Beatrice in Vancouver

I live in an apartment in Vancouver. My apartment is a little over 700 sq ft and there is a designated closet for the washer and dryer. The closet is fairly small and is able to fit apartment size compact stacked washer and dryers. When I was looking for a new pair, the only brands that I found locally in Vancouver was either an LG or a Miele set. The LG dryer does not require to be vented outside. I read reviews on that and learnt that it takes longer to dry your clothes due to the internal drying system and that more heat is exerted into your living space. Hence, I went with the compact Miele stacked washer and dryer. I had no idea that compact sizes are almost twice as expensive as full sizes. Despite the huge price leap, I love my new Miele washer and dryer. The washer has multiple wash cycle options and the dryer does vent outside which I prefer. The stainless steel finish matches all the other appliances in my house. When I bought the product as well, Miele techs come over and install the appliance for you, ensuring confidence that it was done correctly. After this experience, I would suggest Miele to anyone looking for new appliances. It's pricier, but their service and support is outstanding.

I replaced all the cabinet doors to my kitchen for an updated look. Two coworkers of mine who have both bought from this company called Euro-rite suggested them to me. I went and checked out the company myself and the staff were friendly, helpful and knowledgable. One thing to note tho is that the product that they carry are all 'veneered' cabinets, so if you were looking for solid wood with natural finished, you're only going to get the appearance of that. However, with that being said, the price is a lot lower. The company has a good variety of finishes and designs you can choose from and if you aren't familiar with how to install cabinet doors, they can suggest for you installers. Also very cool is their computer program that can show you exactly what your very own design would look like. I would recommend this company if any one is looking to redo their cabinetry or any kinds of storage space.

I accidentally used the wrong side of the sponge and scratched my new stainless steel garbage can. I googled the internet and learnt about this product that they sold at Reliable Parts, Ltd. The staff were friendly and helpful and gave me their honest input on the product. It was a bit pricey but I needed to fix my expensive garbage can so I decided to give it a go. I purchased the product and followed the easy to follow instructions on my stainless steel garbage can and 'voila' the scratches were gone. It took a bit of elbow grease using the different sanding pads that the package came up with but it worked! The only thing about the product is that depending on how fine the grain is on your stainless steel item, the sanding pads that came with the product might not replicate 100% of the finish. But, with that being said, only if you spend a long time looking for differences would you find them. I highly suggest Scratch-B-Gone.

I have a storage space within my new apartment that I decided to turn into a walk-in closet for myself. I didn't want the cheap looking wire shelves and racks and wanted actual wood shelves. After looking a few different options for a do-it-myself home projects, I decided to go with the closet / storage options that Ikea had to offer. Knowing that I have had several pieces of build-yourself Ikea furniture pieces, I knew that it would be easy enough for me to tackle. Depending on the number of shelves you decide to connect together, your walk-in closet could add up. I chose for myself 4 big shelving units and connected the shelves into an L-shape formation. I like the options that Ikea offers for drawers. I have wire basket drawers on my highest shelf so that without climbing up, I could see what my basket drawer had. I also have 4 regular drawers, one slide out for jewelry, and 2 shoe rack slide outs. I love my closet and the staff there were friendly and helpful in helping me configure my closet. Just remember, if you don't own a truck, you'll have to tack on about $50 for delivery depending on where you live.

Great place for cheap tiles with an adequate selection. They carry most of the common household varieties. The only catch is that if you are planning on retiling your own place, learn from an expert prior to buying from discount stores like these to know exactly what kinds of tools need. I went there and spoke to some 'kid' working there and he suggested using a certain type of grout on my tiles. I ordered such and a week later went to pick up my product. On my second visit, I spoke with a more experienced lady behind the counter and said that the grout I was going to buy was the incorrect type. So yeah, the discounted tiles were great, but take advice you get with a grain of salt.

Just bought my own apartment and the first thing I did was conduct mini reno's on the place. I like Benjamin Moore paints because I find that compared to other paint brands, the quality and colors that Benjamin Moore carries offers more depth - visually. I like the fact that they had lots of selection for wallpaper. But I must encourage for people who are looking into redecorating to choose your wall papers early on because after selecting a wallpaper, its takes about 3 weeks for the wallpaper to arrive once ordered. All in all, the staff there were friendly and helpful.