Toronto Renovation Stories & Expert Advice
We're moving....
If you want to keep up with the homestars.com blog, we've moved to a new platform.
click on the link below or (eventually) you'll find us on the front page of
www.homestars.com. Look for the "blog" link.
For now go to:
http://blog.homestars.com/Labels: blog relocation
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
Goodbye Summer, Hello Fall!
I have mixed feelings about the onset of Fall. On the one hand, our family gets back to routine and schedules and seeing friends who’ve been away for the summer. On the other hand, the warmer weather will be nearing its end, and cooler temperatures are right around the corner. Last week brought the most spectacular blue skies and warm temperatures – two things Torontonians didn’t get a lot of this summer – so I am enjoyed them as briefly as they lasted.
For your home as well, Fall is a good time to take advantage of the milder temperatures. If there is any painting you need to do, get it done while the weather is right. When the outside temperature is too hot, the paint won’t cure properly, when it’s too cold, the fumes will be enough to make living with them uncomfortable (plus it will set off your CO detector – I know this from personal experience).
Fall is a great time for more “spring cleaning” (you know what I mean). If you don’t have time to do it yourself, call in a
junk hauler or an
organizer, your stuff will be gone before you know it. If you’re willing to do it yourself, you can give your gently used items to thrift stores such as the
Salvation Army and
Goodwill, or keep an eye out for advertisements for church rummage sales in your neighbourhood. Many will take books, clothes, home accessories and small working appliances.
Finally, Fall offers a great opportunity to explore
antique and
home accessory shops both in your own neighbourhood and in the countryside – where it’s a popular time of year for
antique fairs and flea markets. You can pick up some great finds for good deals (particularly if you’re a good barterer). You never know, you might pick up that great Elvis cookie jar you’ve been searching for for years!
Labels: Fall antique shows, flea markets, organizing
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
Favourite house blogs for inspiration
Well, I took the summer "off." It's all relative of course; "off" in this case means that I spent most of my time playing "Julie McCoy" for my kids (you know, the cruise director from The Love Boat?) Getting five minutes to myself to write an article wasn't even on the horizon.
I did, however, manage to track down some excellent bloggers who didn't seem to have the same difficulty finding time that I did (they're probably way more organized than I am).
My favourite blog has to be
Hooked on Houses. It's written by Julia, who does it because she loves houses and interiors. I love her comments and how she manages to locate some of these gems is beyond me! The link I've pasted is not of Julia's home page but rather, of the funniest thing I think I've ever seen -- decorated toilet seats. Read the comments below the post, they're equally funny. Her website is full of lots of inspiration, so it's a good read for all kinds of decorating ideas.
Another great blog is
The Inspired Room. Right now the theme is "Fall Nesting" so it's full of great seasonal ideas for getting ready for fall...if that's what you want to do. I personally would rather hold on to our meagre summer for as long as possible.
In my dreams I'd like to own a Cape Cod style cottage one day, somewhere on the eastern seaboard. Since I really doubt this will ever happen, I have been following
Shorehouse Chic for a little while. It's got great pictures and the couple is restoring the cottage with a limited budget (my kind of place!).
If you're into "green" homes, there's a great blog called
Jetson Green. It's full of information on new building materials, buildings and homes that are using new lower impact materials than the current standards.
Do you have any great home blogs you'd like to share?
Labels: house blogs
Posted by Cathy
7 comments | Permanent Link
The latest in counter tops
In our first house we installed a very practical, reasonably priced laminate countertop. I was happy with it because it because I liked the cobalt blue colour and its durability. It turns out though, that it's not as scratch resistant as I would have liked...we found out the hard way when my husband decided that cutting a piece of cardboard on it with an Exacto knife would be okay. It wasn't, and there was a 10 inch legacy left reminding me everyday that even Laminates have their limits!
Our current house has luxurious and oh-so-high-maintenance marble countertops. I love the look, but since I'm not very good at remembering to seal them on a regular basis, they've taken quite a beating in the last year. An architect friend of mine suggested that to keep them looking new, I get them professionally finished and sealed annually. Fortunately, in HomeStars'
countertops category we have plenty of resurfacing companies to choose from. For anyone thinking of getting marble countertops a word of advice: marble does NOT like lemon juice!
Below are three lower maintenance, and yet still elegant looking, countertop materials and the stores in Toronto that carry them.
Concrete Elegance: Concrete counter tops have long been popular in Europe, but just seem to be on the rise in Canada. They can provide an industrial, sleek modern or a classic look that blends well with traditional cabinetry. Concrete is a versatile product and can be used for countertops, sinks, fireplace mantels or floors. While concrete can chip just like a natural stone, it does have the advantage of its being sanded out and repaired.
Lattitude carries a product called "Silestone" a quartz based product that is resistant to stains, including soy sauce and red wine. The advantage with the
Silestone is that it is virtually maintenance free. It is scratch, chip and stain resistant (quartz is the fourth hardest substance on earth). Available in a variety of colours from more neutral to bright reds, greens and blues, visit the website for more information.
PaperStone: A product recommended for countertops, widowsills and thresholds, and furniture (tables), PaperStone is made from post consumer waste, recycled paper -- yes, paper -- and non-petroleum based phenolic resins. It is durable and stain resistant, and available in a variety of colours. The cost of the product is similar to that of granite or other stone, however, as it says on the website:
As a result of the ease of workmanship and finish of PaperStone, the
installed prices are often lower.
Labels: Concrete counter tops, countertops, quartz counter tops, Silestone
Posted by Cathy
3 comments | Permanent Link
Free Home Solar Panel Tour tomorrow in Cedarvale
As people become more conscious of the electricity they use and their ever rising hydro and gas bills, alternative forms of electricity and heat generation are being explored not just by treehuggers but also by regular Torontonians. Naturally, many people have concerns about the expense and effectiveness of solar panels, particularly in our dark and snowy climate.
In an effort to convince Torontonians that Solar panels -- the kind that generate electricity (photovoltaic) and hotwater (solar thermal) -- really work, The Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative (TREC) is offering a tour tomorrow (Saturday June 14th) of four homes in Cedarvale with solar panels in action.
This year at the Strawberries and Asparagus Festival, the Toronto Renewable Energy Co-operative is launching the first ever free and guided residential solar tour. This exciting new initiative will commence at 11am on the grounds of the festival where participants will proceed by Hydrogen Bus to visit four residential
destinations. Participants will have the chance to view the featured
photovoltaic or solar thermal installations and an opportunity to speak with
homeowners about their solar experience. The bus trips in between also
offer a chance for an ongoing solar power question/answer period.
Refreshments will be provided at the Pinewood stop of the tour. (TREC)
It promises to be very informative and gives interested homeowners the opportunity to ask questions about the effectiveness, expense, practicality, etc. of solar panels already in use. If you're interested in finding out more about the tour, or the use of renewable energy in general, contact
TREC.
::
The Globe and Mailhttp://www.cedarvalepark.com/2008/04/11/strawberries-and-asparagus-june-14th-2008/http://trec.on.ca/Labels: Solar Panels, Toronto
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
Toronto Hydro's Peaksaver Program
When the weather decides to turn hot and humid, it really decides to turn! Thursday I was wearing a jacket and jeans and thinking Environment Canada's forecasting equipment was broken when they predicted 32 Celsius plus humidity for Friday. Sure enough they were right and we sweltered our way through three days of heat and humidity.
We've turned our air conditioning on for the first time this year, still early in the year, but in comparison to the last 5 years, not too bad. We will still get a shock though, when we get our hydro bill. In order to keep costs down, do our part to contribute less smog to the GTA and generally lighten our family's carbon footprint, I signed us up for the
Peaksaver program this year. The way it works is when Toronto Hydro needs your electricity during peak hours, it sends a signal to your central air conditioner, pool pump or electric water heater to cycle off for 15 of every 30 minutes. Houses and townhouses are eligible at this time, but not apartments or condos. While you may not see any direct benefit from participating, you are helping to reduce the cost of electricity and pollution over all. Toronto Hydro needs to import less, future generators can be smaller, and less smog will be produced than without the program.
For more information on the peaksaver program, reducing your electricity consumption, and rebates and refunds on energy efficient appliances, etc., click on the links below:
https://www.peaksaver.com/peaksaver_THESL.htmlhttp://www.everykilowattcounts.com/residential/http://www.toronto.ca/livegreen/home_energy_rebates.htmlLabels: energy efficiency, Toronto
Posted by Cathy
1 comments | Permanent Link
Noisy neighbours? Here's a solution...
Toronto has one of the highest denisty of condo developments in North America. There are a variety of positive features to condo living from easy access to public transportation or walking distance to work, access to ammenities such as movie theatres and restaurants and simply the luxury of not sitting in your car for hours on end on the 401.
One of the drawbacks of condo or townhome living however, is the chance that you might be listening to your neighbours' lives -- and they might be listening to yours. Perhaps you can hear high heels clacking on the floors above you, or your next door neighbour's parties or that brand new sound system they've recently installed.
There is, however, a solution to the noise problem. A product called "
QuietRock" is a sound-proofing drywall that can be used during construction of your new home or added as a retrofit right on top of your home's original drywall. It can also be used under a variety of floorings from marble to hardwood as well as for ceilings.
One layer of QuietRock is the equivalent sound barrier as eight sheets of drywall.
Quietrock is distributed in Canada by Soundivide. Visit their
website to find a dealer near you.
Labels: condos, soundproofing, Toronto
Posted by Cathy
2 comments | Permanent Link
More great finds at IDS
Way back in February, 2008, I went to the Interior Design Show. There were so many inspiring exhibits that I've been featuring a few of the exhibitors every now and then. Below are a few of the retailers and manufacturers that I particularly liked.
Snob Is a newly opened store importing furniture and accessories from South Africa. Owner Denise Zidel works with women's groups in South Africa creating new designs, often out of old material
http://www.snobstuff.com/.
I also like the console table made from acacia wood harvested by a "Women's only group" from Kwazulu, Natal, pictured at the right.
Denise designs pillows made from factory scraps of copper wire and buttons or beans. They're crafted by a group of women in South Africa who live under difficult circumstances such as poverty, family violence and families with AIDS. The copper wire is crocheted and the buttons are atta
ched. Each pillow is a unique design and size.
Propellor Design in Vancouver, Nik Rust, Pamela Goddard and Toby Barratt create custom lighting and furniture with an eco sensibility. The firm uses materials such as reclaimed fir, bamboo and
ecoresin to give their lighting fixtures an original look.
Their latest design is a new fixture called Pomegranate (pictured at the right). It is a three foot in diameter sphere made from ecoresin. It is available in different colours and sizes and distributed in Toronto through
Made.
Hutj: Toronto designer Stuart McQuarrie has designed the
ultra cool stackable chair. So smart looking, you'll never actually think about stacking it. Made from a variety of hardwoods, it doesn't require any cross bracing because the joints are mortised in tight. The seat is made from nylon strips and can be woven in different colours presenting some really fun seating options. Distributed through
Hollace Cluny in Toronto or buy direct from website.
http://www.hutj.ca/ Eauterre Studios: Contemporary eco-friendly furniture from tables to bedframes to chairs, made from locally harvested FSC wood and salvaged wood. Scraps are turned into accessories like small bowls, so there is minimal waste in production.
http://www.eauterre.com/ Labels: interior design, lighting, Toronto
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
Staining your deck on the long weekend?
The long weekend is the usual "open the garden for summer" weekend. We like to think we're going to relax but let's face it, whether you're opening the cottage or staying home and using the backyard, it is, more often than not, a work weekend. We clean barbeques, windows, lawn furniture, garden beds, etc.. And some of the more industrious of us will even take on restaining the deck.
Last week I received a press release from the people over at Sico paints announcing a new product launch. This is a new wood stain that makes your outdoor wood look as clean and shiny as your indoor wood. Called Transluscent Exterior Finish, it is a high performance stain that gives the finished product a shiny look as if it's been varnished. The finish lasts longer than a regular outdoor stain and can be used on any outdoor wood piece from fences and decks to furniture.
Sico also sent a list of tips if you're planning on spending your holiday long weekend giving that deck new life:
Sico's Wood Staining Tips:
Cleaning comes first: Wood tends to turn gray with age. Use a good quality wood cleaner to remove loose gray fibres, brighten weathered surfaces and restore the wood to its original colour. Strip wood when needed: If your wood has been previously stained, painted or varnished, strip the surface with an exterior stain remover that’s specially formulated for exterior wood surfaces that are deteriorating and peeling. Rinse well and let the surface dry for a couple of days.
Sand both new and aged wood: To remove imperfections and residue, and open the pores of the wood for a better staining job, sand the surface using 80-grit sandpaper or use 120-grit sandpaper for vertical surfaces. When you’re done, sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface. If the water beads, you need to keep sanding. If it penetrates into the wood, your job is complete.
Conditioner is key: To improve penetration of the surface and ensure better adhesion of the stain, use a conditioner before staining, even if the wood is new. Consider environmentally-friendly conditioners like Sico’s biodegradable cleaner, brightener and conditioner, which contains no bleach, phosphate or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It cleans and conditions in one single step.
Weather, tools matter: Wood planks become warped with time, so a paint brush – not a roller – is the best tool to apply a stain. Use brushes that are specifically designed for wood staining. Before you begin your project, ensure the weather has been dry for two to three days and the temperature is between 15º C and 25º C.
Labels: outdoors, painting
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
freegreen.com has free home plans you can download -- really!
The other day I was reading my usual rss feeds when I came across one I had to share with Homestars users. A new website called
http://www.freegreen.com/ offers free downloadable house designs. Since we here at
Homestars.com have a similar, "free to the consumer" business model, we think this is one great site and one great idea! At the moment there are only two designs available but the site is still very young. The picture is their 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath standard family home. Why "green" in the title? Because the house plans are energy efficient, "green" home designs. As they say on their
website:
“Green” means different things to different people. What is important is that as a society we are constantly improving our building culture. The goal at FreeGreen is not to produce the “greenest” possible home but rather to provide a variety of different home plans that allow people to create homes that fit their lifestyles in a responsible and equitable manner.
As their website grows and more homes plans become available it will be a boon to those looking to build. This site is also great for builders looking to get into green home building. There is information on each product recommended for each plan. You can save product info in "My Favorites" section and refer back to it later.
::free green via ::inhabitat via ::treehugger.com
Labels: energy efficiency, green home decor
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
Toronto's Energy Efficiency Initiatives
I had heard a rumour that Toronto increases your property taxes if you add a solar panel or other renewable energy feature to your home (such as a geothermal furnace or mini-wind turbine) because it's considered a capital improvement. So, I checked with Cindy Bromley, the Communications Manager for the Finances and Administration Department at the city. She wrote to me and said:
"There are no Toronto tax incentives or penalties for home power generation."I have to admit, I was kind of disappointed to discover this if only because I thought it would have made a great story. Cindy did, however, send me some useful links on what's happening on the city and taxpayer level regarding some energy efficiency initiatives.
Below is a list of the links she sent me. In the first link, there is a section called the "home energy clinic." I've used it and it's kind of neat. You add your utility bills and it will calculate your overall energy use and what steps your could take to decrease your greenhouse gas footprint.
http://www.toronto.ca/environment/energy.htmhttp://www.toronto.ca/environment/energy.htm#solar_hotwaterhttp://www.ec.gc.ca/cleanair-airpur/Taking_Action/Participation_Initiatives_and_Resources/Energy_Efficiency-WS7BDAE643-1_En.htmLabels: Solar Panels, Toronto, Useful links
Posted by Cathy
2 comments | Permanent Link
Paint websites
When my husband and I bought our first condo, I painted our diningroom what I thought was a nice deep burgundy. At least that's the way it looked under the fluorescent light at the paint store. When we put it on the walls it turned out to be raspberry. It looked great at night when we could light candles and use the chandalier's dimmer switch, but woah! in daylight the room was aglow in neon pink.
What that mistake taught me however, was how to be prudent when choosing colours. For one thing, now I'll paint an old piece of cardboard with a tester first before slapping it up on the wall. I also live by the decorator addage of choosing a colour two shades lighter than I want and if I feel it's not coming out too light, then I'll put on a second coat in a darker colour. Finally, I rely a lot on the advice of the paint experts at local paint stores. I'll take a fabric sample into a store and tell them what I want. The sales people, particularly at smaller specialty shops, really know their stuff and the colours they recommend have been exactly what I'd imagined.
If you're thinking of painting your rooms, the latest tools to help you with colour are provided by paint manufacturers' websites. On many of the websites, not only can you see what a colour looks like in a room's setting, they'll usually pair it with one or two complementary colours to help you pull a colour scheme together. Try out a few of the websites first, then consult the HomeStars directory for reviews of paint stores near you.
Useful paint links:
Benjamin Moore: This site offers you the ability to colour your own walls by inputting your rooms via digital photography. If you don't have a digital camera, they also have their own room selections too.
Para Paints: Para has a "Trend 2008" section as well as a section which will help you put three colours together. Best of all it's fast and easy to use.
Sico: Sico offers an "interactive" method of giving you colour advice. Your mission is to help Maude and Sarah, otherwise known as the "Colour Squad," choose colours for a friend's colourless home while the friend is out. When you make certain style decisions, it is recorded and at the end of the video you go to the virtual decorator to see what you've chosen -- or you can skip the whole process and just go the the virtual decorator.
Farrow and Ball: Like the Para site, Farrow and Ball has a selection of complementary colours to go with the primary colour you've chosen. However, I find the site more difficult to use as it's necessary to go three screens deep (or click three times) to get the result. I'm not sure the effort is always worth the trouble, but if you're a big fan of F&B's colour lines it might be. I do like their wallpaper selection though.
Labels: painting, Useful links
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
Wallcoverings and more...
Wallpaper is "in" again. Ten years from now we will likely all be cursing it as we scrape the remnants of it off our walls mumbling "what were we thinking?" but in the meantime, it does add a dimension to your walls that paint can't.
When I was at the Interior Design Show in February, I found
The Wallpaper Company. They have a great website where you can look at wallpaper in a room. Of course it's not quite the same as seeing it on your own walls, but it is a handy tool if you can't imagine the impact of the paper you've chosen. I had a lot of fun playing around with wallpaper samples I would never dream of putting on my walls -- and was surprised to see how good they looked. Wallpaper from The Wallpaper Company is available through select
Home Depot stores in the Toronto region. Go to the Wallpaper Company website click on "store locator" to find the one nearest you.
A cute and colourful label is the new
"Schoolyard Studio" line of hand printed wallpapers. They are designed and hand screen printed in Toronto by the team of textile designers Hilary Denis and Katy Chan. The website isn't quite ready yet, but you can get an idea of the fun prints they use for the paper. Right now the wallpaper is "hand print-screened" and made in small batches with low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) print medium. Rolls are 10 meters in length, 52cm width, and range between $14.50-$18 per meter. In the fall the company will have a range of digitally printed wallpaper available.
Another interesting company I found was
Wall Huggers. The product is an "upholstered wall panel" that comes in pre-measured sizes of 20"x 20", 20"x30", 20"x40" and 40"x30" -- custom orders are available upon request. The natural use for these panels is as a headboard, but there are other applications such as the seatbacking for a banquette or hall bench.
The
Designer Glass Company has been making specialized glass surfaces since the 1950s. Using a special technique that bonds the colour to the glass, it can be used in a variety of ways. The most common uses for the product are shower walls in the bathroom and backsplashes in the kitchen. Not only are there different colour and finish options (smooth and glossy versus sandblasted), a picture can be painted on the glass as well. For a look at some of their
work, visit
the website.
Labels: home decor, wallcoverings
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
Home maintenance, local workshops
This is the time of year when workshops on every sort of home-maintenance related subject abound around the city. Whether you're interested in installing solar panels on your roof, or planting an edible garden, communities and stores in and around the city host several different kinds of workshops.
Here are just a few we've found while surfing the 'net.
The Toronto Botanical Garden, located beside Edwards Gardens, offers a variety of courses from creating your own edible garden to building with earth.
Gardengreen.ca offers plenty of one-day events throughout the year, catering to Ward 21 in Toronto. In May they are holding a workshop on "Low Water Gardening."
The Kortright Center offers Green Energy and Green Home workshops throughout the year. You can learn how to install your own solar panels, as well as what are the cleanest and greenest building materials on the market.
The Big Box stores also have some home maintenance workshops.
The Home Depot has a list of
upcoming workshops, covering subjects from "Enhancing your backyard space" to "You can install Vinyl Replacement windows" ....no, really, you can.
Rona offers a list of
Do it Yourself workshops, not surprisingly, the first few focus on outdoor projects from deck and fence building to roof vent and eavestrough installation.
The newest Big Box Store on the Block is
Lowes. The company has project guides and material calculators on the
website.
If you want variety in your
workshops,
Lee Valley Tools is the place to go. While it offers basic courses on tree pruning, because it sells woodworking tools, they also offer couses such as "Relief Carving: Carving an Arabian Horse Head in Relief." The latter is offered on May 17th at the Toronto East store, there are still spaces available.
Labels: Home maintenance, workshops
Posted by Cathy
1 comments | Permanent Link
Federal and Provincial Renewable Energy Grants and Rebates
With gas at $1.20/litre, I have become very conscious of how much I drive, and in this incredibly great weather, it's been easy to leave the car at home to do some of my errands. The price of gas and diesel have increased so rapidly in the last few months that it can be difficult for us to adapt to them. Rising prices affect the cost of the food as well as heating and cooling our homes. If gas prices continue to rise -- and they're supposed to -- certain kinds of renewable energy sources will become more cost effective than they are now.
The federal and provincial government offer
grants and
rebates of varying degrees for your alternative energy equipment. At the municipal level, the city is supporting a Solar Thermal Project in South Riverdale scheduled for next month called the
Toronto Solar Neighbourhood Initiative.
If you're looking for a supplier and installer of solar panels, wind turbines or geo-thermal equipment,
the Green Living Show runs from April 25-27th at Exhibition Place.
Labels: alternative energy, grants and rebates, Toronto
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
Spring Cleaning the great outdoors in the GTA
Sun glorious sun! I don't know about you, but I have no problem saying 'adios' to winter this year! We can finally get outside again and do the things we love...and the things we don't love quite so much but need to do anyway. Like cleaning up around the house and our community. The snow is
almost gone from our street....I'm not kidding: we have one snow bank remaining, as black and crusty and disgusting as it looks, it's still there. I'm sure underneath we'll find many treasures like old juice boxes, tin cans and other residue from the blue box that didn't quite make it into the truck. This time of year, before the grass and after the snow, is, I have to admit, not the most attractive around Toronto.
So, having said that, it's time to get rid of that debris and make our neighbourhoods clean again.
Friday April 18th and
Saturday April 19th are two days in
Toronto and surrounding communities you can mark on your calendar for doing some outdoor work. So far the
forecast is sunny and warm for Friday and so-so for Saturday. Toronto is encouraging everyone to participate in the
"20 minute make over" on Friday and
"Community Clean up" on Saturday to help get our city back in shape. The city will provide anyone participating with a garbage bag and a glove for clean up, available at participating
Pizza Pizza locations and
community centers until supplies last. You can sign up as a group or an individual and take an outdoor break at 2pm on Friday for 20 minutes to help clean up. You could also do it without signing up, after all every little bit helps.
Labels: 20 minute make over, community clean up, Toronto
Posted by Cathy
0 comments | Permanent Link
ched. Each pillow is a unique design and size.
The long weekend is the usual "open the garden for summer" weekend. We like to think we're going to relax but let's face it, whether you're opening the cottage or staying home and using the backyard, it is, more often than not, a work weekend. We clean barbeques, windows, lawn furniture, garden beds, etc.. And some of the more industrious of us will even take on restaining the deck.
work, visit the website.
