Curating the perfect home is no easy feat, especially if you are doing it without any professional help.

For all the design DIYers out there in need of a little direction, we reached out to a couple Calgary designers for their foolproof colour palettes, design schemes and decorative themes that are sure to sizzle in any space. The best part is that anyone can pull these looks together – no experience necessary.

Anyone who has walked into a hardware store lately is aware of the current price of lumber, a situation that is creating issues for the homebuilding and renovation industries in Calgary and across the country.

If the siding on your house has seen better days, the good news is there are a wide variety of products to choose from to replace it, each with its own pros and cons. Neil MacDonald, assistant store manager with Home Depot Canada's Beacon Hill location, says it's important to remember that while material cost is a major part of the equation, people also need to consider ease of installation, or factor in the cost of a professional install, when deciding on new siding.

Here is a comparison between the most common siding products (click to expand):