Homes for GTA

How to find that tricky balance between lawn and not-lawn. And care for it sustainably In lawn care, as in politics, an extreme, black-or-white approach can be impractical and turn off the masses. But in the garden, at least, gray can be the perfect shade of green.

Modern living: Beyond the barbecue The pandemic may have made life screwy, but it also opened up design changes at home that, four years later, are still being heavily leaned into, especially outdoors.

Glamping sites and wilderness lodges offer city dwellers experiences in nature without sacrificing comfort When Vermont resident Monika Znojkiewicz was planning a short trip with her three kids to coincide with one of their spring breaks in April she knew she wanted to be in nature. Znojkiewicz has taken her kids camping before, but her husband usually joins the trip, helping with the planning, packing a...

Interior design: Statement floors are back “For a long time, we would see people with parquet floor, and they always wanted it ripped out,” says Toronto interior designer Alana Fletcher. “Today, it’s a completely different situation.”

Modern living: Suite relief When Nick Ainis started work on a new detached home ​​​​in the town of Meaford in 2023, he already knew it would include a secondary suite.

How Much Does It Really Cost To Build Your Dream Kitchen? How much does it cost to build your dream kitchen? We’re sharing a kitchen budget breakdown with three kitchens at three price points that tell the tale. Of course, size matters and construction prices are not included, as every site is different. But the key elements are here.

Dexa scans are helping people ‘gamify’ their health and longevity What is biological age? Dave McGinn tests out the dexa scan.

Yes, you can have a tidy native-plant garden. Here are some tips For decades, native plants were relegated to the “weed” section of many American gardeners’ minds. Most nurseries didn’t stock them. But that’s slowly changing.

She’s given her place the transformation she always wanted Kyra Petticrew loves colour and has transformed her kitchen, dining and living rooms and bedroom to make her place truly a home for her and Eloise.

How to add strength training to your existing workout routine Here’s some great news: You can reap many of the benefits of resistance training in as little as a few weeks, with shorter workouts that fit into your current routine.

How AI is affecting the commercial real estate sector For commercial realtors hit by high interest rates and low office occupancy, artificial intelligence (AI) has promise as a potential gateway to greater productivity. Real estate agencies are betting that data science can come to the rescue with new efficiencies that could bolster the bottom line.

Inside A Rustic, Mid Century-inspired Kitchen By Collective Studio Krista Ricciatti and Tom Redman bought a 2,000-square-foot mid-century house in Guelph, Ont., in 2021 — they were looking for more room and a quiet setting to bring up their daughter, Mara. Renovating their combined small kitchen and living room meant extensive structural work, so they called on A...

Before & After: A Tudor-style House Is Revived With Bold British Style Susan and Greg MacKenzie were looking to refresh their Tudor-style house in Toronto’s west end. On the hunt for a designer, Susan found Cynthia Ferguson while scrolling Instagram — she loved her style and color sensibility.

Interior design: White this way A modest budget doesn’t always put a serene and stylish interior out of reach, as Brandon Lange’s design for a young professional couple in the Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood shows.

Luckily for cooks and gardeners, some herbs come back year after year If you like to cook, odds are you’re painfully aware of the price of herbs at the supermarket. But for the cost of a 1- or 2-ounce plastic clamshell packet, you can buy a plant that will produce aromatic herbs for your kitchen all summer long – and even year after year.

Berry Upside-down Cake “One of the things I love most about it is that I can make it with berries and then move on to plums and peaches as they come into season. The fruit caramelizes on the bottom or top (depending on which way you want to look at it), making for a flavourful, soft, moist cake. This doubles as a coffee...

This is how much homeowners are spending to replace a roof or furnace and fix a toilet Something you often hear about home ownership is that it’s a forced savings plan. What you never hear is that owning a home is a forced spending plan as well.

How some Canadians are ditching manicured lawns for biodiversity Ann Marie Barnhill didn’t intend to ditch her lawn. At first, she diligently mowed and watered her sloping property in Oak Bay, B.C., from a top tier of native Garry oak trees to lawn to boulevard. She kept everything in good shape to fit in with her surroundings. “Most yards are somewhat manicu...

Refresh your home for less: Trends for spring 2024 Keeping up with design trends doesn't need to be expensive

How to grow fresh flowers to fill your vases this summer — even on your balcony or indoors Plant expert Tiffany Mah tells us which flowers to buy, which to avoid and how to keep it all in bloom.

How the personal-residence exemption can help minimize taxes on capital gains The federal government has taken a lot of flak for its proposed changes to the capital-gains inclusion rate. While some investors will see the taxman claim a bigger chunk of their investment gains, ordinary property owners may find themselves whacked by a bigger tax bill, too.

Baby steps: How tech tools can be a lifeline for people adjusting to parenthood Many new parents struggle to find the support they need. With new online platforms, help could be just a click away.

York University students cut out social media for a week. The results ‘amazed’ researchers The new study out of York University offers a roadmap on how to tackle the powerful negative impacts of social media.

Mom’s favourite wallpaper became my nemesis when I redecorated Just when I think all the gold-striped wallpaper is gone, I find more of it under an innocuous white wallpaper in a stairwell. Sigh. I score, sq**rt and scrape and tote away yet another garbage bag, heavy with the damp shreds of 40-year-old paper. This wallpaper pattern has been a constant in my lif...

Time to sell your investment property? Claim your cottage as a principal residence? How to navigate the capital gains tax changes The new rules affect individuals realizing a profit of more than $250,000 on the sale of any asset, including a cottage, investment property or a second home.

A Designer’s Heritage House Is Reborn As A Contemporary Setting For Her Young Family It’s a dilemma many owners grapple with when renovating their Victorian houses. How do you reconcile original heritage quirks — which often include small rooms and scant storage — with contemporary life?

Real estate investors, cottage owners could be hit with bigger tax bill following Ottawa’s capital gains change Real estate investors who sell properties other than their primary residence and have a total gain of more than $250,000 will have to pay 33 per cent more tax.