Digital projector? Plasma? LCD? The pros and cons

TECHNOLOGICAL advances have made giant flat-panel TV screens with intensely detailed pictures affordable to the average consumer. But which one to choose? Home theatre enthusiasts say you can get the best bang for your buck with a system that uses a . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

Even hardiest of trees can suffer from wind chill

Burlap needed only to protect from breeze

111 ANSWER: You don't have to wrap all evergreen conifers. Most of them are native to our climate, and are able to withstand the winter quite comfortably. The hard waxy covering on their needles usually protects the foliage against drying out. . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

A floor so beautifully unique it will floor you

Sand and marble combine to create art under foot in condo's bedroom

Part sculpture, part mosaic, part Zen retreat, the floor inside the bedroom of this Calgary condo is everything flooring usually isn't. Put simply: It's a work of art. It sparkles in the sun, appearing to flow serenely between the queen-size bed . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

Not So Big idea spreads 'all over the world'

Author campaigned against bland McMansions

It's been a decade since a soft-spoken architect from North Carolina shook up the sometimes haughty world of design and architecture with her hugely popular book, The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live. Sarah Susanka . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

The personal touch

Mix things up in home decor to avoid generic look

Those glossy furniture catalogues in your mailbox offer a pleasant vision of home decorating. They show how easy it is to order up a stylish, thoughtfully designed living space where everything blends smoothly. But where do you fit in that equation? . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

Don't sweat the small space

Easy tips to tranform cosy into comfy

Today's new condominiums and town-homes are designed on a smaller footprint that has changed the way our homes are furnished. At first, the options for decorating were decidedly modern. Small spaces were thought to be best suited to the sleek, . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

Books can liven up your space -- but think outside the shelf

Use tomes as furniture, accents and art

Books are a great decor accent. Whether they are featured in a grand built-in bookshelf or placed strategically on an accent table for effect, books make a room complete. Their varying sizes, colours and textural qualities alone make them great . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

Pipe down those rumbling heating ducts

Ideas on what might be causing the racket

11Thank you for your time. -- Christine McBride, e-mail ANSWER -- As the heating season is now upon us, I thought this would be an excellent time to answer your question. Noisy forced-air heating systems are a common complaint and . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

Home Divas share passion for decorating

Group combines decor advice with a little wine, food and socializing

What do you get when you cross two Susan's, two Sharon's and a Nadine, add in a passion for home decorating and top it off some wine and chocolate? They're called The Home Divas. In the fall of 2002, the group . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09

Purchase of a new home is a sound decision

Cautious and smart decisions needed

There is no argument that we live in uncertain economic times. The market has been unstable and, on paper, most investments have fallen in value over the past four months. However, both Canada and the United States have recently held elections . . .

Posted: 2008-11-09