How to Improve Home Cooling with Trees

While green homes often sport all manner of technical solutions to keep them optimized and efficient, the landscaping can have a significant effect on the building and its energy use. Site…

12 Great Ideas for Organization in the Kitchen

There's a term in French cooking called "mise en place" that translates literally as "putting in place." The Culinary Institute of America has defined it as "everything in place" and it refers to…

The Pyramid of New Water Sources

Today is World Water Day and it just so happens that Jerry Yudelson, noted green building authority and author, has released a new conceptual tool to help people understand where water will come from…

Home renovation tips for empty nesters

The kids have moved out, and there is a noticeable amount of extra space in the house. Walls that were once covered with movie posters are left bare, and the all too familiar sound of the stereo…

Dog-centric design ideas

Houzz contributor, Lily Gahagan has put together a clever collection of ideas and just plain cute images of pets in home designs. Next to our homes, many of us really love our pets. This image…

Intelligent Cities – Capturing graywater in Tucson

Would you water your garden with what goes down your shower drain or out your washing machine? In Tucson, Arizona, and an increasing number of water-starved western cities, more and more residents…

Xeriscaping – A sustainable landscape option

Whether by conscience or necessity, many people are looking to reduce their water consumption. The perfectly manicured emerald lawn may certainly look lovely but normally requires a great deal of…

Earthquake awareness – tips to prepare for ‘the big one’

Not all of our readers live in earthquake zones but coastal BC is very much aware of the need to be prepared for 'the big one'. A province-wide initiative resulted in Canada's largest earthquake…

5 ways to keep your home warmer

Baby, it’s cold outside. And, as temperatures drop, heating bills tend to rise. Thankfully, there are some simple steps you can take to keep your home warm without having to touch that thermostat.…

Backup Power For Your Home

The following list of topics pertaining to backup power for your home is covered in the About Your House — General Series from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).   You rely on…

4 design tips to brighten a dark kitchen

I’ve found that when clients have a dark kitchen, perhaps because of small windows or because of the low exposure to sunlight, they usually want to go overboard when trying to brighten up their…

When to replace windows

“Replacing windows is one of the best investments a homeowner can make today. New energy-efficient, eye-appealing, easy to operate and maintain windows add value to the home, especially at resale…

12 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Green Building Product

A green building product better begin as a good product. Here’s what to look for before diving deeper into a product’s green claims. While the industry has made real progress in providing us with…

Fall & Winter Seasonal Maintenance Guide — Northwest

Living on Vancouver Island, I cannot but suppress a giggle about the two seasons in the Pacific Northwest, being rain and not rain. While this article focuses on some of the unique aspects of…

Smart Storage – Get organized with built-ins and more

Get organized with smart built-ins, shelves, drawer organizers and more for mudrooms, basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, kitchens, living rooms and more. After all, decorating with storage in…

Universal Design: 12 Tips for Designing Safe Bathrooms and Bedrooms

A friend of mine was talking about the experience of caring for her elderly mother and noted, "I never thought our family home (a two story cape, built in the early 1950s) could be so hazardous."…

Feng-shui tips for dealing with clutter

Source: Harmony Life Design - Laurie Bornstein What is clutter? Clutter refers to anything unfinished, unused, unresolved, tolerated and disorganized. Clutter consists of those items in our…

Top 10 Things to do on May Long Weekend

The May long weekend is upon us and the promise of spring is all around. The long weekend can be relaxing, productive or both! Just in case you are wondering what to do with your first long weekend,…

Building your first home?

You've thought about it for so long and now, you are close to start building your home!  What an exciting decision but are you ready?  Are you stepping down this path for the first time?  Nervous…

Maintenance: don’t let yourself be put to the mat!

They are soft, cozy, colourful, warm, and comfortable; they dress our interior decors marvellously well, but they can reveal themselves to be very noxious to our health.  Carpeting is a choice…