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Dear Debbie: We want to update the carpet in our bedroom. What would look good with a metal bed frame? Shauna Wall-to-wall carpeting is back in fashion with textured designs that suit contemporary style.

It’s easy to feel absurdly virtuous when a particularly arduous and daunting early autumn project has actually been accomplished. In my garden, the lawns are too often neglected. I regard their care as monumentally uninteresting.

Dear Reena:What’s the best way to clean dust from computers and TV screens? Carol Wipe the screen with a very soft dusting brush or cloth. Then gently wipe the screen with a fabric softener sheet to repel dust.

Dear Helen: As a gardening beginner, I need some basic bulb information. I’ve bought a few tulips, daffodils and crocuses and am wondering what sort of site and soil they need. Some tips on planting would be helpful. L.B. Dear L.B.

Early autumn strolls through favourite garden centres can be very rewarding. Pansies displayed on long tables are a banquet of concentrated colour and sweet fragrance.

When photographers Rosemarie and Pat Keough finish shooting assignments in Patagonia, Antarctica or Siberia, they head home to an equally exotic location: their mountaintop hideaway on Salt Spring Island.

Every house has a story to tell. It may be about a challenging building site, a shocking overrun during renovations or some interesting architectural elements. But this house is more self-effacing.

Dear Debbie:We enjoy our backyard almost all year round. Even when it’s cold and snowy, my husband barbecues outside. It’s a large yard in the country with beautiful views.

Dear Reena:I pack strawberries in little plastic containers for school lunches. What’s the easiest way to remove the stems? Lindsey Insert a plastic straw into the bottom of the strawberry.

When Sandy and Bill Haun bought a vacation home last year on Sidney’s waterfront — a condo in the Residences at the Pier — they made a conscious decision not to have it look anything like their large and classically stylish house back in Saskatchewan