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Colour Your Condo for a Brighter Life
Feb
23

Colour Your Condo for a Brighter Life

The chances are pretty good that when you move into your first condo in Ottawa the basic colour scheme will be white or cream. There’s nothing wrong with that, but why not add a hint of your own personality? After all, the condo is all yours, and it should represent your tastes and interests. Totally redecorating, or simply adding a splash of colour, can make a huge difference to your satisfaction levels and general happiness but choosing the wrong colour can have the completely opposite effect.

Psychology of Colour

Apart from the cost factor, white paint is popular because it is neutral. Most condos that come on the market are usually painted white as it is a neutral colour but research has shown there also psychological reactions to various colours. Most are good, some not quite so desirable.

White

Doves, weddings and white flags of surrender, the colour white is regarded as a peaceful and pure colour although, for some people, it is associated with hospitals and somehow sterile and lifeless.

Black

At the other end of the spectrum, people associate black with death, darkness and depression. For others, it hints at sophistication and wealth.

Green

The colour of nature, green is a neutral shade although if you opt for a luminous lime green or dark and gloomy deep sea green it can be anything but neutral. A few people have also said that green makes them feel ill. Must be the lime green shade!

Blue

A dangerous colour to choose for a whole room as blue is almost universally accepted as a cold colour. Unless you are a true blue fan, it is probably best to apply the blue paint sparingly.

Yellow

A yellow room is usually the choice of happy, optimistic people with a positive outlook on life. Not always true, of course, but you would have to be fairly happy-go-lucky to live in a yellow-themed condo in Ottawa.

Red

Red spells danger and anger but also warmth. Red has the optical effect of making a room seem smaller so it’s probably best to avoid if your condo is on the small size to begin with.

Purple

It may be the number one choice for Prince, but purple is a dark and sombre colour and another one to use only in limited amounts.

Orange

Forget it! That is unless you have the courage that orange is associated with. For some strange season, a lot of people also associate orange with hunger. Personally, I prefer an apple!

The Colour of Happiness

The most important factor in selecting your ideal colour scheme is to remember that it is your condo and it is you that has to feel happy and content in your surroundings. No colour is excluded if it is what you want. Black is generally regarded as a no-no but what about an elegant black and white theme? Sounds perfect to me!

And the best thing about your own condo is you can always change your mind at any time you want. It’s an easy way to transform the look of any room and refresh the space.

Creating a Delectable Valentine’s Day Menu
Feb
09

Creating a Delectable Valentine’s Day Menu

It can be quite a treat to take your partner out to one of Ottawa’s best restaurants for Valentine’s Day dinner, but nothing quite makes an impression like cooking up a romantic meal from scratch in your Theberge condo, townhome, or terrace homes. What better way to make use of your stunning, fully equipped modern kitchen than to cook a meal to remember? Let’s explore two great Valentine’s Day menu ideas to suit different tastes and palates:

Menu #1: Vegetarian Delight

Starter

Start with a Roasted Carrot Soup. Simply roast a pound of carrots, small onion, and quartered endive (all tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper) for 30 minutes. Transfer to a saucepan and simmer for 30 mins with a bay leaf. Puree the vegetables (minus the bay leaf). Return to saucepan on low heat, add in 1/3 cup milk or heavy cream, salt and pepper, and ¼ teaspoon of grated ginger. Serve!

Main

Make homemade pasta (or use wonton wrappers) and add finely chopped mushrooms, ricotta, and goat cheese to form Goat Cheese and Mushroom Ravioli. Boil 5-7 minutes in salted water, the drain. Drizzle with parsley sauce – a combination of chopped parsley, grated Parmesan, olive oil, a dash of water, and salt and pepper.

Side

Homemade Rosemary and Parmesan Focaccia Bread. Use a pizza dough ingredient but include lots of oregano, onion powder, and basil. Make a flat dough and season generously with rosemary and Parmesan. Bake at 425°F for 13-15 minutes.

Dessert

Mayan Chocolate Chili Molten Lava Cakes will add some “spice” to your night. Just follow any chocolate lava cake but add two teaspoons of chilli powder, two teaspoons of cinnamon, and one teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Menu #2: Meat Lover’s Delight

Starter

Make an easy but decadent Prosciutto-Wrapped Pear appetizer. It’s simple as can be – simply slice a pear and wrap each slice in a thin piece of prosciutto. Season with pepper and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Main

Switch things up on Valentine’s Day with a Spice-Crusted Rack of Lamb. Coat the rack in ¼ cup of toasted yellow mustard seeds and two teaspoons fennel seeds. Sear the rack 1-2 minutes per side on high heat, then transfer to oven until it registers 135 degrees on a meat thermometer (usually 18-24 minutes). Let stand ten minutes, then drizzle with mint/parsley herb oil.

Side

Green Beans with Mustard Vinaigrette are a delightful mix of textures with an acidic overtone to balance the lamb. Boil the green beans for 1-2 minutes in salted water. Make a vinaigrette with chopped shallot, 1.5 teaspoons of red wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and 1.5 teaspoons of EVOO. Whisk into vinaigrette and drizzle over green beans.

Dessert

Make Strawberries & Cream Cupcakes. Use any cupcake recipe of your choice, but stir in fresh blended strawberries to your icing recipe. So fresh and airy!

Theberge Homes has been providing expert advice to Ottawa homeowners for many years. Ask us about our townhomes and terrace homes at Huntclub Towns and Alta Vista Ridge!

Housewarming gift Ottawa
Jan
14

10 Perfect Housewarming Gifts

Below are ten perfect housewarming gifts to consider for friends, family, and loved ones who have recently purchased a new home in Ottawa.

 

  1. House Shelves

 

A combination of simple and exciting, house shelves from Denmark are the perfect new addition to any home. The simple geometric designs and classy rustic feel make them perfect as a housewarming gift.

 

  1. Cloud Key Storage

 

A small and simple gift with a great deal of use, the cloud key storage is a small cloud shaped magnet that attaches to your wall. Keys can hang from the magnet, making it both look cool and be a great way to never lose your keys again.

 

  1. Ambigram Door Mats

 

Depending on how you view an ambigram, you can get different meanings. The ambigram doormats read “come in” when you approach and “go away” when you leave. A nice little touch humorous for any new home.

 

  1. Strongman Toilet Paper Holder

 

The strongman toilet paper holder is a great present that can be practical and fun. The “strongman” sits on top of the toilet bowl and hoists a roll of toilet paper in each hand for easy dispensing.

 

  1. Coordinate Prints

 

A growing fad is to create colourful prints for pillows that have the typographic coordinates on them. Localized to the exact position of the home, these gifts are unique to every home.

 

  1. Magnetic Hourglass

 

An hourglass can be a beautiful and functional accessory. A magnet hourglass with metallic shavings creates unique patterns and shapes every time you flip it.

 

  1. Roomba

 

While significantly more expensive, the Roomba series of automated vacuum cleaners are excellent gifts for a new home as they are both really cool and serve a practical purpose.

 

  1. Smart Scales

 

Minimalist in appearance and capable of providing a lot of useful information, the modern bathroom scale is practical sources of information. In addition, they blend perfectly in with other bathroom items. Smart scales can sync with your smartphone via Bluetooth for easy tracking so you can reach your weight goals.

 

  1. Wifi Range Extender

 

Does the new house have thick walls or is the Wifi losing its strength for some reason? If so, then consider a Wifi range extender. Designed to blend in with their surroundings, these little devices can boost a signal in the parts of the home that need it the most.

 

  1. Smart Garden Sprinkler

 

If you are purchasing a gift for someone who now has property, then consider the Rainmachine smart garden sprinkler. Capable of detecting rain and humidity, the sprinkler will only function if needed. Reduce water usage and help the environment, without sacrificing the beautiful look of your lawn!

 

If you have been inspired by a friend’s recent home purchase and are ready to start the house hunt yourself, don’t miss Theberge Home’s impressive townhome and terrace flat developments, Huntclub Towns and Alta Vista Ridge.

New Years
Jan
14

5 Unexpected New Years Resolutions For Your Home

Looking for ways to improve your home? Included below are five unexpected New Year’s resolutions to consider for your home. Typically not found on lists, these suggestions are for those looking for new ideas and take an unconventional route to making their home an even better place to live in 2016. Whether you live in a townhome, terrace flat, or condo in Ottawa, you can adapt these tips to suit your home.

Treat All Water

Does your home have hard water? Mineral rich, hard water can mess with your hair, taste foul, and weather pots, pans, and showerheads far faster. Consider treating your water. If you want full treatment, then you can install a filter that connects to the primary water intake for the home. Far cheaper is buying filters for showerheads and faucets. Improve your quality of life by improving the condition of your water.

Solar Panels

Solar panels are expensive. That being said, there are a number of rebates and deals available for you through the federal and provincial governments to help subsidize the cost. Solar panels have tremendous environmental and financial benefits, and you can expect to make back the cost within about ten years and watch the savings continue to grow with each passing day. If solar panels are unrealistic right now, even small changes like solar-powered lights, fans, and small appliances can be a step in the right direction.

Compost Pile

Compost piles are a great way to discard food scraps without creating excess waste. Even though we now have “green bin” recycling in Ottawa, a backyard compost pile is still a great idea for the avid gardener. Versatile, good for the environment, and an excellent source of soil, compost piles can create nutrient rich dirt for landscaping or gardening. With a little bit of research, you can create a compost pile that works for your needs.

Carpet Removal

If your home originally had carpet or laminate flooring, consider upgrading to hardwood flooring! Consider removing the carpet, restoring the wood, and putting in a rug. While it is an expensive New Year’s resolution option, it can dramatically improve how a room looks and lead you to enjoy it far more then you are currently. If you do decide to sell your townhome in the future, this change will have a positive effect on the resale value of your home.

Cooking Challenge

If you’re the kind of homeowner who brings home a pizza every night or even a delicious pre-made meal from Farm Boy, we understand. But if it means your beautiful stainless steel appliances, granite countertop, and tasteful Cherrywood cabinets are only there for direction, it’s a bit of a waste. In 2016, challenge yourself to cook at home and make use of the beautiful kitchen in your Theberge townhome.

If you don’t yet live in the home of your dreams, how’s that for a New Year’s Resolution? Whether you want to live in a condo, Huntclub Towns or Alta Vista Ridge townhome, or even a stunning custom home developed by the talented team at Theberge Homes, you could have your life transformed by the time the clock ticks into 2017. What are you waiting for?

vacation-homes-custom-ottawa-cottages
Dec
23

Designing Your Dream Vacation Home

When planning your own custom home, thoughts and ideas fly in and out your head. It can be one of the most exciting things in the world but also it can feel a bit overwhelming. There are many things that need to be taken into consideration before spending money. What are the essentials when designing a vacation home?

 

The Location Will Ease the Design

The outcome of your design with always be related to the location of where you’ll have your new vacation spot. The Ottawa area has so many stunning options, like building a cabin nestled deep in the Ottawa Valley, a waterfront home in the Rideau Lakes, or a ski chalet in the Gatineau Hills. Of course, you may want to build a vacation home in a different country or hemisphere! The aesthetics, material planning, and even construction timeline will change depending on the place you want to build your vacation home, so always keep that in mind.

 

Set All Your Ideas

Remember a vacation home is a place to relax and leave your troubles back at your other home. So you’ll want to make a list of the colours that de-stress you, type of kitchen you’d like (country? modern? restaurant-inspired?), and aesthetic elements. Anything is possible – as long as you can afford it – so get creative. You can always scrap ideas during the brainstorming process, but when inspiration strikes it can lead to magical architecture.

 

Let the Pros Help You!

Let’s face it, most of us have an idea of what we’d like, but transmitting that into a reality can be daunting. When you don’t have the necessary skills it can seem almost impossible to realize your dream. Custom home builders in Ottawa like Theberge Homes are important to have on your side to ensure your dream home is not only beautiful but practical.  We sometimes drift into crazy things without thinking about safety and logics of certain features. Don’t be afraid to hire talented and well equipped builders for the job.    

 

Plan For The Future

The idea of a vacation home is to ensure a spot, almost sacred, where you’ll return from time to time again. This can even span decades. Remember to always think about the future, maybe when the family gets bigger and your kids go with their kids, you’ll want to have a sufficient array of rooms with well-distributed bathrooms. If the space is very limited, always design creative ways to fit bunk beds, storage space in walls, you name it. Make versatile spaces. For example right now you might need a nursery, but in a decade you may want to use that space as a home office or art studio. Be proactive in your design.

 

Have fun with this, it’s your own dream home. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and have someone else give you more ideas and turn your own into a better ones. Contact Theberge Homes for custom home building and home design services in the Ottawa area.

 

holiday-home-decorating-ottawa-townhouse
Dec
09

5 Modern Holiday Decorating Tips for Your Ottawa Townhome

It’s not always a necessity to spend thousands of dollars on decorations for the Christmas season. You don’t need the budget of the light display on Parliament Hill or the holiday decorations at Bayshore Shopping Centre to have stunning holiday decorations. Beautifying your home in the most modern and creative way can be a very appealing and renewing way of setting up a mood or aesthetic.   

 

Try Floating Shelves

Floating shelves are a great way to place interesting things whether they are to decorate or store, they always bring a special gratifying appeal to the room. Floating shelves are great for keeping holiday-themed snow globes, mini artificial pine trees etc.

 

Colours Set the Mood

A lot of times people rely on the red/green Christmas colour scheme – and it’s a classic for a reason. But the truth is you can always accommodate your decorations to fit the existing colours in your Ottawa townhome. For example if your walls rely on more whites than anything else you may fit your Christmas tree to be snowy white. Whites in mantles, cushions, picture frames, and table ornaments can accentuate this with even a dash of silver or gold. Browns, greens and even burgundy could overpower your home space. Remember to always complement your colours, for example:

  • Burgundy, brown, and pine green
  • White and silver (or white and gold)
  • Navy, blue and silver
  • Tawny, orange and brown

 

Be Simple, Be Stylish

As we’ve all heard, less is more. This is essential when it comes to choosing decorations and ornaments. The modern/minimalist feel is simply that…minimal and new.  Don’t feel the hassle of having to overcrowd you living room, kitchen and hallways. Remember your townhome should always feel open and spacious.

 

Decorate Over Your Furniture

Don’t struggle to bring in new furniture, decorate over what you already have. Hang ornaments and holiday-themed decorations on your display case and tables.

 

Print Vinyl Figures

Vinyl sheets are a great way to create interesting shapes and designs that can be placed on your walls to set a harmonious theme. If you would like to add a bit of interest to your walls, you can always rely on this method. You may choose to create a tree-like design and place it behind your small furniture, or write inspiring and/or cheerful quotes that fit the season. Another interesting thing you can do is make a silhouette of Santa Claus and his reindeer or a snowman. It’s up to you!

 

The key to maintaining a modern Christmas look to your townhouse is to show the most with less, remember to rely on the essentials like colours and forms. Get into the holiday spirit by purchasing a new Ottawa townhome at Huntclub Towns or Alta Vista Ridge!

Master bedroom
Dec
04

How to Redesign Your Master Bedroom

It’s a fact: you spend more time in your bedroom than anywhere else. This is because roughly one-third of your life is spent sleeping. It can be hard to relax and fall asleep in a room that is uninspired or disorganized. Thankfully, it doesn’t cost a lot of money to redesign your bedroom, as it can be accomplished in a number of simple ways. Here is our guide to re-designing your master bedroom in your Ottawa condo or townhome:

 

Consider your needs

 

The first step to a successfully re-design is figuring out what your needs are for your bedroom. What is it about your current setup that has prompted you to want a change? Is the room too dark? Is there not enough room for everything? Are you just looking to mix things up? Once you have your exact needs figured out, you can start planning around those ideas. You don’t want to redesign your bedroom only to end up with the same issues you started with.

 

Change the colour

 

Adding a coat of paint to your walls is a quick and easy way to change the character of your bedroom. When picking a colour, make sure you find one that works with your trim. You want to have a colour that gives you the type of ambiance you are looking for. You may want a colour that is warm and cozy, bright and eclectic, or light and modern. There are so many choices to choose from. You can always re-paint if you experiment with one colour and you simply aren’t feeling it after a test run.

 

Add some window dressings

 

The right window dressings can really pull a room together. In most bedrooms, the eye is drawn upward because of how much space is taken up by your bed and dressers. Some beautiful window dressings like white panel curtains can really change the tone of a room, and they go with pretty much any style of room. If your room needs curtains that can block early morning sunlight, you can pick curtains that are made of thick cotton or velvet.

 

Pick functional linens

 

Sometimes something as simple as picking warm, comfortable linens can really make a difference. If you aren’t someone that makes their bed each and every morning, you shouldn’t spend too much money on expensive pillow shams and bedspreads. You should pick linens that you look forward to diving into at the end of a long day. They can be in simple colours or patterns that match your room, nothing too fancy required here.

 

If you are looking to move into a home with a beautiful, spacious master bedroom that you can tailor to your style and needs, you should consider purchasing an Ottawa condo or townhome at Huntclub Towns, Alta Vista Ridge, or another stunning Theberge Home development in Ottawa.

 

 

Huntclub town homes
Nov
20

4 Delectable (and Easy) Finger Foods for Your Holiday Party

Are you thinking of hosting a holiday party in your beautiful new Huntclub Towns home? We have four perfect holiday finger food recipes that are sure to please adventurous and traditional partygoers alike!

 

Bacon-Wrapped Potatoes

 

Who doesn’t love bacon and potatoes? This warm, aromatic treat is sure to be a hit. All you need is bacon, small potatoes and some toothpicks. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, wrap a half piece of bacon around each potato and secure it with a toothpick. Place your delicious creations on a baking dish and bake them for around 45 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the bacon is crisp.

 

Sautéed Black Olives with Tomatoes

 

This tasty dip pairs well with slices of crusty bread. To make this dip, you will need a cup of black olives, three tomatoes, olive oil and the following seasonings: garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. You should start by heating some olive oil and garlic in a pan until the garlic cloves begin to brown. Next you add the olives and thyme, stirring them in for around 3 minutes. Then you add some chopped tomatoes and salt and cover until the juices thicken. The final step is simply seasoning to taste with pepper.

 

Spicy Pecans

 

This spicy snack is an adventurous holiday treat. Start by combining salt, cayenne pepper, paprika and sugar into a bowl. Whisk some egg whites into a bowl with the spice mixture. Next, stir in the pecans. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper and spread out the coated pecans in a single layer. Bake the pecans for fifteen minutes at 300°F, then reduce the temperature to 250°F, rotate the sheets and cook for another ten minutes. They should be ready after that. Just let them cool before serving!

 

Shrimp Cocktail

 

This holiday classic is delicious and decorative. Start by preparing the shrimp by peeling them so the tail remains intact, and then rinsing them. Take a large pot and fill it with water, lemon, bay leaves and salt. Bring that mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and letting it simmer for ten minutes. Return the pot to a boil and then add the shrimp, cooking them for around two minutes, enough time for them to turn bright pink. Transfer the shrimp to a wire rack, set over a rimmed baking sheet and cover it with ice to let the shrimp cool. When you are ready to serve the shrimp, arrange them along the rim of a bowl filled with ice, accompanied by slices of lemon and cocktail sauce. Your beautiful arrangement won’t last long at all.

 

Not only will your guests love the food, but they’ll also be enthralled by the beautiful atmosphere of your Huntclub Towns home!

Moving into a condo ottawa
Nov
02

5 Tips for an Easy Move to Your New Condo in Ottawa

You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone (and we mean anyone) that enjoys moving.

Sure, it’s a lot of fun to get into a new place, especially if your old place wasn’t exactly the best. And moving into one of Theberge Homes’ beautifully designed and well-appointed new condos in Ottawa is an exciting opportunity.

But the actual process of moving – packing up everything you own, loading it up into trunks, shoveling it to your new place, and then hoping that everything gets unloaded without anything getting broken along the way – is stressful, pressure-packed, and exhausting.

Thankfully, getting set up in your new condo doesn’t have to be a nightmare anymore. We are going to give you five tips and tricks that you’ll be able to put into play to streamline the moving process. You’ll be able to shave a lot of time off of your move, but will also be able to save a ridiculous amount of effort as well.

Organize absolutely EVERYTHING before you start to pack

It’s going to be absolutely impossible to pull off a successful move if you are just throwing all different kinds of things into the nearest cardboard box and hoping that you’ll be able to find everything when it comes time to unpack.

But that’s exactly how most of us go about moving, isn’t it?

What you’ll want to do instead is organize everything in every space (keeping bathroom things with other bathroom things, etc.) and then only packing them up after that. This’ll definitely save you a tremendous amount of time going forward.

Heavy things go in small packages

Secondly, you’re going to want to make sure that the heaviest things that need to be moved go in the smallest boxes. There are only a handful of things worse than bending over to lift up a big box and finding that it’s almost impossibly overstuffed and overloaded.

Keep the heavy stuff in the smaller boxes and you won’t have that problem!

Never move anything that you don’t have to

For one reason or another we all have a tendency to want to pack rat as many of our possessions as we can, moving things from one house to the next when we didn’t have enough room for them at the old place!

Don’t fall into that trap.

Only move things to your new condo that you’re actually going to use or that you’re actually going to need. Don’t waste the effort, the time, or the stress worrying about things that you’d only throw out once you got to your new place.

Hire someone else to do the heavy lifting for you

You really want to put your move to your new condo on autopilot, think about hiring a moving service to do all of the heavy lifting for you.

It might not be the most palatable thing at first (if only because it’s going to cost you extra money), but there’s nothing like a hands-free move to completely change your mind.

Work off of checklists

Finally, it’s always a good idea to have checklists to work off of so you know that everything you need is backed up, transported, and has reached its final destination safe and sound. There’s too much stuff going on to just hope that you remember everything, so put it down on paper so that you don’t have to.

With these tips, you’ll be able to move into your Theberge Homes condo will ease and start enjoying elite urban living sooner than ever.

Town home or condo ottawa
Oct
23

Is a Condo or Townhome Right for You?

If you’ve been trying to figure out whether or not a condo or a townhouse is right for you, you’ve come to the right place.

Though some people would argue that condos and townhomes are pretty similar, there are a lot of differences that become apparent when you look closely. The good news is that Theberge Homes has modern and well-appointed condos and townhomes in Ottawa, so no matter which you prefer we have you covered.

Hopefully we’ll be able to share a little bit of inside information about this topic so that you’re able to find the right house for your needs going forward!

Breaking down condo living

There are a lot of advantages to living in a condo, and the biggest might be the location. They are located in desirable neighbourhoods in Ottawa with nearby shops, restaurants, and cafés.

Condos do come with fees to help pay for things like maintenance, lawn care, and upkeep of the common areas. However, Theberge condos come with low condo fees that don’t put a damper on your budget.

Condos are also excellent because they of the close proximity to your neighbours. If you want to be part of a tight-knit community with like-minded individuals, condo living might be right for you.

Breaking down townhome living

Townhomes are independent houses built into rows that share adjoining walls, and are considered to be some of the best pieces of real estate in any urban setting. Townhomes give homeowners the opportunity to own their own piece of property like this would in the suburbs without giving up all of the benefits of city living, though you aren’t going to have your own big backyard.

You’ll also be responsible for maintenance on the inside as well as the outside of your townhome, and may even have to tackle some of the maintenance for communal areas that you share with other townhome owners as well.

At the end of the day, only you are going to be able to determine whether a condo or townhome is right for you.

Condos are usually better for those that want (and are willing to pay for) more amenities and a tighter knit community, while townhomes are best suited to those that want to stake out their own little space in the city at a price that makes sense. Whichever you choose, Theberge Homes has a home that is right for you. Our developments at Alta Vista Ridge and Huntclub Towns are selling out fast, so act quickly.