Indoor Sophistication

Signature Curved lines beckon in this stunning show home, promising warmth and welcome in the house designed and built by Steve Maric of Maric Homes. From the double entry doors to the lower level family room, creative planning and skillful use of materials announce that home is a place for family, a setting for creating memories.

Natural light from the expanse of floor to ceiling windows lends brightness and cheer throughout the house. The open concept design allows for easy traffic flow.

The kitchen is the centre of the house. This is where people gather, says spokesperson Dee-Dee Haines. Stainless steel hardware, hood fan above the gas stove and appliances are complemented by the espresso stained maple cabinetry in the sleek, contemporary style kitchen. Granite countertops are used throughout and an oversized two-tier island, with dishwasher and sink, boasts a lot of detailing. Triple pendant lighting puts the spotlight on casual dining or cleanup at the island. A walk-in pantry keeps supplies close at hand. The flooring is pre-finished maple hardwood. Behind the kitchen is a four-season sun room with porcelain tile floor and exposed beam ceiling.

Steve Maric is known for detailing and for using curved walls. Newer drywall can take on a little more of a curve, and it is a little more cost effective than it used to be. The detailing is seen in bulkheads and in the accent wall behind the stairs.

Stainless steel spindles on the stair railing point toward the curved feature stairway wall, where sconce lighting highlights Ledgestone artistry. The theme continues on the fireplace wall, with rounded columns framing the fireplace which acts as the focal point of the space. The clean view fireplace adds wonderful warmth to this luxurious living room.

The den, somewhat removed from the main living area, remains part of the whole as three large windows afford visual contact. One’s eye is drawn along more curved lines leading past the stairway wall, where soft lighting enhances artwork in a niche on the way to the master bedroom.

Adjacent to the Master Bedroom, the ensuite’s 42” x 72” whirlpool tub with upgraded fixtures has tile skirting and decking. A heated tile floor promises comfort. The custom tile shower has tiled ceiling, base and walls and frameless glass pivoting doors. Opposite is the floating cabinet with double vanities. Top mount sinks adorn the tile counter in this private spa.

A generous walk in closet customized with shelving and cabinets completes the master bedroom which was designed to be a place of tranquility.

Another 2,200 square foot living area in the lower level contains two additional bedrooms, a third bathroom, media room and spacious family room. In the family room, maple panels the feature wall, showcasing a custom designed fireplace and entertainment centre. Drywall slanted inward from the windows opens up the room and reflects light, far more effectively than traditional 90° window ledges. The wet bar has a unique design with granite counter top.

This home is designed to exceed a homeowner’s expectations with superior products such as upgraded flooring throughout, from porcelain tile to carpet and all three bathrooms with shower body sprays. Pot lighting is used throughout, on bulkheads and in niches created to accent various art pieces and directional track lighting adds further interest.

The laundry room offers generous upper and lower cabinets and is located adjacent to the spacious mudroom with its built-in shelving. This space offers practical solutions for any family’s storage ne
eds.
Unseen details include concrete piles, steel beams and the structural wood basement floor, a central HRV system, an alarm system, central vacuum, high efficiency gas furnace and pre-wired speakers.
This 2,478 square foot bungalow’s exterior is wrapped in trowelled acrylic stucco and Ledgestone. Skillful use of plantings and stone works extend the artistic statement of this show home. Customers can have confidence that Steve Maric will continue to offer superior craftsmanship and innovative design. “A home is the greatest investment most people will ever make and no detail should be overlooked or deemed insignificant when building the home of your dreams.”

Text by Pat Gerbrandt
Photography by Daniel Wexler

Kitchen Makeover To Do List

Text by Blair Korchinski

• Decide on appliances, fixtures, counters, cabinetry, etc.
• Draw layout
• Get permit
• Hire subcontractors
• Remove food, dishes and appliances
• Demolition
• Rough carpentry
• Rough plumbing
• Rough electrical
• Inspection
• Insulation
• Drywall
• Paint
• Install cabinetry
• Install flooring
• Finish carpentry
• Finish paint
• Finish plumbing
• Finish electrical
• Install major appliances

Pellet stoves combine country charm with efficient heating

Text by Heather Leask Armstrong

Installing a pellet stove in your home can reduce heating costs, lower the impact on the environment and add a charming woodstove-like accent to almost any room. A made-in-Manitoba stove designed specifically for prairie winters has recently made pellet heating an even more attractive option.

With rising costs for gas, propane and heating oil, pellet stoves are a viable alternative for supplemental and in some cases whole house heating. When comparing the heat value of pellets to electricity, heating with wood pellets can result in savings of 12-13% over electricity. Pellets produced from other materials can result in even greater savings.

Pellet stoves burn very cleanly and create lower emissions than any other solid fuel. Pellets are produced from waste 100% wood material from sawmills or from crop residue.

Pellets come in sealed plastic bags with the pellets sterilized during the extrusion process. This means there are no molds or fungus that could cause allergic reactions.

Pellet stoves can be installed on almost any outside wall using certified PL venting (similar in size to a dryer vent). They can also be installed into an existing chimney. Designs are similar to woodstoves with less clearance space required.

Primarily manufactured in the U.S., now there is a made-in Manitoba pellet stove on the market.

The EDF Model 800 Pellet Stove was designed specifically for our prairie climate. Manufactured by ELF Industries in St. Francois Xavier, the stove burns pellets made from natural Manitoba products as well as wood pellets.

You can find more information on pellet stoves at www.pelletheat.org or on the new ELF Industries website at www.elfindustries.com

APRIL/MAY GARDEN CALENDAR

Text by Nancy Johnston

April 1 – Prune fruit trees and spray with dormant oil.
April 2 – Plan season’s plantings.
April 4 – Turn and water compost.
April 6 – Start tomato, pepper and squash seeds indoors.
April 7 – Mix compost with soil and screen for immediate use.
Turn soil in garden adding compost. Cover with plastic.
April 8 – Clean flowerbeds.
April 11- Clean debris from pond.
April 13 –Check and clean garden tools.
April 14 –Reseed lawn and top dress with screened compost.
Get lawnmower serviced.
Clean patio furniture.
April 15 –Trim evergreens.
Plant new trees.
Aril 17 – Turn compost, water if necessary.
April 19 – Divide and replant ferns.
April 21 – Drain and clean pond and filtering system.
Refill pond and test water.
April 22 – Uncover garden, rake out and check/adjust pH level of soil.
Plant onions, leeks, radish, carrots, peas, spinach, and lettuce.
April 23 – Water garden today and every other day for a week.
April 26 – Transfer indoor seedlings to cold frame.
April 28 – Prune tea rose bushes and fertilize with time released balanced formula.
Plant new rose bushes.
April 29 – Divide and replant older perennials and stake taller ones.
Trim groundcover back.
May 1 – Fertilize and water trees.
Cut grass.
May 3 – Mulch early blooming bulbs and fall planted onions.
May 5 – Set strawberry plants.
May 6 – Test pond water and add algae control.
Set out birdbath and other winter stored yard accessories.
May 8 – Purchase new fish for pond.
May 10 –Turn and water compost.
May 12 – Plant begonias and cannas.
May 13 – Plant ornamentals and pinch chrysanthemum shoots.
May 14 – Germinate herb seeds in dampen paper towel.
May 18 – Plant sprouted herb seeds and water them every other day for a week.
May 19 – Fertilize lawn with Epsom salt formula then water well.
May 21 – Plant clematis, caladium and gladiolus
May 23 – Move last year’s misplaced annuals.
May 26 – Plant hardened off seedlings from cold frame.
Plant hybrid sunflower seeds.
May 27 – Plant corn, beans, squash, cucumbers, potatoes and water every day if it doesn’t rain for a week.
May 28 – Record planting details in garden journal.
May 31 – Side dress perennials with screened compost.

Avid Gardener’s Winter Activities

Text by Nancy Johnston

Winter does seem never-ending, doesn’t it?

For those of us who long to see the lifecycle of a flower, or can’t wait for the excitement of summer harvest, there are some great ways to experience that gardening feeling and harvest the rewards indoors.

You may be surprised at the variety of interesting ways you can satisfy the gardening urge while the ground outside lies dormant in its frozen state.

Many things can be grown indoors over the fall and winter and an avid gardener keeps an open mind to all the possibilities.

Traditional ways to keep your thumb green in the off seasons range from the herb container growing in the window, or with a little help from a small fluorescent light that will supply you with everything from fresh herbs to forcing bulbs of exotic flowering plants.

Are you up to trying something a little different this year?

If so, with a container, a screen and some seeds, you can grow a variety of sprouts for use in salads and stir-fries.

Alfalfa, bean and broccoli are the most popular seeds to sprout. It’s an inexpensive project that takes very little time or effort.

If you decide to go ahead with this growing project, make sure the seeds you use are untreated.

Or, you could grow your own mushrooms.

Oh, sure, a little research on the subject is necessary before you begin, but you can do that online or at your local public library in a few hours. You can purchase a mushroom growing kit that comes with detailed instructions as well as everything you need to get growing.

If this sounds a little too complicated, you can actually purchase logs with spores pre-plugged. You just soak the log in a tray of water and sit back and wait for them to appear.

One such source for mushroom growing supplies is The Gourmet Mushroom Company located near Winnipeg. They offer the convenience of ordering online through their web address at www.gourmetmushrooms.ca

If you have a workshop, a certain amount of ambition and some handyperson skills, you can use this time to plan and even assemble trellises/arbors and stake cages.

You could buy Muskoka chair plans and build your own outdoor furniture. Or construct a cold frame.

You can choose to passively enrich your knowledge of gardening during those seemingly long winter months by reading the latest gardening books, attending home and garden shows, or by joining an online gardeners’ club where you can exchange growing tips, post questions, even trade seeds.

Winter is also the time to order seed catalogues, reflect on last year’s garden and plan this year’s crops and locations. You can start a garden journal to record your thoughts, observations and plans for the next growing season.

There are also gardening planning software programs that help you plot your garden and are actually quite fun to play around with.

Starting seeds indoors to set out as transplants is another way to get your hands dirty while the ground outside is still frozen solid. Vegetables such as peppers should be started by the end of February, with others such as tomato and cucumber no later than mid April.

Alas, this year’s outdoor growing season has come and gone, but you don’t have to just sit by the window dreaming of spring.

The avid gardener knows how to keep busy, all the while quietly planning and plotting for next year, and before you know it – spring will have sprung!

In the meantime there is plenty to do to ensure next year’s yields will be even bigger and better than last.