Tips to prepare your home for a new pet

 While a new dog or cat is always a wonderful addition to any household, there are many details that homeowners must first consider before choosing a furry friend. “Though new companions enrich our lives and bring a great deal of happiness to our homes, prospective pet owners should always take

JUNO Spotlight: A Tribe Called Red

 Nominated For: Video of the Year (R.E.D.) Jack Richardson Producer of the Year (Sila, R.E.D.) Electronic Album of the Year (We Are the Halluci Nation) When art meets activism something amazing is bound to happen. When that includes an exultant dance party set to pulse pounding dubstep, house, and hip

This Will Floor You

 “Hi, I’m Shelley Alexanian”… ha ha. Some of you may recognize me from TV as the Alexanian Carpet and Flooring spokesperson. Contrary to popular belief, I am not in fact more than five feet tall. I am a mother of three, proud wife, and I enjoy a healthy style of

Doors Open Ontario Hits Ottawa

 The word ‘heritage’ has been a regular part of my vocabulary since the age of five. I grew up in Markham Heritage Estates, a neighbourhood in Markham, Ontario, dedicated to preserving heritage houses. I call an 1871 Gothic Revival farmhouse ‘home,’ even though my friends say it resembles more of

Halloween

 On this night of all nights Of goblins and bats Wicked witches abound With ominous eyes And the blackest of cats On this spookiest of nights Evil specters alight In graveyards and towns And haunt weary souls With ghoulish delight Nearby on a hill Is a foreboding old place That

John’s Reno Tips: Giving Your Bathroom A Makeover

 Photo above: © Sylvain Lalande Remodelling the bathroom is no small task and if not properly planned, mistakes can be catastrophic. Before getting started, here are a few reno tips from John Gordon, owner of Your Reno Guys. Q How do heating systems for tile floors work and will they

Eat, Drink, pARTy

 Artist: David Kaarsemaker Looking for new artwork to freshen up your home? The Ottawa Art Gallery’s leading fundraising event Le pARTy Art Auction will lead you to the perfect piece! On Thursday, May 21, prepare to be whisked away in a cultural fantasy land surrounded by Ottawa’s best food, drinks and

The Devil is in the Details

 How to finish your new build with “builder-included” finishes It’s beautiful! I love it and it’s reasonably priced, so I’ll take it. But wait…what do you mean? I have to invest an additional how much in upgraded features so it looks like this? It does come with doors right? Sound

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

Lazypants: What’s Your After?

 Whether it is when you first roll out of bed in the morning or when you get home from a long day at work, nothing sounds better than throwing on a comfy pair of sweatpants. Right? I’ll admit it. I consider myself a somewhat-fashionista by day and a sweatpants addict

Accessible Elegance for Family Living

 From its dramatic moody dining room wall colour and modern abstract art to its light-filled, south-facing kitchen and traditional butler’s pantry, this stately three-storey centre hall brick home in the Glebe is a study in contrasts: elegant and refined, but livable and modern for today’s busy family. With a Georgian-inspired

London Calling: Classic British Style

 Showcased in the model suite is the London Classic, one of three European styled interior collections, a vision of Ottawa-born, lawyer-turned-developer, John Thomas. As a tribute to this building’s British roots (the international award-winning PLP Architecture company from London), the London Classic was the first interior collection to reflect a

Modern SIMPLICITY: A Makeover in Alta Vista

 Designed originally for city privacy in the 1960s, this Alta Vista bungalow is best suited for display of an extensive art collection with its expansive walls, high ceilings, and minimal trim work. Original owners were the late Samuel and Caroline Baylin, who were a family of artists, she a painter