Going with the flow

New show home deftly combines design concepts

It's a human tendency: When something -- say, a home design -- is overdone one way, the natural reaction is to do something that's the polar opposite. The consequence of that tendency, over the past 10 years or so, has been . . .

Posted: 2011-04-16

Not your average retrofit

Condos offer deft combination of practicality, creativity

ASK realtor Garry Hirsch to sum up the newly-refurbished condominiums at 1812 Portage Ave., and he does it in succinct fashion. "Simply put, they're smart condos, " he says. "Granted, the units (studios and one-bedrooms) aren't huge, but they use the . . .

Posted: 2011-04-16

On the waterfront

Royalwood bungalow maintains show-home attraction

Once upon a time, it was a show home. Today, the stunning 2, 234-square-foot bungalow — which was built in 2004 and comes with a walk-out basement — is for sale. Except for the occasional nick in the paint, the home . . .

Posted: 2011-04-16

MARC ATIYOLIL: Here's how to make a floor plan

Dear Marc: You use the term floor plan a lot in your column. I plan to design my living room and would like to sketch up my own floor plan. How does one create a floor plan? Hilda   Dear Hilda: Take out . . .

Posted: 2011-04-09

Release the cultivars!

Spring's the season for gardeners to sample exciting new additions

SPRING is an exhilarating time for gardeners as we look to update and enhance our home landscapes with the latest and best in woody and herbaceous plants. Each year, the collective efforts of plant breeders and the nursery industry culminate in . . .

Posted: 2011-04-09

CONNIE OLIVER: A room that says 'really glad you're here'

I chose to feature this dining room photograph today because of its unusual colour palette. The pale yellow and blue Dulux Australia paint colours are an uncommon choice for a space such as a dining room. You'd expect to see . . .

Posted: 2011-04-09

ARI MARANTZ: Removing chimney a vexing situation

QUESTION: I live in a house that we built on top of the foundation of a house we tore down. The original house and foundation were built in the 1940s. In the new house we put in a high-efficiency furnace . . .

Posted: 2011-04-09

Dream home, dream job

Contractor finds TV career satisfying

He's at it again. Bryan Baeumler, the contractor who has saved countless homeowners from renovation disasters on HGTV's Disaster DIY, is about to do it all over but this time with a bit of a twist. With 91 episodes of Disaster DIY . . .

Posted: 2011-04-09

REENA NERBAS: Dozens of ways to make rice

There are many stories about how and where rice came from. Most believe the roots of rice are in 3, 000 BC India, where natives discovered the plant growing in the wild and began to experiment with it. Rice is . . .

Posted: 2011-04-09

MIKE HOLMES: Duct cleaning a good thing -- if it's needed

Healthier air quality, better airflow, more energy efficiency -- yes, I am a fan of duct cleaning. But there's a time and a place for duct cleaning. And it's not always worth the money you pay. There are a lot of . . .

Posted: 2011-04-09