Welcome to Homes to Roots, your all-in-one guide to everything home and garden! We’re here to help everyone from seasoned green thumbs to first-time DIYers make their dream home a reality. Join us for the latest decor trends, important real estate news, and easy gardening guides.
Emilie has been a content writer for Rough Maps since 2024. She holds a BA in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University and has been published in various magazines including Toronto Life and Exclaim. Her favourite topics to write about include food, traveling, health & wellness, and music. Emilie doesn't require many creature comforts as she's basically nomadic, but likes to travel with her foldable yoga mat.
Christy Chan is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, and designer. Though her travels are few and far between, she has no shortage of stories to share—trekking the Canadian wilderness, sampling poke along the Honolulu coastline, getting lost in night markets in Taiwan—and her wanderlust will eventually pin her somewhere foreign. Travels aside, if she isn't busy trying to bake the perfect cookie or relearning how to watercolour, she's scouring the nearest library, searching for the next spark of inspiration. If she had a garden, she’d hash out all her tips—but alas. (She only waters tiny potted plants from time to time.)
With a fine arts degree from OCAD University under her belt, Megan dips her brush in many creative fields. She’s currently exploring the world of writing, working in niches from fiction to copywriting. Meg is either traveling or dreaming of traveling when she’s not writing. Her home base is in Canada until the lakes freeze over. Megan can't live without a blender. From cocktails to hummus, if you can blend it, she will.
Chase joined Rough Maps as our inaugural employee in 2018, bringing with him a BA in Administrative Marketing from Fanshawe College and a fervent aspiration to become an advertising expert. His love for travel and his writing prowess seamlessly blend, enabling him to share captivating experiences about the wonders of our planet. Chase's favourite household item is his air fryer. French fries have never tasted so good.
Farva has been immersed in the world of writing since earning her B.A. in English. In the past, she has written as a freelancer and has even worked on some novels. She enjoys exploring a variety of topics, including relationships, comic books, and global culture. Superheroes—ranging from iconic figures like Batman to niche characters like Morpheus—are some of her favorite subjects. Farva's favorite household item is her cozy desk setup, everyone needs one!
Having dealt first-hand in the realm of digital content and media since 2019, David has committed himself to making full use of his BA in History and Political Science (that being an extremely loose definition of the term "full use"). Despite this complete 180, David's passion for writing and observing the world around him has lent itself to a steadfast commitment to producing content about the topics he cares about most: travel and pop culture. One household item David can't live without is his French press.
Since the dawn of time, Maria has subjected people to her writing. From silly stories about baseball in her youth to silly stories about cowboys in adulthood, people have been unsafe for years. She brought that love of writing to UTM (U of T’s homely sister in Mississauga) where she spent five years on the campus newspaper, eventually becoming editor-in-chief. Her work has also been published in UTM’s annual journal and one of her short stories placed second in Scribbler’s Dialogue Contest. She believes she’s funnier than she is and would have made her entire blurb Smash Mouth’s lyrics to “All Star,” if only her boss had let her. Maria can’t live without her rapsberry bushes in her garden. Maria also knows you’re supposed to wash them first, but she still can’t help popping a few in her mouth before then.
Cathy has been a content writer at Rough Maps since 2023. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of British Columbia and has always dreamed of becoming a writer. Her love for reading fueled her passion for writing, and she enjoys writing about topics like pop culture, film, travel, and personal experiences. When it comes to home comforts, Cathy absolutely can't go without her desk setup, complete with an ultra-wide monitor and cute deskmat. She can't game without it!
Robbie has been with Rough Maps since 2019, first as a content writer and latterly as Director of Creative and Media. His essays and reports have been published in Maclean’s, Salon, The West End Phoenix and elsewhere. Robbie is a recipient of the Eugene Levy Writing Award, a three-time winner of the York University President’s Prize, and was the Humber Yuk Yuks Standup Champ in 2016. Robbie will never feel whole until he's achieved his life's ambition of owning a riding lawn mower.
Having a house is one thing, making it a home is another. That's where we come in. At Homes To Roots, we are here to give you all the latest tips on how to turn your living space into a place you love. From gardens to living rooms our team is here to show you the way. One of our favourite tips is to plant perennials in your garden. They look fantastic and save a lot of money year after year.
We are always looking to add new members to our wonderful team and hear feedback from our readers. Please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
