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37 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,D ecem ber 20,2018 insidehalton.com OFFICE: 905-335-4102 info@roccasisters.ca www.roccasisters.ca BURLOaK REaL ESTaTE SERVICES INDEPENDENTLY OWNED & OPERaTED BROKERaGE RoccaSistersTV.ca LIFETIME MEMBER 2018 Season's Greetings! a heartfelt Thank you to all of you for your support & referrals in 2018. We look forward to continuing to serve you & your family in 2019. Modernize your kitchen with affordable renovations Advertorial DEBBIE TRAVIS House to Home Dear Debbie; Our kitchen is desperate for a reno, but our budget is limited. Lots of action with a young family. We replaced the fridge and stove with white ones. I want a bright happy space. Where would you start? -- Eva Dear Eva; As is my mantra, paint is the most eco- nomical renovation tool there is. You can take your kitchen anywhere with colour and done carefully it will have a profes- sional look that you will be proud of. Kids and colour are a natural fit, so take advan- tage of these years with your young fam- ily and have some fun. The biggest job will be refreshing the cabinetry. Why not add colour to the lower cabinets and keep the uppers white, or a very pale yellow? Remove the doors and drawers and the hardware so that you have unobstructed surfaces. I chose a milky shade of tanger-surfaces. I chose a milky shade of tanger-surfaces. I chose a milky shade of tanger ine to liven a budget kitchen do-over and the results were cheerful and charming. (kids love 'orn-age' even after they learn how to pronounce it.) Prepare your surface and apply a high adhesive primer, then two coats of acrylic paint. Choose paint with some sheen as they'll be more durable and easier to clean. Replace dated or worn hardware with new handles and you will be amazed at the instant transformation. Elsewhere in the kitchen, the backsplash is a good place to change it up. Tiles are available in many colours and patterns, and you can create a design that incorpo- rates a few high end tiles with standard ones. Plain white would be fine with an or-ones. Plain white would be fine with an or-ones. Plain white would be fine with an or ange grout to connect with the cabinets. Kitchen stools and chairs can be paint-Kitchen stools and chairs can be paint-Kitchen stools and chairs can be paint ed and will brighten up any space. There are specialty paints that are designed to cover plastic, melamine, and other shiny surfaces. And you can add seat cushions in funky designs to fit your new mood. Dear Debbie; We recently painted our kitchen walls a warm white. Unusual to commence im- provements with wall colour but I seem to be working backwards. I am now thinking of painting the cabinets in a dark colour. Have you any suggestions? -- Jocelyn Dear Jocelyn; Your photos show that the cabinets are now a caramel shade with the groove around the inset panels highlighted in a light beige. Your appliances are steel. The cabinet colour you are thinking of moving to is a dark gray. This will make a dramat-to is a dark gray. This will make a dramat-to is a dark gray. This will make a dramat ic change, but an exciting one if you are looking to update. Paint the cabinetry all one colour, don't highlight the panels. This will afford a very clean, contemporary line. Then add a few colour pops to energize what will essentially be a black and white space. Orange, red or turquoise mixing bowls or a brightly hued mixer, multi-colo- oured measuring cups, or art on the wall is all you need. Tip: If you are painting the cabinets yourself, remove the doors and drawers first so that your work will have a professional finish. Written by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Please email decorating questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. Follow Debbie at instagram.com/debbie_travis, facebook.com/thedebbietravis, debbietra- vis.com. Your home is your protection against the cold. This winter, get ahead of the first snowfall to ensure that you and your family are safe and warm with these five home essentials. Snow removal It's important to have the appropriate tools for a Canadian winter. Whether it be a snow blower, shovel or salt/sand, make sure you have what you need to clear a path to your door and help keep your sidewalk ice free. Extra blankets Cranking the furnace is a common re- sponse to the cold. However, it's better on your utility bill and the environment to keep your home at a lower temperature and instead cozy up with some warm blankets on the extra cold nights. Heating system To keep your home warm, you'll want to make sure your heating system is up to snuff. Clean air filters and vents will go a long way. If you're on radiators, en- sure they're dust free and bleed them as required. Extra provisions Although it doesn't happen often, we can get snowed in. To make sure you're prepared for an overnight blizzard, always keep extra water and food in your home in an easy-to-access location in case you need to stay indoors longer than expect-need to stay indoors longer than expect-need to stay indoors longer than expect ed. Home Insurance While taking preventative measures to ensure your family's safety is a great start, it's important to understand that some things cannot be planned. With PC Home Insurance, your family can find a home insurance plan that works for you. They do the hard work to find great rates for the coverage you need. (NC) Five winter home essentials