Allison Saunders

What should people be looking for when they’re hiring a renovating team or contractor? Clear communication. Communication from the very first point of contact is an important part of making sure the entire renovation process goes as smoothly as possible. Look for a web presence, such as an up-to-date website, Facebook page, Twitter account, or […]

What makes this room your favourite? It’s the heart of the house. The openness of the space is bathed in natural light from both sides, let in by generous windows that also provide cross-ventilation during summertime. One of its great appeals is comfort, space flexibility and the atmosphere of airiness that is further enhanced with […]

The space: My favourite place in Halifax is actually in a building on the corner of Oxford and Cork, where my sister has her office [Solterre Design]. It’s not actually about the room, it’s all the stuff in it. It is one of the first projects I did as manager of Renovators Resource, and it […]

What makes this room your favourite? When I’m at home I spend a lot of time in my office–it’s the nature of owning your own business. We’re lucky enough to have two master bedrooms in our home so I converted this one into my home office. This is the one room in the house that […]

What makes this room your favourite? This was my husband and I’s first apartment together. We eventually moved into a condo, but truly missed the charm of this old place—it survived the Halifax Explosion!—and snapped up the hilarious opportunity to move back in when it popped up on the renters market. Now, this room is […]

1. Gallery walls work best when there is a connecting element and a bit of repetition. You can link items together visually by using similar subjects, colour and frame style or size. 2. Structured or symmetrical groupings can be easier to design and add more of a formal feeling. If you decide to go for […]

LOVELY NOVA DESIGN Metal, steel and wood dating back over 100 years get a second life via Lovely Nova’s Historic Infusion line. Jessica and Alexander Skinner’s furniture design company makes customizable coffee tables, dining tables and kitchen islands that meld Royal Canadian Navy history and rustic style. lovelynova.com RENOVATORS RESOURCE This unassuming north end shop […]

If practice makes perfect, it’s no wonder Monique and Kent Roberts found their little piece of heaven on Bauer Street. They’ve been mastering the art of packing up and starting over for their entire marriage, getting truckloads of practice via six (or was it seven?) moves across the country. This time was different though: The […]

“We both come from entrepreneurial families, it was kind of only a matter of time. We have it in our genes.” The we is Erica and Devin Brook. She has a background in community design and he’s a carpenter. Together, they wanted to build something—not just a physical structure that Devin would design and construct, […]

Katie Kirkpatrick and her husband Mark lucked out when they bought their first house three years ago. The 50-year-old bungalow was still being lived in by its original owner, who “maintained it meticulously,” meaning even though they had plans to update it, they didn’t have to right away. “She had classic taste. It could have […]

What are the most important things people should consider while selecting a paint colour? I always advise clients to not rely too much on what the trends are. Colour is a very personal choice and is affected by many things such as lighting, flooring tones, trim colours, furniture style and colour. The most important thing […]