real estate

You can be forgiven for thinking that the only use of concrete for your Toronto home would be exterior and functional – nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, concrete is a very versatile and easy to use material that can be manipulated to fit whatever need you have with little fuss. The durable and solid material can be tinted, stamped, patterned and shaped to beautify your home and to provide you with custom creations that will lend your home a unique touch.
 
1. Conventional Uses
The most conventional uses for concrete include exterior applications. Concrete is great for driveways, walkways, patios and balconies. However, did you know that it can also be used for decorative outdoor touches? For instance, you can use concrete to create a “flagstone” walkway by simply buying the proper moulds. You can use it to create stepping stones for your garden. Concrete makes beautiful birdbaths and even whimsical sculptures – as long as you have the proper mould and the patience to cure it properly over a few days.
 
If used in driveways, pathways, etc… you can gussy up your concrete pad by stamping a pattern onto it. You can tint it to take on a more aesthetically pleasing hue and you can also paint it if you really want it fully covered.
 
2. Non-traditional uses
Concrete can also be used inside your home. Many lofts feature tinted concrete flooring, while concrete can also be used to create solid kitchen counters, attractive fireplace surrounds, and durable garage flooring.
 
Although heavy, it is a superb material that you can customize to suit your needs and your personality perfectly. It can impart any space with an authentic look unparalleled and not found elsewhere.
 
While concrete has been a material of choice in many European and Asian countries, it is only catching on as a viable decorative finish in North America. So, the next time you have a home renovation project – include concrete in your choices and you just might be pleasantly surprised by what you can get and what you can do with it.

If you want each room in our Toronto home to stand out, you will have to find some kind of anchor or focal point that will attract attention and around which you can build the rest of your décor. Whether this element is something grand, such as a fireplace, or more of a background feature, such as wall treatment, it your choice, but such details can truly alter the appearance of any space.
 
Big Statements
Depending on the room that you which to jazz up, you will want to look at different options. After all, what works well in a formal living room won’t translate well in a casual family room. The same holds true for a master bedroom versus a guest bedroom. Naturally, big statement pieces are best reserved for the principal entertaining areas of your home. If you have a grand living room, then an ornate fireplace or a dazzling, crystal chandelier are terrific anchors. They can get the tone of your space whether it is formal and elegant or more modern and chic. Big statements can also be made with feature walls – where one wall of the room is given a textured finish or turned into a an art piece, a fish tank or any other element that would draw attention.
 
Small Statements
Smaller statements are best reserved for bedrooms, recreation areas and informal spaces. Smaller statement features can include lighting, wall covering or even a unique piece of furniture. An antique cupboard can look great in a kitchen or family room and lend it a rustic look while a more wood bookshelves could give the same spaces a completely different look and feel.
 
Designer Help
If you aren’t sure about how you can create drama and intrigue in your rooms, you might want to consider enlisting the help of an interior decorator. Decorators run the gamut in terms of cost and are versatile in that they can provide you with the breakdown of what would look good in your home based on your tastes and then let you find those items on your own – or they can redecorate for you entirely.
 
Using a room anchor is a good way of helping you decide on colour, texture and theme in your home. It will make your decorating life much easier!

Window treatments can really change the look and feel of a room in your Toronto home. Depending on your choice of covering it can either increase its formality, add glamour and glitz or impart a laid-back bohemian feel to your setting. What you decide on will greatly be influenced by your overall design theme.
 
Regardless of what you go with, whether blinds or curtain, there is no shortage of styles, materials and textures from which to choose. Let’s take a look at what’s available.
 
Blinds
Hard vertical or horizontal slats are very convenient window treatments as they are easy to install, provide good coverage and take up little space. Such blinds are usually made of plastic, wood or aluminium. Horizontal slats, otherwise known as Venetian blinds, are ideal for smaller windows while the larger vertical slats are more commonly used for walkouts and much larger windows. Slats are practical window treatments that offer the largest degree of control over how much light filters in and also come in a very wide selection of colours and patterns. However, they are also high maintenance as they tend to accumulate dust and they are also prone to bending and breaking easily. Lastly, they are not as efficient at insulating a room as curtains.
 
Curtains
Curtains are very versatile and easy to clean and are excellent insulators. They also frame windows really well and can provide a “look” to a space instead of just covering your windows. However, they do take up a lot more space than blinds and when used in kitchens or bathroom could risk developing mould unless dried properly after any steamy showers.
 
Roman blinds
Roman blinds are a hybrid of blinds and curtains. Usually made from a fabric that you can roll up and down, they are easily adjustable, provide excellent black-out features if coated with a black out material and add a nice ambiance to a room. If you choose to go with Roman blinds just make sure that they have a plasticized finish so that you can easily wipe them clean – otherwise cleaning them can be a bit challenging.

Choosing a wall covering for your Toronto home can be a tough decision. Do you paint? Do you wallpaper? Do you add mouldings? A chair rail? The choice of what you can do with walls is endless and limited only by your imagination. Some executive homes boast full murals reminiscent of European palaces while textured wall papers are always a rich complement to formal settings. Deciding on what you will use in your own home will be based on several factors.
 
Your personal sense of style
Your budget
How conservative or daring you are
What appeals to you
Convenience
 
Your personal sense of style will heavily dictated the kind of colours, textures and/or fabrics and finishes you choose for your wall coverings. Paint is the most commonly used cover as it is easy to apply, easily replaced and easy to maintain. Plus paint comes in a multitude of shades and varieties making it simple to get exactly what you want. The one thing to remember about paint is that quality counts. It is better to invest in a good quality paint that will require just one coat instead of spending less on a paint that will require four or five coats for the same kind of finish.
 
Wallpapers are beautiful and can add a real statement to any setting. However, they are trickier to install and can be difficult to source unless you go to a specialty store, order them online or custom order them. However, what you can do with wallpaper is wonderfully varied and can really dress up a room. Heavier, brocade wallpapers are great for formal settings while lighter more whimsical designs and textures can be used anywhere. You can even get full wall coverings of just one picture – these are more expensive but can really create a special mood or ambiance in your space.
 
Adding mouldings or railings to your walls can also create a lovely textured look that can be further emphasized by painting the mouldings a different colour from the walls for a bold look and feel.
 
If you are truly adventurous and want to personalize your space entirely, then a custom mural can be a lot of fun. Whether it is a serious work of art depicting a hunt in your wine cellar or a silly underwater season for a child’s bedroom, custom murals come in all shapes and sizes.
 
Lastly, remember that whatever you choose to put on your walls will have to live up to everyday wear and tear. If it is just you or you and your partner then fancier, more costly wall coverings are worth it. However, if you have a large family with young children then thinking about durability and easy-clean up options are definitely worth your time.

Renovating your Toronto home doesn’t have to break your bank. With a few shrewd tips, you can get excellent quality materials at competitive prices that will slash your budget significantly. We are not saying that you have to skimp on quality and finishes, we’re just suggesting that there are ways of getting what you want at the price you want.
 
Buy ready-made
One of the best ways to save money is to buy off the shelf – especially when it comes to cabinets. Big box home renovation stores always carry ready-made cabinetry. Although the sizing might be limited, you can always make what is in-store work for you using spacers and a little imagination. It will save you more than a third of the cost of getting those same cabinets custom made or sized exactly for your project.
 
Check out the returns section
Mistakes happen and people do change their minds when it comes to colours and materials. In many instances you can find great deals in the returns section of your hardware store. Sometimes it is left-over counter pieces or tiling, other times you can find really good quality paints at a fraction of their cost simply because they have a been premixed and the colour might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Generally, if you know that you have a reno project coming up, then make it a habit to troll the hardware stores every day looking for that gem – when you find it, scoop it up and save it for when you are ready to renovate.
 
Shop, shop, shop!
Another good tip is to not discount any store selling materials – no matter how cheesy or odd it might look. The overstock and liquidation centres often hold fantastic deals that are only discovered if you go inside. Also don’t overlook places like Costco, which often has excellent fixtures and materials at very competitive prices – although it is often hit-or-miss and materials aren’t always in stock.
 
The classifieds
Looking for materials? Check out kijiji and Craig’s List for people who are selling their overstock tiles, drywall, flooring and paint – some people will even give these items away at the end of a reno if they have no place to store them.
 
It is possible to find materials for your renovation project at good prices. All you have to do is look and be patient.

One of the simpler DIY tasks on any home reno list is that of changing a light fixture. Although it is advisable to always consult and/or hire an electrician if your electrical system is old and not set-up in a standard fashion, most homes have light fixtures that can be switched fairly easily even by those without a lot of DIY experience.
 
1. Turn off the power
The first thing to do is turn off the circuit breaker controlling the power supply to the fixture you wish to change. Find your circuit panel and turn off the breaker. If you aren’t sure which breaker it is, keep the light on and try each breaker until the light goes off.
 
2. Remove the old fixture
When you are removing your old light fixture, be sure to take good note of how the wires have been attached. If need be, take a picture of the set-up so that you aren’t wondering afterwards which wires you should be attaching together.
 
3. Secure light box in place
Once the old fixture has been removed, be sure that the light box is securely in place so that it is easier for you to work on it – but it shouldn’t be too tight or you won’t be able to manipulate the wires.
 
4. Connect new wires
Now you are ready to connect the wires of the new fixture to the wiring in your home. If you don’t remember exactly how that should be done – consult the picture that you took of the old wiring!
 
5. Install canopy
Bend the wires into the base and then install the new fixture’s base/canopy to the light box.
 
6. Install bulbs
Install the wattage of bulb called for by the light fixture. If you use a bulb that requires too high a wattage, it will constantly burn out.
 
7. Install cover
The last step to changing your light fixture is to install the pretty part – the cover that will make all of the difference to the look of your home.

Installing an interior door in your Toronto home can be a bit of a challenge, but if you follow the proper steps, it is also one of those tasks that bring with it bragging rights. Yes, it can be tricky, but getting the proper level at the beginning really is the trickiest part. Once you have the proper level set, then you will have a much easier time of it. Before starting this project, however, be sure to have a package of wood shims as well as finishing nails – and, a very good level. You can check if your level is good by laying it down on a flat surface and noting the position of the bubble, then flip it over and see that the bubble returns to the exact same spot – if it doesn’t, get a new level.
 
Here are a few basic guidelines for the proper installation of an interior door:
 
Level the floor
If the floor beneath your door jamb is uneven, then your latch will not line-up and your door will not close properly. Check to make sure that your floor is not uneven. If it is then you will have to trim one of the door frame posts to compensate for it. Remember that if you have to cut more than ¼ of the frame from one side, then you may have to also trim the door itself to ensure that it closes properly.
 
Shim
Once you have the floor level, nail one shim to the inside frame to get started. Next, place your door into the frame and make sure that it is opens and closes properly. If there are any problems opening and closing the door, you will have to shim the sides to get it even. Once it has the proper movement, secure the jamb to the post by nailing along its length.
 
Check
When the door is initially secured, check the movement again and place a shim beneath each hinge to ensure the proper functioning of the door. Once all of the shims are in place, nail the jamb through the shims. Break off any protruding shims.
 
Finish
Use a nail set to push the nails beneath the surface of the wood and then fill the holes with spackle to create a smooth finish. Check the door again to make sure it opens and closes properly and make any adjustments using a sledgehammer to gently tap into place where necessary.

Homeowners in Toronto with hardwood floors that need a little love have two options when it comes to restoring their flooring – either they can opt to sand and varnish their floors themselves or they can hire a professional to take care of it for them. While hiring a professional will set you back between $1.50 to $4.00 per square foot depending on the kind of finish that you want and the amount of work that will have to be put into the job. While you will certainly save significantly by doing the job yourself, you will also have to put in your time and effort to do a proper job.
 
Should you decide to do the job yourself, you will have to rent the proper equipment, be sure to have a heavy-duty vacuum on hand and understand the basics of floor sanding. Depending on the state of your flooring, you must start with the heaviest sandpaper and move to the lightest in order to get a smooth finish. You must also remember to apply an even pressure and to go with the grain of the wood to get a consistent look. Removing all of the dust prior and making sure that your floors are spotless before applying your varnish is also crucial to getting that crystal clear look and satiny finish that feels so nice underfoot.
 
Should you decide to hire professionals, there are certain questions that you should ask before signing a contract:
– What kind of experience do they have?
– How many people will b on the job?
– How long will it take for them to finish?
– Will they move your furniture and store it for you?
– How will they clean-up?
– How and when do they expect payment?
– What kind of varnish do they use?
– Do they offer staining as well as varnish?
– Ask for references!
 
Here are the pros and cons of both options:
 
DIY PROS
More affordable
Set your own schedule
 
DIY CONS
Steep learning curve if 1st time
Full liability if mistakes happen
 
PROFESSIONAL PROS
Little effort on your part
Professional results
Guaranteed by company hired
PROFESSIONAL CONS
More expensive