Tag Archives: storage

Given the restrictions on mortgage financing, which also limits the access to home ownership, many families feel obligated to postpone their plans for buying their property. How about buying a smaller house instead? Times have changed, you know.

In the past, living in a smaller home was too often perceived as some sort of failure. Social success was determined by the size of your home. Big house, lavish lifestyle, large budget. The size of the home sometimes exceeded the family’s needs.

[caption id="attachment_15280" align="aligncenter" width="600"]iStock iStock[/caption]

The whole world is joining together now to fight the rapid change in climate. Consequently, owning a home that suits your exact needs is perceived as an Eco-friendly gesture.

However, for many families, the restrictions to home ownership prevents them from even buying a property that fits their needs. What to do? Postpone the purchase? Not necessarily.[……]

Read more

Wine is suitable for all seasons, but during the rigours of fall and winter, it provides a warmth that is unique to it. During these times, it has the gift of reconciling us with life. Not surprising that lovers of good wine reserve a specific place for it.

[caption id="attachment_14382" align="alignright" width="300"]ISTOCK ISTOCK[/caption]

Some people store it in their closet. Sacrilegious? Not at all. Good bottles of wine can be stored anywhere, as long as it is cool, devoid of light, has an ambient temperature between 10 and 15 degrees and 55% to 80% humidity. Warning! All these conditions must be respected to the letter, all year long. Wine is delicate and sensitive to changes in temperature. It needs stability. The slightest change can alter it.

To ensure this stability, some wine enthusiasts resort to a mini-air conditioner, a humidifier, a wine cooler, and other devices after having consulted a wine specialist.

There are two other mandatory conditions: the wine must be free from any vibration and the air it breathes must be pure. Therefore, you should avoid storing it in the garage.[……]

Read more

Most people decorate their child’s bedroom in one of two ways. Either they do something fancy to show people how much they love their children, or they focus on the child’s development. We chose to focus on the second one for this article.

From an educational standpoint, decorating a child’s room is not an expense, it’s an investment. It must stimulate the development of intelligence and imagination in order to make the child resourceful and curious, which cannot be accomplished with an endless pile of toys. Keep in mind the fact that practical doesn’t mean rejecting esthetics. Quite the contrary actually.[……]

Read more

[caption id="attachment_728" align="alignright" width="406"]Shaker_Chaises_Wikipedia_Richard Taylor_Inusite Wikipedia (Richard Taylor)[/caption]

The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Shaker furniture is a stark and austere interior that is almost off-putting: brown table and chairs, white wall and wood floors, white basin to wash in, a broom leaning against the wall and a lone ball of wool for a patchwork blanket. The only thing missing is a cat to play with the ball of wool.

Yet Shaker craftsmen are recognized as masters of design among our Southern neighbours. Reputable cabinetmakers attempt to recreate works exposed in various museums. Pieces from the period are worth a fortune.

It’s true that compared to contemporary design highlighted by glass and steel, the Shaker style is a poor child. Simple and minimalist, it’s a perfect example of voluntary simplicity. At least that’s our impression. But take a closer look and the impression already seems more fitting. [……]

Read more

[caption id="attachment_650" align="alignright" width="341"]Salle de bain Lavabo Casarazzi renovation Casarazzi[/caption]

This is the story of a very small bathroom that you see below. There’s not much room to move. When you’re in front of the appliances, you can’t access the vanity if the dryer door is open. You have to close it.

Above the appliances are the infamous and once popular white melamine cupboards, complete with plastic handles. No particular style. They’re plain, straight and efficient. The layout is completed with a white melamine vanity with a mirrored medicine cabinet, very popular in the 80s.

So how do you renovate this small space to make more room and have it slightly bigger?[……]

Read more

What do you think of the look of these cabinets? The pairing of two tones gives a modern, minimalist look to the kitchen. Here, white is paired with a dark wood-tone, but wood cabinets next to black are stunning too. Melamine with stainless steel also creates a big impact.

[caption id="attachment_491" align="aligncenter" width="486"]Cuisine Horizon Armoires ISTOCKPHOTO decoration source: iStockphoto[/caption]

Did you notice the many drawers in the lower cabinets? The European trend toward horizontal lines is increasingly popular in Quebec. There are more drawers for storage, whether as cabinets or inside a pantry. This increases storage and provides access to the drawer’s contents at a single glance. No more looking for a plastic container lid in a low cabinet. Your back and your knees will thank you!  [……]

Read more