Details make the difference

Two-storey design customized to maximize space, panache

It's one thing to build a home, and another altogether to build a custom home. Liam Milne, sales manager for Hearth Homes, says one factor plays a key role in being able to distinguish a custom home from a stock design. "It . . .

Posted: 2008-05-25

Hardy fescue may answer lawn-care woes

Grass blend requires less water, power

Fed up with coddling your lawn like an anxious parent with an indulged child? Then fescue might be your new best friend. Fescue, a hardy, slow-growing and drought-resistant grass, is the sole ingredient of Eco-Lawn, one of the low-maintenance lawn seeds . . .

Posted: 2008-05-25

$20 can go a long way

An open mind the key to redecorating on the cheap

No money? No worries. You can make tons of changes to your d ©cor for less than twenty dollars if you shop wisely and keep an open mind. Where to shop You need to know where to shop to get the most . . .

Posted: 2008-05-25

Take special care with spring bulbs

Tulips flower longer with a bit of work

There's always so much to do in the spring garden, but don't forget a couple of essential jobs that should be done if you want your spring bulbs and flowering shrubs to prosper for a long time. Starting with spring bulbs, . . .

Posted: 2008-05-25

Home is where the yurt is

Ancient housing style brings family closer to the land

VICTORIA -- A year ago, they were living in a conventional two-storey stucco house in downtown Victoria, a few blocks from the ocean. Now they're nesting in an eco-friendly yurt perched high in the hills a few kilometres north of Shawnigan . . .

Posted: 2008-05-25

Sold!

A look at recently sold homes in and around Winnipeg

Fairfield Park Address: 1122 Lee Blvd. Asking Price: $224, 900 Sold Price: $250, 500 Taxes:$3, 909.00 Square Footage: 1, 060 Bedrooms: 2 + 2 Bathrooms: 2 Lot Size: 50 x 119 Listing Agent: Terry Isaryk, Re/Max Performance Realty, 231-5557 Windsor Park Address: 14 Heather Rd. Asking Price: $173, 900 Sold Price: $186, 500 Taxes: . . .

Posted: 2008-05-25

New book on tiles features 800 pictures

If you have a passion for using tiles in home decor, or better yet, if you see tiles in an almost spiritual context in your domestic design plans, you might want to check out a new book on the . . .

Posted: 2008-05-18

New heating system can take longer to heat

QUESTION -- My 1, 200-square-foot home used to be heated by a furnace from 1949 that ran at 25, 000 BTU. Recently I changed the system to a newer, 7, 000-BTU system. I thought this newer heater would be more . . .

Posted: 2008-05-18

Greening your house

Take steps towards better environmental practices at home

CALGARY -- One of the biggest problems we face in the quest to go greener at home is not the lack of options, it's the lack of space. "Houses ... are not built to be green, " says Sarah Franklin, co-owner . . .

Posted: 2008-05-18

More than just an entry

Front door a window to a room's soul

When Og first draped a mastodon hide across the mouth of his cave to keep the rain out, his neighbours took note. Not one, however, commented on the curb appeal of his innovation. For most of the 200 millennia that Homo . . .

Posted: 2008-05-18