walls will 'talk' to you and guide you toward the best decorating style for the space. Our feature photograph is a good . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11

MIKE HOLMES: Water in your house? Don't blame the roof

After any rainstorm, whenever the average homeowner finds a puddle of water on the floor or wet drywall under a window they'll assume it's a roof leak, and they'll do the logical thing: Call in a roofer. But often this water . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11

Sliding doors are a stylish space-saver

Dear Leanne: What is your opinion on french doors verses sliding patio doors off of a family room? ANSWER: When deciding to incorporate sliding doors or french doors into any room of your home, there are a few points to consider. . . .

Posted: 2011-06-11