I own my home in beautiful, downtown Ottawa.  It's a great location with a view of the RC (I'd love to leave you the name but this site thinks it's naughty).  I have a ground floor rental and live on the top two floors.  Now that I'm retired I'm thinking about my senior years, probably don't want to move from the location but there are some changes that I'd like to do.  I'd love to consider a major build at the back of the property; remove the tenant's ground floor bedroom, remove top floor deck and build two bedrooms on the ground floor, a large family room on the 2nd floor, off the current den and maybe even adding a 3rd rental as it's zoned triplex.  The thought of doing all this just frightens the heck out of me but knowing that one day, maybe I'll need to move to the ground floor it's something that I continue to think about and hopefully will do something about it too.  Would you ever have the need to do something in downtown Ottawa?  I could send you photos of what it looks like today!  And thanks for listening ... Winn

Hi Winn, could you email us your story at stylesheetAThgtvDOTca?  Also, if you have any photos, please  send those along as well.  

Hi!  

We're in the process of breaking ground of our Dream home, and my husband and I have had the same vision for our Colonial from the start, however... when we imagine our kitchen... we have two different ideas.  I see it as a country/antiqued white kitchen overlooking our acreage, and he imagines more of a dark wood, slightly more sophisticated... the only thing we agree on is accent of green, ... whether it be the island stain, or ???, and the and the big white sink.  

The rest of the house has been compromizeable (is that a word)... but this kitchen has thrown us at a loss.  Thanks so much for your feedback... any ideas or next steps would be wonderful.

Cheers!

Hi there- I am in the process of buying a house that has a brick fireplace heatilator.  The problem is that they have made the WHOLE WALL brick. Now folks, we're not talking something cool looking, we're talking about 80's brick, that really has no character except to take up space, look ugly, and is real work to remove.  Should I be painting it, put gyproc over it with a new mantle, or tear the sucker down slowly and start over?  This house is going to be a flip so economy is a huge factor.  Thanks for any ideas

Dear Mr. Holmes or Mr. Gillivray, My house was rebuilt in 1990 by a guy that was a laborer for a construction firm. He brought left over trash to build the house.He used pulp board under linoleum and just rolled it out instead of taking up the quarter round and glueing the linoleum. It has multiple holes in it from when they moved furniture. He used linoleum everywhere but the bathrooms where he used square tiles and much of that was chipped or not glued well.The tiles are coming off of my bathroom walls, the bathrooms are totally outdated and I'm fighting sugar ants 100% of the time, and ended up in the hospital from too much ant poison. I'm on 100% disability, had to declare bankruptcy. I could pay you a little at a time if you could help me.  From getting bit by brown recluse spiders, being bi-polar, and narcoleptic, two pinched nerves in my spine, and a brain anuerism I had to retire. My last day of work I fell asleep at three stoplights and ran a State Policeman(motorcycle) off of the road on my way to the hospital.When they operated on me for the damage the spiders had done the surgeon messed up and my left arm doesn't work well now. They decided I was also Bi-polar, so I'm in a mess. I get retirement, but that hardly pays the food and gas. I'm trying to work with the bank not to foreclose. if they would approve what I could pay and I could make the house livable, especially the floors that I have actually stepped through, I could keep going! I watch every show you put on tv and thought you might be my only answer to find some type of assistance to keep my home and partly keep my son in school. I keep dogs for my church when someone goes on vacation, and do a little maintenance for the church and The seniors Home, not to far from me. When I worked, I drove 250-300 miles per day as I drove from Annapolis to Fairfax, Virginia, and then usually 100-150 once I got there for 161/2 years, and then started falling asleep at the wheel. I called a number of wholesale places just to see what the floor would cost, just the wood laminate and underlayment would cost for around 800 s.f.and the guy said probably between $5,500.00-$6,000.00 just for flooring without the underlayment. My house is total only 1188 s.f.., but I thought maybe there was some way you knew of getting it fixed up just to live in. I replaced the appliances while I was still working, so they're ok.The appraisal on my house with one acre was $405.000.00 before the market crashed and I had just refinanced the house., Now I had a for sale agent and no one looked at it for $135,000.00. I would deeply appreciate anything that might be done to help me. I've tried with my disability retirement and soc. sec., but that's not going to keep making it if I had another major expense/setback.Please see that Mr. Holmes gets this letter as I had no address to reach him, or if you, Mr. Gillivray, know a way yourself that I might make it come together I would very much appreciate it!!! Thankfully and Sincerely, Ron C. God Bless You whether you can help me or not for all of the families I have seen you give/make miracles.

Thank you, to all at HGTV.  Ten years ago I had to take a year off work for two knee replacements, to my great joy, I found HGTV, I have been a greatful fan since.  Thru out the 10 years still on disability, now in retirement years, I have worked away on my home with great joy, some small and larger jobs my family helped me with.  I, like so many Canadians have down sized and now find my self in a small apartment.   I keep watching all your wonderful shows, dealing with your own "stuff" and not wanting to have an "little old ladies home" (and I am getting up there in age).  I don't feel as old as my home shows.   I have made new  ceiling to floor/wall to wall curtians, chucked the lace but still the old lady lingers in my wee apartment.  I watch faithly for more ideas to proceed with creating an elegant wee space.  If you could inspire the younger me, with some elegance, I would be very greatful....I beleive a little change can really keep us going what ever age or phy condition we are in.  Trying to kick it up a knoch. Little old lady from Wetaskiwn Alberta        

Hello!

I'm moving into a large bachelor condo within the month and I seem to be stuck on how to create a division between the living room and the bedroom area. The ceilings are 10 ft. and I am also dealing with a vaulted ceiling in the bedroom area. The bachelor condo is stunning and I would love some suggestions on how to create a division. I'm leaning towards beautiful drapes to maximize my space, however, with the vaulted ceiling it makes it a bit challenging. Any suggestions would be much appreciate. Thank you!

Shannon

I just bought a new bi-level house. Every floor, every bathroom, every bedroom is painted the same light green colour. It does unify the house, but I think it's a bit monotonous. Any advice...

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