CONNIE OLIVER: Decorate your firebox for the holidays

My husband and I are fortunate to have a real, woodburning fireplace in our rec room. It's great during the winter and especially cosy on Christmas morning. However, when it's not in use, the firebox is a gaping black hole . . .

Posted: 2009-12-12

Clear winner

Firm makes wonderful kitchen features entirely in glass

Instead of choosing a kitchen or bathroom countertop from granite, wood or laminate, consider a new alternative: glass. Glass countertops offer a sleek, icy finish, and can be embedded with whimsical colours or simply left with a clear, pale-green tint. Like . . .

Posted: 2009-12-12

ASK THE INSPECTOR: There's no quick fix for your squeaky floor

QUESTION: I live in Winnipeg and have a 25-year-old home. Unfortunately I have a few squeaks in the floor. I have tried shims, special pull-down bolt mechanisms and even reinforcing between the joists, all to no avail. I did see on . . .

Posted: 2009-12-12

SOLUTIONS: How to remove mildew from stored linens

QUESTION: I am going through items stored for several years in unheated conditions. Some of the linens I would love to keep but they smell so musty... mildew etc. Can I wash them with Detol or bleach or something to . . .

Posted: 2009-12-12

November home sales figures strong

The Winnipeg Realtors Association released its November sales figures on Tuesday and it was good news all around. There was an increase of 42 per cent from the same period last year. The number of properties sold represented the second-best . . .

Posted: 2009-12-12

SOLD & OFFERED - Dec. 12-09

West St. Paul Address: 76 Sandhill Asking Price: $359, 900 Sold Price: $353, 000 Taxes: $3, 853.22 Square Footage: 2, 086 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 4 Lot Size: 75 x 150 Listing Agent: Chris Unruh, Rischuk Park Realty Ltd., 488-9000 Island Lakes Address: 50 Myles Robinson Way Asking Price: $399, 900 Sold Price: . . .

Posted: 2009-12-12

Teens, parties and privacy

South Pointe bungalow built for busy family living

These days, life (as the saying goes) comes at you fast. Between having a family with more than one hormonally challenged teen with a compulsion for privacy and the desire to entertain family and friends as often as time will permit, . . .

Posted: 2009-12-12

House prices surge, even during recession

If you've been investing in real estate over the last couple of years, it was a wise decision. With the economic downturn, recession and fears about the future, real estate is the one area that's proven to be a safe investment, . . .

Posted: 2009-12-12

Still young at 47

Open design gives home ageless quality

Despite being decades old, some home-design styles can only be classified as timeless. A case in point is 410 Bower Boulevard, a 2, 900-square-foot Tuxedo-area bungalow built in 1963. A little more than three years shy of 50 years old, the . . .

Posted: 2009-12-12

Keep garden records straight

QUESTION: As we expand our garden, especially the food garden, we would like to start keeping records of plans, plantings, and seeds. Is there a simple way? ANSWER: At about this time in the year, I set up the new year's . . .

Posted: 2009-12-05