Covet Of The Week: Port Cocheres
It's fun to dream about what i'd do, if i were ridiculously wealthy. Some people collect exotic cars, others collect ex-spouses. Me if i were rich beyond belief, i think i'd collect properties. Old...
View ArticleCheap and Cheerful Garage Makeover - 2011
We are lucky enough to have a 1.5 car garage, which is a bit of a luxury for downtown Toronto. We had toyed with the idea of rebuilding it, because it was so crooked and ugly, but it actually functions...
View ArticleCovet Of The Week: Conservatories and Orangeries
So what are conservatories and orangeries? They're basically glass structures similar to greenhouses, however they are attached to the main house. Conservatories typically have peaked glazed roofs...
View ArticleCovet Of The Week: 2-Storey Libraries
The first time i ever saw an image of a 2-storey library was well over 10 years ago. It was Brian Gluckstein's very own personal library from his Forest Hill home (see below and drool). And since then...
View ArticleI Won, I Won, I Won!
Shannon over at 8foot6, one of the blogs that i really enjoy following has awarded me with a Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks Shannon!The way it works is i write 7 things about myself and then pass on...
View ArticleJoin the Sorauren Park Pumpkin Parade on Nov 1
The pumpkins will uniteAlong the paths of Sorauren ParkThe glow from their lightsWill light up the darkSo bring your pumpkinsOn November OneAnd bring your munchkinsTo join in the funThe Sorauren Park...
View ArticleThinking About Christmas...Already
I know it's only Halloween, but instead of buying presents for our siblings, this year we're making them. So i've got to get cracking. Some people may look at the three dirty wooden boards below and...
View ArticlePower Tool Thoughts
I have been a pretty serious DIY-er for well over a decade now. In that time, i've owned or gotten to use a lot of power tools. Seeing as the gift-giving season is around the corner, i thought i'd...
View ArticleBackyard Makeover
This past summer we had our backyard re-done. Keep in mind when i say backyard i am talking about a tiny downtown Victorian backyard. So maybe i should call it a backinch, since you could easily...
View ArticleCovet Of The Week: Butlers Pantries
I've always wanted a butler's pantry. Of course in reality i don't have a butler, nor does my kitchen have enough space to have a little room devoted to storing the table linens, good silver and china....
View ArticleI'm Moonlighting As A Designer
My brother who lives a few doors down, is having his ensuite bathroom renovated. He's a "sure, whatever" kind of guy, if he were any more laid-back he'd be laying on the ground. When it comes to...
View ArticleChristmas Arrangements
In years past, Christmas for us was a time of spending. We would buy gifts (sometimes even pay for wrapping), order prepared foods and order floral arrangements. While fighting the shopping crowds and...
View ArticleDIY Christmas Planter
I spent today getting my Christmas on. We started by strolling over to Roncesvalles Ave for a coffee from Cherry Bomb (Mmmm...Cherry Bomb) and to pick up some cuttings from Roncesvalles Fruit Market,...
View ArticleAlmost Done!
Last week i talked about how i was moonlighting as a designer on my brother's bathroom. Well, the bathroom is almost complete, all that remains are some minor touch ups, the baseboards, the glass...
View ArticleCovet Of The Week: Wine Cellars
Now that the Holiday season is here, there is one thing i really covet - a wine cellar. Every year around this time, it feels like a never-ending LCBO run. If i'm not drinking it, i'm serving it. If...
View ArticleDIY Christmas Gifts
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Between all the meals, visits, parties and gifts, our holiday just flew by. I mentioned in a previous blog post that this year i was going to make Christmas...
View ArticleI'm Semi-Retiring
It was fun moonlighting as a designer, but my project has ended so it's time for me to retire my paint swatches and go back to designing just for myself. As promised i wanted to show the finish photos...
View ArticleToronto Real Estate Predictions
Over on the right there is a tag cloud. One of those tags is Real Estate. And frankly if you click on it, there isn't much to see there. I haven't really talked much about real estate on this blog, but...
View ArticleWanna be on HGTV Canada?
May The Best House Win is the ultimate lifestyle game show that sees the owners of some of Canada's most interesting and unusual homes compete against each other in a bid to win a cash prize.In every...
View ArticleThe Big Reveal!
It's been a little while since i've done a big reveal. Over the past 4 and a half years, i've done reveals on my kitchen, on bathrooms, the nursery, my basement and many other DIY's. That's a long...
View ArticleBack With Another IKEA Hack
We used to have a walk-in closet attached to our master bedroom, which seemed a bit of a waste of space in our little house. So we decided it would make more sense to turn it into an office instead,...
View ArticleFrom Gar-ughh to Garrrrrr-geous!
Continuing where i left off last fall, we hired Gerry the painter ( (416) 727-9089) to work his magic on the back deck, the structure over the basement walk-out and the garage. Ordinarily i would have...
View ArticleBackyard Makeover Reveal
In the last post i revealed the finale to the Cheap and Cheerful Garage makeover, so today i thought i'd share the finale of the rest of the backyard makeover. Last fall i showed the rebuilt deck and...
View ArticleChanges
In my second post ever, i wrote the following, "We've budgeted about $135,000, and i plan on doing much of the work myself. SO...Do we think we'll be able to get all of our money back out one day?...
View ArticleHouse Tour
Here it is, the final post in the Roncesvalles Victorian Reno Diary. I'm happy to say that after almost half a decade of puttering away on this home, it is DONE! It has been quite a journey...
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