Desiree McLean

What you see is what you get (almost) at Morningstar's Pepin Brook homes.'We try to present the homes as you will buy them, and keep the options to a minimum,' the company's Deborah Calahan says. 'I want people to know what they're going to get. However, some upgrades are available.' Customers would be hard pressed to do better than the Morningstar all-granite kitchen island -- "a truly hot feature," Calahan says. The Pepin Brook homes from Morningstar are certified green homes. Features include low-E windows that moderate interior temperatures year-round; a power-vented hot-water heater that reduces standby heat loss; low-flush toilets that conserve water; and low-VOC paints and flooring.

The national housing agency, Canada Mortgage and Housing, this week circulated a home-security reminder. Here's a bit of "know-your-enemy" information: "In choosing a target, a burglar will generally narrow the focus from neighbourhood, to street, to house. Deterring the criminal at any one of these stages is key to your home's security.

I grew up raising chickens and rabbits, tending large vegetable patches and living in homes built by my father. Neither frugality nor the pursuit of self-sufficiency motivated my parents: they did what they did because they had a bit of land, my father was a builder and we lived in a small town. Ours was not a "back-to-the-land" household of people who wanted to cut ties with the establishment and live independent of the system.

Vancouver -- 971 East 26th, above

In a home in the sky, and the Marinus penthouse in New Westminster is definitely that, a quiet soak or a quick shower can be a light-filled experienced. So could a night's sleep, for those who prefer their window coverings open.

Q: A friend who is expert at growing cactus plants told me last month that a Christmas cactus blooming in my kitchen should not still be flowering, but resting.

If the Pinnacle Living project on West Broadway has a signature, it is this: modern sophistication with classic elegance.

Many Vancouverites are counting the days until they can get out in their gardens, but the same thing is happening in many other parts of Canada.

InterUrban will have big views of historic city -- PAGES D2-3

Durability and sustainability are two of the reasons why wood has replaced carpeting in popularity in the main living areas of a house. Traditional hardwoods like oak and maple have been joined by bamboo, cork and reclaimed wood. Bamboo reaches maturity in six years and can be continually harvested. With cork, the bark of a tree is harvested every few years without killing the tree. Shown here, a dining room with cork flooring, left, a kitchen with bamboo flooring, above, and a sitting area with reclaimed wood, right.