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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Dining Room Ideas

Need some dining room ideas? This room is all about crowding a group of friends around the table with some delicious food, good wine and plenty of conversation.

Monday, February 23, 2015

Narrow Dwelling in Toronto Converted Into Bright Family Refuge:The Contrast House

Situated on a corner lot in a dense neighborhood in Toronto, Canada, the Contrast House by Dubbeldam Architecture + Design is a modern rehabilitation of a 120-year old dwelling. According to the architects, the primary design challenge was to “increase natural light in the space, accomplished through both physical and perceptual means. The long, narrow house was reorganized in plan and in section, introducing new sight lines to the expanded openings at the rear of the house and updating the layout for a growing family.” The name of the project hints towards the contrasting elements spread around the house with the purpose of brightening internal spaces with no direct access to natural lighting.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Hallway Ideas To Steal


Need some hallway ideas? Your corridor deserves to be a stylish room of its own and we have some hallway pictures to help you make the most of the space. From ingenious storage solutions to stylish furniture and lighting, our hallway decorating ideas  will show you how to make yours so much more than just an entryway. So get inspired by these amazing hallway design ideas. Your home will thank you for it...

Lofty Ambitions


Looking for loft conversion ideas? If you're lucky enough to have an attic that is as yet untouched, we say it's time to make better use of it. Converting loft space can not only provide much needed extra space, whether it be an additional living room, home office or bedroom and bathroom, but when done well can provide financial rewards, should you ever sell your property. We take a look at examples of crafty loft conversions that tackle tricky design stumbling blocks. Follow our guide to transform your attic from cluttered dumping ground into a chic, practical extra room. 

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

The 3 Principles of Interior Design


A beautifully decorated interior not only functions well but it creates a mood or a feeling and shows off the personality of the family that lives there. It's attention to these three important ingredients — function, mood and personality — that ensures decorating success.

Variable or fixed-rate mortgage, that is the question


The decline in interest and prime lending rates is providing investors with unique opportunities – but with uncertainty still ahead, the question remains: variable or fixed-rate mortgage?

Given the state of the economy, it’s more appealing to secure a variable rate mortgage, says one mortgage broker, but the fixed-rate mortgages have also become more attractive over recent months.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Futuristic Apartment Design Integrating a Time-Capsule Elevator in Taipei




This futuristic apartment design in Taipei, Taiwan comes with many interesting elements, including a life-sized iron man and a time-capsule elevator. Developed by White Interior Design, the project known as La Fatte Residence unveils an unconventional approach: “I used the industrial elements as its base while combining a hint of retro. The colorful designer furniture are used to accentuate the owner’s exceptional taste. The time-capsule elevator brings the two levels of the house together and adds a sense of futurism“, explained the designer. 

Yes, We Can Afford to Plan for Smarter Growth and Better Housing


Critics of smart growth are not comparing apples to apples when it comes to housing costs. We need to consider the full cost of housing under different development scenarios.
So you think that smart growth, the Greenbelt and planning for Places to Grow is ruining the housing market? Think again.

Friday, February 13, 2015

The Beauty of Simplicity: Minimalist Interior with Maximum Style


While it is easy to imagine renovation and remodeling as the process of adding new pieces - new furniture, new windows, fresh paint - it can just as readily be the process of taking things away. In this Lithuanian home renovation, interior designers RamÅ«nas Manikas and Valdas Kontrimas from the RamÅ«nas Manikas firm streamlined and simplified an existing house, giving it an entirely new life. From the open floor plan they created on the ground floor to the sunny and sleep spaces dedicated to the upstairs bedrooms, the minimalist home became a place of easy relaxation and ultimate beauty.

Micro Condos Will Face Their First Real Test In Canada This Year, Experts Say



TORONTO - The appeal of so-called shoebox condos — no larger than the size of two average living rooms — will face its first real test in Canada this year, with an influx of the compact homes set to hit the country's largest real estate market.

Thursday, February 12, 2015

How will the Pan Am Games impact Toronto real estate?




The 2015 Pan Am and Para Pan Am Games, which are due to kick off in Toronto this summer, could replicate the impact on real estate and development that was seen by Vancouver following the 2010 Olympic Games.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Bright And Compact 1 Bedroom Apartment For Young Family


Starting a new family comes with many challenges, not the least of which is finding a suitable place to live. When making that important life transition from young married couple to new parents, it can be difficult to figure out how to incorporate your old sense of style with your new needs. This apartment, from visualizer Natalia Tsetsulina, uses playful colors, open spaces, and plenty of natural light to create an apartment that is efficient in its use of its 50 square meters (538 square feet) but still comfortable enough for a fresh, easy start to this new phase of life.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

10 Top Kitchen Trends for 2015

In the year 2015, the kitchen is not being built for just cooking. Rather, it is becoming a multi-purpose room that simultaneously allows restaurant-worthy meals to be made while also acting as the hub of all conversation, dining, social gatherings and festivities.
We already know that kitchens seem to have a magic power of pulling in the party—but in 2015 it’s a party room with more than one purpose.
So, let’s look at the hottest kitchen trends for 2015, and ring in the new year right with a new, en vogue kitchen:

Stylish Outlook Curved Bespoke Kitchen

The skilled craftsmen at David Glover Furniture create charming bespoke kitchens that blend modern functionality with aesthetics. In today’s post we would like to share one of the company’s latest work, especially developed for a residential project in Woolacombe, North Devon. The Outlook Curved Bespoke Kitchen features an elegant dining table with unconventional seating units integrated in an oval kitchen island. There is plenty of storage space available in the cupboards (including inside the kitchen island/seating combo), most of which is cleverly hidden away from sight.

Monday, February 9, 2015

Which Canadian city saw investment properties soar in 2014?




It was a record-smashing year for sales of investment properties in this Canadian city in 2014, but experts don’t expect this trend to extend into 2015.

Daily Market Update

Lower rates won’t increase chance of a crash, says CMHC boss
The CEO of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation said that he does not expect to see a crash in the housing market as a result of the lower interest rates. Speaking to CBC’s Amanda Lang, Evan Siddall said:

Friday, February 6, 2015

Oil to contribute to moderated market in 2016

Provinces mainly affected by sinking oil values are likely to drive a moderated housing market in 2016, according to a new outlook report released today by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).
 

Thursday, February 5, 2015

More cuts to come from BoC?

The voices predicting a further rate cut from the Bank of Canada have become a chorus, with another bank stating it believes the central bank still has additional basis points to slash.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

GTA condo sales rebound by 50 per cent

New condo sales in the Greater Toronto Area rebounded by 51 per cent in 2014, from a 10-year low in 2013, according to a new report.

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

A kitchen that you and future homebuyers will love

If you expect to sell your home within a few years, living with an outdated kitchen is a conundrum. Do you invest in a remodel or make do? The ideal solution for homeowners in this predicament is to update a kitchen so you can enjoy it now and attract potential buyers later. Given the choice of materials available today, it is possible to make the changes you desire within a reasonable budget. 

Home prices expected to move with oil’s impact


Across the country, average home prices showed modest to healthy year-over-year gains in most markets in the fourth quarter of 2014, according to the Royal LePage House Price Survey, released in January.

According to the survey, the average price of a home in Canada increased between 4.5 per cent and 6.7 per cent year-over-year. Nationally, the average price of detached bungalows rose 6.7 per cent to $406,218, while standard two-storey homes increased 6.0 per cent to $443,379, and standard condominiums saw a 4.5 per cent increase to $257,624.