Below are some helpful articles, links and media releases we have found.
If you have something you'd like to see added to this page including a useful link or website, send us an email.

Useful Web Links

EXTREME PLOWING &  LANDSCAPING Commercial and residential lawn care and property maintenance. Proudly servicing areas of York Region and Vaughan, Ontario including Richmond Hill, Aurora, Maple and Woodbridge.

GET A BETTER MORTGAGE INC. Offering personalized service that is professional, ethical, and knowledgeable. Robert DiStefano and Mark Tamburro combine over 25 years of accumulated experience and knowledge in the Mortgage and Financial Services fields.

LUXURY HOMES Dawna Borg's profile and listings on on Luxury Homes.

MLS.CA Search available properties and open houses in Ontario

REMAX  PREMIER INC. Neighbourhood experts with a world of experience. REMAX PREMIER Inc., Canada's leading real estate organization located in Vaughan, Ontario

Links and .pdf Articles and Reports

Home Buyer and Property Owner Government Programs
Government Programs for Home Buyers and Property Owners
A home is usually the single largest investment that most people make in their lives. Achieving your dream can be made easier by taking advantage of various Government Programs for home buyers and property owners. Some of the programs are targeted to first-time buyers, while others apply more generally. Other programs benefit those in the industrial, commercial and multi-unit property market. Your REALTOR can provide information on these programs and help you to determine your eligibility.

Government Programs for Home Buyers
CMHC Purchase Plus Improvements Program
RRSP Home Buyers' Plan
5 per cent Down Payment Program
GST New Housing Rebate
Land Transfer Tax Rebate Program

Government Programs for Property Owners
Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program
Rent Increase Guidelines
Second Suites in Toronto: Q & A
Government of Ontario - Air Conditioner Rebate Program(.pdf)
Residential Washer Program(.pdf)
Residential Toilet Replacement Programs(.pdf)
WaterSaver Programs for Commercial, Industrial and Multi-Unit Properties(.pdf)
Energuide for Houses Retrofit Grant(.pdf)

Step by Step Buyers Guide(.pdf)
Home buying step by step. A consumer guide and workbook

"RE/MAX GTA Return On Investment Report" September 3, 2008
Solid condominium performance bolstered by affordability in the first half of 2008, says RE/MAX.

"1 Bloor Street East" November 17, 2007
Large Toronto Condos High in Demand, article in The Toronto Star

"City of Vaughan Subway Map"(.pdf)
6 new stops being added to existing TTC subway route coming in late 2016/ early 2017.

"REMAX Ontario Market Trends Report 2007"(.pdf) June 21, 2007
Despite concerns over a higher Canadian dollar and its impact on the province's manufacturing sector, housing markets across Ontario continue to perform above and beyond industry expectations, according to a report released by RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada.

"Luxury-Home Floor Plans That Are Popular With Buyers" June 19, 2007
By June Fletcher, The Wall Street Journal Online

"Tax Idea Seen as Threat to First- time Buyers"(.pdf) May 12, 2006
by Gail Swainson, Real Estate Reporter, The Star

"Remax Affordability Report 2007"(.pdf) March 20, 2007
Higher housing values, tight inventory levels, and all-out bidding wars have yet to deter first-time buyers in their quest to realize homeownership in major Canadian centre's this year, according to a report released by RE/MAX.

"Home Prices Outlook"(.pdf) September 14, 2006
Interesting article by Craig Alexander, VP Chief Economist, TD Bank

Articles and Reports

Here are some articles and reports that may be of interest to you or your friends/family. Referrals are always greatly appreciated. Please contact me to chat or if you have any questions.

Rooms With A View
SOURCE: Home By Design
WRITTEN BY: Jeanine Matlow
WEBSITE SOURCE
June 11, 2010

When you're lucky enough to live at the water's edge, the wow factor comes with the territory. But what happens when your house wasn't designed to soak up the sweeping views? Just ask Stacey Levine, project manager and LEED Accredited Professional with Philip K. White & Associates, in Honolulu, Hawaii, who helped to transform her clients' home into one that would gel with the coastal setting.

The Hawaiian home serves as the primary residence for empty nesters with grown kids and plenty of grandchildren, some of whom live nearby. "They were looking for a place for family to gather," Levine says. The magnificent location might have been a major motivating factor, but the existing structure didn't fit their aesthetic or suit their needs. "It was not conducive to indoor-outdoor living. We completely gutted it and took it down to the existing shell."

The original house, which Levine says was completely closed off from the natural setting, is now an indoor-outdoor oasis. The living room and dining room open up to the outdoors via large sliding glass and wood doors that were custom made. "We like to live without air-conditioning because of the trade winds," she explains. "We opened the entrance and the ground floor to the views. You can see seamlessly from the lanai straight through to the grass, beach, and ocean."

Since the main areas either open up completely or in part to the yard that faces the beach, the newly designed trellis area with a built-in barbecue is where the family members do most of their dining. The overall look of the home is sophisticated yet relaxed and refined. As Levine explains, Hawaiian-style architecture often features a more natural color palette. "They didn't want to compete with the vitality of nature and the ocean," she says of the homeowners. "With today's digital environment, it's very important to connect people with nature."

They kept the curves of the existing house and added new landscaping with organic curved shapes to echo what was already there. "We tried to create more of a connection so that inside and outdoors blend seamlessly," Levine says. The front entrance of the 6,000-square-foot home sets the tone with a view that takes the eye straight to the ocean. Large inlays of Hawaiian sea turtles in the pool reflect the homeowners' love for the aquatic creatures.

Now the Hawaiian-style home's natural indoor-outdoor living plan not only reflects the people who live there, but the local lifestyle as well. The master suite provides the ultimate retreat with a second-story view of the ocean that seems to go on forever. "It's a really tranquil space, but it wasn't that way before," Levine points out. "We were really happy to give them that."

Levine worked closely with the owners' lifestyles to achieve maximum results. The kitchen, which was once completely cut off from the rest of the house, was reconfigured to become a main attraction. Built-in bookshelves were designed with cookbooks in mind. A new staircase in the home features a railing that was designed to mimic the one outside. The living room and lanai have the same quartzite stone floors for a smooth transition throughout. Ceilings were raised wherever possible for a more open feel. "Our clients knew what they wanted to achieve, and they were wonderful to work with," Levine says. "They had a vision and they saw our vision. We worked really well as a team."

Levine also worked with Holly Boling Ruiz, ASID, senior interior designer with Philpotts & Associates, in Honolulu, Hawaii. "One of the key things," Ruiz says, "was the desire to have the house feel very comfortable, casual, and relaxed for their family and friends to come visit."

Everything from the floors and fabrics to the finishes is very durable. "Everything is kind of cushy and comfortable. You can curl right up into the space," Ruiz says. A variety of textures and materials that reflect Hawaii, such as wicker and rattan, appear throughout the home. Most of the art was from the homeowners' collection gathered over the time they've been living on the island. Many are by Hawaiian artists, and botanicals, landscapes, foliage, and fauna are a predominant theme.

"The interiors reflect the exterior," Ruiz says. "We wanted to marry those two so that they would be interwoven together. There is a seamless integrity to it. It's very peaceful." Levine agrees. "Through the renovation," she says, "we gave them a completely new feel and function for the house." In other words, they made it a home.

Have Fun In Your Garden
SOURCE: Home By Design
WRITTEN BY: Robyn Roehnm Cannon
WEBSITE SOURCE
June 11, 2010

Anyone who has ever owned a beautiful garden knows that it doesn't come without a big price; and I'm not talking about a monetary commitment. Of course, there's certainly that; the plants and everything required to support this wonderful hobby are expensive, and getting more so, it seems.

The commitment I'm referring to has to do with time - or, more to the point, the lack of it - to just sit down, read a book, or put your feet up in the garden because endless chores await the doing. Added to myriad other obligations in our lives, we can easily become prisoners of our own creations. Who knew when you planted all those blowsy English perennials that a future of indentured servitude was in store?

But there's hope for us all in the form of a new book by Valerie Easton, a Seattle newspaper columnist and author, who has tackled the subject of less work and more play in the garden space. The NEW Low-Maintenance Garden: How to Have a Beautiful, Productive Garden and the Time to Enjoy It (Timber Press, 2009) is based on decades of her own gardening experiences.

"For many years, my enthusiasm for digging, planting, and caring for all I'd created was boundless," Easton says. "And then one day it wasn't." When Easton's husband of thirty years resigned as her "yard boy," she knew she had to make some changes in her own high-maintenance landscape or become resigned to caring for "thousands of plants" totally on her own.

"As middle-age crises go, it wasn't too bad," she now says. "He simply told me again and again until I heard him that he was going to spend his weekends bike riding and kayaking rather that hauling buckets of mulch up the stairs, mucking out the pond, and carting away excess biomass."

About the time she was rethinking her own situation, Easton was hearing similar stories from other gardeners. But it wasn't just the "longtime, plant-besotted gardeners, the ones with the 'tired backs,'" Easton says. "New generations of gardeners don't have the time to spend to devoting their weekends to yard work," she says. While younger gardeners may appreciate a pretty garden or wish to harvest salads or herbs for dinner, social and family obligations require gardening to fit into a more balanced lifestyle.

Great gardens today revolve around the concept of "creating outdoor spaces for dining, play, relaxation, and entertaining," comments Easton. The time for "garden as a sanctuary - as an antidote to the stresses and strains of the world" - has come.

Accompanied by colorful photographs of beautiful private spaces by Jacqueline M. Koch, Easton's text examines just how to achieve such a garden that "doesn't awaken dread at the thought of caring for it." She admits that the words "low maintenance" don't exactly conjure up the "lush, sensual, productive gardens most of us long for." But these gardens are not simply thrown together, nor are they filled with beauty bark or excessive use of pesticides. "The hours of toil and tasks may be left out of the recipe, and the exhaustion is taken out - but not the fulfillment," she assures readers.

Easton has many lessons to share. She divides chapters into discussions of how to design and efficiently work in your garden, take advantage of the seasons, create an edible garden and carefree containers, and edit your plant palette.

Here are a few key messages for how to make your own garden low maintenance:

There's more great advice and inspiration for new and experienced gardeners here in Easton's book. I think I'll start by going into the garden and reading!

Neutral Territory
SOURCE: Home By Design
WRITTEN BY: Jeanine Matlow
WEBSITE SOURCE
May 21, 2010

The hub of the home may be bustling with activity, but the aesthetic doesn't have to be busy, too. Instead, it can make a statement with softer hues. That was the case for a custom kitchen "built from the ground up" filled with elegant yet understated elements that will stand the test of time.

Anne Keene, kitchen and bath designer and project coordinator for Cornerstone Design Inc., in Atlanta, Georgia, weighs in on some of the distinctive details in the family-friendly space that was designed by the company. As she explains, a great deal of consideration goes into the planning of a kitchen. From the finish of the cabinetry to the fixtures and the flooring, there are endless decisions to be made. For this project in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, no stone was left unturned. All the bells and whistles are perfectly positioned in this exquisite kitchen created for homeowners who put cooking and entertaining at the top of their list.

Modern-day conveniences blend effortlessly with more traditional decor. "The kitchen is definitely modern in that it has up-to-date appliances like the pro range with eight burners, double ovens, and refrigerator and freezer storage that is completely concealed," Keene explains. "It's also a large open space that's great to cook in, so in that case I consider it modern, too. But the style is definitely traditional."

The kitchen contains a number of features with a French influence, says Keene, such as carved corbels and beaded raised-panel cabinetry. It also has plenty of texture, which is especially evident in the richly detailed cabinet doors. "The cabinets were finished with an off-white paint and brown glaze," Keene says. "It gives the kitchen more of an old-world style."

Function and form go hand in hand in this elegant and efficient space that incorporates plenty of storage into the plan. A desk area was designed for the children to do their homework and crafts. Nearby bookshelves keep cookbooks at bay.

As Keene explains, the homeowner wanted the kitchen to be aesthetically pleasing from afar because it can be seen from the foyer. The adjoining spaces share similarities while remaining distinct. Dark-stained oak flooring changes direction from one room to the next, while the use of the same material visually ties them together. The leaf pattern on the chandelier in the kitchen plays off the one in the foyer. "It has curls and playfulness like the corbels," Keene says. "Both have similar shapes that feature lampshades, so they blend without being matched."

The soothing palette contains just enough contrast to the darker tones found in the walnut mantel above the range, the antique bronze hardware, the wood barstools, and the richly stained flooring that anchors the space. The tumbled marble backsplash adds texture without introducing color to the mix.

Granite countertops contain warm tones of gray and beige highlighted by cream-colored veining that complements the colors in the cabinetry. The generous island, which houses the sink, features corbels that were attached to raised panels and constructed in one piece. "That way it has the presence of furniture," says Keene. "The island is great for people to sit nearby without being underfoot."

The symmetrical windows were intentionally left bare to maximize the views of the tree-filled property. The well-planned design follows suit with a refrigerator on one end and a full-size freezer on the other. "The kitchen is very symmetrical," Keene says. "The size and shape of the cabinetry storage and work space on the left is repeated on the right."

The symmetry continues with a flat-screen television that sits in a niche above the refrigerator, while an identical niche on the other side of the room holds decorative accessories above the freezer. Wallpaper that gives the illusion of stone brings depth and dimension to the mostly neutral space. Once again, the same paper is repeated in the foyer to connect the disparate spaces. Details really do make a difference in this space. Decorative leg curvature designs on either side of the range resemble finely carved furniture. A white ceiling and crown molding brighten the room and accentuate the cabinetry. The crisp contrast allows the neutrals to shine.

A butler's pantry, complete with a wine cooler and an icemaker, leads to the main dining room. A hutch cleverly hides a coffee bar that allows the homeowners to start their day in style.

For anyone contemplating a kitchen project of any kind, Keene says it's important to take your time with the planning on the front end in order to get the best results. When it comes to design, she says, "It's an evolving process."

Choosing Your Outdoor Furnishings
SOURCE: Home By Design
WRITTEN BY: Carolyn M. Runyon
WEBSITE SOURCE
April 9, 2010

It used to be that having a garden was all about choosing and maintaining the plants. But over the past few years, we've started to envision our gardens as much more than a place to toil.

As outdoor furniture lines have become more elaborate and weather resistant and new products and embellishments like patio heaters or fire pits have allowed us to linger outdoors even on a cool evening, our focus has definitely shifted.

Today, it's all about garden style. A whole new attitude about relaxing in yards, on patios, or on decks is changing the way we design, furnish, and entertain in our exterior spaces, making it a true extension of our homes. Outdoor living means creating that extra living room to use when the weather is fine- for everything from just sitting with our feet up and reading a book to entertaining family and friends.

How you furnish your patio depends on your personal style and, of course, your budget. But there are so many materials from which to choose from durable, sustainably farmed hardwoods and cast powder-coated aluminum to hefty wrought iron and rattan in styles ranging from sophisticated to rustic and contemporary to traditional, that one will be just right for you.

Here are a few considerations on materials: If you're looking for the most durable furniture that will long outlive you and require the least amount of maintenance, you'll want hand-wrought iron. The Woodard Furniture Company began production of wrought iron tables and chairs back in the 1930s for fine residential gardens on the eastern seaboard, and the company still produces iron, in addition to aluminum and wicker. Vintage wrought iron -it's out there and it's very valuable- can sometimes be scored at tag sales. Keep your radar up for unique pieces, such as rolling tea carts, chaise lounges, and double gliders, which are no longer made. With a fresh coat of black paint and updated cushions in a colorful outdoor fabric, you'll have a brand new heirloom. The heavy construction of teak makes it another perfect long-term investment. With time and a bit of maintenance, teak will turn soft silver gray. This requires an annual cleaning with a solution of bleach water to remove winter grime. But the effort is worth it, as this furniture only gets a more beautiful patina with age.

With wicker and rattan, you can achieve a look of relaxed comfort that is both fresh and nostalgic. Mid-century rattan has a tropical feel and can be outfitted with oversized print cushions to great effect, and wicker has a timeless charm -it is one of the oldest styles, traced back to the seventeenth century- and is still popular today.

One of the most exciting aspects of the outdoor furnishings craze is the wide availability of new space-age finishes, like those from Maine Cottage Furniture, a company that takes classical shapes in sofas and chairs and makes them bulletproof to the elements. Furniture that looks like wicker is made of extruded plastic resin or, for the environmentally conscious, woven from water hyacinth harvested in Thailand, where the plant is considered a nuisance. If you're in the market for inexpensive and low maintenance, plastic is a great option. It's lightweight and comes in cheerful colors that are ideal for families with young children. Although it may not last forever, plastic is stain resistant and durable and can be moved around with ease.

Irrespective of the style you choose, your main considerations should always be quality and comfort. If you love to entertain, look for a table that is a minimum of sixty inches long, which will accommodate six chairs. Some tables have expandable leaves built in and can slide out when your crowd expands. Then augment your seating with chairs that stack or fold for storage. By adding accessories like cushions, outdoor carpeting, and lighting from candle chandeliers to classically shaped floor lamps that have waterproof shades, you'll create an elegant outdoor living and dining room to entertain in. You may want to consider hiring an "exterior designer" to help you integrate furnishings and colors of your interiors to bring the outdoors in and vice versa. The benefits of using one of these experts are many, from properly scaling the furniture to your available space to selecting from myriad durable outdoor fabrics that shrug off rain and are fade-proof in even the hottest sun yet look like they belong indoors.

The Far-Reaching Benefits Of Trees
SOURCE: Home By Design
WEBSITE SOURCE
WRITTEN BY: Carolyn M. Runyon
March 26, 2010

Albert Einstein once observed, "The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago-and the second-best time is now." For being a nuclear physicist and not a landscape architect, he certainly had that theory right. Einstein surely wasn't alone in his appreciation of trees and his understanding of their importance in our landscapes and our lives. Everyone loves to sit under the shady canopy of a mature tree on a hot afternoon, and most of us have a sentimental connection to a tree that we played under, swung from, or climbed the limbs of during our childhood.

My early memories recall a massive triple-trunked mulberry tree, which shaded the entire front yard of my parents' St. Louis home. All summer long, my cousins and I collected its giant, deliciously sweet berries that stained our tongues purple. Much later, when I was in high school and in a new house, I remember the twin white oaks that framed the front walk of my friend Ellen's yard, and how she, a proverbial tomboy, would delight in climbing the trees to sit and wait each morning for my Dad to take us to school and then jump down with a hoot and a flourish as she saw his car approaching. Recently, I passed those same oaks and realized that they are no longer easily scalable. In thirty-four years, their trunks have grown six feet higher-but I still visualize Ellen up there when I walk by.

In my own Seattle garden, a twenty-foot hearty Windmill Palm anchors one side of a hillside terrace. Its towering presence has inspired our Mediterranean landscape design, and my husband recalls the day-many years ago now?that he struggled to plant it at only six feet tall. Today, we sit under its arching fronds, sip margaritas, and pretend we live in the tropics; last season, we added two more palms to keep it company.

These days, the need for a variety of trees in the landscape is greater than ever as our cities expand, green spaces diminish, and air pollution increases. Emotions run high and citizen groups fight developers as legacy trees are sometimes sacrificed in the name of progress. But the good news is that more and more municipalities across the country are building new parks and making it a requirement of new construction to leave a site with more trees than may have been there in the first place. And though they are saplings today, these trees will bring shade, seasonal color, and beautiful variety to the gardens and public spaces of the future.

As a residential garden designer, I encourage you to plant the largest trees you can afford in your own space, bringing specimens in with a crane, if possible. Although that may seem an extravagant measure, consider the benefits. If your home is new, trees well on their way to maturity will contribute an air of permanence and scale to your landscape and bring you immediate pleasure in your garden. If you're living in an older home with an established landscape, seek out and work closely with a certified arborist to assist you with annual pruning and in protecting your trees' long-term health. Many a beautiful mature tree has been needlessly lost to disease or wind damage that could have been prevented by proper maintenance each season.

Bailey Nurseries, in St. Paul, Minnesota, recently announced home gardener access to its online image library at www.baileynurseries.com. Here, you can easily locate trees by name, height, habit, zone, bloom date, and exposure and quickly print all the information for future reference.

As you consider trees for your landscape, remember that planting a tree has many far-reaching benefits beyond our own front yard. Here are just a few:
-Trees lower local air temperatures by transpiring water and shading surfaces. Because they lower air temperatures, shade buildings in the summer, and block winter winds, they reduce building energy use and cooling costs dramatically.
-Planting trees remains the cheapest, most-effective means of drawing excess carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. In one year, an average tree produces enough oxygen for a family of four and absorbs CO2 output from four cars. If every American family planted just one tree, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere would be reduced by one billion pounds annually-almost five percent of the amount that human activity pumps into the atmosphere each year.
-The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that with improvements in plant productivity and conversion efficiencies, 25 percent of U.S. -imported oil could be displaced by plantation-grown trees by 2050.

When Einstein noted that it's never too late to begin planting trees, he had no idea the challenges our society would someday face. But we can all make a difference. So find a tree that you love, get your shovel, and start digging. Your grandchildren -and your planet- will one day thank you for your contribution.

Country Quietude In The Middle Of The City
SOURCE: Home By Design
WEBSITE SOURCE
WRITTEN BY: Carolyn M. Runyon
February 6, 2010

Five years ago, when Valerie Onor, of Valerie Onor Interior Design, was looking for a new home in New York City, she told her husband she would love a little outdoor garden space, never imagining she would end up with 1,500 square feet of lush green and richly flowered rooftop splendor in the middle of Manhattan's upper east side. "It's a magical place," Onor admits, "with lively color against a backdrop of varied evergreens. We've entertained as many as seventy-five people here, but our favorite time is enjoying a casual breakfast or lovely lunch for two amidst the greenery and the wonderful pre-World War II buildings that provide the picturesque cityscape around us."

Painting a richly planted landscape on a rooftop canvas presented quite an unusual and unexpected challenge. "The floors of the roof area could not be changed, as the tiles were specifically designed for that use. They are removable and allow access below for maintenance and repairs of the building," Onor explains. "Of course, there was no soil on the roof, so we had to plant everything in pots, but weight was a concern, so we had to be very careful about the planters we chose. According to the co-op regulations, we were not allowed to attach anything to the vintage brick exterior of the building, so we had to do some innovative things to bring light to the garden." All of these obstacles required creative solutions, which Onor successfully achieved.

Using the terra-cotta-style tiles as a base, Onor and Katherine Parker Garden Design, in New York City, acquired lightweight fabricated fiberglass pots, urns, and tubs with an estate garden look. Creating layers, with a variety of sized and colored evergreens in larger pots in the background and smaller pots with seasonal flowers in the front, Onor developed her "personal Shangri-La," as she calls it. "The lush greens offer a feeling of serenity, and the density of the layers creates a natural-looking barrier providing privacy," she says. "The smaller pots can be moved to add a touch of color wherever needed."

Lighting was a particular test of Onor's creativity. Because lights could not be mounted on the exterior walls, lighting along the ground aimed at the plantings creates atmosphere against the evening sky. But loads of candles strategically placed in the garden create the romance. Table candles light quiet dinners for six. Tall stakes topped with glass tubes holding a candle each are placed in every planter surrounding the garden. "The result is amazingly spiritual," says Onor. "Our guests love the ambience and never want to leave our dinner parties."

The furnishings are a mix of antiques, creating that English garden feel. "I don't like going to a furniture store and buying a set," Onor says. "I would rather browse antique shops and flea markets and invent my own combinations."

The patio wraps around the residence. The east and west garden areas are quite spacious and are where most of the dining and socializing areas are located. The north side is wide enough to present a walkway and a few intimate sitting areas. There are two antique chairs that have brightly colored pink-toned cushions in Zoffany Antilles with leather cording. A white iron étagère patterned with lattice beautifully camouflages a building pipe and holds an angel statue that Onor has owned for years. "I always use angels in my designs," she notes. "They are part of the spirit of everything I create and are my signature."

The east garden is arranged as a sitting area, with an iron sofa and two chairs, enhanced by bright-lime-colored cushions with huge peonies in a Lee Jofa Sketchbook Peony pattern. Striped pillows that pick up the limes, pinks, and oranges of the cushions provide an accent. Finally, a comfortable chaise with cushions in Tobago by Zoffany completes the space. This outdoor living room is perfect for conversation with friends or a quiet afternoon with a good book.

The west garden holds a vintage glass-top table and chairs that were purchased separately, then custom painted in a soft teal. The four side chairs are cushioned in Giati Jacquard Encore Monarch Dijon, a lovely caramel color with embroidered butterflies. The two armchairs wear cushions of a coordinated stripe from Walters Wicker. "Color is key and plays a very important part in my designs," explains Onor. "I believe color makes a space come alive, creates the atmosphere, and sets the scene." In these garden rooms, Onor's colors lift the spirits and whisk one from city hubbub to country quietude.

This English country garden welcomes nature with its butterfly bush, which attracts lots of beautiful butterflies, Onor says. "We saw quite a few hummingbirds this past summer and even a cardinal," she says. "I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw one of these spectacular red birds in New York City." At one time Onor wished for a home in the country, but she says she now feels blessed and fortunate to have her country garden right here in New York City.

From Carriage Home To Dream Home
SOURCE: Home By Design
WEBSITE SOURCE
WRITTEN BY: Maresa Giovannini
January 22, 2010

The stately image of a sprawling 11,000-square-foot home with pillars, paned windows, and century-old masonry walls evokes historical nostalgia recalling days of hoop skirts, dumbwaiters, and carriages. It's reasonable to assume that the interior of this former carriage house reflects the historical formality of the structure; however, when designer Lori Feldman reconstructed her Greenwich, Connecticut, home, she decided that her design would not be rooted in historical significance, but rather in function for her stylishly modern family.

Lori Feldman started her creative career path in textiles and later received a degree in design from the New York School of Interior Design. Running her own business?Feldman Design Services-since 1998, Lori specializes in turnkey service, preferring to create a cohesive design for a space from its inception rather than designing rooms independently.

When the Feldmans purchased their Greenwich, Connecticut, home in 2004, Lori knew that her full-service expertise was desperately required. The two-acre property, poised on the Long Island Sound, started as a 6,000-square-foot carriage house for the main property across the street. Subdivided as a separate property in the early 1900s, and ultimately frozen in 1940s decor, the renovation required more than a new coat of paint. "This house was a major, major project," says Lori, who was actively involved in every step of the process. "We literally demoed the whole thing with the exception of the stone walls." After a year of demolition, two years of designing, and about a year and a half of construction, the Feldmans were the proud owners of an 11,000-square-foot shingle-style home with five working bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and, in addition to the basic living spaces, an office, bar, library, playroom, gym, conservatory, design studio, home theater, and three-car garage.

With a love for open floor plans and professional experience designing lofts and townhouses, Lori created a spacious entertaining home by eliminating restrictive hallways. "I didn't want a closed-in space," says Lori. "All the formal designs we were taught in design school-that just doesn't exist anymore. I don't know if you can say people don't design that way anymore, but people don't live that way anymore."

Lori decided which rooms would be most important to her daily life and positioned them in the house accordingly. The dining room and kitchen, toward which everyone gravitates naturally, literally became the center of the house, acting as a foyer. The living room was situated to face the backyard and the picturesque waterfront. "When I was designing it, I was making sure I could see the most beautiful aspects of the house," says Lori, who did so by creating intentional vantage points in the open space.

To appreciate the natural beauty and views of the home, Lori chose a modern neutral color palette consistent throughout the house with the exception of the vibrant children's rooms. Colors found in nature, such as soothing creams and browns, contrast with shiny dark mahogany and Brazilian cherry woods throughout the home. The natural palette is juxtaposed nicely by the family's growing collection of more colorful contemporary artwork.

One of the most colorful pieces in the home, although still elegantly muted, is the stunning nine-foot chandelier suspended in the entryway. Pulling dusty blue and orange tones from one of the Tibetan rugs Lori designed for the house, her Dale Chihuly-inspired masterpiece was made in Murano, Italy, and shipped in pieces. "I put that together myself," says Lori. "It was frightening-ninety-six horns, a nine-foot piece!" Yet with the help of three assistants, Lori hand-assembled and determined the exact positioning for the individual glass horns, constructing a spectacular introduction to the home.

The New Provence
SOURCE: Home By Design
WEBSITE SOURCE
WRITTEN BY: Ruth Carlson
January 15, 2010

Languedoc-Roussillon is a region that is comfortable with contrasts. It's home to both an ancient fishing village, Collioure, made famous by Matisse and Picasso, and La Grande-Motte, a town built in 1970s by one architect. It's been nicknamed the new Provence, but it's so close to Barcelona, Spain, that street signs are in Catalan and tapas and sangria are on menus. And where else would you find an abandoned dynamite factory has become the hottest tourist attraction?

Languedoc-Roussillon is home to France's oldest vineyards, a traditionally male-run industry, but the women of Languedoc-Roussillon are experimenting to change the area's quantity wines to quality varietals. Chateau de Valmy is a leading example. The owner, winemaker, salesperson, and marketing director, all female, have created a sleek stainless steel tasting room. "We had some problems in the beginning with men," laughs Madame Martine Carbonnell, the owner, who said the other half changed their minds when quality wines were produced. No doubt her beauty and sparkling personality also helped convince them. My husband, Rich, was so smitten with her I asked M. Carbonnell to try on my wedding ring and take him...please. Unfortunately, the diamond didn't fit her delicate finger, but the rich red wine was a perfect fit for our palates.

A mother-daughter team runs the winery Chateau les Ollieux Romanis. Braying donkeys and barking dogs greet visitors and accommodations are available, and when you stay overnight, the family invites you into their living room for a wine tasting. No chemical fertilizers or weed killers have been used for a decade at the chateau, and it will soon be totally organic.

This area enjoys a sunny microclimate perfect for producing rosé wine best sipped in the pastel-colored village called Collioure. Pink, orange, and yellow homes overlook striped awnings advertising cafes facing the seductive blue Mediterranean Sea made infamous by Picasso and Matisse. For just a few euros, the price of a café or a glass of wine, you can gaze upon original works of the masters hanging on the walls of the bar at Les Templiers.

Rumor has it the artists paid their bar bills with these priceless paintings. If you can't afford to take an original home, stroll the promenade along the sea and bid on the watercolors being created by the next legendary artist.

Collioure has been nicknamed the St. Tropez of Languedoc-Roussillon, which seemed appropriate when I saw a crowd of bathing beauties boarding a yacht with a film crew. Alas, I was not invited to join them, but I did learn the model's most valuable skills: the art of doing nothing. Sunbathing; cheering on the retired men playing boule, a game similar to bocce ball; and dining on the local delicacy, anchovies, as the beautiful people paraded by my outdoor table were the makings of my day.

I decided to shop at the boutique La Maison de Prosper, which offers colorful espadrilles and striped fabric for your yacht's deck chairs. Before leaving, pop into the Notre-Dame-des-Anges, a cathedral with "its feet in the sea" -the front part of the church sits in the water. Place a euro in the slot to light up the golden altar.

Architecture fans worship at La Grande-Motte (translation: giant sand dune). My husband and I had to laugh at what the French consider giant sand dunes (about ten feet tall), since we're used to Monterey Bay's thirty-foot-high sand skyscrapers.

An icon to the '70s, La Grande-Motte is a city created by the brilliant design of one man, Jean Balladur. High-rise Mayan-style pyramids along the sand were intended to make beach vacations affordable for the masses and give everyone a sea view. Today these apartments with cruise ship portholes are largely used during the summer by "holiday makers." In July and August, the population swells to 100,000, ten times the number of full-time residents, who live in palm-tree-shaded villas a few blocks from the sand.

It's called a city you either love or hate, but a lot of l'amour is being thrown toward La Grande-Motte. The Tour de France rolled through here this summer, Ft. Lauderdale is considering becoming its sister city, and Korea is trying to replicate the town in a deserted beach area.

The city leaders are not satisfied with a Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course, a luxury thalassotherapy spa, and a harbor with multimillion-dollar yachts; they want to become a university town. La Grande-Motte already has the infrastructure for co-eds: paths lined with native pine trees next to the pyramids (future dorms?), lots of green open spaces made for frisbees, and footbridges arching over roads so bikers avoid traffic.

La Grande-Motte is dubbed Europe's greenest coastal resort, and the eco trend in this region extends to an unusual site for a green area. A former dynamite factory has been converted into Paulilles Recreational Park, the area's hottest tourist attraction. Only open a year, already half a million people have visited.

Blank Canvass
SOURCE: Home By Design
WEBSITE SOURCE
WRITTEN BY: Ashley Gartland
January 15, 2010

Giving a designer complete control to create your dream home is a bit like letting a work colleague steer your career or letting your preteen kids take over the family finances. It's a risky move, and because of that risk factor, it simply isn't done.

Unless, by chance, we're speaking of this dream vacation home on Red Mountain in Aspen, Colorado. In this rare situation, the designers had earned the trust of the homeowners while working on their three previous homes in Miami. So when the homeowners hired husband-and-wife team Brett Sugerman and Giselle Loor of b + g design a fourth time, they felt comfortable giving them free rein to design their mountainside retreat.

The close relationship between the homeowners and designers gave Sugerman and Loor the confidence to create a visually stunning retreat that represents the homeowners' modern, artistic tastes. "Part of what makes this work a success is the faith and trust they put in us. They know that we know what they like. We've developed such a close relationship over the years that what they like goes unspoken," says Sugerman. "It was as close to carte blanche as you can get."

Sugerman and Loor began the intensive project working closely with the project's architect and builder. They provided input on everything from what materials and finishes would appeal to their clients to what lighting would work best for this expansive home. They even made space-saving architectural decisions, including the one that resulted in the design of this master suite. In this 500-square-foot space, the duo desired a functional suite with finishes that would complement both their clients' contemporary art collection and the stunning landscape that surrounds the home. "Maximizing views was paramount, as was creating a warm, clean-lined, well-detailed space," says Sugerman. "And the balance and mixture of materials-from concrete, blackened steel, wood, and leather-had to complement their significant art collection."

In the master bedroom, a balanced mix of materials appears on the walls, which are made of architectural board-formed concrete, integrally tinted plaster, and blackened steel. The combination strikes a delicate balance and partners nicely with the art pieces the designers placed within the suite.

Additional finishes, like walnut, rosewood, and leather furniture and a wool carpet, warm and soften the room's modern architectural elements at once. The fireplace also warms the room, visually and literally, though incorporating this feature presented a challenge initially: The designers had to find a way to integrate it without distracting from the room's arresting views. "We ended up designing a low-slung fireplace with a motorized TV lift that pops out of the top, right-hand section of the blackened steel surround," says Sugerman. "By keeping these elements close to the horizon line, it was possible to still see the mountain range while sitting in the bed."

Simple, modern furniture like the custom bed and the slim Holly Hunt desk and accompanying side chair tie into the room's linear architecture and the clients' minimalistic tastes without being overly distracting. Soft leather lounge chairs, also from Holly Hunt, provide a seating area for enjoying the view and the cozy fireplace, while two sleek David Sutherland lounge chairs positioned on the suite's deck create outdoor seating for warm summer nights.

Back inside the suite, a neutral color palette coupled with bold orchid-purple accents is attractive without competing with the scenery or artwork. Together with the room's carefully chosen finishes, the palette also keeps the suite from blending in with the Aspen style of decor. "We wanted to ensure that the interiors didn't come off feeling prototypically Western, like so many of the 'cowboy houses' in the mountains, so we kept all the finishes smooth and refined," says Sugerman. "Even the leathers we used on the bed and swiveling club chairs come off as elegant rather than rustic."

A spa-like bathroom further emphasizes the focus on elegance with its yin-and-yang vanities and finishes of ivory limestone, smoky quartz, and African wenge wood. To keep with the suite's streamlined design, Sugerman and Loor also employed custom-designed cabinetry that makes the most of the bathroom's postage-stamp size. "We have their linen storage integrated into towers at the far ends and we integrated built-in laundry hampers and trash drawers and lots of drawers for storage," says Sugerman. "We tried to find storage wherever we could."

Within the suite's closet, the design team also worked to create a storage solution for a couple who were accustomed to large his-and-her closets in their main residence. To improve the small space, they outfitted it in the style of European closets with more open, horizontal storage components as opposed to the vertical design most American closets steer toward.

The result is a suite that caters to the homeowners' tastes and style so perfectly that you'd never guess they gave their designers carte blanche.

Topiary Gardens
SOURCE: Home By Design
WEBSITE SOURCE
WRITTEN BY: Robyn Roehm Cannon
January 1, 2010

The ancient art of topiary is a wonderful way to bring fun, versatility, and formality into your garden and home. What's topiary? Simply trimming and shaping plants into ornamental shapes, which can be any object or geometric shape you can imagine. Garden history books describe Tuscan villas with animals formed from boxwood nearly 2,000 years ago, and ever since, this historic garden art form has remained popular in estate and home gardens throughout the world. The term "topiary" can mean something as large as a garden giraffe or as small as a tabletop centerpiece, but it's always related to shaped plants.

Decades can pass before a boxwood topiary reaches its full maturity and beauty, coaxed by a patient gardener with sharp shears in hand, snipping here and there to form a perfect privet sphere, cone, or spiral as a centerpiece in a knot garden or a pair of yew sentinels to grace a formal entry.

Remember the amazing topiary animals that Johnny Depp created in the 1990 movie Edward Scissorhands? A fantastic real-life example of whimsical topiaries can be found at Green Animals Topiary Garden outside Newport, Rhode Island, where a giant elephant, dinosaur, camel, lion, giraffe, and unicorn cohabitate on seven acres of this lovely estate garden overlooking Narragansett Bay. These spectacular topiaries were started nearly a century ago.

But if you haven't decades of patience or room in your backyard for a twenty-five-foot-tall giraffe, you can still enjoy topiary by training vines up and around wire frames and creating charming displays that will bring a bit of English whimsy to your interior. Tabletop topiaries are quick to make and easy to maintain. Embellished with decorative ribbons or ornaments, they make beautiful centerpieces for a holiday table (think bunnies at Easter, or hearts for a wedding.) Or consider making an ivy basket filled with a special bottle of wine for a delightful housewarming gift. The possibilities are endless, and your hostess will think you are very clever.

Here's What You Will Need
Begin with a wire frame. You'll find many shapes from which to choose, from a single to double ball, cone, teardrop, tree, lyre, heart, duck, or rabbit, just for starters. You can find these frames at florist shops or your local specialty garden center. Cliff Finch's Topiary Zoo www.topiaryzoo.com, a family-owned business that's been making all sizes and shapes of handcrafted frames since 1981, is a great online resource. Finch powder coats his frames to prevent them from rusting.

Select your frame; then find a sturdy pot to hold it. Generally, you'll want the exposed frame to be twice as tall as the pot you choose. Fill the pot with a fast-draining potting soil, and have green cotton twine or plastic ties handy to hold plant runners to the frame, since they're sometimes a bit too stiff to easily weave. If you use a terra cotta pot, add some character and "instant age" by painting it with buttermilk to encourage the growth of moss.

The Best Plants to Train
Due to its quick growth and small leaf size, English Ivy is probably the most common and is perfect for tabletop topiary. Some excellent varieties are 'Walthamensis', 'Wichtel', 'Shamrock', 'Midget', variegated 'Lady Frances', 'Deltoidea', and cross-shaped 'Rittenkreuz'. But there are lots more, so find a leaf shape you love and buy young plants with long, pliable runners. Train rosemary for a useful kitchen display, or try spring-blooming jasmine for a fragrant bedside creation.

Caring for Your Topiary
Now comes the fun of watching it grow and fill the frame. Wrap, clip, and pinch new growth regularly, following the shape of the frame. Keep your plant well-watered and mist its leaves often, and you'll be rewarded with a lush tabletop topiary in no time at all.

Dynamic Dining Rooms- Modern Comfort
SOURCE: Home By Design
WEBSITE SOURCE
WRITTEN BY: Ashley Gartland
December 26, 2009

Though many modern designs succeed in being clean-lined and contemporary, they also have a tendency to be stark and uninviting. When a modern design is employed in a dining room in particular, it can easily become a small-scale version of a bleak minimalist restaurant; while the overall effect is certainly eye-catching, such a design does not lend itself well to entertaining friends and family over the course of a leisurely evening.

But when a designer makes an effort to bridge a modern aesthetic with elements designed for comfort, a contemporary room can be sleek and inviting all at once. Such was the case for the dining room in this 6,000-square-foot Mediterranean home, located in the tony enclave of Westwood in Los Angeles, California. "We aimed for an elegant, modern look that still imparted a sense of comfort and functionality," says designer Brett Sugerman, who designed this dining room with his wife and co-owner of b + g design inc., Giselle Loor.

The duo's approach to the project was unique first and foremost because they went about the design by viewing the room's interior as a sculpture. "Part of our specialty is interior architectural detailing-crafting design elements that enhance the backgrounds," says Sugerman. "Like sculpture, this was about finding a balance between positive and negative space. Then we layer in furniture, fixtures, art, and accessories to complete a cohesive whole."

In the home's dining room, they put together a soothing backdrop of cream and earth tones that creates a sophisticated, warm color palette for the fourteen-by-sixteen-foot room and casts it in an attractive ethereal glow. "We always try to keep the large elements in a room relatively neutral, using color in smaller accents and artwork," says Loor. "This helps to maintain a more timeless look in our interiors, as well as imparting a more sophisticated, elegant feel."

In keeping with their neutral-leaning design philosophy, Sugerman and Loor then employed large neutral pieces to extend the dining room's color palette into darker shades, like the Macassar ebony dining room table and buffet. Each piece brings a slightly different feel to the room, despite the fact that they were crafted from the same material. "The table is in a filled-pore, high-gloss finish, and the buffet is open-pore stain," says Sugerman. "This subtle contrast helps maintain unity between the pieces but keeps them from feeling like a matching set."

They also kept the foundation of the room relatively neutral by putting in a medium-stained walnut wood flooring. The flooring adds warmth to the room and also helped the couple connect the dining room with the adjacent sunken living room. "We always strive to establish continuity between spaces in the homes we design, especially when the spaces are adjacent," says Loor. "In this home, we wanted to combine the living and dining rooms into one entertainment area to facilitate the flow between the two."

To create a more entertaining-friendly space, the designers first removed portions of the wall that had previously divided the dining and living rooms. Then, they selected similar flooring, wall finishes, drapery fabric, hardware, and color palettes for both rooms. "Although we didn't repeat other textiles or finishes, we kept the color palette consistent between the two areas," says Sugerman.

The color palette serves as the strong connector between the two spaces; varying shades of cream, taupe, and brown appear in each of the rooms and visibly tie them together. The dining room's square Macassar ebony table from Wiggers Custom Furniture, for example, echoes the dark wood accents in the living room, while the Parisian pendant chandelier hanging above it further plays up the neutral color scheme utilized in both rooms. Eight bone-colored leather armchairs from A. Rudin lend the room crisp, clean lines; supply comfortable seating with their high backs; and mimic the color and shape of the seats in both the living room and the adjacent outdoor patio.

These elements unify the rooms and yet still allowed the designers to select a composition of artwork and accessories to give the dining room a distinct personality. "The iron candlesticks on the dining buffet and the driftwood branch on the dining table add a lot of texture and interest to the room, without screaming for attention," explains Sugerman.

A large bronze hand sculpture and a large photograph sit atop and above the dining room buffet, creating two additional focal points for the room. "We found the photography at a gallery in Santa Monica and loved the imagery, as well as the way the black-and-white composition popped against the wall and balanced out the rich woods we used," says Loor. "The bronze hand sculpture is actually part of a set of andirons we found in Los Angeles. It's bold and warm at the same time and evokes conversation."

And, like the rest of the pieces and materials used within this room, it transforms what could have been a stark, modern design into an exceptionally inviting space.

Holiday Entertaining For Less
SOURCE: Home By Design
WEBSITE SOURCE
WRITTEN BY: Ashley Gartland
December 18, 2009

This time of year, we're normally spending big bucks on multicourse holiday dinners, elaborate parties, and New Year's Eve celebrations for fifty of our closest friends, no less. But this year, life may have been a bit harder on our wallets and left us wondering if we should join the seasonal party circuit at all.

Fortunately, you don't have to cancel your plans to host a party this holiday. Instead, you can cut the cost of throwing a fete-trimming a few dollars here and a few dollars there-without hampering your guests' abilities to have a good time. Whether you're hosting your extended family for dinner or inviting your closest work colleagues over for a New Year's Day brunch, we've gathered the tips to help you entertain well on a budget this year.

Imbibing for Less
Most hosts head to a big-box store like Costco to pick up bottles of discount wine for their holiday parties. That's a good start, but you'll find better savings in the world of box wine. In recent years, the quality and reputation of box wines have improved dramatically, such that they're becoming mainstays on the party circuit. Economical box wines hold more wine than a single bottle and keep the wine fresh longer than conventional bottles, making them perfect party wines. And, if you feel ashamed serving box wines to your sophisticated friends, consider this: You can always pour the box wine into a fancy decanter pre-party. Your guests will never know the difference.

Sparkling cocktails are an obvious pick for your mixed-drink menu; they're festive and cheap because you don't need to use top-shelf bubbly to make a quality champagne-style cocktail. In fact, middle-of-the-road sparkling wines like Segura Viudas Aria Estate Brut Cava and Cristalino Brut Cava make the best mixers. Combine them with a few ounces of fruit juice (try cranberry or pomegranate) or a sweet fruit liqueur to create the perfect fizzy drink to toast the season.

Prepping the Perfect Party Platter
Supermarket party platters are convenient options when you're piecing together a party buffet in a pinch, but if you're willing to prep the food yourself, you'll cut costs. When shopping, avoid expensive ingredients like foreign cheeses and fresh seafood. Instead, look for the fixings to make budget-friendly bites like miniature meatballs or low-cost cheese and bread plates at home. A prettily presented platter filled with domestic cheeses, nuts, toasted baguette slices, and dried fruits will please the palates of your guests for less.

Mixing Up the Sit-Down Dinner
Roasted turkey might be a holiday mainstay for some of us, but mixing up your menu can equate with huge savings. Cheap, versatile cuts like pork shoulder and skirt steak yield delicious results, while a belly-warming dish like potato leek soup or a beautifully sauced linguine will charm guests with its simplicity. To inspire more budget-friendly menus, look to ethnic cuisines. Hosting a Mexican fiesta or a Thai noodle party lets you deliver big flavors for mere dollars per serving. You never know: Pork mole might become your go-to party dish.

Satisfying the Sweet Tooth
When the prices of the elegant cakes at the neighborhood bakery don't fit your budget, employ scratch-baked American classics like chocolate chip cookies and ice cream sundaes for your dessert course. No matter how refined your guests, no one can resist the nostalgic tug of a hot fudge sundae or the scent of fresh-from-the-oven cookies served with a pot of coffee or steaming mugs of hot chocolate for dessert.

Decorating on a Dime
There's no need to rent table linens for your next big fete. Instead, comb through the pieces tucked away in your linen closet, then borrow any remaining items from family members or your neighbors. (Just make sure they're on the guest list, too.) And don't forget that Mother Nature offers her own handy decorating pieces. A moss-covered branch works well as a centerpiece, while pinecones can serve as free place card holders and give a table setting rustic appeal.

Hiring Budget-Friendly Help
If you've used caterers for previous parties, it can be overwhelming to tackle the preparations and cooking on your own this year. If this is the case, place a call to your local culinary school and ask if any talented students would be interested in working your event. The students will likely jump at the chance to practice their skills in a paid setting and you will get the help you need for far less than you've paid in years past.

A Feast For The Eyes
SOURCE: Home By Design
WEBSITE SOURCE
WRITTEN BY: Jeanine Matlow
December 5, 2009

It takes a visionary to change a space from cavernous to cozy. That was clearly the case for Manhattan-based Charles Pavarini III when he set out to design the dining room in Holiday House to benefit the Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Each room in the Manhattan designer show house had a holiday theme. In the dining room, the celebration would be Thanksgiving. "I was really inspired by the fact that the room would be about the feast of Thanksgiving," says the senior designer and president of Charles Pavarini III Design Associates Inc., an architecturally based interior design firm. "It's all about the fall colors."

The elaborate undertaking, which included custom draperies and upholstery, was completed in six weeks. Distinctive details greeted visitors at every turn, like the wall murals above the windows that were meant to evoke the feeling of fall. "The climbing tree trunks act as a continuation of the columns," Pavarini says.

The vast space did not come without its share of challenges, such as an enormous ceiling with extensive water damage. The original plaster moldings were repaired and treated to a pale palette that gave a sense of loftiness to the space, Pavarini says. A mix of metallics was applied to the ceiling medallions.

The designer wanted to incorporate enough seating for eighteen guests to fill the substantial space. "I wanted to reinforce the concept of coming together to give thanks," he says. But, it was no easy task to track down a table of that magnitude, so Pavarini chose a trestle table for the center with plywood extensions at either end. A lovely layered tablecloth hides the seams between the disparate surfaces.

A lively mix of seating proves that formal doesn't have to be fussy. The designer opted for six chairs on either side with custom benches in the center section. "They reinforced the access to the fireplace and gave a beautiful rhythm around the table," he says. Pavarini points out that choosing all chairs would make the table feel almost inaccessible, while the benches break things up a bit.

Pavarini mixes the room's fabrics in a masterful way. "I was totally committed to using three colors in the chairs to reinforce the holiday feel," he says. "It gave the entire dining room a fresh, contemporary look in what was really a traditional room. It makes a room exciting when you have that mix. "The distribution of color is a very powerful tool," he adds. Varied patterns include anything from paisley to stripes, while heavy eyelash fringe adds some eye candy. "Many people shy away from mixing fabric, but you can lock it in with color and scale."

Hanging a chandelier from the ceiling was not an option, but that didn't stop the design pro from turning a detriment into a real dazzler. "It made me think how a room is lit, especially a dining room," he says. "I came up with the idea for two high table lamps that did not encumber the space, and they provided beautiful lighting." The fixtures, which feature custom translucent lampshades with fringe trim, brought the room down to a very warm level without blocking the view, he says. Additional lighting sources include vintage sconces from David Duncan Antiques that look like sheaths of wheat and LED lighting in red, green, and blue that was on a color fade. "You felt the coloration of autumn through the very subtle lighting," the designer says.

Dark paneling gets a perk from contemporary paintings that flank the fireplace above George III consoles from Hyde Park Antiques. "The artwork lifted the look and did not make it so heavy and traditional in feeling," the designer says. "The paintings also supported the color palette."

Pavarini's theater background always makes a grand entrance in his designs. "My designs are more cerebral," says the designer, who views a room as more of a stage. For this project, he filled the massive fireplace with 50 pumpkins. Pavarini thought it would be fun for them to look like they'd come tumbling down the chimney.

The distinctive dinnerware also augmented the autumn theme. For the striking centerpiece, the designer chose a glass cylinder with autumn branches surrounded by bud vases filled with fall foliage. Murano glass pumpkins and gourds add to the festive yet formal fall theme. Pavarini was given permission to host a dinner in the spectacular space, which served as a successful fundraiser.

The designer deftly demonstrates that fun and formal can go hand in hand. "Even if it is a serious room, I think the way we live today is not all formal all the time," he says. "There should be moments of whimsy and a relaxed feeling about the room.".

Vaughan Citizen Reader's Choice "Best Agent 2008" Award
SOURCE: Vaughan Citizen Editorial
April 26, 2009

There's a wise old saying - "If you want something done, ask a busy person to do it," and that, in a nutshell, sums up Dawna Borg of Re/Max Premier Inc., and may explain why she was chosen as Best Real Estate Agent in our Reader's Choice Awards.

A dynamic and dedicated personality in the industry for more than 20 years, Dawna has been the No. 1 listing and selling sales representative for Re/Max Premier for five years, is consistently amongst the top 1% in sales among all GTA realtors, ranks in Canada's Top 100 Re/Max agents, is one of only 200 sales agents in Canada with an Accredited Senior Agent designation, is an active Guild Member of the prestigious Institute of Luxury Home Marketing and - if that's not enough - she is also a Chartered Mediator and an experienced coach and trainer in mediation and negotiation programs. "I enjoy doing a lot a lot of fundraising and volunteer/board work as well," she says. "Mostly with the Vitanova Foundation and the ADR Institute of Ontario." She believes you should never be too busy to take time to give back to the community.

In addition to the busy real estate scene in Woodbridge, Maple and Kleinburg, Dawna specializes in the niche, trendy and subjective marketplaces in Toronto, which in addition to all housing purchases and sales, includes estate residential and luxury custom homes, re-sale and pre-construction condominiums and commercial purchase/leasing. Dawna enjoys her multi-layered clientele, which ranges from first-time buyers, baby boomers, seniors and repeat customers. Her business has become generational. She says her business thrives on the many referrals that she gratefully receives." And she has established an enviable reputation for professionalism, integrity and comprehensive market knowledge. "My clients all know one thing about me," she says. "I have an affinity for extraordinary service."

Dawna Borg: 'Don't Give Up; Just Work Differently'
SOURCE: RE/MAX Times Online
February 16, 2009

Twenty-year industry veteran Dawna Borg has seen markets both good and bad. Amid a Toronto/Vaughan market that has slowed down, the perennial Chairman's Club member says simply, "Don't give up; just work differently."

Borg, (CLHMS), a Sales Associate with RE/MAX Premier in Vaughan, Ontario, who earned her real estate license in 1989 and joined RE/MAX in 1994, says agents can find success despite tougher conditions.

"There's still a lot of work out there - it's just different work." says Borg, a Lifetime Achievement Award recipient.
Here's a glimpse at Borg's business:

RE/MAX Times Online: Do you focus on a particular niche?
Borg: I work with trendy areas, seniors, condos, luxury, Gen-X and Gen-Y buyers - not any one niche. My client base is very layered because almost all of my clients are referral-based, and I work in areas all over the city. I really enjoy the diversity, and it feels a lot less like work because every day is different.

RE/MAX Times Online: Do you seek out educational opportunities and training courses?
Borg: I always take the continuing education courses required in Canada, and I think it's a great requirement. I search out other courses as well, such as working with seniors. I'm also a Certified Guild Member of the Institute of Luxury Home Marketing, and I attend those conferences.

RE/MAX Times Online: What's the market like in the Toronto area?
Borg: The market has changed, and it's more difficult to work in. People are still buying, though. I have offers on the table right now that I hope will go through. People are stepping up to the plate to buy.

RE/MAX Times Online: What have you seen in the market as a result of the slowdown?
Borg: There's a big weeding out of agents taking place right now. The part-timers and the agents who close only a few transactions are getting out and going back to their previous careers. I once worked as a paralegal for real estate lawyers, and that experience helps me work with conflicts that come up during these tougher times.

RE/MAX Times Online: What advice do you have for agents during slower markets?
Borg: Regroup, create a business plan, look at where your past work came from, and touch base with past clients, friends and family. Don't give up; just work differently. Ask for referrals, and let people know you want to work. Moreover, treat the slower market as an opportunity and use the time to do things you weren't able to in the wild and crazy marketplace. There's still a lot of work out there - it's just different work.

RE/MAX Times Online: Are any of the niches you work with less susceptible to market changes?
Borg: The trendy areas, luxury homes and homes with special features are pretty stable. There's really only one price range for most of those listings, and things don't fluctuate too much. The right buyer recognizes the subjectivity, isn't a direct-comparison shopper and will pay for the uniqueness. Subdivisions with similar houses are being hit the hardest. The more unique the homes are, the more the sellers seem to hold out for their prices. In my opinion, it's always about location, location, location and subjectivity.

RE/MAX Times Online: What's your marketing strategy now?
Borg: I don't really spend any money on newspaper ads. I prefer to spend money on featuring the home to potential buyers, and that's pretty much the same as in any market conditions. I hire a stager and a professional photographer, set up virtual tours, send out a magazine featuring my listings, hold open houses, and host catered lunches at open houses to get other agents to tour them.

RE/MAX Times Online: You made the Platinum Club in 2005 and reached the Chairman's Club every year since. What helped you make that jump?
Borg: I gave up my paralegal business and started working as a full-time agent. That gave me the ability to close more transactions, especially with the market being so strong at that time.

RE/MAX Times Online: How do you handle objections from clients?
Borg: Every objection, of course, is different. I keep up on my reading and education, and if I don't know the answer to something, I research it and get back to the client. And I back up my responses with objective criteria and facts.

RE/MAX Times Online: Do you have set business hours?
Borg: Not really. This is pretty much a 24/7 business where you're on-call, so I tend to work a lot. I try to keep Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings free, and I also block off time to spend with my family. A lot of my clients are flexible with their schedules as well, so if something comes up and I need to move appointments around, they understand.

RE/MAX Times Online:Why did you join RE/MAX?
Borg: RE/MAX is internationally recognized and it's the top real estate company. Positive energy flows with the brand, and it's the type of brand I'll always want to be associated with.

RE/MAX Times Online: Can you explain your community involvement?
Borg: Even with my busy schedule, I try to take time to support the community. I've been a co-operative education employer for local high school students for over 25 years. I also attend fundraisers and have supported breast cancer walks, Children's Miracle Network and hospices. I work with children and young adults with special needs, and for the past two years I've been a board member for the Vitanova Foundation, a local shelter for victims of substance abuse. I think it's very important to give back to the community.

RE/MAX Times Online: To what do you attribute your success?
Borg: I think honesty, integrity and providing extraordinary service to my clients are the key ingredients. My business is all about my clients. I don't try to sell them just anything to close a transaction. I work hard to get them the best deal, and they appreciate that. I am also a Chartered Mediator and use an interest-based negotiation model when conducting my business.

RE/MAX Times Online: Any final words of wisdom?
Borg: You have to be proactive and master the art of prioritizing. There is no cookie-cutter model - just be reflective to your audience, work your way through it and enjoy this very fulfilling career.

Landlord can keep property smoke-free
SOURCE: Toronto Star
AUTHOR: Bob Aaron
Tuesday, March 11, 2008

A decision of the Ontario Landlord and Tenant Board last month underscores the right of a landlord to insert a non-smoking clause in a residential lease, and shows that the clauses are enforceable in the event of breach by a tenant.

The decision is relevant to non-smoking tenants who live within breathing distance of smokers in condominiums, apartment buildings, multiplexes or even homes with basement apartments. It will also resonate with the landlords of those units.

Christine Cebula owns a unit in a highrise condo building in Yorkville. She rents it out as a luxury, furnished apartment to executives and others who need short-term, upscale accommodation for periods of three months to one year. Some time ago, the unit was leased to a tenant named John Davidson. The lease clearly stated that no smoking was allowed in the unit.

Despite the prohibition, it became apparent that some smoking occurred. The landlord delivered a termination notice to the tenant, and when he failed to move out, she brought an application before the Landlord and Tenant Board to terminate the tenancy. In the wake of the difficulties with the tenant, she also listed the rental unit for sale.

Among the grounds for evicting the tenant, Cebula claimed that the smoking in the unit created undue damage, causing it to smell of cigarette smoke. Her application to the board also argued that the smoking in the unit substantially interfered with her lawful right, privilege or interest as the landlord.

Cebula's agent, Allistair Trent, asked the board for damages exceeding $10,000 to repair the unit and replace the smoke-damaged furniture. The hearing before board member Egya Sangmuah took place over the course of four days last June, October and November.

One of the issues argued before the board was whether the smell of smoke constitutes damage within the meaning of the Residential Tenancies Act. The board found that cigarette smoke contains contaminants that are absorbed by the furnishings and broadloom, and are difficult to remove.

The tenant argued -unsuccessfully- that the breach of a non-smoking clause could not result in termination of the tenancy unless it interfered with the enjoyment of the unit by the landlord- which did not apply in this case. But Sangmuah found that the tenant or his guests permitted smoking in the unit, and that the landlord had incurred or will incur costs of $10,958.85 to repair the damage or replace property that was damaged and cannot reasonably be repaired.

The tenancy was terminated and the tenant was ordered to pay damages of $10,000 (the monetary limit of the board's jurisdiction), plus costs, interest and compensation for rent after the termination date.

The board ruled that the tenant's smoking did, in fact, interfere with the landlord's business of renting furnished luxury accommodation to a clientele of non-smokers. The landlord's target market was individuals seeking short-term, smoke-free accommodation, and the board found that smoking in the unit reduced its marketability until the "remnants of smoke" could be permanently eradicated.

The lesson is that it is lawful to include a non-smoking clause in a residential lease. If the smoking causes damage to the unit or interferes with the rights of the landlord or another tenant, the tenancy agreement will be terminated and the tenant may be held liable in damages.

Regular readers of this column may recall that I am on the boards of a landlord association and the Non-Smokers' Rights Association. In my view, the marketplace has room for rental accommodations that appeal exclusively to either smokers or non-smokers, or those with no preference.

Canadian Luxury Market Goes from Hot to Hotter
Published by The Institute of Luxury Home Marketing
October 04, 2007

Canadian luxury home activity gives new meaning to global warming ? this part of the world is enjoying a hot upper tier market.

The first seven months of this year have seen Canadian luxury home market sales jump in major markets from Victoria to Toronto. "The consumer appetite for luxury property has been insatiable," says Michael Polzler, Executive Vice President and Regional Director, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada. "Unabated demand throughout the year has created tight market conditions in a number of blue chip neighborhoods. Limited availability of product has, in turn, placed mounting pressure on housing values. As a result, the million dollar home no longer holds the same cachet it once did and in larger markets such as Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto, it's simply a starting price."

The table in the link below reflects the strength of the upper tier housing market in six major Canadian cities.
RE/MAX Canadian Upper-End Market Trends Report, January to July 2007 compared to 2006

Slow and steady growth forecast for residential real estate in major Canadian markets in 2008, says RE/MAX
Canadian home sales to top 500,000 in 2007

After posting extraordinary gains in 2007, housing market performance will moderate in most major Canadian centres in 2008, according to a report released today by RE/MAX.

The RE/MAX Housing Market Outlook 2008 examined residential real estate trends in 18 markets across the country. The report found that while economic prospects will continue to improve next year, few major markets are expected to exceed record sales levels set in 2007. Winnipeg, Hamilton-Burlington, Kitchener-Waterloo, London-St. Thomas, Ottawa, Sudbury, Saint John, Halifax-Dartmouth, and St. John's are all predicted to buck the trend in 2008, with appreciation ranging from one to seven per cent. Average price is forecast to increase in 78 per cent of markets surveyed next year, with the lowest price increase expected in Edmonton and the highest in St. John's.

Nationally, the number of homes sold is expected to break through the half-million threshold in 2007, climbing 13 per cent to an estimated 545,400 units, up from 483,770 units one year ago. Average price is projected to appreciate nine per cent to $303,000, up about $25,000 over 2006 levels. In 2008, home sales are expected to retreat to 500,000 units while Canadian housing values are forecast to continue their ascent, rising six per cent to $321,000.

Major market frontrunners for price appreciation in 2008 include St. John's (12 per cent), Regina and Kelowna - Central Okanagan (nine per cent), Hamilton-Burlington and Saint John (eight per cent) and Greater Vancouver (seven per cent). Leading the country in sales growth next year will be Kitchener-Waterloo (seven per cent), followed by Hamilton-Burlington, London-St. Thomas, Sudbury and Halifax-Dartmouth, each forecasting a five per cent gain.

Higher mortgage rates and increased inventory levels failed to materialize in most major centres, making 2007 a record year for real estate activity in Canada. By year-end, housing values across the country are expected to shatter existing records. Serious double-digit increases in average price are forecasted for Saskatoon (49), Edmonton (31.5), Regina (21), Calgary (20), Sudbury (20), Kelowna (19.5) Saint John (17), St. John's (12), and Greater Vancouver (10).

Saskatchewan dominated real estate news in 2007, reporting some of the highest percentage increases in unit sales. The number of homes sold in Regina by year-end is expected to top 35 per cent, bringing sales to an estimated 4,000 units. Neighbouring Saskatoon is forecast to climb 28 per cent to 4,400 units in 2007. Other centres expected to post double-digit gains in activity include Saint John (19 per cent) Kitchener-Waterloo (13 per cent), Halifax-Dartmouth (12 per cent), St. John's (11 per cent), and Toronto (10 per cent).

Clearly, economic prosperity has translated into increased housing sales and upward pressure on prices across the board. The country's economic engine fired on all cylinders throughout the year, despite dire conditions south of the border. As in 2007, inventory will be the major wildcard next year-the ultimate variable most expected to influence housing market conditions and performance. A return to tight market conditions could mean all bets are off as buyers are forced to compete, creating increased market pressure.

VAUGHAN SUPPORTS PROVINCE'S RAPID TRANSIT INITIATIVE
Media Contact: Madeline Zito, Director of Corporate Communications
June 15, 2007

(VAUGHAN, ON) Mayor Linda Jackson, on behalf of Vaughan Council, has expressed support for the Ontario government's announcement today to expand rapid transit service across the Greater Toronto Area. The MoveOntario 2020 plan calls for $17.5 billion in funding to complete 52 rapid transit initiatives over the next 12 years.

"We are very pleased with this announcement that recognizes the urgent need to address traffic congestion in the GTA and expand public transit," said Mayor Jackson. "A more efficient transportation network, and the positive impact this will have on the environment and the local economy, is absolutely critical to the growth of Vaughan as a major urban centre."

Several projects included in the MoveOntario 2020 plan will provide improved public transit services in Vaughan. A new rapid transit project highlighted in today's announcement is the extension of the Yonge subway line north from Finch station along Vaughan's eastern boundary to Highway 7. The extension of the Spadina subway north from Downsview station to the Vaughan Corporate Centre at Highway 7 is included on the project list, although federal and provincial support for this project was announced previously.

In terms of train and bus service, capacity will be increased on the GO Transit commuter rail line from Bradford through Vaughan to downtown Toronto. GO Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes will be expanded, including service along Highway 407 from Highway 427 to Yonge Street. In addition, the Viva bus rapid transit system operated by York Region will be expanded on Yonge Street and City-wide along Highway 7.

"This new initiative to tackle the problem of traffic congestion will be a real boast to York Region's Viva bus system," said Regional Councillor Joyce Frustaglio, Vice-chair of the York Region Transit Committee. "It means Viva Phase 2 will be completed as soon as possible, adding dedicated transit-only lanes to greatly improve the efficiency of this needed service."

The recently-created Greater Toronto Transportation Authority (GTTA) will oversee the MoveOntario 2020 plan, expected to be finalized in early 2008. "Integration of our public transit system is very important, and certainly the benefits of the approved Spadina subway extension will be shared across the entire GTA," said Ward 4 Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco, Chair of the Spadina-York Subway Extension Committee. "The province has recognized this with its announcement of the additional extension of the Yonge subway line."

Added Ward 5 Councillor Alan Shefman: "Subway service in Thornhill will generate economic and quality of life benefits for our residents by providing increased access to our businesses and better transit choices."

"City of Vaughan Subway Map" - Click here to check out the 6 new stops being added

Strong Demand for High-End Real Estate in the Hamptons
Source Engel & Volkers- Real Estate Pro May 31, 2007

/PRNewswire/ -- The demand for high-end residential real estate in the Hamptons - New Yorkers' preferred second-home location in the eastern section of Long Island - is traditionally very strong. While the extreme price increases of the past few years appear to have leveled off somewhat in Southampton, East Hampton, Westhampton, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor and Hampton Bays, there is a constant demand for luxury properties in the most popular locations, which translates into high prices for this category of real estate. The Engel & Volkers Group, Germany, has set up an office in Southampton in 2005, with its motto of service "Made in Germany".

"In addition to New Yorkers, our office is also a starting point for numerous potential buyers from Europe and Asia who are looking for luxury properties in the Hamptons," says the Managing Director of the Southampton Office, Laura Bennett. With its headquarters in Hamburg, Germany, Engel & Volkers is one of the world's leading high-end real estate companies. Licensed partners currently operate in more than 200 residential real estate shops in 25 countries and on every continent. "Through this successful global network, we receive inquiries from all over the world," adds Laura Bennett.

Increasing international demand is linked to successful economic performances in recent years in Asia, Eastern Europe and - once again - in Western Europe. Potential customers now have more and bigger real estate assets and are increasingly mobile. "Along with a higher international demand for luxury properties in all the well known, desirable locations worldwide, there is continuing strong interest in New York, especially Manhattan, and also in the Hamptons. Above all, it's the global economy and high-performance of investment bankers and Wall Street traders, coupled with a strong Euro and British Pound Sterling, that are providing attractive opportunities for people looking for sound real estate investments", says Laura Bennett.

There is insufficient supply to meet potential demand in prime locations. Real estate is in some instances registering enormous price increases, according to research from Engel & Volkers. In the village of East Hampton, for example, house prices increased last year by one third, on average, to $3.4 million. Ron Baron, founder of the investment company bearing his name, paid $103 million for a 40-acre parcel in East Hampton. Baron's purchase price was more than double the former Hampton's record of 45 million for Burnt Point, the mansion on Georgia Pond purchased in 2005 by Stewart Rahr. In Sagaponack the average price of a home increased by more than 40% to $5.5 million last year. "We assume that we will see a significant number of sales above the $10 million mark this summer in the best locations in the Hamptons," says Laura Bennett.

In the past ten years there have been huge increases in the price of real estate in this area. Homeowners have thus seen the value of their assets rise considerably. Even in the less sought-after locations, values have doubled or even tripled. In Westhampton, the average price of a single family home increased from $274,000 in 1997 to more than $600,000 today. In Hampton Bays, over the same period average house prices increased from $129,000 to over $500,000.

Leaving aside waterfront or Estate properties, however, the price increase is slowing down. "We take the view that this is a re-adjustment of the real estate market caused by a generally cooler US economy.", says Laura Bennett. "This is a healthy development if you take into account the sharp increases over the past few years."

Sanctuaries in the city- Lofts and condos in old churches offer rare features, community and a certain cachet
By Jennifer Morrison, The Toronto Star October 26, 2002

High ceilings, oversized windows, exposed brick walls and vaulted arches - these are just a few of the striking visual features echoing through a handful of former churches that have been converted into unique residential lofts and condominiums.

"Churches have this mystique about them. They can't be duplicated and they can't be built again," explains Edwin Brdlik, loft specialist and broker-owner of Toronto Lofts Realty. "I think that makes them all the more desirable. For a city of our size it's surprising there aren't too many of them."

Hepbourne Hall at Bloor St. and Dovercourt Rd., developer Bob Mitchell turned church meeting rooms and a manse into 20 one-of-a-kind units. The adjacent structure still operates as a place of worship with an active congregation.

The storied background of these buildings, so much a part of their communities, adds to the allure of these condos. Because there are so few of these conversions around, it didn't take long for the Glebe's 32 multi-level units in the former Riverdale Presbyterian Church south of Danforth Ave. to be snapped up.

Mitchell said all units were sold within a month of going up for sale in the spring of 2000 without any advertising. In fact, almost half were sold before the building was officially on the market. This was no fluke. Mitchell and his firm Mitchell & Associates are known for a number of successful conversions, including Toronto's first legal loft - a 10-unit project in an obsolete felt factory at 41 Shanly St. in the Bloor-Dovercourt area in the early 1980's.

Because of Mitchell's impressive resume, several of The Glebe's units went to former clients or their friends. Designer, real estate agents and developers familiar with his work were also among the first to jump on board. "It's important to me to give each of these units outdoor space, so it gives them all a sense of having a home," Mitchell says. The idea of being able to walk out of his loft and on to the street was an important selling feature for Monte Compton, who purchased a main-floor 1,325-square foot unit.

A realtor with Remax Unique, Compton specializes in condominium and loft sales. He's seen hundreds of units across the city and chose The Glebe. "It's stunning. I think the building is stunning. It's a far more exciting space than most of the developments I see," he says. "For me this is the perfect loft, the perfect location and the perfect design. It's just the best."

Compton plans to use his unit, which covers four levels, including a 240-square-foot basement, as a work and living space. He'll share the unit with his dog, Roscoe. Aside from the convenience of having underground parking, Compton likes having his own little backyard with a private exit.

Although Mitchell has not been able to retain many of the original fixtures in the 1908 structure, such as the stained-glass windows, he's doing his best to keep the integrity of the church inside and outside where possible. "It's what people want. They want to have the vaulted ceilings and some parts of the church inside. That's what makes it a church," said Brdlik, who also purchased one of The Glebe's units.

"I've never lived in a church before, so there's this whole romantic notion of being in one. Also, because there are very few of them in the city, it makes for a good investment." he says. A great selling feature for Brdlik was The Glebe's location in the midst of a residential neighbourhood in prime Riverdale.

While most lofts are located in secondary, more industrial-type neighbourhoods, Brdlik says churches defy this pattern. "Typically churches are within communities. You find them in much more of a built-up, residential setting, which a bit of an appeal". The Riverdale church first caught Mitchell's eye in the mid-1990's. He tried to purchase it then, but the congregation wasn't too keen on selling it to be developed.

Although a church is deconsecrated once the congregation leaves, meaning it is no longer considered a holy place, trying to win a church community's approval can still be difficult. Five years ago Mitchell's first attempt to purchase the building, and with several successful loft conversions behind him, the congregation was more open to the idea and Mitchell was able to acquire the church. "It's always difficult dealing with churches. They're usually very democratic and you're dealing with a congregation that has been there for years," he explains.

Riverdale Presbyterian was erected in 1908 and expanded in 1920 to accommodate a growing congregation. Its conversion to lofts doesn't mean its congregation is scattered. As the membership dwindled over the years, members eventually opted to use the original structure, located on the north part of the property. This will continue to be used as a church, connected to the development via a firewall once construction is complete. "One of the church elders was baptized in this church in 1922. He knows all the history, so for him to see the building maintained is a real plus," Mitchell says.

It's also a real plus for Mitchell, who has a background in town planning. "It deserves every effort you can to maintain it. It's part of the streetscape and the community," he says. "Conversions are more difficult for builders to do than starting from scratch, but they're worth it."

Kitchen Remodeling Among Top ROI for Home Improvements
By RenovatorsPlace.com

(PRWEB) According to a study of return on investment conducted by Remodeling Magazine, two of the top five home improvement projects for maximizing return on investment (ROI) are kitchen remodeling and new house siding. RenovatorsPlace.com, an online, interactive home repair resource, can help homeowners make the best decisions on which top ROI remodeling projects to complete. Homeowners interested in making smart choices on these remodeling projects can turn to RenovatorsPlace.com for articles and advice on kitchen remodeling and siding, as well as a directory of qualified contractors.

With changes in the housing market, it is important for homeowners to consider the market and their home value before making improvement decisions. Kitchen remodeling and new siding are smart investment choices. According to Remodeling Magazine, even a simple kitchen remodeling project can yield a 92.9 percent return, and siding comes in at 92.8 percent. The kitchen remodeling and siding information available on RenovatorsPlace.com is geared towards homeowners interested in making smart home improvements to boost their home's value.

Due in part to changes in the subprime mortgage business as well as bad weather in February, sales of existing homes made a sharp downturn -- down 8.4 percent from sales in February and down 11.3 percent from sales the same time last year. The National Association of Realtors(r) (NAR) is expecting the median home price to drop 1.1 percent for 2007, which would be the first year of declining prices since the group started keeping track. Says David Lereah of the NAR, "I expect a couple of more sluggish months coming." Homeowners may not see the housing market improve until 2008.

RenovatorsPlace.com is an online home improvement resource that provides tips, articles and local contractor directories. It features interviews with homeowners and photos of their real remodeling experiences.