Sunny skies, warm weather, and days that seem to go on forever—spring and summer pull us into the great outdoors. But as the days grow shorter, autumn and winter draw us back into our homes—to visit and to enjoy quiet moments as dusk falls, leaves turn, and winter arrives. Our homes are the centrepieces of the colder seasons, and a few simple design ideas, from lighting to furniture configurations, can help us show them at their very best.

Rising rents across Toronto led to record-breaking sales for multi-residential apartment buildings in the third quarter, according to a report released Friday by commercial real estate firm Avison Young Canada Inc.

Demand for other commercial real estate assets continued to outstrip supply, the report said. Investors racked up more than $4 billion worth of deals in the third quarter

Sisters Chloé and Parris Gordon have been, to put it bluntly, crushing it since their debut collection launched at Toronto Fashion Week back in 2011 — their first show after graduating from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.

Local boutiques were swift to pick up pieces from the collection. Realizing their school project was getting serious, the Gordon sisters renamed the brand in 2013 — from Chloé Comme Parris to Beaufille — and set about cultivating a signature look that blends hard elements (think structured neoprene and gloss-coated wools) with soft (shirred Victorian collars, ultra-wide flares).

Hearkening back to the birth of our country, rural properties evoke an idyllic spirit of place, whether for their recreational lifestyle offerings or potential for farm and ranch production. Tied to the history of the Pacific Northwest, many homeowners are reveling in the opportunity to take part in our region’s storied past while experiencing an up-close and personal connection to nature through outdoor adventures. Farms and ranches are more than just land and crops—they represent heritage and future. Discover a collection of Pacific Northwest Farm and Ranch listings that elevate the rural lifestyle to new heights.

Harmony and order are the hallmarks of a truly peaceful bedroom. Whether you enjoy sipping your coffee in bed or relaxing with a book at the end of the day, your bedroom is the perfect place to slow down and sink in. If you prefer the clean lines and smooth surfaces of modern homes, look no further than these five tips for turning your existing bedroom into an oasis of calm.

Thanks to modern advancements in augmented reality and 3D printing, redesigning a space or building a new home has never been more futuristic. We are living in an era of unprecedented innovation, where homes can be assembled from scratch in just under 24 hours, and living spaces designed from a few taps on a smartphone. More than just passing trends, these technological leaps represent a disruption of the home and design industry. Here, we examine two of the most promising advancements in home construction and retail, and why they’re catching the world’s attention.

The entrance to your home is the first thing to greet guests, and a place everyone in your household passes through daily. Yet it’s strangely easy to neglect this introductory space: perhaps the familiarity of seeing the same planters, door, and stoop every day makes us blind to any shortcomings. Luckily, a few simple adjustments are all you need to give the entry to your abode a good sprucing. Try one of these eight ideas to boost your home’s curb appeal.

When you think of the world of condos and new-build apartments, “unique” may not be the first word that springs to mind. Condos have a reputation for being uniform, but thanks to a new crop of savvy architects and technology-embracing designers, the best modern condos on the market feel more custom than cookie-cutter. From virtual personal assistants capable of ordering in-home beauty treatments to personal chefs hirable at the tap of a button, it’s never been easier to design a lifestyle that feels entirely bespoke. These modern condos are called smart homes for a reason.

As one of the most walkable cities in Canada, Toronto has a lot to offer the daily wanderer. Living a short distance from restaurants, bars, shopping, and cultural institutions is an important aspect of the urban experience. Whether it’s the hustle and bustle of the centre of the city or a tranquil enclave you’re after, these six neighbourhoods are some of the most walkable in the city—ideal for a place to call home.

Toronto's housing market has seen a marked slowdown since a new non-resident tax successfully pushed many foreign buyers out, but a forecast from real estate agency Engel + Volkers says a new phenomenon is about to take over as the driver of Toronto's housing boom: The tech industry. The influx of tech companies into Toronto's downtown core in recent years has already had "a huge effect" on the real estate market, said Anthony Hitt, president and CEO of Engel + Volkers North America.

Let’s play a little game. Imagine you have a $15 million real estate budget. You can buy any house, anywhere. What matters to you? What a $15 million house looks like varies—both in terms of square-footage and amenities—depending on the home’s location around the world. Most everyone knows that real estate in New York City or Monaco, for example, is more expensive in terms of square footage than, say, in Houston or Atlanta. Would you prefer to spend the $15 million on roughly 2,418 square feet of space in the hustle and bustle of New York City? Or would you splurge on 11,248 square feet (not to mention the 1.71 acres of land) in quieter Houston?

With 50 Scollard, the developer set out to build something for the ages.

At this point in the architecture history of downtown Toronto, with each new building aspiring to outshine what came before, it’s not easy to build something iconic.

But when Lanterra Developments, the company behind much-praised projects like Ice Condominiums at York Centre, The Brit Residences at Bay and Wellesley and One Bedford, acquired 50 Scollard Street, they knew they had all the ingredients to make something special. The prime Yorkville location, at the corner of Bay and Scollard across from the Peter Clewes-designed Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Toronto, certainly demanded excellence and elegance.

The younger generations are disinterested in driving — or so futurists, politicians and even some auto industry executives keep reminding us — and someday soon, they will simply summon rides in self-driving pods rather than buy their own cars. And yet, the fastest, finest, most extraordinary automobiles of yesteryears continue to grow more precious (and lucrative), evidenced in the most unlikely of places — Blenheim, in south- western Ontario — and courtesy of Rob Myers. Myers restored his Edsel Corsair in a one-car garage in Chatham, Ontario, in 1976 and started a business fixing vintage cars, eventually earn- ing himself an impressive reputation. News spread — mainly of his exacting standards — and increasingly, worthy automobiles arrived for Myers, who by then had officially formed RM Auto Restoration, one of the world’s leading automobile restorers and auctioneers.

City, state and country, all rolled into one — Singapore, the chameleon nation of Southeast Asia, is many things all at once. Its colourful history as a trading settlement influences all facets of modern life, harmoniously, in innovative ways.

Amazon has made its first foray in prefab construction, investing in a company known for sustainable construction and smart home technology.

Today’s announcement of Amazon’s investment in Plant Prefab, a startup based in Rialto, California, comes on the heels of the company’s announcement of a new line of Alexa-enabled smart home devices, suggesting a potential new avenue of smart home development, experimentation, and expansion.

It is no surprise that Roche Bobois has stayed true to its motto — art de vivre (the art of living). The iconic French retailer has been on the forefront of modern design for more than 65 years. With 250-plus showrooms around the world — including the more recent openings in Tokyo, Singapore, Jakarta and Sofia, Bulgaria (in Canada, there are stores in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and four in the province of Quebec) — the brand’s ultra-stylish pieces have become a mainstay in design-chic homes-away-from-home, such as The Langham in New York, Palazzo Ridolfi in Florence, and Hôtel Version Maquis Citadelle in Corsica. But it is Roche Bobois’s commitment to collaboration and innovation that solidifies the company’s reputation as a designer favourite in today’s fickle and ever-changing world of décor.

With the proliferation of home rental sites like Airbnb and VRBO, it’s never been easier to rent your house for the additional revenue and flexibility afforded by letting a space on a short- or long-term basis. Homeowners in peak markets make an average of $20,000 a year by renting out their homes—and that’s just through Airbnb.

With its cool-climate viticulture, British Columbia’s Okanagan region is a wine-producing Eden. The long, sun-filled summer days, tempered by cool, crisp nights, yield wines with a natural acidity and a unique flavour profile. Many first-time visitors to the vineyards of Liquidity, in Okanagan Falls, come with a purpose — swirl, sniff and sip, perhaps a fruity viognier, a savoury pinot noir or maybe a peachy chardonnay. That is, until they arrive at the estate.

As cities get more crowded and congested, there is an overwhelming need to get away from it all. “Our clients — executives, well- paid professionals and retirees — are looking to leave the city on weekend getaways or settle for a few months over summer and the fall,” says Rachael Werner, a sales representative at Sotheby’s International Realty Canada

August appears to have cemented the Toronto region’s real estate recovery, with average resale home prices up 4.7 per cent year over year to $765,270, including single-family homes and highrise apartments. That is about $34,000 higher than the average a year ago.