Dwelling’s adept design, logical layout complemented by fashionable finishes

As any home builder knows, first impressions matter, big time.

First, a prospective buyer must like the look of a home; that’s what prompts them to enter it to see what it looks like inside.

Once inside, it generally takes someone around 10 seconds to decide if the home’s interior measures up to its exterior, in their estimation. If the impression is positive and curiosity is aroused, they will venture in further to take a longer look.

Should the impression be unfavourable, they may come in to take a cursory look — or they may just turn around and leave. It can be that cut-and-dried.

Nurseryman’s Grunthal-area property a testament to passion for trees

Visitors to Falk Nurseries located in New Bothwell, a short drive southeast of Winnipeg, can tell at first glance that trees are a central focus at this busy family-owned nursery. Diverse tree specimens have been planted and labelled throughout the attractive landscape so customers can readily identify individual species and assess their characteristics at maturity.

Sheldon Falk, owner of Falk Nurseries, is invested in growing and studying trees as well as shrubs. Early in his career he had a wish list of trees that could grow in our cold climate. Over the years, Falk has made it his mission to visit numerous arboretums and research stations across Canada and in the northern United States. His passion for reading, coupled with friendships with notable tree breeders, has fuelled his research knowledge. Today, Falk’s collection of trees comprises over 200 varieties or species — 600-800 trees in all.

But the testing ground for this vast collection of trees is not at Falk Nurseries, but rather on his private property near Grunthal which he shares with his wife, Cynthia. It’s a stunning 15-acre property with a creek running through it. A long driveway, flanked on either side by majestic trees, at first conceals the house from view but then opens onto a broad and leafy vista over a gently rolling terrain.

A tree and shrub bed in front of Falk’s house was my first introduction last fall to the intriguing diversity of plant material Falk enjoys experimenting with. My eyes were immediately drawn to a beautiful specimen of Tea’s Weeping Mulberry with deeply lobed, dark-green foliage on cascading stems.

A Milo moment

Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, unfolded as the perfect autumn day — the temperature remained above-seasonal average, with only the hint of a mild breeze. After a long workday at a boat-access-only cottage job site, my return home included the anticipated ritual of letting out my doggo, Milo, for his late afternoon frolic in the yard.

As my wife pulled up the driveway, both Milo and I were still lying in the grass, enjoying the warmth of the evening sunshine. We then made a bonfire, and watched the sun set — just a loving dog and his humans. Little did we know this would be our last Friday together. Less than a week later, our beloved Milo crossed over the rainbow bridge.

I never had pets growing up. As such, my first puppy, Molly, revealed how novice I was as a fur-parent. No matter, after a few months it became apparent having a fur-baby is all about routine(s): when to feed the dog, how often to let the dog out, not to mention the multiple vet visits and grooming, as well as everything else that is required and expected.

Milo was an impulse buy — his bigger sisters seemed to be squishing him along the glass at one corner of his pen when I first noticed him (at a pet store, when dogs were still being offered for purchase). After a meet-and-greet, I elected to bring Milo home under the pretence that Molly’s approval was imperative. Within two weeks, Molly had clearly accepted Milo as part of the family, and Milo officially became her younger fur-brother. For nine years or so, this duo was the beating heart of the house, affectionately referred to as “M&M.”

Solid and stylish, Sage Creek home crafted with young families in mind

Building a new home properly involves far more than endowing it with a“wow” factor, both outside and inside.

Simply put, quality must be the main theme from start to finish.

That’s the approach the design team at Paradigm Custom Homes takes with every home they build, says Ryan Jones of Re/Max One Group.

“The first thing we do is start with elevated building specifications,” says Jones, who’s co-marketing their new 2,226-sq.-ft., two-storey show home at 3 Jontz Cove in Sage Creek with colleague Sean Kirady. “That’s the only way to ensure the home is built right. We start with the exterior and carry that standard through the rest of the home.”

River Heights two-storey smartly melds contemporary and classic

Once upon a time, a one-and-a-half storey home was built in 1927 on a choice 50-by-120-foot lot at 1493 Wellington Cres.

Then, some 85 years later, in 2012, its owner decided to give the home a dramatic facelift both outside and in.

“Its unique Arts and Crafts-inspired design begins with a gorgeous wood and stone exterior that catches your attention the instant you see it — it doesn’t look like it’s 85 years old,” says Scott Moore of Century 21 Bachman & Associates (the Moore Group). “That’s just the start. When you step inside you can hardly believe what you see.”

What you see, it turns out, is a stunning entryway.

Extra steps ensure great stairs

When tasked with a project that involves the introduction of vinyl-plank flooring with underpad throughout the main level of a home, the endeavour usually includes a few stairs.

At a recent job site, the stairway leading to the basement had already been addressed during a previous renovation. As such, only the three stairs leading to the step-down addition required the flooring upgrade. No matter, just these three stairs still presented a few hurdles.

Most deluxe vinyl-flooring manufacturers offer “matching stair nosing” for the majority of their inventory. Instead of roaming the aisles of the big-box stores in hope of finding a close match in either PVC or aluminum, a nosing that is fabricated using the same vinyl style and colour is always the better choice. However, it’s best to inquire as to what type of nosing is available.

Although top-mount nosing can be satisfactory in some applications, the sleekest “look” derives from flush-mount nosing, as this type is simply an extension of the vinyl plank at the same elevation. However, there are a few things to consider before attempting the latter style of nosing.

Get inspired, informed at the renovation show

The 2026 Winnipeg Renovation Show is only a few weeks away. The show traditionally kicks off the new year for home renovations.

Manitoba Home Builders’ Association renovator members are excited to once again be part of the Renovation Show, which is set to take place from Jan. 16-18 at the RBC Convention Centre.

Home renovations are a big part of our lifestyle in Manitoba. We historically spend more on home renovations per capita than residents of any other province, and Manitobans consistently spend more on renovations than on new-home construction. For those who are thinking of taking on a home renovation project in 2026, this is the show for you.

The Winnipeg Renovation Show provides consumers with the chance to visit hundreds of renovation product suppliers and contractors, all under one roof. It provides a one-stop venue for consumers to get a sense of the renovation market and see, touch and feel what’s new and exciting in home renovation technology and style.

Solid affordability

Young families with a modest home-buying budget have never struggled so hard to find a solid, affordable starter house.

It’s easy to see why. These days, starter homes in the $250,000-$300,000 price range — whether they need work or not — tend to sell fast, with bidding wars the norm in sought-after neighbourhoods.

That being the case, it’s all too easy for young couples to experience multiple bidding battles without a sniff of success.

In many instances, missing out on a dwelling might turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Why?

Creative touches set mood

It can take a deft touch to balance creativity and practicality when it comes to home design.

That’s why it’s so important for a home builder to think critically about how to infuse a residence with creative design touches without impeding livability.

That’s exactly the approach the design team at Hearth Homes took with their Astoria II model, focusing first on the dwelling’s livability then implementing creative design touches in a logical yet imaginative way, says Hearth’s design and marketing co-ordinator, Ryan Miller.

“People really liked the previous (Astoria) model,” he says. “But we had some ideas on what we wanted to do to make it better. The first thing we did was tweak the layout to make it more user-friendly.”

Baffling basement biffies

I’m not often surprised anymore by what I’ll encounter when asked to update a basement bathroom. However, a recent flooring upgrade did catch me off-guard slightly.

Basement bathrooms present hurdles because their layouts are usually predetermined by the rough plumbing set within the concrete floor at the time the house was originally built. And short of spending a fortune to rearrange the sub-concrete services, adapting an upgrade to the existing layout quickly minimizes options.

This particular bathroom had been upgraded prior to the current homeowners’ purchase of the house. And although it remained functional, there were a few aspects leaving much to be desired, primarily the carpeted flooring. Although I understand the intention to keep a basement bathroom floor warm to the feet, wall-to-wall carpet does not belong in a bathroom, for what seem to me obvious reasons. No matter, the carpet was now coming out and new vinyl-plank flooring was to be installed.

Beyond the carpet, the bathroom floor in its entirety had been built up, with a sort of platform throughout for one reason or another. I suspect this could have also been to buffer the coldness of the concrete below from the space above, or maybe there were a few water leaks along the floor that are concealed by the framework. The homeowners decided to keep the platform and simply re-sheathe it with vinyl once the carpet and underlayment were removed.

Open the door on a new look

Sometimes a main-floor update can be as simple as a fresh coat of paint on the walls. Other times, it may take a little more effort to create the desired look. An interior door upgrade can often change an entire esthetic — without hitting the wallet so hard.

However, swapping out old interior doors for new can be tricky, unless you go a little further, and replace the door jambs as well.

Homeowners often make the mistake of assuming installing new doors will be as simple as removing the old from their hinges and fastening on the new. Unfortunately, not all doors are tooled in the same locations. As such, this can affect hinge placement and striker locations — and if these don’t line up with the new doors, things can get ugly in a hurry.

Although it is possible to source new doors that happen to meet the location specifications of the existing hinges on the jamb, the hinges themselves may be of a different size and shape. As such, it may be best to then purchase doors slabs, un-tooled interior doors that can be fitted on site.

Great ideas for the gardeners on your list

Just as gardening leads to endless topics to discuss or dream about, there is no shortage of useful, creative and pleasurable gift ideas for gardeners.

Smartly designed two-storey crafted to maximize functionality

Ideally, a new home’s design should be distinctive both outside and inside.

And while both qualities are important, it’s a home’s exterior that — for better or worse — sets the tone.

Get it right, and the home will catch the eye of prospective home buyers. That in turn usually prompts them to wander inside to see if its interior is as special as its exterior.

Signature Homes’ new spec home at 35 Chimney Swift Way in St. Adolphe’s Tourond Creek has been a hit on both fronts, says Cindi Burak, Signature’s sales manager.

Smartly updated bungalow condo modern and move-in ready

When a home is 25 years old, it’s neither old nor young in terms of its design and relative age.

That said, there’s a chance it could reflect the era in which it was built. Which is to say it could be, well, somewhat dated.

Val Miller of Royal LePage Dynamic Real Estate says her new listing — a 1,450-sq.-ft. bungalow condominium found in a tidy, well-designed complex at 12-123 Victor Lewis Dr. in Linden Woods — definitely does not fall into that category.

“Pride of ownership shines in this beautifully maintained unit,” she says. “Not only have the original owners kept it in wonderful condition, but they’ve also updated it tastefully over the years.”

Value-packed Sanford bungalow a refuge for empty-nesters

These days, affordability is a huge issue for empty-nest couples with budgets that fall short of the magical $400,000 mark.

Next to affordability, the two most important issues are condition and livability.

Which is to say a home should ideally be in move-in-ready condition, as absolutely no one — especially buyers on a modest budget — wants to sink another $20,000 to $30,000 into renovations just after purchasing a property.

Meanwhile, the home must also be functional, offering a user-friendly layout.