Boost The Value Of Your Property Today

 Are you interested in selling your property in the future? If so, then you need to make sure that you are exploring ways to boost the value of your home. There are a few options that you consider here. Let’s look at some of the best options.  Hot Tub Or

Mastering Garage Door Frame Repair: A Comprehensive Guide

 In the realm of home maintenance, understanding how to repair a garage door frame is a valuable skill that every homeowner should have. This guide from Fix Garage Doors CA aims to equip you with the knowledge and step-by-step instructions you need to effectively address your garage door frame issues.

6 Benefits of hiring an interior designer for your home renovation

 Whether you want to make every space of your house look bigger or change your interior's entire aesthetics, the design ideas for home design and renovation are endless. To make sure you're doing the right thing for your house, hiring a professional interior designer can be a smart decision. As

Getting to grips with DIY when you’ve never even held a hammer before

 Photo: Bidvine DIY can be hard to manage, especially when you’re never had to put a shelf together before or even hold a hammer! And because of this, more and more people are feeling inadequate within their own home environment — if something breaks, what are they going to be

DIY Halloween costume ideas for kids

 This spooky time of year is the perfect chance for you and your little ones to get creative and use your imagination. Here are some tips, tricks and treats from ADT Canada for coming up with your own do-it-yourself costumes.  Start with what you know Kids always have a favourite

Why DIY Has Become The Go-To For Furniture Design

 DIY is the new designer. As social sentiment shifts from having it all to making it all, weekends are now spent hunting for furniture or scraps with good bones that can be created into something beautiful. There is a number of factors that have driven this passion, which of course

The Dynamix Difference

 Photos courtesy of Dynamix Productions It simply isn’t a party without Dynamix Productions. With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Dynamix sets the standard as Ottawa-Gatineau’s top professional DJ companies. For Stephan Gonthier, founder and owner of Dynamix Productions, music has always had a significant place while he

Bring Back the Bees – How to Help Bee Populations With Your Garden

 Did you know that honeybees are responsible for approximately 90 per cent of the world’s nutrition? Due to many environmental and human factors, more than 10 million hives have been destroyed to date. The decline in the bee population is a serious concern for everyone around the world, but most

JOHN’S RENO TIPS: Why you should be doing renovations in the winter

 People don’t often think of winter as a prime time for renovations. Instead, when the temperature drops, most people will start dreaming of their future summer projects and line up contractors for that busy peak season in the renovation business. Their houses then remain virtually untouched when the weather gets cooler. However, John Gordon says winter can be a great

The 411 on Ottawa’s Zine Scene

 Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Look back over the last 10 years, and you’ll spot a resurgence of the old Do-It-Yourself ethos. From self-published zines to craftivism, a new generation is being encouraged to challenge society through handmade items. Zines (pronounced ‘zeens’), in particular, have found new homes both online

From Dreary to Dramatic

 The mission: Transform a fully accessible kitchen and bathroom. The results are improvements to both form and functionality. A call to action put forth by the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation was presented to local contractors to update an older apartment unit located in the Byward Market area. The goal was to

Get Inspired with Lorna Jane Clarkson

 Inspired, by active living advocate Lorna Jane Clarkson, hits shelves this month. It’s a great summer read for ladies looking to learn more about Clarkson’s philosophy and how to live an inspirational, active life. It’s got everything you need to kick start a healthier lifestyle. The book includes personal style

Putting kitchen costs on the chopping block

 Save your kiss for the cook and not for bidding your money goodbye. Staying within budget is one of the most challenging parts of home improvement. Keeping costs in line, while not compromising dream renovation plans, sometimes seems impossible, especially when it comes to the kitchen. Luckily, there are ways

Keep Calm and Drink Gin and Tonic

 Feature image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons, cyclonebill. There are many iconic drinks of summer including a fruity sangria, a minty mojito, an elegant glass of rosé wine, or a frosted G&T. With gin making a comeback, it is interesting to rediscover classic favourites and to try some of the

Try Orange Grove’s 14-Day Skin Care Challenge

 Are you in need of a spa day but don’t have time to make the trip? Orange Grove is bringing the spa to you with two weeks of easy tips and tricks! You’ll learn about everything from beauty to building flexibility with this online event. Starting on June 22, Orange

Let It All Hang Out

 Exposed wooden beams are growing in popularity with the massive prevalence of using reclaimed wood in modern décor. Within this dated mid-century space, the design stage boasts minimalism and functionality, yet the homeowner desired elements of traditional adornment, so our beams are the perfect complement to the dramatic fireplace. Our

Drab to Fab–Six Easy Steps

 1. Select a Monochromatic Colour Scheme  Select a light, monochromatic colour scheme of cool hues. It will make the space appear more expansive while incorporating an element of serenity. Painting everything a unifying colour will make the space visually expand. This reduces the number of transitions, creating a more expansive feel

An Impromptu Q&A with OLM’s DesignerDIY

 This past weekend I was invited to be a speaker at the Ottawa Home and Design Show at the EY Centre. Despite a few technical glitches, we managed our way through with creative enthusiasm. Since challenges are merely opportunities in disguise, I decided to scrap the presentation and join the crowd to

The DIY Backsplash

 There are several affordable ways you can incorporate some design wow into your interior space. One of those ways is with the kitchen backsplash. Not only will this protect your walls and add visual appeal, but it will also add architectural depth to the space. I still remember the completion

Pfister Pfaucet Pfabulous

 Kamato Single Handle Lavatory Faucet (Drain Included) Pforever Seal™- features advanced ceramic disc valve technology with a never leak guarantee WaterSense Certified- 30 per cent less water consumption without compromising your water experience 1 or 3-hole mount with optional deck plate Decorative Waterfall Spout Features Push & Seal™ tool-less drain

The New Home Build: Decisions, Decisions!

 With a very detailed DesignerDIY action plan in place and following my recent new home purchase, the hunt for the perfect post-purchase upgrades begin. Starting with the main floor, the kitchen was the first order of business. There are several cost-saving design measures you can implement into your new home

Bidding the Bathroom Blahs Bye-Bye

 As with every large purchase decision in life, there are many factors that should be considered. Take for instance the purchase of a new home build, with so many available options and upgrades, the decisions can be overwhelming. We all want the model home look without the model home price.

Vintage Mod

 Looking for decorative flare without all of the flash?  If so, then the second featured style in our series is sure to please.  Mid-century modern decor continues to dominate and here are some of the great finds that you can incorporate into your home for less. Classic features of this

Hot Summer Projects: It’s a Shore Thing

 Beauti-Tone brings lakefront style without the cottage commute Ahh Summer. Sandy beaches, pristine lakes, warm winds and long days. Want to create the carefree and relaxing charm of a summer getaway year-round in your home (without the blackflies)? Beauti-Tone has created a collection of projects, many using colours from the Colour

DesignerDIY – 5 Minute Makeover Video Tutorial: Kitchen Faucet

 You will need: •     a fabulous new faucet •     an adjustable wrench •     a pair of pliers •     a pipe wrench •     a screwdriver   Step 1:  Prepare the area •     Since you will be working in a relatively small area, remove all items in the work space. •     Turn