When it comes to real estate, first impressions count. That’s why the expression ‘Curb Appeal’ has merit. In the freehold property market, as house hunters pull up in their car they’re already assessing the dwelling, the property environment, and the surrounding streetscape. In the condominium market, purchasers instantly gauge how…

Utopia Cafe 586 College Street 416-534-7751 Wednesday night was so warm everyone in my neighbourhood was out on the streets. Even at 9:30pm the patios were full, there were lines up at every gelati parlour (this is Little Italy, afterall), and the streets were filled with people strolling, cycling or driving with the top down.…

Whenever guests see my clawfoot tub perched at the edge of a 26 foot high skylit atrium in my second floor bedroom, they almost always ask “Does your bathtub work?”. The question always makes me laugh. People are more likely to accept my explanation that’s it’s an ‘art installation’ rather than…

  I have a love/hate relationship with the CN Tower. On the one hand, I marvel at how it’s reigned supreme as the world’s tallest structure since 1976 until this year, when Dubai’s Burj Khalifa took the crown. On the other hand I despise how there’s almost no escaping its presence.…

I’ve always loved my funky 60s chaise. It has such incredible support that when lying on it you feel like you’re floating. In fact, if I were a psychologist I would have my patients lie on it while they revealed everything to me. I originally bought the chaise from Phil’z…

How much money should we ‘sink’ into our washrooms? If there are deficiencies in your home they are rarely less obvious than in the washrooms.     Although I re-did my washroom four years ago, I recently dropped my morning cuppa on my oval washroom sink leaving an unsightly chip that said…

Have you ever been in the midst of one project only to be distracted into starting another? In the world of housing and home it’s extremely easy to fall victim to this. It just happened to me. With a new season of crocuses and daffodils peeking their way out of the soil, the urge to…

Ok, so I can finally afford to liberate my dependency on garage sales, auctions and Ikea to furnish my home, but I’m not quite ready to leap into the couture furnishing world. I don’t know why, but I just can’t justify shopping at The Art Shoppe where $10,000 gets you a…

Last week I had a beautiful floor-to-ceiling bookshelf nine feet tall installed in my study. I’m embarrassed to admit it, but in the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve never completely unpacked my book and cd collection in over the decade I’ve lived here. Now I finally can. I derive no…