January…. Ahh January; it’s just around the corner; the start of 2025, the month of new beginnings, and yes…the start of the cold blustery Niagara Region winter weather that many dread. Niagara’s winters usually depict what real winter is all about … Ice, snow storms, and bitter cold temperatures. For those that love the glistening icicles, the fluffy snowflakes and winter sport activities, the cold and the snow may be a welcome sight …But for those that don’t embrace winter’s weather as a wonderland, January usually becomes a time to hibernate for the next three months, or a time to plan that family vacation somewhere warm! Regardless of how you feel about the winter …homeowners still have to prepare for it. Winter in Niagara often brings heavy snow, freezing rain, ice storms and out right blizzards. Part of the preparation for the winter is to ensure that you have a storm kit. Some bottled water, at least three days’ worth of non-perishable food items that don’t need to be heated or refrigerated, a first aid kit, extra blankets, snow shovels and window scrapers near your doorways, driveway/sidewalk salt, an abundance of batteries, flashlights and lanterns, a working generator with properly stored fuel, and a battery-operated radio if cell reception goes out, are but a few of the things you may need. There are many great websites that can provide more information about storm kits.

Choosing the right flooring is one of the most important decisions when planning a renovation. In today’s economy, homeowners are mindful of their budgets and seek to balance style and functionality. It’s important to find flooring that aligns with your aesthetics while also being affordable, durable, long-lasting and easy to maintain. Understanding the limitations of different flooring products is crucial, including how to clean them, where they are best installed and where they should not be used. The type of flooring chosen can impact the functionality and ambiance of a room. As the largest surface area, the flooring sets the stage for the room’s design, influencing colour schemes, textures, styles and even patterns, all from the ground up. To decide on flooring options, homeowners need to consider various factors, including but not limited to:

Every room of a home has a purpose, yet often design efforts are overlooked in mudrooms and laundry rooms. These areas often feel like an afterthought in home design, focusing solely on the necessities and lacking in utilization. Since laundry is likely not anyone’s favourite activity, planning is the key to creating an efficient but inviting space. Even though it’s not a room you tend to invite your guests into, you’ll likely spend a great deal of time in it yourself. Re-designing your laundry room to make it organized and aesthetically pleasing can make the chore more manageable, perhaps even enjoyable. So, whether you are designing your custom home or remodelling your existing one, it’s worth considering some key elements for these spaces:

If you’ve ever been to a luxury hotel and walked into the spa-like bathroom or seen one in a magazine or online, you’ve likely felt compelled to send a picture of it to a friend. Let’s face it– it’s just a bathroom! We all know what happens in there, and for obvious reasons, we choose not to talk about it. But if you’re thinking about renovating yours, let’s talk about the elements needed to not only make it functional but also give it that ‘WOW’ factor we all crave! Frankly speaking, every home needs at least one bathroom, or maybe even two or three! But they don’t have to be purely practical spaces. Just like any other renovation, there are key factors to consider when revamping a bathroom:

If you have ever watched the original Scooby-Doo cartoons, you know that with most mysteries there was a hidden room or passageway to be discovered. The doors either swung open, revolved or slid to the side. Some were even on the floor and led down a staircase to an unexpected basement or tunnel. They were awesome! In real life, documentaries on old castles and monuments often show secret passages and rooms hidden by disguised doors. Maybe you haven’t watched any of those shows, but imagine a hidden room in your own home – one that only you know how to enter. Do we have your attention? The hidden room is not just a thing of the past; it seems to be making a comeback. New versions of these hidden rooms in modern-day houses have been designed to include panic/safe rooms, wine cellars, bedrooms, man caves, powder rooms, storage and even the pantry. Using a disguised door is just an intriguing way of guaranteeing some much-desired seclusion/privacy, strategic utilization of a doorway, and/or well-needed security. While there are certainly function-based reasons to disguise a door, it’s hard to overlook the obvious draw – it’s an awesome childhood fantasy come true. Out of necessity, it’s become a decorative trick to create symmetry and maximize wall storage space in one room, while still allowing access to another. Offices, powder rooms, libraries, kitchens, and family rooms are great places to take advantage of this structural element. Many houses have existing doors in the least ideal locations and a stylish concealed door can provide an answer to many decorating challenges for both sides.

We’ve all heard the saying that the kitchen is the heart of the home, and for most of us, it’s probably true. If you love to cook and your family or guests love to eat…the kitchen is where you are most likely to congregate. So, designing a kitchen that works for you involves considering a multitude of factors. A kitchen is one of the more expensive rooms to renovate and it’s no secret as to why. There are many construction trades whose expertise is needed to create your ideal kitchen (e.g., plumbers, electricians, tile setters, drywallers, trimmers, cabinet makers and countertop installers, etc.). In addition, several elements/items go into a kitchen space—flooring/tile, cabinetry, appliances, countertops, backsplashes, a variety of lighting, tables and chairs or island/peninsula stools, etc. Being honest about what you need in your kitchen versus what you want, is the first step in designing your unique space. Regardless of the style of your kitchen, the same fundamental elements are incorporated into the design. And…depending on how much space you have you will likely consider some of the following:

The Niagara Region is a wonderful place to live, especially in the summer. It’s no wonder the Region sees so many visitors from around the world eager to experience the extraordinary wonder of the Falls, the history of Niagara-on-the-Lake, our gardens, beaches, water parks, sports, wineries, breweries, and spectacular restaurants. And of course, the Region wouldn’t be the same without its fresh fruit, vegetable and bakery stands along the way. There really is something for everyone if you’re looking for a staycation or vacation. But before you get to all that fun stuff, you’ll need to complete those summer chores, something not many of us look forward to doing.

With the temperatures in mid-February, it seemed like spring was here early, but as we know, it wasn’t! It’s here now though, and with the change of season comes the inevitable chores that come with home ownership. 

While we may have hopes of seeing changes and better stability in 2024, we are still experiencing global and home-based challenges with inflation, high interest rates, delays and shortages of supplies in many industries.

2024 has arrived, bringing along new trends and the continuation of old ones. With rising prices, increased inflation rates and interest rate hikes, it seems the biggest trend for this year could be that people may once again be focused on staying home more.