Featured in our Winter 2023 Issue: Calgreen Homes

History in the Making
Calgreen Homes revives functional flair with a definitive design and an eye for the extraordinary.

Our new Winter 2023 issue is now available on newsstands for $8.95 CDN.
(Hint: try your local Indigo for guaranteed results)

A digital issue can be downloaded at our store here for $3.99 CDN.

To subscribe to Best Home visit our page here
A one year subscription (2 issues) is $12.99 or two year subscription (4 issues) is $19.95

Get your issue today!

How to Make Your Home Look More Luxurious

With more people than ever working from home now, homeowners are turning to home improvements to make their surroundings as enjoyable as possible. Many homeowners are looking to bring more luxury into their homes in an effort to make them feel like a more sophisticated and enjoyable space. Sometimes, just a few simple improvements can make your home feel extremely luxurious and will make you the envy of your visitors and neighbours.

Consider The Use of Paints in The Home 

According to Ben Thomson, manager of Promain Paints, the UK's largest industrial paint distributor, you can elevate a home's luxury feel by using rich, sophisticated paint colours like deep blues or warm neutrals and incorporating textured finishes like satin or metallic. "Emphasising architectural details with contrasting hues can also introduce a more elegant look," says Thomson.  

"Small paint changes, such as an accent wall or refined trim, can also make a big impact on creating a luxurious atmosphere," Thomson continues. "An accent wall in a rich hue or refined trim in a contrasting colour can add depth and sophistication, drawing attention to architectural features, instantly making a room more luxurious." 

If you're on a tight budget, Thomson suggests that you use high-quality paint for a smoother finish. "Yes, it may cost more initially, but it will last for longer, cutting costs over time," he explains. "Opt for classic colour schemes, such as a combination of soft ivory walls paired with charcoal-grey accents. These colour schemes can give a room a more upmarket look. Finally, apply paint to highlight focal points to enhance the living space's appeal." 

Use High-Quality Materials 

"High-quality materials such as marble, silk, and velvet can automatically elevate a property's ambience", explains Richard Whatton, founder of the Wiltshire-based estate agency Miles Byron. "By incorporating statement pieces like a chandelier or a luxurious rug, homeowners can make a significant impact and improve their chances of selling." 

"If you're looking to attract potential buyers for your home, small changes can go a long way" Whatton explains. "Consider investing in high-quality bedding and decorative throw pillows to create an inviting atmosphere, and having metallic accents throughout your home in the form of stylish accessories."  Whatton also suggests that you pay attention to hardware on cabinets and doors. "If they look old, dated, or worn, consider updating and replacing them." 

For those looking to add a touch of luxury on a budget, Whatton recommends focusing on lighting. "Strategic placement of lights and the use of dimmers can create a warm and inviting atmosphere", he suggests. "And investing in quality curtains can give a sophisticated touch without breaking the bank. Mixing textures and layering different fabrics can also add depth and richness to a room without a major investment." 

Add Some Statement Pieces 

"Using statement pieces like a plush headboard or luxurious bedding can create a focal point in your bedroom" explains Olivia Walton, manager of Bedz4U. "These items not only enhance your room's aesthetics, but also help create a more comfortable sleep environment." 

Walton also suggests investing in quality pillows, calming scents, and cosy throws for a truly luxurious bedroom retreat. 

Statement pieces also work well in other areas of the home. For example, a statement fireplace or rug in the living room or a statement chandelier above the dining table.  

Add Some Statement and Oriental Rugs 

"We're in and out of high-end luxurious homes all the time. The one thing they all have in common is having area and oriental rugs placed all over their home," explains Ramshad Nikbakht, co-owner of Southwest Rug Cleaning.

"Some of these come cheap and some expensive", Nikbakht adds, stating that a single statement rug in a luxurious home can cost six figures. "Bare floors are not a common thread with luxurious living." 

With this in mind, it's a good idea to consider adding a few large statement rugs around the home. Choose designs that tie in well with the overall theme and colour scheme of the room in which it's being placed.  

Upgrade The Exterior of Your Property

In addition to upgrading the inside of your home, you may also want to consider upgrading the exterior of your property. There are many ways that you can improve your home's exterior. "Consider upgrading your home's exterior siding to premium materials such as cedar shakes, stone veneer, or stucco. These materials not only offer durability but also provide a sophisticated 

and upscale appearance," suggests Cris Stevenson, sales manager and business developer at 730 South Exteriors. 

Cris also suggests that you consider installing architectural columns or pillars at the entrance or along the exterior of your home to create a grand and stately look. "Choose materials such as fibreglass, PVC, or natural stone for a luxurious finish." Alternatively, you can enhance your home's entrance with a portico or entry canopy to provide shelter and architectural interest, Stevenson suggests. "Opt for elegant designs with decorative columns, trim, and lighting to create a welcoming and upscale entryway." 

"Upgrade your garage doors to high-quality materials such as wood or aluminium with decorative hardware for a more upscale look. Consider adding windows or architectural details to enhance the aesthetics further," Stevenson adds. "Illuminate your landscaping with well-placed outdoor lighting to highlight trees, pathways, and 

architectural features. Low-voltage LED lighting can create a dramatic effect and enhance the overall ambience of your home's exterior."  

Think Beyond Appearances 

"Luxury is more than just appearances", explains Erica Brenning, an experienced real estate investor and owner of Cash Buyers. "Think about adding unusual details to satiate your senses."  

"By employing room sprays or essential oils, you can create a signature perfume that makes your home smell special" Brenning suggests. 

"Installing a steam or rainfall showerhead can turn your shower into a spa-like haven where you can relax after a demanding day", she adds. "Try experimenting with the lights as well to generate various ambiences and moods. Install dimmers or colour-changing lights to create the ideal atmosphere for a restful night or a busy morning."  

Upgrade The Kitchen 

"For the kitchen, upgrade your hardware and lighting", suggests Jacky Chou, director at Archute.

"You don't have to spend a fortune on new cabinets or appliances to make your kitchen look luxurious. You can simply change the hardware, such as knobs, handles, and faucets, to something more modern and sleek." These simple changes can instantly cause some significant improvements in the kitchen. 

"Also, include some pendant lights or under-cabinet lights to brighten up your space and make the atmosphere warm and welcoming," Chou adds.  

Hide Pipes and Cables 

"Though you can't paint over exposed wires and pipes or add permanent fixtures, you can still get a polished look with inexpensive and simple hacks", explains Jia Hui, founder of Smart Singapore.  

"Exposed wires and pipes are likely to ruin the aesthetic of any area. Look for inexpensive storage boxes that are specifically made with cut-out holes into which cables may be threaded to conceal electrical boxes and connectors" Hui suggests.  

This is a great way to neaten up your living space, making it feel less overwhelming and cluttered. 

Varying Lighting Levels 

"Lighting may instantly give your house a more upscale appearance and increase the comfort of its occupants," says Sally Watson, CEO and co-founder of The Best Toronto. 

"Three distinct light levels should ideally be present in every room: ambient, task, and ornamental," the expert explains.  

It's also advised to turn on dimmer switches for each light to achieve a task, ambient, and decorative lighting plan. Dimmers enhance the already glitzy appearance of everything and everyone," Watson adds.  

Choose a Signature Scent 

To further improve the luxurious feeling of your home, you may wish to consider choosing a signature scent.

"This subtle touch goes a long way in creating a luxurious ambience," explains Connor Butterworth, CEO and owner of Southwestern Rugs Depot.  

"Fragrance diffusers, scented candles, or even homemade potpourri can add a rich sensory experience to your space, giving it that upscale hotel feel," Butterworth adds.  

Incorporate Textural Contrast 

"One often overlooked aspect of luxury is texture," explains Ashish Agarwal, owner of Home In Depth. 

A blend of contrasting textures, like soft linens against smooth marble or polished wood, can elevate a room's aesthetic. It's about engaging the senses and creating an environment that feels layered and rich," Agarwal adds.  

Final Thoughts 

As you can see, there are many great ways in which you can make your home feel more luxurious. From adding statement rugs to choosing the right paint colours, you can elevate your home with a few simple updates, making it feel like a luxurious retreat at all times.

Isla Animals History

Sir Isaac Newton once said, "If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

It is because of the ingenuity and hard work of Alison Sawyer that Isla Animals rescue came into existence. Now, 24 years later, we are carrying on her tradition by continuing to rescue, vaccinate, heal, socialize and find good homes for 100s of animals every year.

With your generous donations, we have overcome the setback that we were dealt in April of 2023 when the government of Isla Mujeres took away our small shelter area. We are using the funds to build a shelter that NO ONE can take away from us...ever!

Isla Animals is blessed to have a videographer that documented much of our history. Charlie Sawyer started with Last In Line, a documentary in 2014 about Alison's rescue work on Isla Mujeres. He followed that with Real Women Heroes in 2018. His most recent documentary has just been released:
Isla Animals - The History of animal rescue in Mexico 2024.

What started to be a video showcasing our yearly LARGE spay and neuter campaign turned into something much bigger. As he was editing the video, Isla Animals was evicted from the shelter. Then the idea of OASIS was born, so he decided to incorporate all of this into his documentary. We are so lucky to benefit from his amazing talent. Thank you Charlie!

On March 1 (just 10 days ago) we moved into the shelter with our dogs, puppies, kittens, and ALL of our supplies. We knew the shelter wasn't ready yet, but we were prepared to camp here to do some of the work ourselves. Painting, sanding, cleaning, organizing, planting trees...even installing doors! We are a determined bunch I must say!

And remember that we never stop rescuing. We are up to 40 dogs adopted in just over 2 months!

2 days ago we picked up a tiny mama doggie with 4 puppies, about 3 weeks old. Mama can't use her front legs (she is at the vet today to find out more).

And check out the new outdoor pen for Lopez! He is very happy to have some space. He's been living in a small room for the past few days while we get everything set up for him.

He loves our old couch that we were going to throw away because our fosters have used it as a chew toy, pee pad, poop spot and vomit area. But he doesn't care, it's HIS now!

Please help us with this beautiful project. We still need funds to finish the surgery room, covered area for the pups to be safe during the nights, and the isolation areas.

Featured in our Winter 2023 Issue: Rosecrest Homes

Green Luxury
Rosecrest Homes combines luxury, diversity, and maximized function with innovations in energy efficiency.

Our new Winter 2023 issue is now available on newsstands for $8.95 CDN.
(Hint: try your local Indigo for guaranteed results)

A digital issue can be downloaded at our store here for $3.99 CDN.

To subscribe to Best Home visit our page here
A one year subscription (2 issues) is $12.99 or two year subscription (4 issues) is $19.95

Get your issue today!

Featured in our new Winter 2023 issue: Velin Homes

Beyond Borders
Velin Homes connects stunning interior and exterior view with architectural finesse.

Our new Winter 2023 issue is now available on newsstands for $8.95 CDN.
(Hint: try your local Indigo for guaranteed results)

A digital issue can be downloaded at our store here for $3.99 CDN.

To subscribe to Best Home visit our page here
A one year subscription (2 issues) is $12.99 or two year subscription (4 issues) is $19.95

Get your issue today!

Isla Animals OASIS - NEWS

Hello Isla Animals Family!!!!
We wanted to make a newsletter at the beginning of the year, and then again to make some big announcements... But you know that if we are late with news is because we have been super busy with rescue and working on Oasis! 
 
Happy start of 2024!!!! 
 
We have started the year with 29 dogs finding their forever homes, an incredible achievement since we are in the middle of packing, moving, building... We have done over 30 spay and neuters so far and we have a few more dates coming soon... and... we have some big news regarding Isla Animals OASIS!
 
Drumroll please!!!

We have a moving date!!!!!
 
We will be relocating to Isla Animals OASIS by March 1st!!!!
 
This decision has been coming for a while... but March 1st is the soonest we can have the minimum facilities ready for our volunteers and our dogs... And yes... the place is still much of a construction site!!!
 
Why moving before Isla Animals OASIS is ready?
 
There are many reasons... 

  • Our place on Isla is very expensive without being adequate for our dogs and visitors, we want to better use our funds on the animals. We can only house a limited number of dogs, we are constantly worried they will bother the neighbors...

  • We are still short on our fundraising efforts and it's time to get our hands dirty (dirtier!). We can do a lot of the work if we are there... the money and time spent in coming and going, the limited time we have there before we have to come back and feed and clean and take care of the animals, all can be better used if we have everything in the same place!

  • We have been dreaming of the day we can move in our animals into Isla Animals Oasis... and we can't contain our excitement

When will Isla Animals Oasis be ready?
 
This is a question we get often and we truly don't know... Remember we are a tiny team, we never took a break from rescue, we continued taking in animals, doing sterilizations, while we were architects and contractors for the new place... We have been the ones buying materials and supervising the works... as we wanted to make sure we were as wise as possible with the costs of building Isla Animals Oasis! 

With us being able to work in the property more consistently, we believe we can go faster, but also our funds are getting smaller and smaller and if we manage to continue fundraising we may be able to have the space somewhat ready for the summer... that's our goal and dream... but if we can't make it work, we will be taking our time to get it exactly as we want it to be! As long as we have our dogs in a safe space, with the comforts we truly never had for them before... we can make this work!

And remember we never stop rescuing... 2024 started with 29 dogs going to their furever homes!!!!!

We have started a new way of fundraising on RallyUp! You can donate concrete blocks, puppy pens, doors, windows, and more!
https://go.rallyup.com/islaanimalsshelterfunds 

Our Go Fund ME is still active and your help will make this space the future of Isla Animals!!!!! https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-isla-animals-rescue

Check out more rescue videos and building updates 
@islaanimalsrescue

Our GoFundMe is still active, and slowly we are trying to keep going, wisely allocating funds where they are needed, continuing with the building while making sure our dogs do not lack anything.
 Please help us reach our goal and continue building. We are getting so close to finishing!

Featured in our new Winter 2023 issue: North Pointe Homes

What Family Values

North Pointe Homes blends Modern Farmhouse styling with a versatile and vastly entertaining vision of home.

Our new Winter 2023 issue is now available on newsstands for $8.95 CDN.
(Hint: try your local Indigo for guaranteed results)

A digital issue can be downloaded at our store here for $3.99 CDN.

To subscribe to Best Home visit our page here
A one year subscription (2 issues) is $12.99 or two year subscription (4 issues) is $19.95

Get your issue today!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!
And thankful we are every single day! 🥹
No matter the struggle, no matter the challenges... we always take a moment to look around and be thankful! Thanksgiving is every day for rescue dogs!!! 🐶
Isla Animals is grateful to have you all fighting with us to save as many animals as we possibly can... So thank you for...

👉208 animals that have found homes this year so far!
👉Over 260 animals have been taken from the streets this year.
👉Over 800 animals have been sterilized

We are thankful we were able to treat dozens of ehrlichia cases, afford heartworm treatments, cover the costs of surgeries like Esperanza amputations, and broken legs, we were also able to treat quite a few cases of TVT, and overall provide the best medical care for our dogs! 🩺

We are SO THANKFUL that beyond the indifference of local authorities and the blows they hit us with, we managed to remain operational, adjust, and continue our mission. 💪
But we are MORE THAN THANKFUL that when we came up with the plans for a future for Isla Animals you all believed in us 🙏, what we do, and what we can achieve! And we are thankful today to be able to report that Isla Animals OASIS is well underway and SO CLOSE to be the new home of many animals that never again will suffer, be sick, and die in the streets.

When all felt lost after losing the govt space we had for 8 years, we reached out with our crazy plans and you showed us, with your kindness and support, that these plans were actually the answer, the right way, the solution. THANK YOU FOR BELIEVING IN WHAT WE DO and what we can achieve. We work tirelessly daily saving animals in honor of your support and trust! 🙏

And yes, while we are indeed very close to seeing Oasis finished 🤩, we are also struggling to raise the funds to get there. We have 3 phases in front of us...

👉 first, to see most of the hardcore building finished (medical isolation areas and volunteers' apartment is being finished in the next week or so, front wall and gate hopefully by Christmas).
👉 The second phase would be to have all the basics, like plumbing and electricity, windows and doors... At this point, we can already move in the dogs!
👉 Phase three is to tackle all the finishings, painting, flooring etc... this could happen while we are there... and a lot of the work, we will be doing ourselves! 💪

If you still believe in what we do, what we can achieve and how much potential Isla Animals Oasis has to change the lives of so many animals... please consider lending a paw and being part of this crazy beautiful future.... The doggies will be forever grateful!

➡️ PayPal: https://paypal.me/islaanimalsresuce?locale.x=en_US
➡️ Go Fund Me: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-isla-animals-rescue

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! ❤️🧡💛

We have started a new way of fundraising on RallyUp! You can donate concrete blocks, puppy pens, doors, windows, and more!
https://go.rallyup.com/islaanimalsshelterfunds
 

Our milestone goals are to have raised $10,000 each month by the 24th when PayPal Giving Fund sends us your donations. We were short for August, but we did make our goal in September! For October we were approx. $4,400 short of our goal and unfortunately we only have enough money to build until the beginning of December.  Please help us reach our goal and continue building. We are so close to finishing!