Hearth-warming refurb

Like a puzzle, fireplace surround comes together piece by piece

Amidst a very hectic end-of-year work schedule, I was able to eke out a few hours over a couple of days to address a lingering upgrade in my very own step-down dining room, the main level of the addition . . .

Posted: 2025-12-06

Daylilies star in doc

Film focuses on plant’s ability to inspire and improve lives

If filmmaking is a visual art form and nature is a powerful inspiration for art, then why aren’t there more films about plants and the people who are passionate about them? PlantPop is one of those rarest of things — . . .

Posted: 2025-12-06

Distinctive digs

Vibrant flourishes, deft floorplan set Yvonne II model apart

As a home builder, it can become all too easy to become complacent. The reason for that is simple: after you find a formula that works, the tendency is to keep repeating it because buyers seem to like it. Oftentimes, that . . .

Posted: 2025-12-06

Definite down-sizers’ delight

Value-packed Sanford bungalow a refuge for empty-nesters

These days, affordability is a huge issue for empty-nest couples with budgets that fall short of the magical $400, 000 mark. Next to affordability, the two most important issues are condition and livability. Which is to say a home should ideally . . .

Posted: 2025-12-06

Aromatic sanctuary

Indoor herb gardens add savoury touches to recipes, elicit fond memories

‘Welcome to our living aromatherapy space, ” said Dave Hanson on my visit last week to Sage Garden Greenhouses. Every customer who walks through the door of the greenhouses located at 3410 St. Mary’s Rd. is greeted by the different . . .

Posted: 2025-11-29

Step-by-step upgrade

While renovating on top of irregularly built substructures can frustrate, patience pays off

A good number of my recent job sites have involved a flooring upgrade, at least to some degree. Working at a house last month, the first phase of several separate renovations was just that — the renewal of the existing . . .

Posted: 2025-11-29

Space and grace

Two-storey Prairie Pointe home makes most of every square foot

Designing a single-family detached home to fit a 26-foot-wide lot is no easy task. That being the case, it’s critically important for designers to use their imagination to come up with a plan that maximizes every square inch of space . . .

Posted: 2025-11-29

MHBA Parade show homes open to visit all winter

Manitoba’s spring and fall Parade of Homes events are a spectacular showcase for Manitoba’s residential construction industry. The parades showcase the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association’s home-building members, offering new-home buyers a chance to see cutting-edge home technology, and visitors also . . .

Posted: 2025-11-29

Updated classic

Century-old Wolseley home overhauled with young families in mind

Consider for a moment a home built over 100 years ago in Winnipeg. In most instances, people tend to visualize the same thing: a quaint-looking home with an interior that falls short of living up to modern standards for one . . .

Posted: 2025-11-29

Do your level best

Differing approaches can solve subfloor idiosyncrasies

The decision to upgrade flooring often gives rise to related, but unexpected quandaries that need to be resolved once work gets under way. At a recent job site, the main floor consisted of two types of adjacent floor finishings: carpet . . .

Posted: 2025-11-22