Do you decorate for the Olympics?

While I've been busy working on thestar.com's Olympic coverage lately, my passion for the Games has yet to translate into my home decor.

In fact, I hadn't even thought about the possibility of Olympics decorating until I saw this post over at Apartment Therapy from Lauren at the Tara and Thyme blog (read her full post here). 

How sweet is that? Lauren made this Olympics-inspired centrepiece by tinting the water with food colouring to match the colours of the Olympic Rings. Add in a few single stem tulips, and voila - you're Games ready.

Lauren mentions on her blog that she'd hoped the colours might bleed into the white petals, but no luck.

Are you showing off your Olympics or Team Canada spirit in your home decor? Let me know in the comments below!

Furniture store employee moves in for the Games

Have you ever walked into a furniture store and thought (or said), "Hey, I could live here"?

Well, in honour of the Olympics, Urban Barn employee Robbie Romu has moved into the downtown Vancouver shop.

Romu, who moved in on Feb. 12, will be living at 818 Howe Street around the clock for 17 days, ending Feb. 28.

The shop has been transformed into a 3,600 square-foot open-concept and fully functional home, of course furnished with Urban Barn products, including a front foyer, living room, gaming space, media room, casual entertaining area, dining area, computer space and spare bedroom, all open to the public, along with a private bedroom.

Also as part of the project, called "Right at Home on Howe," the store's hosting a bunch of Olympics-related events for the public, including watching the games on one of the five TVs and play Wii Olympic Winter Games.

And, for those of us who aren't lucky enough to be in Vancouver for the Games, Romu is uploading YouTube videos and tweeting to share his experience.

Poll results: Home Renovation Tax Credit

A whopping three-quarters of Yourhomers took advantage of the Home Renovation Tax Credit before it expired on Feb. 1. The remaining 25 per cent said they didn't jump on renovation projects before the deadline - but many of these voters may be renters who, sadly, didn't qualify for the credit.

Now, the new race is on to complete major projects before July 1, when the HST kicks in. Read the full story.

This week's poll is a little bit more fun - I want to know who you'd bet on in an arm-wrestling match between TV personalities Ty Pennington and Mike Holmes!

Pennington says he thinks he'd win because he's got a lot of strength in his tendons - read the full story, then Cast your vote in the front-page poll.

And, if you need some non-Olympics related reading (though, please do check out the amazing Podium blog), here are a few highlights for this long weekend:

- A romance story with a real estate twist

- Colin and Justin do a budget kitchen makeover

- Glen Peloso shares his eco-decorating tips

- Learn about the Dream Home - and how its modular make-up could spur a new way of constructing homes

Miss Domino magazine? There's some good news

Many shelter mag fans were very disappointed, if not heartbroken, when Domino magazine folded last year. 

I loved their very practical advice and excellent styling, and you can still find me flipping through my Domino Guide to Decorating on a pretty regular basis.

Luckily, these days you can still get a taste of the now-defunct magazine's style.

Domino's former editor/blogger Michelle Adams launched the online-only Lonny Magazine in September.

The third issue was released earlier this week - just in time for the long weekend!

Check it out at Lonnymag.com.

Welcome to my "home-in-progress"

I figured, after so many of you followed along and encouraged me on my home hunt, and have read along as I moved, unpacked and decorated, it was finally time to offer up a proper home tour.

Now, of course, while I adore poring over beautifully designed rooms online, in print and on TV, my home's far from ready for its close-up. 

After all, we're still in our first year in the place - and getting set up and decorating on a pretty much non-existent budget does take a fair bit of time.

But, in a brave moment, I decided that my readers should get a glimpse of my home the way I really live in it - with placeholder furniture, a shortage of art on the walls and the ubiquitous tea mug on my desk. No tweaking, primping or staging.

So, before I could lose my nerve, I went through the house with a few snaps, and uploaded them to a web album.

See the full home tour here.

What's your cleaning routine?

One of the biggest shocks in my move from a four-room apartment (including the kitchen) to a three bedroom semi, other than actually having all that space and the time to unpack, is the sheer quantity of cleaning required to keep it looking all sparkly and organized.

Now, of course, we already know that cleaning is sexy. And, January was Get Organized month (check out our tips for purging, whipping your closet into shape in 10 minutes, busting clutter, getting organized, and how to overcome common clutter issues), so many of us at least sought to tackle that common resolution.

But now that we're into February, the real challenge is keeping it up.

After a few too many pre-brunch cleaning frenzies, I resolved to be a better housekeeper in 2010.

It turns out the only way I can keep up is to break up all those tasks into chunks and stick to a schedule: tidy on Monday, dust Tuesday, tackle the floors on Wednesday and Thursday, and do the kitchen and bathroom Friday or Saturday morning (unless I find time earlier in the week). And, on a daily basis, keep up with the dishes, make the bed, and other routine tasks.

The good news is that now I'm always a few minutes away from being able to entertain guests, and I no longer am faced with those daunting, hours-long cleaning marathons on weekends. I'm even multi-tasking, like dusting and sweeping while on the phone, which means I'm actually working my way through my seemingly never-ending to-do list.

The bad news: It's week three, and I'm already bored with my routine. I know that by cranking the tunes and doing these chores regularly, it actually does cut down on the amount of time I need to spend cleaning each week. But staying motivated is another trick entirely!

So, I'm asking you to please share your cleaning routines and tips to help me keep my resolution!

And, for a little inspiration - and reassurance that you're really not doing so bad - check out our tips from How Clean is Your House.

Shop like a Pro: Red-hot Valentine's Day decor

Shop like a Pro's Angela Koszuta hand-picked these items to provide a jolt of colour to brighten your February and the quickly approaching Valentine's Day!

Pablo tube-top lamp, at Ziggy's At Home, $145.

Scoop-back bentwood chair in Cinnabar red, at West Elm, $99.

Kitchen Aid 90th anniversary stand mixer with glass bowl, at Williams-Sonoma, $499.95.

Karlstad Chaise in Korndal red, Ikea, $649.99.

Retro tabletop hot air popcorn machine, at Home Outfitters, $24.99.

Vinetto acrylic wine rack, at Ziggy's at Home, 794 College St., $120.

Martini bar stool, at Home Outfitters, $69.99.

Nespresso Citiz coffee machine, utilizes a single-serve pod system, at Home Outfitters, $369.99.

Knubbig glass lamp in Butterfly red, at Ikea, $8.99.

Poll results: Your must-have home features

Large kitchens top Yourhomers' list of must-have home features, according to last week's poll. (Read the full story here).

Kitchens led with 38 per cent of votes, followed by stone or brick exteriors with 24 per cent, outdoor living space, 14 per cent, and energy efficiency, 10 per cent. Rounding out the list, with 3 per cent each, were home offices, main floor master suites, soaker tubs and two-car garages. The remaining two "must-haves", ceiling fans and community landscaping, received no votes.

This week, with the Home Renovation Tax Credit (HRTC) deadline behind us, I'm curious as to how many of you completed a renovation or made qualifying purchases? Let me know in the front page poll, and learn more about the credit on our HRTC page.

And, for some more weekend reading, check out: Colin and Justin's mid-century modern makeover, Tips to whip your space into shape from How Clean is Your House? and the latest in our 905 and Birth of a Condo series.

Renovating? Remember to update your insurance

With so many homeowners, myself included, having taken advantage of the Home Renovation Tax Credit, I've been thinking a lot about the projects and less about actually living in them.

So, a recent release from TD Insurance was a great reminder to take a second look at your home insurance to confirm your new upgrades are covered.

For example, if you've finished your basement but haven't notified your insurance company of the change, in the case of a floor or other issue, you may only be covered for damage based on your basement's original state.

Your upgrades may even save you money. For example, installing a home security system may lower your insurance premiums.

And, the TD release adds, if you're still renovating and have contractors working in your home, your home insurance can help protect you from liability if anyone injures themselves on the job.

Making over the bathroom (finally)

My bathroom has been bugging me for a while. The baby blue is just so not my style, and the misaligned, peeling flooring leaves a lot to be desired. Plus it's very, very small. But, overall, it was functional, so I tried to ignore it for as long as possible.

The nail in the coffin came during our knob and tube rewiring, when we had to patch the wall. I figured if I was going to need to re-paint anyway, it might as well be a shade I liked. 

And so, last weekend, with only a day left for those Home Renovation Tax Credit purchases, I picked up some paint - with the delightful name of "Anonymous" - and new flooring.

After an hour of scrubbing, pulling down the icky medicine cabinet over the toilet, taping and other painting prep, I was totally ready for the first (and mercifully, what turned out to be the only!) coat of my paint and primer combo.

Then, it was time for a fresh coat of white for the wainscotting and trim - I had no idea how discoloured it was until I started with the paint brush!

Finally, for less than $100 in paint and about nine hours of painting, I had a fresh, clean looking bathroom!

Still to come is my new flooring, installing a towel bar and some shelving to replace the old medicine cabinet and finding a new, snazzier light fixture for above the sink, as well as a new shower curtain.

But, even with at least another weekend's worth of work to do, I'm thrilled with the results. It feels more sophisticated, more complete (painting the radiator to match the wainscotting made a big difference) and more like my own space!