Renovation & Design

Marc LaBossiere / Winnipeg Free Press
Old dilapidated stairs to the home’s back-door entry (left) evolved into a four-season covered porch fit for entertaining guests (right).

‘Before’ and ‘after’ images highlight true transformation

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Saturday, Mar. 28, 2026

On occasion, while rifling through my photo catalogue on my iPhone, I stumble across a forgotten “before” image taken at a job site. And when that photo underscores how spectacularly a transformative reno project has improved the homeowners’ abode, I can’t help but write a before-and-after column to showcase the upgrade.

Looking back on the project, it was a series of complementary decisions that led to the vast improvement.

During my first visit to the job site, it was clear the old wooden stairs that lead to the back door of the house had become dilapidated, and even unsafe in certain areas. As such, the homeowners wanted my impressions on how best to revitalize the rear access structure.

Thoughts had been entertained regarding the viability of transforming the back stairs into a covered porch area, primarily to ease the process of entering the house during the winter months.

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Be smart with basement ceilings

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Preview

Be smart with basement ceilings

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

Of all the lower-level and basement full-gut and remodels achieved throughout the years, only a handful have been finished with drywalled ceilings — and there’s a good reason for that.

In most homes, services mapped throughout the structure originate from the basement. And due to this, many of the joist cavities throughout the lower-level ceiling contain controls or supply lines for ventilation and water and often even electrical junction boxes, all stemming from a variety of scenarios and for specific reasons. Permanently covering these features is a big mistake.

At one job site in the Sage Creek area, the dwelling was considered a new build, only a few years old and the lower level had not been addressed at all. The bare-lumber staircase led to an entirely empty space with concrete walls along the perimeter.

Eventually, the interior wall configuration was designed, and the project began to take shape. Unlike most basements that showcase shorter wall heights, this new home’s lower level boasts nine-foot ceilings. And for the most part, the services were confined to the utility and furnace rooms, thereby allowing with ease the installation of drywall along the ceilings.

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Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

Aubin Nurseries photo
Expect high demand for Always Together Rose, new for 2026. Sale royalties help support the Never Alone Cancer Foundation.

Woody plants make bold, distinctive statements

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

Woody plants make bold, distinctive statements

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

We’re on the cusp of a new season in the garden. As the snow begins to retreat over the coming weeks, gradually revealing your garden, it’s an opportunity to study the woody framework.

Will your garden be a blank slate until perennial plants start emerging from the ground? Or are there enough sculptural elements to make the spring garden look interesting even without perennials? Shrubs, with their distinct shapes — round, spiky, columnar, pyramidal, weeping, vase-shaped or ground-hugging — add structure, nuance and character to the garden.

If you’re shopping for shrubs this spring, there are endless options to choose from that will do the job beautifully. But there are also some unusual newcomers to look for this spring.

Quirky, but elegant

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Saturday, Mar. 21, 2026

R. Kato photo
The annual orchid show and sale is always an exceptional opportunity for stunning photography.

Take in rare species and incredible hybrids at annual orchids show and sale

Colleen Zacharias 6 minute read Preview

Take in rare species and incredible hybrids at annual orchids show and sale

Colleen Zacharias 6 minute read Saturday, Mar. 14, 2026

It will be a blooming paradise today and tomorrow as the Manitoba Orchid Society hosts its annual orchid show and sale at Breezy Bend Golf and Country Club in Headingley from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

With hundreds of orchids for sale, including rare species and hybrids from expert orchid growers from across the country, this event is the place to be for orchid lovers and anyone who wants to learn more about how to grow and care for unique plants.

“Our members have many methods for successfully nurturing orchids from around the world and adapting them to growing conditions in our Prairie homes,” says Denise Fortier, longtime member of the MOS and one of the event’s organizers. “We can provide reliable growing tips and tricks that work here in Manitoba. If you grow an African violet, you can grow an orchid.

“The educational talks held daily at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., are really popular,” says Fortier. The talks are free with show admission ($10).

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Saturday, Mar. 14, 2026

Marc LaBossiere / Free Press
With ceiling tiles fastened to joists, it was impossible to know the vent hose had come away from the vent housing.

Home renos can turn up fascinating artifacts

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Preview

Home renos can turn up fascinating artifacts

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Saturday, Mar. 14, 2026

The first few weeks of any major lower-level renovation and remodel will likely entail a whole lot of demolition, due to the reorganization room configurations as well as removal of old esthetic sheathing on walls and ceilings. As such, it is always intriguing to unveil what may have been concealed within wall cavities and between ceiling joists for many years, if not decades.

I began a large basement remodelling project last week. The entirety of the lower space boasts of a rec-room which will retain a laundry area that will be expanded to include more storage and house large aquariums that will be serviceable from within the laundry space while showcasing the various fish and turtles through openings into the rec-room.

An existing bathroom will decrease in size slightly to allow for more space in the adjacent office for an upright freezer, a fair-sized bedroom and an expanded utility room which is unfortunately located in the centre of the basement footprint.

As the old wall panelling was removed from the interior walls, the impending new wall layout quickly began to reveal itself, heralding improvements in both look and functionality.

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Saturday, Mar. 14, 2026

Norfolk Healthy Produce photo
The genetically modified seeds of the Purple Tomato are the first GM seeds to be marketed to home gardeners in Canada.

Seedy Saturday

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

Seedy Saturday

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

Seedy Saturday is set to sprout today at the Millennium Library.

Organized in partnership with the Spence Neighbourhood Association, the event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the downtown library located at 251 Donald St.

“We have a really great mix of vendors for this year’s event,” says Stephen Kirk, environment and open spaces co-ordinator for the SNA.

“This year’s event is shaping up to be our largest one to date at Millennium Library,” says Laura Rawluk who has been involved in organizing Winnipeg Seedy Saturday events for more than 25 years.

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Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

Composite decking is used to decoratively sheathe an existing balcony deck and staircase, with glass railings to be installed.

Never too early to start planning a new backyard hub

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Preview

Never too early to start planning a new backyard hub

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

After submitting my weekly Reno Boss columns for roughly one year, I asked my editor out to lunch to voice a few concerns regarding my subject-matter choices.

Over the course of that first year, I noticed similarities from column to column, especially when elaborating the step-by-step process to build a deck. Other than the actual design layout, most decks follow the same procedure. And when I’ve listed those steps, it feels like I’ve told the same story repeatedly.

My editor smirked, and simply said Reno Boss readers may not get to every week’s column, and also said completion photos of varying completed decks showcase a variety of designs, no matter the similarities they may possess beyond esthetics.

Although these comments did somewhat alleviate my worries during our lunch, I still sometimes feel my concern from back then is somewhat relevant, even today, as though déjà vu is playing a cruel joke.

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Saturday, Mar. 7, 2026

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MARC LABOSSIERE / FREE PRESS
Although the existing shell of the space dictates cupboard placement potential, design changes greatly improve functionality.

Final days of project inspire welcome awe in homeowners

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Preview

Final days of project inspire welcome awe in homeowners

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026

Nothing is more satisfying than a homeowner’s smile when entering a newly remodelled space upon completion, along with the subsequent moments of silence as the desired fresh new look is taken in for the first time.

Kitchen renovations are very satisfying to a contractor, as well. Not only can you greatly improve functionality with an updated design, but the esthetics are also primarily based on the homeowners’ colour and style preferences, chosen well before the project begins.

Once a kitchen begins to show signs of wear and tear, both functionality and esthetics begin to suffer greatly. In this instance, the old Arborite countertops were ready to crumble in certain areas due to persistent water infiltration. And because the counter along the peninsula area was level to the far side, whatever was placed on the countertop had a very good chance of landing on someone’s head in the sunken TV room, while sitting on the couch adjacent to the backside of the lower cupboards.

Most of the cupboard doors were loose on hinges, and the drawer-fronts were slightly off-level. And do get me started with what was evolving below the sink area, due to a variety of minor leaks!

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Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026

Photos by Niki Jabbour For
Niki Jabbour, shown here in her Halifax garden, says the drought and heat of 2025 has made resilience the biggest lesson for food gardens.

Some like it hot

Colleen Zacharias 8 minute read Preview

Some like it hot

Colleen Zacharias 8 minute read Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026

In more ways than one, Niki Jabbour won’t forget last year’s gardening season.

The author of four bestselling books on vegetable gardening, Jabbour lives and gardens in Halifax, N.S. In 2025, the province experienced a “one-in-50-year” drought. According to the Canadian Drought Monitor (Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada), Halifax recorded its third-driest three-month period (July, August and September) on record.

The year 2025 was one of significant and widespread drought across Canada. Environment Canada ranked drought as the No. 2 weather story of the year, second only to the country’s record-breaking wildfire season. At one point last year, Jabbour also had to evacuate from her home for a week as wildfires threatened parts of Halifax.

Earlier this year, Environment and Climate Change Canada released its annual global temperature forecast, predicting 2026 will likely be among the four hottest years on record.

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Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026

Marc LaBossiere / Free Press
A partial wall is introduced during the shell prep stage of a kitchen reno to better suit the enhanced design layout of the new cupboards.

Kitchen shell prep includes vinyl-plank flooring

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Preview

Kitchen shell prep includes vinyl-plank flooring

Marc LaBossiere 5 minute read Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026

In my world, the difference between a kitchen facelift and a full kitchen renovation is whether a large percentage of the existing space remains, or the entirety is gutted and repopulated once the shell has been prepped.

At a recent job site, the homeowners elected to revamp the entire space, which involved tearing out all the old to make way for the new. And in this instance, the shell prep included adding a new partial wall to the design, and installing new vinyl-plank flooring before the cupboards are set into position.

Generally, I’ve always advised clients to keep their existing upper and lower cupboards, so no great changes are required. And should the esthetics badly need an upgrade, the cupboard doors and drawer fronts can always be replaced.

Beyond the cabinetry, a facelift may then involve new quartz countertops, sink and faucet, as well as a newly tiled backsplash, all visual upgrades to enhance a tired-out space.

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Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026

Peter Fuller photo
Windhover Orchard in Miami, Man., is named after the American kestrel, a small falcon found in Manitoba nicknamed ‘windhover’ for its habit of hovering in the air.

Family embraces challenges, rewards of launching a fruit orchard

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

Family embraces challenges, rewards of launching a fruit orchard

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026

Growing up on a farm near Boissevain taught Kelvin Hildebrandt many things. But becoming an orchardist has meant taking a comprehensive and strategic approach to acquiring a whole new set of skills.

In the process, Hildebrandt has consulted with local orchardists, including well-known growers like Betty Kehler and Bob Pizey who ran Plum Ridge Farm, a popular u-pick orchard located in the Interlake region near Teulon.

“They taught me a great deal,” says Hildebrandt.

Hildebrandt has also been influenced by Jean Spencer who owned a 150-tree apple orchard near Miami. “Jean was very welcoming and let me take care of her trees for a while,” he says.

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Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026

Mavis Garrioch photo
Container-grown pansies provide a nearly endless source of fresh flowers for pressing and drying.
Mavis Garrioch photo
Container-grown pansies provide a nearly endless source of fresh flowers for pressing and drying.

The delicate art of pressing flowers

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Preview

The delicate art of pressing flowers

Colleen Zacharias 7 minute read Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026

When early explorers travelled the four corners of the world in search of botanical treasures and plant knowledge, they faced many challenges collecting and transporting live plant material. In the 19th century, the development of the Wardian case — a glazed box that held soil and water — enhanced the survival rate of live plants on long sea journeys.

But highly detailed botanical illustrations also served as a visual record for early botanists and scientists to study plants from distant parts of the world. The technique of pressing and drying all the parts of individual plants on paper made it possible to preserve plant specimens.

Today, herbariums around the world, including those at Manitoba Museum and the University of Manitoba, house extensive collections of pressed, dried plants stored in specialized, climate-controlled conditions. Scientists use these specimens to determine the rarity of species and understand environmental changes.

Enduring art form

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Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026

Marc LaBossiere / Free Press
After several attempts at restoring my HVAC system, a phone chat with the manufacturer’s customer service department expedited the control board re-programming process.

Furnace reboot: chilling for a week without forced-air heat

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Preview

Furnace reboot: chilling for a week without forced-air heat

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026

In high school when I had spare time, I customized a 1952 Chevy half-ton truck. For vehicles of that era, most mechanical issues that arose could be addressed with a wrench and a screwdriver.

Nowadays, the technological advancements that heighten our driving experience often preclude those types of fixes, because new vehicles are heavily integrated with circuit boards and on-board computers. As such, when something goes wrong, a skilled technician is required to both properly diagnose and subsequently address the issue. It appears this is also true regarding most contemporary household systems, including HVAC.

Two Mondays ago, ironically while fixing the bulbs of a vintage electric fireplace, the smell of burned electronics began to permeate the room. Having just completed the fireplace repair, it occurred to me something within the box may have burned out. However, closer inspection seemed to reveal that the source of the smell was emanating from the floor vents, which could only mean one thing — the furnace.

In my house, a 19-kilowatt air-handler supplies forced-air throughout the home. Working in co-operation with a two-stage, three-tonne heat pump (tantamount to an air conditioner for cool air in the summer, that also supplies heating during the milder winter months), the air-handler behaves much like an electric furnace. When the system calls for heat during the winter, it first requests from the heat pump (provided the outside temperature is above the lock-out value of -12 C) the first heating stage to begin heating the house. If the house does not heat up rapidly enough as determined by the system, the second stage kicks in to create more heat.

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Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026

Photos by Marc LaBossiere / Free Press
The bulky Dimplex log-box electric fireplace is still in use within the corner entertainment cabinet shelving unit in our living room.

Old log-box electric fireplace still hot

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Preview

Old log-box electric fireplace still hot

Marc LaBossiere 6 minute read Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026

A few days ago, something in my living room seemed slightly off. Once my focus shifted towards this oddity, I noticed our old log-box electric fireplace was no longer displaying its rolling flames, nor the lighted faux embers beneath its simulated burning logs. After nearly two decades of reliable use, this old unit had surely given enough — or had it?

In recent years, the desire to add a decorative fireplace to living spaces has become an ongoing trend. And for the most part, homeowners generally lean toward the latest and most enhanced models that offer a wide range of display options, including varied colours of “flames,” “embers” in multiple combinations, as well as adjustable “flame”-rotation speed and a wide selection of sizes.

These units are built slim and streamlined, allowing wall-mounting or inset installation options (provided the latter design includes an element that emits heat through a front-facing grill). Once prepped with the multi-faceted clear faux stones along the interior bottom of the unit, the fireplace can be mounted with ease, and simply plugs into any standard 15-amp outlet.

There are two such units in my own house — one in the basement rec-room, and another in the step-down dining room. I elected to mount these as inset installations, within fireplace stacks with mantles, and decorated with engineered stone.

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Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026

Ball Horticultural photo
For the richest, deepest colour, grow new Coleus Sun Sweet Paprika in full sun.

time to Plot those container gardens

Colleen Zacharias 8 minute read Preview

time to Plot those container gardens

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

Whether you’re planning several container gardens this year or prefer to focus on one show-stopping arrangement, February is a good time for deciding what you would like to grow.

After all, garden centres throughout Manitoba are already a hive of activity with the arrival of pre-rooted seedlings for perennials and annuals combined with seed starting in preparation for spring sales.

There was a time when retailers waited until September to place their orders for plants for spring. But demand by gardeners is so strong for new and unique plants that many retailers now place their orders as early as July so they can be ready for peak spring demand.

It’s difficult not to indulge in impulse shopping at the sight of fresh new plants at garden centres. But if we take the time now to think about the types of plants that really worked for us last year in our garden spaces and the ones that didn’t — especially during hot, dry weather — it will be easier to make the best choices.

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Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026

Photos by Marc LaBossiere / Free Press
The feature fireplace wall spans 19 feet, and showcases a stone-clad fireplace stack, hearth and mantle, with symmetrical cabinetry and floating shelves on either side.

Fireplace feature wall a new focal point for home

Marc LaBossiere 7 minute read Preview

Fireplace feature wall a new focal point for home

Marc LaBossiere 7 minute read Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026

The completion of this feature fireplace wall project was particularly satisfying because it stretched out over six months, in three separate and distinct phases.

As specific tasks were achieved, the design began to take shape, transforming a rather mundane room into the focal point of the house. And thanks to the homeowners’ vision for the space, I was able to quickly adapt the necessary features of the project to suit several functions, albeit conveniently concealed behind the beautifully finished esthetic.

Along the back wall of the entertainment room (which had been an addition to the house earlier on), three windows made for a sunroom-like feel in the space.

With every exterior wall of the addition windowed-up, the only opaque wall was that which adjoined the existing house. As such, the TV was facing into the room such that, upon entry, one had to turn around to watch it. It was less than desirable, and an unfortunate waste of premium space.

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Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026

March 31, 2026

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