My friend Dan Brown is a journalist at the London Free Press and a Professor at Western. He’s also got one of the best laughs I’ve ever heard, has a bigger collection of Hawaiian shirts than most people have shirts, and his wife Amanda is equally wonderful. His latest column in the Freeps is one worth sharing so, with Dan’s permission I give you: I’m an XL guy in a slim-fit world. …
It’s a skin-tight, shimmering gown on the runways of Paris. It’s the ornate, metallic detail on an imposing cabinet. It’s the mirrored finish surrounding a well-stocked bar. Glam is back, baby, and if it’s not kicking minimalist to the curb, it’s entering the room like a showy cousin. …
My work has brought me a lot of cool things from concert tickets, to clothes, to opportunities to meet special people. And last week, my position as columnist for Sun Media brought me a happy box of stuff that could only appeal to someone like me. …
The first time I saw a commercial for 1980s invention, The Clapper, I nearly fell off the couch laughing. The device enabled the sharp sound of clapping one’s hands to turn a switch on or off. The clappers in the commercial were used mostly on lamps. Unfortunately, The Clapper could also be triggered by a dog’s bark or a cough but it was an early attempt at hands-free technology. …
House Proud – Touchless Technology Enters the HomeRead More »
“Those patio lanterns, they were the stars in our sky.” Kim Mitchell …
We seem to have finally reached a point where we no longer have to justify a devotion to our pets. A decade ago it raised eyebrows when people learned I routinely took my back-injured Border Collie to a chiropractor. I recall one colleague asking, “Where do you think you’re living, Hollywood?” She didn’t understand that this dog was a superstar to me. …
House Proud – Pet-Friendly Styles are All the RageRead More »
Six years ago, I wrote in this space about decorating kids’ rooms and recalled my obsession with the colour purple, inspired by Donny Osmond, and lovingly indulged by my Mom and Dad. …
House Proud – Decorating Kids’ Rooms Should be FunRead More »
Photos of the hideous, shared bathrooms tweeted by visitors to the Olympic games in Sochi, Russia got me thinking about a typical Canadian bathroom, and whether there even is such a thing. I’m assuming those tweeted pictures of cramped, stark toilets were atypical in Russia. At least, I hope so. …
House Proud – Cramped Toilets in Sochi Were StartlingRead More »
A squeak in the floor is more than just annoying. It ruins sleep. It interrupts a conversation. And it has the potential to wreck a really good practical joke. Just as you sneak up on your intended victim, the squeak gives you away. …
Silence Those Squeaky Floors – House Proud, Sun MediaRead More »
Flip through photographs of homes of the very wealthy and you won’t see a lot of bare wood. Furniture is either highly glossed or adorned with elaborate finishes that cost thousands. While a cherub-painted ceiling and gold-embossed night-stands might not be to your taste, a few ornate pieces here and there can really bring a home to life. …
House Proud – Create An Opulent Finish That’s AffordableRead More »
We ask a lot of our bathrooms. They have to function well and wash, flush and drain away the day for us. Even more than our bedroom, the bathroom is where we retreat to when we need to shut out the world and find some precious “me” time. They hold and they hide our secrets in the form of lotions and potions and much like Las Vegas, what happens in the bathroom, stays in the bathroom. …
House Proud: Bathrooms are Meant to be Enjoyed – Sun MediaRead More »
Frequent dinner-party guests know there are three topics to avoid if you want to have a pleasant evening: politics, religion and countertops. No matter what you prefer in a kitchen counter there will undoubtedly be someone who thinks you’re out of touch and can’t wait to explain why before they’ll pass you the rolls. …
Countertops No Stranger to Controversy – House Proud, Sun MediaRead More »
Who won and who lost at the Emmy Awards has become secondary to the pomp, circumstance and pop-culture phenomena that arise from the program. …
If I told you there was a paint that you could apply without sanding or priming and that cleaned up with soap and water, perhaps you’d be as excited as I was when I heard about chalk paint.
…
Chalk Paint has Its Appeal – House Proud, Sun MediaRead More »
Now that it’s impossible to escape the back-to-school hubbub that reminds us another too-short summer is coming to a close, we may as well accept it. So join me as I present Swedish for Canadians, just in time for the arrival of the annual Ikea catalogue. …
Turning Decor Into Child’s Play – House Proud, Sun MediaRead More »
One day you may find you need a little help in the bedroom and you know the only solution is to call in a specialist. You’ll need someone who’s sensitive yet knowledgeable and prepared to give you the straight goods without doing irreparable harm to your tender ego. Erotica Interiors offers niche decorating at its most intimate and personal. …
Erotica Finds a Place in Design – Sun Media, June 7-9Read More »
My own, House Proud, is my first, of course! But Marc Atiyolil’s weekly column, which often appears a page or two away from mine, routinely contains a project I’d like to try. …
From Drab to Fab – My Second Favourite Sun Media ColumnRead More »
Savvy shoppers know the best way to update last year’s dress is with a funky new necklace in this year’s hottest style or colour. Many designers advise homeowners to apply the same principle when they’re updating a kitchen, only in this case, the faucet is the jewelry. …