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Tip to contractors: If you need your clients to postpone moving back into the home you have been renovating for them, don't wait until the last minute before a holiday weekend to let them know.

To some people, rock and Alpine plants are the rock stars of the garden. They are tough because they have to survive in an environment with little soil and few nutrients.

A lot of the work that has gone into our renovation didn’t take place on site. It happened 20 kilometres away in a 3,000-square-foot shop in Langord.

A dizzying traffic jam of workers and materials hurtles around a renovation site. Just when I think I’ve figured out who belongs to which vehicle parked out front, I arrive to find another tradesman’s van that I don’t recognize.

There’s a popular feature in homes magazines that reproduces a room full of expensive furniture and accessories for a fraction of the cost. You can also see it on television since HGTV sa¹ú¼Ê´«Ã½ recently started running a U.S.

Who would have thought that a small detail like baseboards would require so much deliberation? Baseboards – also called skirting boards or floor mouldings – are used to cover the uneven edge of flooring material alongside the wall.

My friend Debbie has many more renovations under her belt than I do.

We knew our contractor was a winner when we hired him, but now everyone knows it. Congratulations to Rannala Construction for winning a 2011 Georgie Award.

In a renovation as extensive as ours, it's a good idea to divide some duties. My husband and I decided we didn't each have to be involved in the minute details of every decision. Luckily, Brad was willing to take on some of the dirtiest jobs.

When undertaking a project as significant -- and, at times, overwhelming -- as our renovation, you soon appreciate that the images you likely will cherish most are those that easily become short anecdotes you want to share with others.