DESIGN DIY

Scrap Save Create

Ottawa’s MOVE 100.3 morning show host Janel Steeper’s creations are to DIY for.

BY HOLLIE GRACE JAMES PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK HOLLERON

After leaving behind her childhood home just outside the small beach town of Grand Bend, Ontario, along with the family and farm that gave it such life, Janel Steeper would carry with her the magic of how a simple DIY can transform someone else’s trash into her very own priceless treasure.

After bouncing around various locations in the Territories, Northern Ontario and the East Coast, Janel has settled nicely into her current role in the trio hosting The Morning Show on MOVE 100.3, alongside veterans Stuntman Stu and Angie Poirier. With the job comes many free afternoons and so Janel is dipping into her pool of memories to retrieve DIY skills cultivated long ago, and the creativity that fuels them. She credits this rags-to-what-looks-like-riches mentality to her parents. Explains Janel, “I think it was probably a product of [my mom’s] own upbringing. Her parents were immigrants from Holland and she had 12 brothers and sisters. [DIY] is probably how her family got by and she probably picked it up along the way. And I would say the same kind of thing about my dad. Farming isn’t necessarily the easiest kind of job, so you’ve got to be resourceful.”

THE TABLE AND CHAIRS WERE BOUGHT ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE FOR $60 AND WERE COMPLETELY RE-DONE THE PENDANT COMBINED PAPIER-MÂCHÉ AND CONCRETE ALONG WITH FAUX GOLD LEAF AND BLACK PAINT

Lépine Apartments’

Howard Grant in Barrhaven

A new landmark in Barrhaven is quickly gaining a reputation as the ideal residence for small families, work-from-home professionals as well as retirees. Lepine’s Howard Grant, an attractive 18 storey building in the vibrant Chapman Mills community, was completed earlier this year and many happy tenants have already made it their new home. Choosing to forgo the expense and inconvenience of mortgages and maintenance, residents at Howard Grant have reduced their stress and upgraded their lifestyle and are now enjoying all the comfort and convenience of a simpler, more relaxing pace of life.

Conveniently located at 1024 McGarry Terrace near the intersection of Longfields and Strandherd, the well-appointed 232 suite building still has a selection of units of various sizes available, ranging from 1 bedroom + office up to 2 bedrooms + office. Many suites include a walk-out balcony or spacious terrace, ideal for relaxing, reading and dining al fresco. Howard Grant’s many premium amenities include a lounge, well-equipped fitness centre, party room, yoga studio, salt water pool, rooftop terrace, storage units, secure bicycle storage and underground parking, plus a staffed front desk. Within walking distance, you’ll also find grocery stores, transit, schools, cinemas and more.

Sustainability is incorporated into every facet of a Lépine property, and Howard Grant is no exception. The extremely energy efficient building, constructed with top quality materials, features electrical, mechanical and plumbing systems chosen for their reliability, efficiency and ease of maintenance. In addition, every suite is fully compartmentalized with its own individual air intake and heat pump so you have control over the heating and ventilation. Each pet-friendly unit offers durable, attractive hardwood and ceramic flooring, high ceilings, panoramic windows and superior soundproofing to heighten enjoyment of the spacious living areas and full-sized kitchens. While upgraded finishes are standard, some enhancements are available, including sleek, highly functional home offices with built-in cabinetry. As a bonus, each unit includes stainless steel appliances and in-suite laundry.

Lépine maintains a steadfast commitment to welcome you home to best-in-class design and construction practices which have resulted in a building which will withstand the stresses of time and the environment for generations to come. “Much like our stringent attention to quality through all aspects of the building process, it is our belief that incorporating sustainable long-term design principles and materials improves quality of life,” notes company president Francis Lépine.

A family-founded firm with several decades of construction experience, including more than 20 years in the Ottawa area, Lépine Apartments excels at purpose-built rental apartment buildings. Not only do they design, construct and lease their properties; they manage them as well, ensuring the most seamless and responsive tenant experience.

Life at Lépine offers all the convenience and comforts of condos, without the fees. No matter what stage of life you’re at, there’s a home for everyone at Howard Grant, where you’ll find flexible occupancy, a vibrant social community plus some of the largest suites in the Ottawa area. If you’re ready to enjoy the freedom and comfort that comes from living in a stylish Lépine apartment, contact a leasing agent today at 1.888.4LEPINE or leasing@lepineapartments.com to request a tour.

COMFORT, CONVENIENCE & FREEDOM

LEFT (TOP) THE SHELF BELOW THE MIRROR STARTED OUT AS A SIMPLE PIECE OF WOOD. THE TRUNK WAS A THRIFT STORE FIND (MIDDLE) JANEL GREETS GUESTS FROM HER PORCH WHICH OFFERS PLENTY OF DIY DECOR (BOTTOM) A THRIFT STORE LAMPSHADE IS COVERED IN RAFFIA TO CREATE THE WOVEN CEILING FIXTURE

When Janel was in her final year of high school, she had that mystical aha! moment as a realization crystalized—her interests in music and performing could translate nicely into a viable career in radio. She could actually go to school for, and make money doing, something that she loved. She settled in the Niagara region, completing her diploma in radio, television and film. But diving headfirst into this new chapter of her life came with a high price tag, literally. She was living completely on her own and as she says, “In radio you don’t make a ton of money, so it’s been about me being able to flip through magazines or scroll through Instagram and dream about all of these beautiful rooms in beautiful houses and trying to figure out a way that I can have that look and feel in my own home by doing it with DIY or thrifted items.”

This undying love for making something old new again is apparent in Janel’s apartment where she says that at least half of the items have been thrifted or somehow repurposed. “It became a necessity for me to be able to have what I wanted.” And since she was already doing it, why not jump on board the YouTube phenomenon and share the love? Enter Janel’s wittily-titled channel “To DIY For”, which she debuted in 2015. On her channel, you’ll find Christmas-themed content leading up to the holidays, patio furnishings in the spring and summer, and even costumes at Halloween. Janel humbly concedes that this has been a continuous learning curve. “When I started, I didn’t own any power tools. I can use my drill now, I know how to change a pendant light, I have a jigsaw—I have a few handy tools. I’m looking to get a table saw next, which I feel confident about, so I’ve definitely learned a lot along the way.”

Janel uploads a new video weekly, and together they have taken over 30,000 viewers on a journey through her thrift store finds, as well as a few snags at garage sales and even on the roadside. She also doesn’t deny a couple of rewarding dumpster dives. Normally, though, you can find her browsing at Value Village and ReStore or online through Facebook Marketplace, where she currently sells her creations. With a budget that falls just shy of $20, plenty of her projects have been made solely using dollar store products, so there are many that have been created for a quarter of that price tag. This has, of course, saved her thousands of dollars over the years as she continued to move and redecorate, with scavenged items that could fit each new, and vastly different, space.

MOVE 100.3 has nicknamed Janel the DIY Queen, and listeners are becoming aware of who their go-to in this category should be—she’d be thrilled if it became less of a hobby, and more of a side hustle. In the meantime, you can follow along with Janel’s latest projects, and maybe even try one for yourself, on YouTube, MOVE 100.3’s website and CTV Morning Live where it airs weekly.

A little nervous to jump in? Janel’s biggest DIY tip is to just try it. “I think a lot of people are really timid and they’re afraid to get started. Sometimes you have to scrap it and sometimes you have to regroup. If you don’t try it, you’re never going to see that you can actually build it, make it, or do it.”