Meet my kitchen

I'm afraid I've been stingy with the photos of my house since Mr. Speedy and I moved in. But, in my defence, we've had rewiring and patching going on, which is messy, and we still haven't unpacked. Not exactly the type of showpiece a homes editor wants to show off.

But, things are looking up. The patching guys left Sunday, and we were lucky enough to have been away for a long weekend so we didn't have to watch it!

With the invasive stuff done, we're now down to the priming and cleaning, so we're actually starting to think about how we'd like everything to look, and where things belong.

We're doing the painting ourselves, so it's going to be a long process. We'll just have to pick a room at a time and plug away until it's all done. But, that doesn't mean I can't start thinking about colours! After all, there are other necessary purchases to make, and I want to make sure everything matches when we're done.

So, it's time for you to meet my kitchen. It is not terribly cute, but it's functional. It's also not yet unpacked. There are some horrendous track lights (not pictured) to get rid off, and those brassy knobs have to go (I've got my eye on some simple stainless steel ones). The flooring could also use a revamp, but that's a bigger project that we've got to hold off on while we deal with storage and other, more pressing, issues.

In the meantime, I'm relying on the hugely transformative - and inexpensive - power of a fresh coat of paint. I love the green-grey hues in the living room and dining room (chosen by the previous owners) so much that we're going to keep them.

I'd like to continue the green trend into the kitchen and mudroom, the other two spaces on our main floor. But I don't like the current green in the kitchen.

I feel like the kitchen is a great place to embrace colour, and I find the current shade a little too pale. I would like something with a bit more depth and punch, plus it's a small space and the colour will only go on the top half of the wall. I've been thinking about lush, almost grassy greens, like the one shown, right, as the window over the sink looks into our backyard.

What do you think?

Poll: Gardens and green roofs

While growing your own veggies and tending to stylish gardens has become a trend, it seems like Yourhomers aren't chomping at the bit to scope out other people's gardening prowess in person.

Last week's poll asked if you were planning on attending a garden tour this summer (read the full story), and more than half, at 53 per cent, said it wasn't in the cards.

About a quarter, 26 per cent, said they did plan to admire the glorious gardens of others, while 16 per cent said they might. The remaining five per cent said they didn't know.

As much as I love checking out other people's designs both indoors and out, I can't say for sure if I'll be hitting up any tours this summer. Weekends are busy, and Mr. Speedy's allergies to all things green or growing mean that I'd be flying solo.

This week, we're still thinking green for the poll question, but are looking to roofs. The new green roof bylaw in Toronto (read more here and here) requires all new developments to include construction of a green roof (or cash in lieu of $200 per square metre) by Jan. 31, 2010. Bob Aaron asks if the bylaw is valid or a cash grab, and I want to know what you think! Cast your vote on the front page.

In exciting news this weekend, we've got a double dose of Colin and Justin, as the designing duo share their must-stop shopping spots in Toronto and continue their yellow-themed makeover (though this week's living room is less retina-burning than last week's kitchen). Plus get some very handy tips on how to limit your trash buildup during the garbage strike (and afterwards) and some neat products to help contribute to classy cottage decor without breaking the bank.

The pride of homeownership

I recently learned that buying a home is terrifying. And expensive. But that feeling when you first walk in the door of your new home, knowing that it really does belong to you, is truly incredible.

Mr. Speedy and I were so proud, and still are, to give our friends home tours, pointing out the things we love and those we want to change.

And, apparently, we're not the only first-time buyers who find a real emotional payoff in home ownership, according to a recent survey by Genworth Financial Canada.

Genworth's First-Time Homebuyer Monitor, released this week, found that 80 per cent of Torontonians said they feel the value of owning a home goes beyond the financial value. Nationally, among the 2,521 Canadians surveyed between April 24 and May 4, 84 per cent shared this view.

And 83 per cent of Torontonians surveyed agree that "Owning a home provides a greater sense of emotional well-being and security," compared to 84 per cent of Canadians.

Additionally, 77 per cent of Torontonians said they consider a house/condo they own more of a 'home' than a rental property, compared to 80 per cent nationally. An equal per cent of respondents said that owning a home made them feel more personally fulfilled.

The survey also found 81 per cent of Torontonians (compared to 85 per cent nationally) believe that even though home ownership may mean more work and effort, they'd rather own than rent.

There's also a sense of security that comes with home ownership, the survey found, with 85 per cent of Torontonians and 88 per cent of Canadians saying they would feel more financially secure owning their own home than renting.

"The survey results show Canadians have a deep emotional attachment to home ownership," said Peter Vukanovich, President of Genworth Financial Canada, in a release. "Most people closely associate financial security and emotional well being with home ownership. That's particularly true among first-time homebuyers."

Look cute while cleaning

A mop, broom or pair of rubber gloves rarely brings a smile to my face. After all, these objects normally look as mundane as the tasks they're designed to perform.

So I was excited to see this ever-so-cute broom imported by Jennifer Lyn Corporation. (Lobby broom set retails for $34.99, available at jenniferlyncorp.com.)

The Bradford-based company, started by Jennifer Gruchy along with her husband Justin Gruchy and friend Jay Thatcher, "imports artsy fashion forward household products by the container load."

Goods currently on offer, in a variety of fun and fashionable styles include brooms, mops, aprons, rubber gloves, shower caps and dish brushes.

What do you think — would a cute broom or dish brush make housework more fun?

My house is no longer holey!

Our patchwork started on Monday and, if all goes well, should be done by the end of the week! While this is a very messy part of the process (I can't believe how much dust there is already!), it's also essential to us getting settled in.

You see, once this is done, we can prime the spots (we were told this was a good idea to help contain some of the settling dust), give the house a thorough wash from top to bottom and then unpack. It will be a real pleasure to no longer be living out of plastic wrapped boxes!

I'm trying to focus on the fact that I can no longer see into my walls (yay!) to stem the panic from the mess. I mean, everyone warned me that it would be messy. I was prepared for messy. Yet despite the many warnings, I was in no way mentally or emotionally prepared for the sheer quantity of dust (not to mention the annoyance of a few leftover snippets of cord that I keep finding with my feet from the electrical work).

While I keep reassuring myself that everything will be worth it in the end, it's hard to keep that in perspective when you're living in it. I moved into a clean, lovely home with stunning hardwood floors. And, in an effort to perform the necessary wiring upgrades, I've turned it into a plastic and plaster-covered mess. Every room will need a serious scrub and some degree of repainting. While it is a good chance to change up the colours and put our own personal stamp on it, the realization that I've made the house look worse than it did when we bought it is rather depressing.

As despondent as I sound, I know I'll feel 100 times better come Friday when the house is safe, insurance-friendly and on the way to being clean (though I fear that's going to be a very, very long process!). If we have to live with a few primer patches here and there while we slowly choose paint colours to make everything look polished and put-together, we can deal. In the meantime, the LCBO strike deadline has been extended, and there's nothing better than a glass of wine on the deck to make me forget about all the stresses indoors!

Pushing my way to a well-kept lawn

Thanks to all the rain we've had lately, the combination of (mostly) weeds and grass that I call my lawn has been growing like crazy. And, because Mr. Speedy and I have never had a yard of any sort before, we had to buy a mower.

After some discussion, we decided to join the trend and go for a reel mower. (Read more about reel mowers currently on the market). We wouldn't need to worry about plugging in - a challenge on our odd shaped lot - or worse yet, struggling with schlepping home fuel (we don't have a car) for a gas mower. It would be eco-friendly and quiet. And it would give us some extra exercise.

So, we went shopping. While I've previously written about the fab Brill model, its $265 price tag was a little over our just-bought-a-house budget. So, we went with a cheaper, but still easy to push, model from Scott's.

We've mowed the lawn several times now with it, and it seems like every time we have, some kind neighbour has offered us the use of their powered mower! I don't know if we look like we're struggling, but people do seem to take pity on us!

But, all in all, it's not so bad. Our yard is fairly small and can be done in a few passes. You do need to move at a decent clip, and reel mowers seem to have a knack for passing over long weeds, which bend over and evade the blades. It seems like no matter how many times you push the mower back and forth over it, that one straggler in the middle of the lawn just won't die. It's more efficient to just pull it out.

Our yard also has a few very uneven patches, and the mower will sometimes bottom out on the hilly bits. I'm very glad that we went with a model that has wheels in the back, in addition to those by the reel, to help keep it a little more stable and make it easier to push.

And, finally, we've learned if you are going with a push mower, you've got to keep it short. These things just can't handle super long grass, so we've been careful to take ours out for a walk about once a week.

I like our push mower, and I'm still happy with our decision to go the eco-friendly route - though I don't know if I would try it on a larger, less flat lawn. And, as an added bonus, all the sympathy has helped us to meet our new neighbours!

Poll: Staycations

Yourhomers will be prettying up their outdoor spaces this summer as they enjoy "staycations" from the comfort of their own backyards, according to last week's poll. (Read the full story here).

Nearly three-quarters, around 71 per cent, of those who responded said they'd be creating a tropical oasis in their backyard this summer in lieu of flying off to friendlier climes.

Just under a quarter, around 23 per cent, said they wouldn't be spending their vacation in their yard, while around six per cent said they might. No one voted "I don't know."

This week, we're still looking at gardens, but this time the luxe landscapes belong to the Bridle Path. This weekend is Through the Garden Gate and, in keeping things light for the start of summer, I want to know how many of you plan to take part in a garden tour this summer? Read the story and let me know in the front page poll.

And, for some more fun weekend reading, check out this super sunny kitchen from Colin and Justin, get inspiration for last-minute gifts for Dad and read all about the home of Egyptologist Amice Calverley, which is being sold to fund an arts centre.

The great TV debate

I spend most of my day staring at one screen or another. I'm on my laptop checking in on yourhome.ca and my email first thing in the morning (and when I get home from work, and just before bed...), my PC at work all day long, my Nintendo DS to pass time on the subway and then, of course, the TV, watching DVDs, the news, various shows and playing video games, or watching Mr. Speedy do so. All that adds up to an awful lot of screen time.

Because Mr. Speedy plays a lot of video games (in his defence, he does do reviews for a website), we've always had two TVs: one for video games and regular viewing and one for me to watch when Mr. Speedy is gaming. The latter was always in the bedroom, cause, well, we didn't really have the space to put it anywhere else!

With our new home, we've got more space, and are debating how many TVs we really need. Our basement is being turned into a "man cave" of sorts, with all of Mr. Speedy's gaming equipment and a plan to put up some super cute Space Invaders decals on one wall. During our renovations, this space has been the only one with a TV.

On the main floor, we have a living room with a mantle where the previous owners had mounted their flat-screen. It was cleverly created to hide cords and the like, which makes the prospect seem less messy. The decision to put a TV here seemed initially obvious, but since moving in, we've gotten kind of wishy washy about it. Without the TV, we've been using the space to hang out and chat and entertain, which I've really enjoyed! This space would be used just for watching TV and DVDs, and I wonder if it would be redundant to have two spaces to do this, a mere floor apart?

But, I also am hesitant to limit us to just one TV. Shall I also put one upstairs, perhaps in the bedroom where there's a perfect spot to place it between our his and hers closets, above my vanity? After all, where else will I watch all those TV shows like Canada's Next Top Model that make Mr. Speedy shudder?

We continue to debate the pros and cons, and in the meantime, we're making do with the "man cave." What do you think — should I limit my screen time by limiting my number of TVs? Do you have a TV-free sitting room in your home?

A sweet suite

I love home decor. And I love chocolate. So, when I heard Hershey was pairing the two in their Designer Challenge, I just couldn't resist going to check it out!

Designers Karen Sealy and Arren Williams were tasked with making over a suite at the Delta Chelsea hotel, basing their designs on Hershey's new milk chocolate blend.

The new chocolate was formulated to be smoother, creamier and more chocolatey in order to suit Canadian tastebuds. And, I must say, it's darn tasty!

And the suite was fantastic. The theme was evident in the fudgy tones, creamy leather sectional (in chocolate brown, of course) and the pops of blue, which matched the bar's label.

Filled with lovely products from Ikea, Elte, inVU drapery, HomeSense and a few vintage goodies thrown in for good measure, it was really a stunning transformation from hotel bland to cozy, comfortable and stylish.

Sealy designed the lovely living room. I loved the grid of Hershey-related photos on the wall, lined up in the same numbers of rectangles of the chocolate bars, of course.

The design looked very slick, and really quite achievable for the rest of us. I always struggle with the spacing between frames, never getting it quite right, but this design takes the guesswork out of it and makes the whole thing quite simple and stylish, as long as it's level!

Sealy said when decorating a bookcase, it's important to consider balance and scale. Try stepping back after arranging your shelf to look at the whole picture, then move things around until it feels right.

She said that grouping things is a great way to create a collection, as evidenced by a collection of classic Canadian plates hanging on the wall (you can see one example to the right), which received an update with a coat of blue paint.

Try groupings with an odd number of items for the most impact.

She also suggested if you have games with old or worn boxes, you can pretty them up for open storage by wrapping them in pretty paper and putting labels on them.

Williams (follow him on twitter @ArrenWilliams) took the sumptuous bedroom, putting up a fab textured wallpaper (from Graham and Brown) and painting it a dark brown. He said he was going for the creamy feeling of melting chocolate.

A retro chocolate brown rotary phone was a fun touch, as was the delightful art chosen for the walls, including an fun take on the popular Keep Calm and Carry On poster by Paul Dotey. 

While Williams and Sealy had only a few days to put these rooms together, Williams says it's important to build on styles over time, pulling pieces together from favourite shops and vintage finds rather than taking home an entire showroom display. He says that will help ensure that the room, much like a great outfit, will reflect the personality of the person.

 (Photos by Larry Arnal at Arnal Photography)

Confused about the reno tax credit?

As Mr. Speedy and I slog through our renovation work, I know that I've been keeping the Home Renovation Tax Credit in mind as a small consolation for the mounting bills. But when I'm asked specific questions about what qualifies, or how it works, I'm often found scrambling for my notes.

And, apparently, I'm not the only one. More than 80 per cent of Canadian homeowners say they know little to nothing about the HRTC, according to a recent poll by Angus Reid Strategies for H&R Block Canada. Conducted at the beginning of this month, the survey received answers from 1,398 randomly selected Canadian homeowners.

I think it's a real shame that we're so confused. After all, the HRTC, announced in the 2009 Federal Budget, could result in tax savings up to $1,350 for work done before Feb. 1, 2010 (a deadline 98 per cent of those polled were not aware of).

To qualify, a family must spend at least $1,000 on home renovations, up to a maximum of $10,000, on work performed or goods purchased for an owned, personal dwelling. But that's not all — the work must also be of an "enduring nature" and "integral to the dwelling." So, for example, replacing a few boards on your deck won't qualify, but renovating the whole thing would. Installing a new furnace, renovating a kitchen or bathroom, laying new floors, re-shingling a roof and painting also count. (Read more about the HRTC here.)

And, to help clear up the confusion, here are a few more pointers from H&R Block to make sure you get your money back:

- Keep your receipts and invoices
- All renovation expenses must be incurred after Jan. 27, 2009 and before Feb. 1, 2010
- You must claim a minimum of $1,000 up to a maximum of $10,000 (results in a maximum credit of $1,350 credit).

UPDATE: Much thanks to Ryan Keey for answering reader's queries in the comment section - you can check out his HRTC guide book here.