Elizabeth Rand Watkinson

Even though I've worked in design for a long time, I don't consider myself an expert in the field of art consultation, especially having seen the magic a true expert can achieve. Jo-Ann McCluskey, the brains and heart behind Joan of Art, is who I recommend my clients call when the time comes for choosing artwork or revamping pieces they already have. With a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Winnipeg, Jo-Ann has been consulting on corporate and residential art for twenty years. Whether you're looking for advice on buying original art or lithographs, mono prints, etchings, sculpture, posters for the kids' rooms, or how to make a print look like an original, Joan of Art can help. You'll be surprised at how affordable working with a specialist can be, especially if she can save you from making expensive mistakes.

Elte is one of my favourite places to go for special pieces, whether for my own home or for a client. I've consistently found just the right thing there, from one of a kind pieces of furniture to exotic, imported area rugs, magnificent chandeliers and luxurious linens. The staff are knowledgeable, well-trained, and helpful the merchandise is always right on target style wise and the selection is huge. Even just one piece from Elte, if it's the right signature piece, can make the difference between a space being merely nice and the space being breathtaking.

I've installed countertops from Granite Transformations in the kitchens and bathrooms of my last two homes and I'm totally smitten with how their products look and perform. I also recommend them to all my clients. Their contertops are made using real granite stones of a uniform size that are mixed with a polymer so that the final product is only 1/4 inch thick. You can have it installed right over your existing countertop, you don't have any of the maintenance hassles of slab granite (namely regular sealing), and it's about 30% less expensive than slab granite as well. Personally, I wouldn't use anything else for countertops.

We found Ed and his company through pure luck when we were preparing our house for sale in 2005. We needed someone quick, reliable, well priced, who did quality work. We got all that and more. Ed and his crew did a fabulous job removing a century's worth of wallpaper layers, fixing wonky walls and drywall, painting and doing small carpentry jobs. They went the extra mile time after time to make sure the job was done perfectly, on time and on budget. I'd recommend them to anyone looking for personable, honest people who do great work at truly reasonable prices.