Weekend roundup

Apparently, you can put a price on a good night's sleep - and it's not $75,000! In last week's poll, 78 per cent of Yourhomers said they wouldn't splurge $75,000 on a bed, even if money was no object.

Twenty per cent were willing to pay a pretty penny for sweet dreams, while the remaining three per cent said they didn't know. (Read the full story)

This week, in light of the long holiday weekend, I'm asking a very simple question - do you dye eggs and haul out the baskets this time of year? Let me know whether you decorate for the Easter Bunny in the front page poll (scroll way down on the left).

For some long weekend reading, check out:

- Easter table settings

- Colin and Justin makeover a kitchen with some (OK, a lot) of help from IKEA

- Tips for making your Easter lilies last

- Mark Cullen's guide to starting your veggie garden

- How to max out your home's curb appeal

Happy Easter (and long weekend)!

Weekend round up

Despite the recent chill in the air, I'm still daydreaming about spring. After chatting with cutie horticulturalist Jamie Durie about the incredible outdoor rooms he creates, inspired by exotic locales, I feel like it's time to start thinking bigger in terms of my own backyard! (Read the full story).

And, I'm not the only one. According to last week's poll, the majority - 60 per cent - of Yourhomers are also planning to extend their living space outdoors as soon as the warm weather returns. (Get more springtime inspiration on our Outdoor Living page).

This week, I'm also dreaming of a good night's sleep. And, I figure if you're spending $75,000 (!) on the world's most expensive bed, it's got to bring sweet dreams. Read the full story, then let me know in the home page poll whether, if money was no object, you'd make the splurge?

And, for some more weekend reading, check out:

- Details for the Disaster DIY casting call

- Colin and Justin make over a truly ugly before

- A look at One Bloor

- The business of condo miniatures

- Vacuums to speed your spring cleaning

- This week's What they Got

Weekend round up

Yourhomers are pretty confident in their ability to discern between jobs that are DIY and those that should be done for you, according to last week's poll. The majority, 70 per cent, said they can judge their handy-guy or gal abilities, while just over a third - 33 per cent - said they may make a mistake or two. Read the full article.

This week, with the official start of spring (and all that lovely sunshine yesterday), I'm looking to my backyard and dreaming of lazy Sunday morning brunches and barbecues. So, I'm wondering how many of you are planning to extend your living spaces into your yards this spring - check out tips for creating your own outdoor rooms from HGTV host Jamie Durie, and let me know in the front page poll. 

For more weekend reading, check out:

- Colin and Justin share their tips for saving money on renos

- Mark Cullen's new gardening column (and don't forget about Canada Blooms this weekend)

- 5 home decor must-haves for spring

- Trends that lacked staying power

- Hot Home Product's round up of chic, repurposed decor

- Toronto's real estate talents are world class

Weekend round-up

The majority of Yourhomers would have liked to see the Home Renovation Tax Credit renewed in the federal budget, according to last week's poll. (Read the full story)

Eighty-two per cent of those who voted said they hoped to see the HRTC continue, while 18 per cent responded in the negative.

This week, we're looking at your handyperson skills. Do you know when things are DIY friendly and when they should be DFY - done for you? Read the full story, then share your thoughts in the front page poll.

For more weekend reading, check out:

Our Canada Blooms special section

Colin and Justin take it to the bedroom

Bang for Your Buck's reno advice

Mark Cullen on why Canada Blooms is the 'greatest show on earth'

Catch up on 'Make life easier March'

Check out our new series on designing for life's changes

Weekend roundup

We're taking a short break from "Make life easier March" (if you need to catch up, here are my tips for speeding wallpaper removal, removing stickers and tags, de-fogging the bathroom mirror and paint cleanup) to look forward to spring.

According to last week's poll, I'm not the only one dreaming of warmer weather - a whopping 79 per cent of Yourhomers are already thinking about getting back into the garden this spring! (Find some warm weather inspiration on our Outdoor Living page.)

This week, we're turning our attention to the new federal budget. I want to know whether you, like the new homeowners we profiled yesterday, would have liked to see the Home Renovation Tax Credit renewed? Read the story, and let me know in the front page poll. 

And, for some more weekend reading:

-Get the scoop on the new season of Sarah's House

- Check out this "juicy" kitchen from Colin and Justin

- The latest instalment in our Birth of a Condo series

- What's happening on the St. Clair W. strip

- How to set your own trendy table

- What they got March 6

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

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.

Poll results: Say bye-bye to these trends ...

Stainless steel and granite kitchens are the trend that Yourhomers would most like to leave in the last decade, according to last week's poll. (Read the full story here).

The runner-up in our most hated trends was Tuscan-themed spaces, with 29 per cent to the kitchen's 34 per cent.

Two-storey family rooms, 14 per cent, mismatched upholstery, 11 per cent, and white stair risers, 6 per cent, rounded out the list. The remaining 6 per cent said none of the above.

Now that I've got a handle on what you don't like, I want to hear about what you do like! Specifically, what your must haves are when you're looking for a home. Do you crave multiple parking spots? Energy efficiency? A soaker tub (yes, please!)? Check out our top 10 list and cast your vote in the front page poll.

Looking for some more weekend reading? Why not check out our IDS coverage, with my scenes from the floor here and here as well as the Ultimate bathroom and DecoRita's picks. And don't miss Colin and Justin's over-the-top living room design, real estate marketing gurus' predictions for 2010, tiles that clean themselves, and a look at HGTV's Agent vs. Agent.

Resolutions and fads we'd like to leave in the last decade

It appears Yourhomers are already plugging away on their New Year's resolutions, with 47 per cent saying they've already made progress on their New Year's to-dos in last week's poll.

The remaining 53 per cent say they don't make resolutions.

This week, we're looking at trends. Specifically, what was hot over the course of the last decade. Read about the 00's overarching trends here and check out one writer's list of the trends she'd like to see go away.

Let me know in the front page poll what trend you'd love to banish, whether it's stainless steel kitchens, mismatched upholstery or white stair risers!

And, for my weekend reading picks:

- Colin and Justin create a positively restrained (but still stunning) kitchen

- Tips for scouring this season's white sales

- A behind the scenes look at the new season of Marriage Under Construction

- And a peek at the design process for the National Home Show Dream Home

Your New Year's resolutions

Conquering clutter tops Yourhomer's home-related resolutions for 2010, according to last week's poll. (Check out my resolutions here). With that in mind, we've been offering up a bunch of great tips to help you keep your clutter-busting momentum, including:

- Do's and don'ts for reigning in home chaos

- How to stick to your resolutions

- 8 ways to conquer clutter in 2010

- Organize your closet in 10 minutes

Other top resolutions include keeping it clean, with 21 per cent of votes, redecorating, at 14 per cent, getting organized, also 14 per cent (check in on Monday for our full guide to getting organized), and repairing and maintaining your home, 7 per cent.

This week, I want to know whether you've already started to make progress on your resolutions. I'm getting there - slowly! Let me know how you're doing in the front page poll.

And, for some more weekend reading, check out:

- Colin and Justin create a bold pink bedroom

- A roundup of some trendy - and luxe - new wallpapers to help get you through those drab winter months

- HGTV's Brian Baeumler talks to me about his new series and how to help your marriage survive a reno