Paint it Black | Shading your walls in black may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you’re considering paint colors. But black has a daring all its own that can bring character and chicness to your space.

“The result is both unexpected and incredibly sophisticated,” says Andrea Magno, a Benjamin Moore color and design expert.

“Black has an interesting effect on the walls of a room because the corners and shadows are obscured more than if a midtone or pastel color is used,” Magno says. “This can be used as a visual trick to give the space a less-defined appearance and can make a room feel a bit more expansive.”

Potential home buyers in cities with white-hot real estate markets got some relief in Tuesday’s federal budget with an incentive program that could lower mortgage payments for households making less than $120,000 per year.

The government unveiled a multi-pronged approach to housing affordability that centres on the incentive plan, but beefs up an existing initiative that allows buyers to withdraw money from their RRSPs, and a variety of measures to boost the supply of homes on the Canadian market.

What's New in Art, Architecture, and Design | The year 2019 is bringing in new technologies and old techniques to create beautiful spaces and objects. Below, some of the latest trends in art, architecture, and design.

Sotheby’s International Realty Announces Expanding Presence in Slovakia | Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC today announced its expansion in Europe with the opening of Slovakia Sotheby’s International Realty.

The firm is owned and operated by Ilona Mancikova, who also stands at the helm of Czech Republic Sotheby’s International Realty and Croatia Sotheby’s International Realty. The flagship office of Slovakia Sotheby’s International Realty is located in the capital city of Bratislava and will serve the luxury residential real estate markets throughout the surrounding metropolitan area and into the High Tatras Mountain region.

What’s New in Art, Architecture, and Design | Whether we’re talking trends in art, architecture, or design, it’s all about seeing the beauty of traditional materials used in new ways. It’s looking at ordinary objects in a different light. It’s rethinking the purpose of conventional spaces. But most of all, it’s about being open to possibilities.

6 Exclusive Tasting Menus Around the Globe | Stimulate your palate with a foamy amuse-bouche. Finish your multi-course meal with a silky chocolate dessert. Often presenting delicacies like foie gras, sweetbreads, and Wagyu, tastings allow gifted chefs to show off their cooking chops.What gourmet dreams are made of, the tasting menus at the following restaurants might not be on your radar—but should be.

Designed to Inspire: Philippe Starck’s Island Home | In the midst of a juniper orchard, a rustic, waterfront property perched on top of a cliff on the Cap de Barbaria—only 60 miles from Africa’s Barbary Coast—is where designer Philippe Starck works and plays a few months out of the year.

The French icon, known for creating avant-garde interiors, furniture, and household items, designed the six-bedroom, six-bathroom villa in Formentera, Spain, in the mid-1990s. Starck has since used the home as an escape, but it’s now listed by Ibiza Sotheby’s International Realty for 7.9 million euros (US$9 million).

Decorating Like a Parisian | There’s a certain chicness about a Parisian home that’s so effortless, even the most haphazardly strewn items seem decidedly curated. It’s that je ne sais quoi that comes second nature to the French.

Designing a quintessentially French space is about elegance, a sense of the spectacular, and creating a warm and cozy atmosphere, says Paris-based interior and furniture designer Aline Hazarian, who works with clients who are leaders in international business and finance, and who is known for her striking and sophisticated interiors.

The New Private Clubs | Private social clubs, traditional bastions of upper-class decorum, are reinventing themselves as democratic gathering spots for a diverse, younger generation of members.

The old clubs are easing membership rules, dress codes, and even fees, while new clubs like the one being planned by David Beckham and Guy Ritchie in West London’s Notting Hill are catering to the chic sneakers-and-cellphone crowd.

March 2019 | Market Watch - “The OSFI mandated mortgage stress test has left some buyers on the sidelines who have struggled to qualify for the type of home they want to buy. The stress test should be reviewed and consideration should be given to bringing back 30 year amortizations for federally insured mortgages. There is a federal budget and election on the horizon. It will be interesting to see what policy measures are announced to help with home ownership affordability.” said Mr Bhaura.

Chapultepec Uno - Mexico City | Chapultepec UNO is a hybrid multipurpose project that has offices, residences, and the Ritz-Carlton hotel. It is located in Paseo de la Reforma, nearby the famous park of Chapultepec that has various outdoor attractions. It was designed with an avant-garde architecture and has sophisticated technology, such as domotic parking, last generation lifts, double façade system that allows freshness in the summer and heat in the winter.

Last week we visited De Pijp and discovered Amsterdam’s coolest neighborhood. Today, we join Sotheby’s and Tim Marlow as we travel to the neighboring Van Gogh museum to explore a can’t-miss exhibit.

Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC today reported that in 2018 its affiliated brokers and sales professionals achieved more than $112 billion USD in global sales volume, the highest annual sales volume performance in the history of the brand. Additionally, 27 affiliated companies surpassed $1 billion USD in sales volume in 2018.

Rosedale | Highest Rated Restaurants - Hungry? I sure am… We have compiled a list of some of the hottest restaurants in Rosedale and Summerhill. Check it out and let me know which one is your favourite.

Netflix coming to Toronto | Netflix Inc said on Tuesday it is creating a production hub with two studios in Toronto that is expected to create 1,850 jobs per year. Netflix will lease Cinespace Studios, a Toronto-based film studio comprising four sound stages, office space and support space that measures 164,000 square feet, and Pinewood Toronto Studios, which measures 84,850 square feet, the streaming company said in a statement.

Karl Lagerfeld’s Parisian Home | On design Lagerfeld says "We are at the heart of a Russian doll: first the clothes, then the apartments and houses. Even the streets and the cities are part of the evolution of our preferences and our taste."

“So many people reference Dior. He’s one of those people in fashion: everybody knows who he is, everybody knows the silhouette he created,” says Oriole Cullen, the curator of Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams, a major new exhibition at London’s V&A museum devoted to the influential French fashion designer and the powerhouse he left behind. The retrospective is the biggest Dior show ever staged in the UK, and one of a string of exhibitions around the world that reveal Dior’s extraordinary popularity right now.

Market Watch | January 2019 - TREB President Garry Bhaura announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 4,009 home sales through TREB's MLS® in January 2019 – up by 0.6 per cent compared to January 2018. On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, sales were up by 3.4 per cent compared to December 2018.

A new report released today by Mustel Group and Sotheby’s International Realty Canada highlights the impact of escalating costs of living on young families across the country’s major metropolitan real estate markets. The report sheds light on the financial challenges faced by urban Canadian families, including the decision between saving for a home versus saving for retirement, and provides insight into how those obstacles are being overcome.

Lighting and shelter are often intertwined, as they evoke the warmth and familiarity of home — the porch light as a welcoming beacon or, perhaps, seen from the street through the windows, a glow hinting at the lively gathering inside.

Evocative as it is, lighting design has been garnering more appreciation recently. “While lighting will always be an essential product in both residential and commercial applications, it’s morphing into a powerhouse category of its own,” says Karen Kang, national director of the Interior Design Show (IDS), which showcases innovative new products and design concepts in Canada and beyond. “Canadian creatives, such as Matthew McCormick, Anony and Guillaume Sasseville, are making a significant impact on the world stage where they’re presenting lighting, not just as a necessary form but [also] re-imagining it with technology, provenance and design that push the boundaries of innovation.”