Historic Magrath Mansion Open House
There are so many events going on over the next few weeks that celebrate our country’s 150th birthday that it’s very hard to fit even a small number of them […]
Why the Huge Difference in Values between Two Teacups?
A reader recently contacted me with a photograph of a gorgeous tea cup that she owns. (Unfortunately I did not save her photo because I hadn’t planned on writing a […]
Arts and Crafts Furniture- A Great Compromise
There are many reasons for partners, married or not, to disagree, but what kind of furniture to have in one’s home doesn’t have to be one of them. Since I […]
To Restore or Renovate – That is the question
Why did you choose to live in your current home? What was there about the house that made you realize that this was the right place for you? Beyond its […]
Furniture Grime versus Patina
What exactly is patina? This is a question I get asked fairly often when I do talks about antiques. I have to answer honestly and tell the person that patina […]
5 Steps to Cleaning Grimy Antique Furniture
Years ago a client of mine purchased a dining room suite at an auction. It had seen better days to be sure and she was understandably concerned about the high […]
10 Things You Should Know about Selling your Antiques on Consignment
There comes a time in every one’s life that it is necessary to sell belongings – your own or someone else’s. Garage sales are one way but what if your […]
The Parlour
The Evolution of a Room Is the parlour just another Victorian room that is totally irrelevant to today’s homes? To understand how this room evolved into today’s living room and […]
ISEA Pushing Boundaries 2020 Conference
You know the saying… “Nature Abhors a Vacuum”? Well it’s true. The time I once spent on the board of the Highlands Historical Society has been transferred to volunteering on […]
Be Careful of What Lurks in the Weeds
I recently received a very interesting phone call from someone who wanted to know if I appraised farm equipment. As always, I asked what the purpose of the appraisal would […]
A Beginner Collects Art
Some individuals are very successful at downsizing and staying downsized. Others, like me, simply exchange one type of collecting for another. Due to our current home being essentially modern, I […]
Historic Gibbard Block worth a Visit
It’s been a long time in coming, but the wait is finally over. The Gibbard Block in my old (historic) neighbourhood of Edmonton Highlands is now open. The Gibbard […]
Adding Character to a New House Interior
This is the more or less completed exterior of the house that was shown in my last blog entry. Now it’s time to see the interior. Keep in mind that […]
Old into New into Old Again
In my area of design specialty I get to work with clients who appreciate the styles of the past – and not all of them own heritage homes. For the […]
Appraising for Provenance
Occasionally an appraiser is required to appraise an object that belonged to a well known individual, alive or dead. Determining value for said object presents a conundrum for the appraiser on many levels.
What’s in a Rock? Why, a Bear of Course!
For the last six months, since Christmas, I have been obsessively involved in doing renovations at our new place in St. Albert (small city close to Edmonton). Therefor it was […]
The Prairies UnLike You’ve Ever Seen
Every once in a while I’m asked to do something special. In this case I’m talking about a student of mine, Judy Weiss, who chose me as her mentor for […]
Art Week 2019
For the first time in three years, landscape artist Jim Davies has decided to hold another Art Week in one of my favorite places in Alberta – Drumheller. This is […]
