Homes Website News

New Homes

The 1,500 sq. ft., two-storey attached home at 273 Moonlight Bay is loaded with style and function.

Attached home by A & S blends style with function

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026

As attractive as the exterior designs of most two-storey attached homes are, would-be buyers often cringe inwardly when they think about what awaits inside.

Many two-storey attached designs that fall in the 1,300 to 1,400 square feet range can have a long, narrow feel to their interiors.

That’s totally understandable, as most two-storey attached homes are built on lots with a width of under 30 feet.

A & S Homes’ new, two-storey attached show home at 273 Moonlight Bay isn’t one of those, says Rob Hutchison of RE/MAX Performance Realty.

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Renovation & Design

Photos by Marc LaBossiere / Free Press The look of the old kitchen transformed into a more modern esthetic.

Kitchen demo leads to baffling discovery

Marc LaBossiere 4 minute read Preview

Kitchen demo leads to baffling discovery

Marc LaBossiere 4 minute read Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026

During the demolition process, I’ve learned to expect the unexpected.

During a bathroom expansion project a decade ago, I discovered live electrical feeds had been left within a closed wall that was insulated with wood chips and old newspapers. I found them the old-fashioned way, when reaching up into the stud cavity. After the jolt wore off, each line was properly terminated into an outlet box.

A similar situation occurred at a recent kitchen facelift project, during a demolition task that hadn’t even been planned.

Provided the existing kitchen cabinets are in good shape and continue to meet your esthetic taste, a homeowner can simplify a makeover by upgrading only certain elements and avoiding the cost of total kitchen cupboard replacement, which in some circumstances can easily render a project cost-prohibitive.

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Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026

Resale Homes

Todd Lewys / Free Press Surrounded by mature trees, the 3,900 sq. ft., two-storey home offers unparalleled style and function — and a secluded, spectacular riverside setting.

Riverside gem found in River Road enclave

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Preview

Riverside gem found in River Road enclave

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026

As riverside enclaves go, St. Vital’s River Road tends to fly under the radar.

That’s a shame, as the lots on the west side of the street feature a characteristic many other river lots don’t possess — a density of mature trees that shrouds the properties, giving them an air of seclusion, and to a certain extent, mystery.

Jennifer Queen says you don’t know quite what to expect when you turn into the winding, tree-lined driveway at 56 River Rd.

“The long, winding driveway creates a beautiful sense of arrival and anticipation for what waits at the end of it,” she says. “When you finally get to the home, you feel like you’ve arrived at an estate. The home looks magnificent, with its beautiful brick exterior and turned, triple-car garage.”

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Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026

New Homes

The Cambridge — a sprawling, 1,684 sq. ft. bungalow designed by Kensington Homes — deftly balances function and fashion throughout.

Cambridge show home features subtle definition in open-plan design

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

Cambridge show home features subtle definition in open-plan design

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026

As popular as homes with open-concept floor plans have been over the past decade or two, the design can create an inherent flaw.

That flaw? When overdone, a main living area can feel like a big box that just happens to contain a few spaces which lack definition and personality.

“We can’t keep homes in stock in this area because the design team at Kensington does such a great job with the homes in terms of their exterior and interior styling, and their floor plans,” says Tabitha Baete of Real Broker, sales representative for the 56-foot-wide, 1,684 sq. ft. bungalow at 388 Grande Pointe Meadows Blvd. “This is my favourite home in the area.”

Baete notes that intrinsic allure of the home — known as the Cambridge — starts with its fetching exterior.

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Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026

Resale Homes

TODD LEWYS / FREE PRESS The 116-year-old Wolseley classic has been meticulously updated inside and out.

An updated Wolseley classic

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

An updated Wolseley classic

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

For unknown reasons, many older homes — in addition to being dated — were never fully developed or updated by their previous owners.

That was the scenario when a renovator went in to update a dishevelled two-and-a-half storey home in Wolseley in February 2026, says Darryl Walsh of Royal LePage Prime Real Estate.

“This was ... badly in need of updating,” he says of the 1,612 sq. ft. residence, which was built in 1910. “Not only that, but the top floor had never been fully developed.”

Today, the home’s top floor is now fully functional — and then some.

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Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

Renovation & Design

NewRoots Construction and Landscaping photo Grow plants year round in this four-season geodesic greenhouse. Raised beds on the outside provide additional growing space.

Imagine a year-round greenhouse

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

Imagine a year-round greenhouse

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

Do you dream of having your own year-round greenhouse? Imagine walking into a warm greenhouse in the cold month of February to harvest fresh vegetables.

NewRoots Construction and Landscaping is turning that dream into a reality. The Saskatoon-based company specializes in three- and four-season geodesic grow dome greenhouses. The spherical structures are built from triangular, triple-wall polycarbonate panels and utilize passive solar heating systems.

Owners Garret Fisher and Oxana Ossiptchouk ship their greenhouse kits across Canada. (They also have an installation crew, but exclusively for customers who live in Saskatchewan.)

Demand for the grow domes is high, Fisher says, especially in the past two years. “We design and manufacture the grow dome greenhouses and make the kits right in our shop. Now we are building another bigger shop because the manufacturing side is getting quite large.”

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Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

Renovation & Design

Marc LaBossiere / Winnipeg Free Press The rec-room was redesigned from bare studs and concrete sub-floor and fully renovated from head to toe.

Basement re-imagination

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Preview

Basement re-imagination

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

A remodel of an existing basement provides not only a great opportunity to address dated aspects, but also allows homeowners to reorganize the space.

By repositioning certain walls in key locations, the functionality of various rooms can be greatly enhanced. At a recent three-month basement project, several areas were addressed in this fashion, and the new wall placements have made all the difference.

While it was evident the basement gravely needed a facelift, icing on the old cake simply would not suffice.

As you walked down the stairs, an awkward build-out blocked your line of sight into the big area of the rec room. The build-out, partly at a 45-degree angle, had been constructed to conceal the furnace room area, which had an access door located on the far side. Laundry room access was along the right-side wall along the last stair of the staircase, and the bedroom entry was situated on the opposite side, adjacent to the bathroom door. Lastly, two large appliances invaded the main rec room space, simply because there was no other place to put them.

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Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

New Homes

The sprawling bungalow’s design is stunning yet practical from start to finish.

Luxury and livability

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

Luxury and livability

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

Those in the market for a new luxury home tend to be looking for two things.

First, the home must be unique — which is to say it possesses defining design characteristics that set it apart from other homes. Second, while the home must be different, it also must be livable.

Problem is, many home builders get too focused on fashion, which often makes for a visually arresting home that, sadly, isn’t as functional as it could be.

Fortunately, that’s not the case in Maric Homes’ stunning bungalow show home at 2 Woodland Lane in Headingley’s Forest Grove Estates.

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Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026

Resale Homes

This sprawling walk-out bungalow at 54 Camira Way offers over 3,000 sq. ft. of intelligently designed — and beautifully finished — space between its upper and lower levels.

‘Location, location, location’ still rings true

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Preview

‘Location, location, location’ still rings true

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026

Sometimes, home buyers think the saying, “location, location, location” is a cliché.

Not so, says Scott Moore of Century 21 Bachman & Associates.

“In my experience, not all homes, in this case luxury homes, are equal,” he says. “This one is a good example.”

The reason for that is simple, he adds.

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Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026

New Homes

Distinct yet functional, the Ramona II offers over 1,900 sq. ft. of beautiful, creativity conceived space.

Creating a home that will be a joy to live in every day

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Preview

Creating a home that will be a joy to live in every day

Todd Lewys 5 minute read Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026

As important a role as imagination plays in the design of a new home, it isn’t advisable to get carried away.

When that happens, a home’s design can quickly go from inspired to impractical.

With that in mind, Spencer Curtis and his design team at Hilton Homes reined in their desire to go all-out in creating a home that was filled with a host of unique design features.

“This is a cool home, but not so cool that it loses its function,” says Curtis, the company’s owner/designer.

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Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026

Renovation & Design

Colleen Zacharias photo The weeping form of Larix decidua Puli is flanked by the red foliage of Jack Frost maple trees — a cast of intriguing characters with sculptural shapes and textures.

A colourful cast of intriguing characters is the wow factor in this Winnipeg garden

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

A colourful cast of intriguing characters is the wow factor in this Winnipeg garden

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026

There are top brand names that gardeners instantly recognize and seek out when they are shopping for plants. Brand recognition is a powerful driver that influences consumer choices. If the name Iseli Nursery doesn’t ring a bell, it should.

Iseli Nursery, located in Oregon, specializes in uniquely sculpted dwarf conifers that provide year-round colour and structure. Many of the selections are reliably hardy and adaptable to harsh northern climates such as Zone 2 and 3. Iseli Nursery also specializes in hybrid Jack Frost maples (Acer x pseudosieboldianum). A cross between the Japanese maple and the Korean maple, the Jack Frost collection offers outstanding colour and is hardy to Zone 4.

These popular premium plants are supplied to independent garden centres across the United States and Canada. Van der Meer Garden Centre in Île-des-Chênes is the primary source in Manitoba for Iseli plants.

“Iseli plants are as exclusive as it gets,” says Veronica van der Meer, retail store manager. “I would compare their key attributes to some of the esthetics that make a brand like David Austin roses so special. We have customers all the way from Calgary and places in Ontario who have driven to our nursery to buy the Iseli plants we sell, especially the maples.”

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Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026

Resale Homes

This masterfully remodelled, 3,390 sq. ft. bungalow is situated in the midst of a well-treed lot that backs onto Bunn’s Creek and the Red River.

North Kildonan home on spacious property has everything you need to relax and entertain

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Preview

North Kildonan home on spacious property has everything you need to relax and entertain

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026

Every home has a story, almost without exception.

That’s certainly the case with a sprawling bungalow situated amid a huge, beautifully treed lot in North Kildonan, says Glen MacAngus of Royal LePage Top Producers.

“When this home was built in 1957, it was a pretty good size,” he says of the home, which sports an impressively wide footprint. “Today, it checks in at 3,390 sq. ft. due to a pair of remodels. The first was in the early 2000s, while the second was in 2018.”

Suffice it to say, the well-maintained home is anything but a throwback to its late-’50s origins.

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Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026

Renovation & Design

Photos by Marc LaBossiere / Free Press This new driveway and approach conform to building codes, while meeting the desired layout requirements of the homeowners.

Driveway to heaven: making concrete magic

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Preview

Driveway to heaven: making concrete magic

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026

A rear deck was completed for these homeowners two summers ago, and their next major exterior project involved the introduction of a private driveway.

For years, their garage approach had been gravel, which had become a nuisance in winter — the snowblower regularly tossed stones while clearing snowfalls. So, they called upon me to arrange for a driveway estimate, and subsequently decided to proceed.

Unfortunately, weather delays pushed the project from fall 2025 until this spring. Although the crew was dodging rainstorms, the project did proceed, albeit a few weeks later than expected.

When it comes concrete, I’ve always deferred such projects to trusted sub-trades. Most concrete work requires heavy machinery and a skill set that exceeds my acumen. Although I have dabbled here and there (filling in breaches in a basement floor, and erecting a permanent post for a basketball hoop), big work should be left to those who are proficient within the trade and maintain a vigilant knowledge of current building codes. As such, I called upon my good buddy Roy Marques at Rokkon Construction.

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Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026

New Homes

Todd Lewys / Free Press The river and city view below is something to behold.

Penthouse at 390 The River offers breathtaking views and a blank slate for your imagination

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Preview

Penthouse at 390 The River offers breathtaking views and a blank slate for your imagination

Todd Lewys 6 minute read Saturday, Jul. 18, 2026

Those looking to purchase a distinctive penthouse suite almost always have one issue to contend with: the need to remodel the suite to have it meet their needs and reflect their tastes.

As anyone who’s done that (or any renovation, for that matter) knows, it can be an arduous — and very dusty — process to tear everything out of a sprawling suite and then redo it.

There’s no need to deal with that process with a 2,098 sq. ft. penthouse suite at 390 On The River in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, says Viktoria Fazekas of RE/MAX Executives Realty.

“This is the last penthouse for sale in the complex,” she says. “The best part about it is that it’s in a totally raw state, which means it’s a blank slate. That gives the purchaser the opportunity to have the exact layout and finishes that they want.”

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Saturday, Jul. 18, 2026

Renovation & Design

Three sets of three faux window shutters cleverly conceal the old abandoned window openings set in stucco.

Decorative coverings solve exterior problem

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Preview

Decorative coverings solve exterior problem

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Saturday, Jul. 18, 2026

After completing a massive feature wall that includes a beautiful, floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace structure with a large flat-screen TV above the mantel and an electric fireplace below — and a symmetrical array of shelving and cupboards on either side — all that remained was the finishing touches on the exterior side of the wall.

Before the project began, three windows had been filled in to accommodate the continuous vertical surface required to complete the interior project. Early this summer, I had occasion to finally address the final steps.

Unlike breaching an exterior wall for the introduction of a window, filling in an opening is far less complicated. With the lintel already in place, framing within the opening is not structural — it simply serves to provide a nailing surface upon which the drywall can be mounted along the interior side, and the exterior sheathing (in this case, three-quarter-inch plywood) can be fastened outside.

Once the stud cavities were filled with insulation and the separate areas were sealed with vapour barrier inside and Tyvek on the outside, the interior processes continued with coats of mud, the required sanding and two coats of matching paint.

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Saturday, Jul. 18, 2026

Renovation & Design

Colleen Zacharias photo Annemarie’s Dream, a fully double Asiatic lily, comes into bloom just before L.A. Evening Star hybrid lily, situated directly behind, can steal the show.

Spacious rural garden makes smooth transition to urban space

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

Spacious rural garden makes smooth transition to urban space

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Jul. 18, 2026

It’s not uncommon for homeowners to dig up some of their beloved plants when they sell their home and move to another property. But relocating hundreds of prized plants from an established and spacious rural garden to a blank slate is a whole other matter.

In 2022, Sandra Gessner Eggertson and her husband decided it was time to sell their three-acre rural property near St. Andrews. They purchased a home on a quiet street in Winnipeg where Eggertson planned to make a new garden. Their rural property was listed that fall and sold immediately. Eggertson moved in December, but first, hundreds of treasured perennials, including hostas and specialty lilies and iris plants, needed to be transplanted into pots.

With the assistance of a good friend — a fellow lily and iris enthusiast — the enormous task of digging and dividing took three months. The plant divisions were loaded into a truck and transported to her friend’s farmyard, where they spent the winter in a protected location with ample snow cover.

“First we placed bales of straw in the shape of a big square to act as a catch-all for snow,” says Eggertson. “The pots were placed close together inside the square and then covered with mulch. I had very few plant losses.”

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Saturday, Jul. 18, 2026

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