Art

Interiors: A Gorgeous Vacation Rental in the South of France

I’ve got my travel bug back, which means I’m dreaming and scheming, and coming across so many incredible places to stay. Wow. Jaw dropping interiors! Here’s a peek into a modern and elegant home in the South of France.

Apartment Georges Brassens, Hérault, France

All photos via Hometown France.

Art: Mallory Tolcher

I came across the work of Guelph-based artist Mallory Tolcher in this CBC article. In her Nothing But The Net work, she “explores the beauty of basketball.” The series features beautifully hand-crafted basketball nets using materials such as crystals, silk flowers, lace, and artificial pearls.

all photos via Mallory Tolcher

Aren’t they lovely? It’s hard to look at a regular ol’ basketball net after you’ve seen these, I think.

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Art: A Canvas of Snow

Simon Beck’s canvas is fields of snow. His tools? Snowshoes! I love these geometric patterns, so it’s disappointing they’re not long-lasting.

All images via Simon Beck

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Design: Georgia O’Keeffe’s New Mexico Kitchen

I watched this video about the evolution of kitchen design from architect John Ota, and I found it fascinating. If you like history, design, and food, I think you’ll like it, too.

Here are some images of Georgia O’Keefe’s kitchen in New Mexico. I enjoy the simplicity of this white, airy, organized kitchen.

John Ota is the author of The Kitchen, a book that celebrates the kitchen (aka the heart of the home). I’ve just requested it at from my library, and I look forward to reading it.

Source of all images: Evolution of the Kitchen with John Ota.

Art: Jennifer Graham Ceramics

After years of eyeing the work of ceramic artist Jennifer Graham, I finally bought my first piece. Jennifer Graham is based in Stratford, but I’ve seen her pieces regularly at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery in Waterloo. On a recent trip to Bayfield, I spotted her work again at the Main Street Gallery, and I knew it was the right time for me to invest in one of her delightful creations.

Those polka dots! The wonky edge! This is a serving piece (and display piece) that makes me smile!

Jennifer is the only potter I’ve come across who works strictly in black and white. Her pieces are modern, relaxed, and functional. Each piece feels smooth and soft.

Photos via Jennifer Graham and the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery.

Art: Roger Wood

When my friend sent me this photo, I knew I needed to learn more.

It’s a close-up view of Story Without Words No. 1904 by Canadian artist Roger Wood.

Wood composes his scenes in white using small objects. The layering is incredible, which means you’ll discover more each time you view one of his pieces.

Photo by SL.

Celebrate: Lovely Art

I’ve had heart eyes for these two artists for a long while now.

Kerri Rosenthal is an artist, interior designer, and stylist based out of Connecticut. Her work is happy, graphic, and colourful (but there’s also plenty of black and white!).

Yes to Love art print, $550+USD, Kerri Rosenthal
20/20 Vision art print, $550+USD, Kerri Rosenthal
Sign Language of Love art print, $550+USD, Kerri Rosenthal
I Love You So art print, $550+USD, Kerri Rosenthal
Love Big Love art print, $550+USD, Kerri Rosenthal

Monica Ajenjo is a hyper-realist artist based in Madrid. Her pieces look so real and three dimensional, but she’s only using paint and wood. Incredible. I have previously featured her bows, but today I’m focused on her hearts.

Photography: Adrian Skenderovic

I came across the work of photographer Adrian Skenderovic on Miss Moss a little while ago, and I could not stop staring.

How does he capture these scenes? Read on…

“In Paris, tourist boats called ‘bateaux-mouches’ cruise down the Seine river, offering sightseers a unique view of the Eiffel tower, the Louvre museum, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and other well-known monuments. In his series Down the River photographer Adrian Skenderovic captures the life on The Seine by looking down on tourists looking at Paris.” (source: Adrian Skenderovic)

I just love this next one. Can you hear the music? Dancing on a boat in the middle of Paris? Yes, please!

Art: Realist Paintings

I’ve had my eye on several realist artists for the last little while. My fascination started with Erin Rothstein, and it has since expanded to the work of Kim Testone and Mónica Ajenjo. Have a look.

flip flops by Erin Rothstein
hoodie by Erin Rothstein

All in 2D! Can you believe it? These artists are so talented!

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Art: Katerina Kamprani

Architect Katerina Kamprani designs useless everyday objects in her series The Uncomfortable. Each piece put a smile on my face. The collection made me think about how much thought goes into product design so that the things we use everyday are functional.

As Katerina says on her site, these products are “deliberately designed to annoy you.” True!

All photos from The Uncomfortable series by Katerina Kamprani.

Design: A Round-Up of Unique Products

In my travels online, I’ve come across some interesting products – or concepts for products – that have caught my attention. The designers of these items have so much talent. I tried to include their websites whenever possible, so you can click through and see what other designs they’ve dreamed up.

ME dinner set – by Moak Studio
bread oven, part of the Bread from Scratch collection – by Mirko Ihrig
bicycle picnic set (attaches to the back rack) – by Morgane Ratton – via Blog Esprit Design
Balena – by Dossofiorito
coin bank storage – by Mai Peishan – via Behance
hourglass by Lihi Svirsky – via Design Break
Exploded chair – by Joyce Lin – via Blog Esprit Design
concept kitchen appliance range – by No Picnic
fan ine – by Simona Hruskova
aventure romantique backpack Vacheron Constantin – by Panter & Tourron

Travel: 10 Pieces of Art and Architecture to See in Paris

Last week, I wrote a post about 10 places to eat in Paris. Today, I’m sharing 10 (plus a bonus) of the art and architecture that caught my attention on my recent trip.

1.Le Louvre. If you’re keen on architecture, the Louvre is a great place to start. Whether you line up to go in or remain on the outside, you are sure to be impressed. The buildings are magnificent. (1st arrondissement)

2. Le Palais Royale. Just a few blocks away from Le Louvre, is the courtyard of the Palais Royal. The courtyard is filled with 260 black and white columns – an art installation by Daniel Buren. (1st arr.)

3. Palais Garnier. The Palais Garnier has been one of my all-time favourite buildings in Paris. I love the symmetry of the facade and the golden sculptures (harmony on the left and poetry on the right as you face the building) on either side. Apollo stands int he middle. On the inside of the building, the Marc Chagall painted ceiling (which was painted in 1964) in the auditorium is worth seeing in person. (9th arr.)

4. Le Pouce (The thumb). A 40-foot thumb sculpture stands at La Défense. I don’t particularly love this sculpture, but it was one that I hadn’t ever seen before, so I wanted to share it. Among the modern skyscrapers in this business district, the sculpture kind of sticks out, well, like a big thumb. Ha ha! The 18-ton sculpture was built in 1965 by sculptor César Baldaccini.

5. Arc de Triomphe. The size of this structure, and the chaotic traffic that circles it, is definitely a sight to see. I’d suggest you climb the tower. This is one of my favourite views of the city (another favourite view is from the Tour de Montparnasse). (16th, 17th, and 8th arr.)

6. Hotel Le Meurice. There are many luxury hotels in Paris, many of which receive the “grand hotel” distinction. I mentioned one in my last post – the Luetitia, which is the only grand hotel on the left bank. On the right bank, there are several, including Le Meurice on Rue de Rivoli. I mention this one today because I had the chance to attend a networking event there. It’s spectacular. It’s charming. It’s so very French. It’s rich with history. I was pleased that my interactions with the staff were all very positive. Each person was kind and helpful and not at all pretentious. (1st arr.)

7. Doors. Doors. Doors. If you’re interested in architecture, you could spend hours looking at, examining, and taking photos of doors and doorways. The doors of Paris are impressive because of their size, colours, and details.

8. Place des Vosges. This is one of my most favourite pieces of architecture in Paris. I know I’ve already said this several times in this post, but it’s true. I love this square. It is indeed a true square at 140m x 140m. It was built between 1605 and 1612. Incredible, right? When I traveled to Paris when I was younger, I had several picnics in the park at Places des Vosges. Laying on the grass under the sunshine on a lazy afternoon is a great way to take a break from the busyness of the city. It’s the Parisian way. (3rd & 4th arr.)

9. Centre Pompidou. Many people don’t like this colourful, modern piece of architecture, but I do. I like the drastic contrast between the Centre Pompidou in its surrounding buildings. I like the art that is infused in this area, too, even though this isn’t my favourite area in Paris for wandering about. (4th arr.)

10. The Eiffel Tower. Well of course this is on my list. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, I’m always impressed. Even though I know exactly what to expect when I get to the area of the Eiffel Tower, I’m always taken aback. This structure is terrific. Absolutely terrific. (7th arr.)

11. 23 Rue de Babylone. This is a bonus building that I came across on a new-to-me route I took one afternoon back to the hotel. I believe it’s an apartment building. I loved its rows of curved shutters. (7th arr.)

To see more of my time in Paris, have a look at #WhiteCabanaGoesToParis on Instagram.

Art: Photography at 1stDibs

It’s been a (long) while since I featured black and white photography, so today’s the day. All these pieces are available from 1stDibs.

Art: Museum of Contemporary Art Toronto

Last weekend, I went to the opening of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Toronto. It was interesting to go to that part of Toronto (Bloor/Lansdowne) as my mom grew up in the neighbourhood, and so much has changed since she left. Although I don’t remember much about her childhood home as I was very young when my grandfather moved out of it, I do remember a lot of her stories, and seeing the area – what with the addition of MOCA and Drake Commissary – just made me think about the passing of time and the evolution of Toronto. It certainly wasn’t as “hip” as it is now when my mom lived there.Beyond my mini walk down memory lane, the opening of MOCA was busy. The stylish artsy crowd mixed in beautifully with families and kids of all ages. The place was hopping! What I most enjoyed was speaking with the artists. My friends and I spoke with Nep Sidhu who is the artist behind several incredible textiles. One of his pieces – part of his When My Drums Come Knocking, They Watch series – was inspired by Kahil El’Zabar. Sir Kahil El’Zabar was also at MOCA, and he took the time to chat with us about jazz, Chicago, and, of course, art. On such a busy day, with so many people wanting to speak to the artists, I was impressed at how they shared their stories in such a relaxed and open way.

The work of Tim Whiten caught my attention not just because his pieces were in my favourite colour, but because they’re made of glass. Absolutely stunning.

Then there was the large-sized graphic words of LA-based artist Barbara Kruger. You can see more of Barbara Kruger’s works on ArtNet.

The MOCA is five floors of interesting art installations. There are quite a few video exhibits on at the moment in addition to graphic art, sculpture, and mixed media installations. There’s an interactive area for kids, too.

If you like contemporary art, then I’m sure you’ll be happy to visit MOCA. It’s a great addition to Toronto’s art and museum community.

Trivia Thursday: Fornasetti

Piero Fornasetti was in Italian painter, sculptor, interior decorator, and engraver. He may be best known for his pieces that include the image of a woman’s face in black and white. The face is that of operatic soprano Lina Cavalieri. In addition to this face, many of his pieces include images of the sun, time, and architectural elements. Now, his son Barnaba Fornasetti continues to design in his father’s name.

Piero Fornasetti

Occio side table

Bocca chair

Architettura cabinet

Teste Antiche umbrella stand

plate

Fornasetti’s plates are quite popular in the world of interior design. These and other Fornasetti pieces add whimsy and interest to many spaces as you can see in the images below.

Colette May, via Elements of Style

Colette May, via Elements of Style

House & Garden

 via Archimir

via Est Magazine

WGSN

If you have some time to spare, I encourage you to watch some of these behind-the-scenes videos of the Fornasetti Atelier. I enjoyed watching a bit of the design and manufacturing processes of Fornasetti’s pottery, textiles, and metal work.

The Friday Five: Oversize Art

Note to self: Find a wall to hang/lean a piece of oversized art. I do love a good gallery wall (see my office in Style at Home), but a wall featuring a massive photograph creates a “wow” moment, too.

Kara Rosenlund

William Waldron

Sun N Salt, Etsy

Kara Rosenlund

designer – Ashley Botten, via House & Home

Design: A Framed Hermès

If you have an extra Hermès in your closet that you no longer wear, you may consider framing it. Since each piece is a work of art, it would fit right into a home’s decor.

Tamara Eaton, Simply Framed

Sarah Blakely, Style at Home

Hanna Maiqvist

Monika Hibbs, Photo by Tracy Ayton, via PopSugar

Tom Samet

Tamara Eaton, Simply Framed

Trivia Thursday: The Alvar Aalto Vase

Recognize this wavy vase?

Iittala

It was designed by Alvar Aalto in 1936, and it has been a design collector’s item ever since. Each vase is mouth blown at the Iittala glass factory in Finland, making each piece unique. The full Alvar Aalto collection includes other shapes, sizes, and colours, too.

If you’re in Canada, you can purchase Alvar Aalto pieces at William Ashley.

Two for Tuesday: Art Cubes

I was in Saskatoon last week for a conference, and when I had a spare moment post-conference, I opted to visit the Remai Modern. What a good decision that was! I was in awe of the building and the art, and if you follow me on Instagram (#WhiteCabanaGoestoSaskatoon), then you know that I couldn’t stop posting about it!

There was plenty of white in the spaces and in the art, but one of the most impressive exhibits was Haegue Yang’s Sol LeWitt Upside Down. Is it ever cool! Haegue Yang is a South Korean artist who lives and works in Berlin and Seoul.

Sol LeWitt Upside Down by Haegue Yang at the Remai Modern, Saskatoon (photo by me)

If you look closely, you can see that these cubes are composed of blinds. Window blinds!

Sol LeWitt Upside Down by Haegue Yang at the Remai Modern, Saskatoon (photo by me)

What I learned from Kayla (one of the Remai Modern guides) is that Haegue Yang’s piece was inspired by American artist Sol LeWitt‘s Incomplete Open Cubes.

 via The Met

The Friday Five: Leaning Art

What do you think about leaning art and books? I have things leaning in a few spots in my house, and I really enjoy layering art. I love being surrounded by cool art pieces, and by layering them, I can switch things around when I need a change.

Here are five inspiring spaces that are accented by leaning art walls.

via Carla Aston

via Carla Aston

via Habitually Chic

via My Scandinavian Home

via Could I Have That

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Trivia Thursday: Eames Hang It All

There are coat racks, and then there are coat racks. Designed in 1953, the Eames Hang It All coat rack is a stand-out with its fun wooden balls. It was originally designed with the aim of encouraging children to hang up their own clothes. While the colourful Hang It All gets a lot of attention, the black and white versions are also deserving of our attention. 

Eames Hang-it-All, $211 (on sale), EQ3

Vitra Home Stories

via My Scandinavian Home

photo by Brigitta Wolfgang, via Seventy Nine Ideas

photo by Anders Bergstedt, Style and Create

via Decor8

Mitt Lille Hjerte

Marketplace: A Minted Christmas

This post has been sponsored by Minted. All opinions are my own.

If you’ve been a long-time reader of White Cabana, then you’ll likely know some of my favourite brands. Minted, the online marketplace for cards (and now art, fabric, and more!) has been one of my fave brands for quite some time. In fact, it was one of my first brand partnerships way back when White Cabana was just a newbie blog. While I have normally ordered cards and artwork, last year, I took a chance and ordered some fabric for my chaise. The fabric is beautiful. (You can read about my chaise makeover if you’d like.) I feel grateful that I can continue to work with Minted because I’m continually impressed by the work of Minted’s very talented artists.

Since it’s holiday time, it only makes sense that I now turn my attention to Minted’s collection of holiday items. I’ve worked with Minted for the last several years on my holiday card order. My favourite part of the ordering process is browsing through the card designs. This usually takes me a few days because I save a lot of designs in my favourites folder, and then eliminate them as I narrow down my preferences. I definitely put the filters to use to limit the designs by type (e.g., no photo, folded card) and colour (heavy on the white).

Once I’ve chosen my design, the rest of the ordering process takes minutes. Since I have an account, I simply need to write my greeting, review my saved-from-last-year recipient address list, and ensure my return address gets automatically printed on the back. Poof! Done! The order of cards arrives within days. Beautifully and safely packaged, I may add.

This year, I opted for the painted wreath designed by Baumbirdy of Chicago. You can see that the bow from the wreath is also printed on the envelope above the recipient’s address. How pretty!

While the original design had a holiday greeting in the middle of the wreath, I opted to remove it altogether, so that I’d have more white space on my card and the focus would be on the pretty wreath. I put my well wishes on the inside of the folded card. If you’ve ordered Minted cards before, then you’ll know that the text is quite customizable – wording, font, colours, spacing.

The pre-printed recipient and sender addresses option is amazing. I would recommend to pay the extra money for this option because not only is it beautiful, but it saves time. I’m a big fan of this option. Big. Huge. (Insert “Pretty Woman” emphasis.)

Besides these particular holiday cards, Minted’s holiday collection is lovely.

These non-photo cards were in my favourites folder for a long while.

Wintergarden by Kelly Hall

Merry Christmas, My Deers by Jinseikou (This one has been in my favourites folder for two years in a row. Look at this post from last year!)

Peaceful Reindeer by Gwen Bedat

A Nutcracker Christmas by Alexandra Dzh (this ended up being my runner-up option)

If you like minimalist photo cards, one of these designs might be for you. You’ll notice that you can even customize the card backing and envelope (at an extra cost).

Merry All Year by Pink House Press

Instant Gallery by Olivia Kanaley

In the business category of holiday cards, I like the following designs.

Stars by Lori Wemple

 Delicate Fern by Nicolette Myslinski

Holiday Wishes by Susan Moyal

Magnolia Wreath by Jennifer Postorino

If you’re feeling a touch overwhelmed by the holiday card selection process, why not order more than one design? I haven’t done this myself, but I have considered it. Can I also suggest that you order more cards that you think you need, too? Even though my address list is saved in my Minted account, I always seem to run out of cards. (Hmm…maybe I should spend more time working on adding things up more precisely.)

If you’re not sure how to upload and save recipient addresses, Minted has this guide to holiday cards which provides an easy overview of shapes and styles. I know there are a lot of cards to choose from, and uploading addresses may seem tedious, but once you’ve done it once, it’s done!

As I mentioned, Minted now offers much more than holiday cards to mark special celebrations. A few years ago, I ordered some table decorations to celebrate the completion of my PhD. The collection has now expanded beyond paper table runners. Now, for Christmas, Minted offers a cute selection of tree skirts, stockings, and wrapping paper.

Snow Covered Woods tree skirt

garden lights stocking

Christmas Trees by My Splendid Summer

Birds and Flowers by Leanne Friedberg

I know the holidays are right around the corner, so you may have already purchased holiday cards and decor. On the other hand, if you’re behind schedule, have no fear. Minted’s delivery deadline schedule will help guide you, so you can reach your shopping goals!

Happy shopping!

The Friday Five: Craving Warmth

I know I’m a day late with this week’s Friday Five, but I hope you don’t mind too much. It was a heck of a week, but all is well. End of term is really quite busy for my day job and my extra jobs and my #MBAlife. After a final presentation, final report, final exam, final classes, final team party, final…final…final, and a random case of strep throat, the week came to an end. I think I experienced every emotion this week.

And now it’s the weekend, and I’m excited for it! A friend and I managed to get out to a few local stores last night for some shopping, today is a book writing day (our book is set to be published in 2018!), and tomorrow is spa day! Woohoo! End-of-term season has its rewards!

For today’s (one-day-late) Friday Five, I’m sharing spaces and images that exude warmth. You know, because ’tis the season to be warm and cozy.

Caroline Feiffer‘s apartment, via Jenni Kayne

via Desde My Ventana

photo by Amy Bartlam, via My Domaine

100 Layer Cake, via Lonny

Nordic Design

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Trivia Thursday: Book Matched Marble

What is book matched marble? It’s when two slabs of marble are set side-by-side like a mirror image, resembling the pages of an open book. The result is absolutely beautiful. As if marble on its own wasn’t beautiful enough, right?

Cecconi Simone via Contemporist

Marble of the World

WK

Houzz

Because I’m Addicted

Book: Cast: Art and Objects

Have I mentioned how much I love receiving books in the mail? Well, I do. As a child and young teen, I was definitely not a bookworm. Books were my sister’s territory, not mine. As I neared adulthood, however, I became more interested in reading, and when I started university, I basically couldn’t stop. I read all sorts of books these days (slowly, though, I assure you), and I’m still one of those people who actually buys books. Softcover, hardcover, new, used, I’ll take ’em.

Recently, I was sent over a copy of the gorgeous book Cast: Art and Objects by Jen Townsend and Ren̩e Zettle-Sterling to review. This book takes us through a historical journey of made objects. We learn about the process Рhistorical and current Рof making ceramic, metal, and glass objects. The photos are beautiful throughout, and the explanations carry through from objects Рhousehold and decorative Рto art to jewelry.

   

I know I haven’t officially started gift guides yet, but if you’re looking to buy something for an artist, historian, or designer, give Cast some consideration!

Thanks to Sarah M. and Smith Publicity for sending this book my way. All opinions and photos are my own.

Books: Review of Why LA – Pourquoi Paris

I recently received a copy of the book Why LA? Pourquoi Paris? to review. While I have been to Los Angeles, it was a short trip, and I didn’t really get to live the LA life. Paris, on the other hand, is one of (who am I kidding – it is) my favourite city.

In this book, Diane Ratican compares the two cities on multiple aspects – food, culture architecture, fashion, art.

What’s really special, in my opinion, is that the text is in both French and English, and descriptions are followed by pages and pages of beautiful artwork. The illustrations were done by Eric Giriat and Nick Lu. It’s easy to stare at the pages for a while to see all the detailed work.

Over the long weekend, I read the book in one sitting. The text is informative and well-written. I learned a lot about LA, and learned a few new things about Paris, too.

Many thanks to Why LA? Pourquoi Paris? and Sarah at Smith for sending me this book.

All photos and opinions are my own.

 

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Travel: Review of Hotel Henry, Buffalo

When I first learned about Buffalo’s newly opened Hotel Henry, I was intrigued. And I was curious. And I was dubious, too. A must-see hotel? Sure. In Buffalo? Not so sure. You see, the Buffalo I have known up until this summer is all outlet mall and Target. Honestly. I have not seen much more than that on any of my trips to Buffalo. Well, let me tell you, Buffalo surprised me. Really! So much so that I’d definitely make a return trip! Isn’t that what you’d like the result of every vacation to be? I was pleasantly surprised!

You’ve seen a couple of photos of my trip on Instagram (#WhiteCabanaGoestoBuffalo), but here’s a proper tour of the hotel.

Hotel Henry, a national historic site, was built in the 1872 as a psychiatric hospital (aka known as the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane). I didn’t know much of this history before I arrived which I think is a good thing. I was too googly-eyed over the design and architecture to get too engrossed in all the historical – and spooky!? – stories. As we pulled up to the property, I was floored. Amazed at the large scale and the absolutely beautiful architecture. I was definitely excited as I stepped inside.

The hotel has been part of a 3-year, $102 million renovation project. The hotel is located on a 42-acre site and occupies three of the eleven buildings of the former asylum. The project was led by Deborah Berke Partners and Flynn Battaglia Architects. Just to give you an idea of the scale and work involved, the restoration of 600 windows cost $7 million.

 

Check in was smooth and quick. My room was spacious with ridiculously high ceilings that definitely caught my attention! Beds were comfortable, and the bath products were lovely. Towels were fluffy, and the coffee/tea station was a nice addition. There was plenty of space to spread out, rest, and work (the desk in front of the window was well-planned).

I think it would be lovely if Hotel Henry added robes to the room and a mini fridge, too. These items aren’t essential, but they’re nice pluses for a luxurious stay.

 

Beyond the room, the hotel is absolutely stunning. The foyer and lounges are well-appointed with beautifully designed furniture and accessories. Interesting and unique art is everywhere in the public spaces and guest rooms. The lighting is dramatic and eye-catching.

During my stay, I had the chance to enjoy the bar one evening and breakfast by 100 Acres – the hotel restaurant that is becoming one of Buffalo’s hot spots! I enjoyed both, and loved parking myself in different areas around the hotel to enjoy my drink and meal. Each area offers lovely seating options and great views of the architecture and art.

The next time I go to Hotel Henry, I’m definitely going to sign up for a tour of the abandoned/non-renovated part of the Richardson Olmsted property. If I had known about these public tours before I arrived, I would have signed up, but it completely escaped my research and planning path. In addition to the tour, I’d like to explore other architectural, artistic, and neighbourhood gems.

Prices per night vary depending on day and month, but they average about $150 USD per night. Check the availability calendar for the most accurate price.

Thanks to Hotel Henry for sponsoring this post. All photos and opinions are my own.

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The Friday Five: Beach Art

Oh, you know, I have the beach on my brain big tiiiime because I’m heading to my summer home-away-from-home soon! I’m pretty excited for some major relaxation time on the beach under the hot Floridian sun! So, in anticipation of long, lazy days and nights at the beach, I’m bringing some beachy to the blog today in the form of art!

white beach club, Italy, Gray Malin

white beach umbrellas, Italy, Gray Malin

white hot, Erin Beutel, Minted

iconic lifeguard tower, Kate Houlihan, Minted

collection, Sadie Holden, Minted

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Two for Tuesday: Zebras

Do you have any zebra print in your home? I don’t, but it seems like of all the animal prints that I could have, this would be it, right? I wouldn’t be ready to install Scalamandre‘s zebra print wallpaper anytime soon, but a zebra print in smaller doses could easily find its way into my home.

Scalamandre by Lenox zebra decanter, $171, Bloomingdales

Zebra print, $25+, Sharon Montrose

Interiors: House Tour, Chapel Hill, NC

One of the things on my North Carolina “must-see” list during my recent visit was “tour Kristie’s house.” Seriously. Have you ever asked an almost-stranger for a house tour? Because I have. Okay, so Kristie isn’t a complete stranger. She’s one of my sister’s good friends, and I have actually met her a couple of times.

So, on this visit, Kristie graciously opened her home to me for an after-school visit. And lucky for all of us, she allowed me to snap a bunch of photos to share right here on White Cabana (no styling involved, btw!). You may have seen a few photos floating around Instagram (the kitchen, the porch, the art), and I know that if you did, you were itching to see more. Well, today’s your lucky day.

Let’s get to it.

The foyer is bright, welcoming, and so beautifully curated. Kristie’s collectibles are from all over – furniture stores, HomeGoods, antique markets, the ReStore, consignment shops, and Craigslist.

The kitchen’s waterfall marble island and chandeliers are show stoppers. In fact, the lighting throughout the home is so well-chosen.

(custom cupboard doors will be painted soon!)

Are you drooling? Yes, I know you are! I had the same reaction, so there’s no need to be embarrassed!

Kristie made much of the art in her home including the colourful pieces framed in gold on the dining room gallery wall. Stunning!

(side note: I took a page out of Kristie’s design book, and picked up this swan for my bedroom. It’s nowhere near as refined as the one in this dining room, but I love it. #copycat)

The powder room is almost done. Kristie is just waiting on a mirror. I think it looks great as is, actually!

In the living room you’ll see my most favourite piece of art – made by Kristie! It’s a 3D piece made of paper! In.cred.ible. The 10+ foot ceilings are a nice touch, too.  

Hallways were given attention, too.

ink art made by Kristie and her daughter (and a pineapple for good measure)

Kristie paid careful attention to the design of her kids’ rooms, too. I could move into either of them. I really wanted to grab the federal mirror off the wall and stuff it into my carry-on, but I thought her little boy might notice. Darn.

  

We’re just about at the end of this tour, unfortunately, but I’m leaving you with one of my favourite spaces – the screened-in porch. The porch is a common feature in homes in North Carolina. It’s a pleasant room for lounging and entertaining during the fall, spring, and summer months. I’d easily sip on a mint julep while lounging on this sweet soft blue sofa.

Kristie – or Dr. Kristie, I should say, since she has a PhD in textiles (who knew that was an option!?) – and her family recently moved into this home and undertook a great renovation where the kitchen space was re-jigged and expanded, walls were painted, hardwood was installed, and art was hung everywhere.

There are still things on the must-complete list as all renos seem to have, but for now, this place is set, and the whole family is enjoying their new home.

Thanks, Kristie and family, for letting us peek into your gorgeous home!

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Art & Hotel: 21c Museum Hotel, Durham, North Carolina

While most of my weekend in North Carolina was spent playing with my three nephews and niece (#ZiaJojoComesToTown), my sister, brother-in-law, and I did enjoy one night out in Durham sans cute children. One of our stops was the 21c Museum Hotel and Counting House. The concept is unique. On the main floor, you’ll find the Counting House – a bar and restaurant. Above, you can wander the floors to explore the art exhibits and historic building, which is open 24/7/365 with free admission if you’re curious. Cool, right? In the basement, visitors can explore the old bank vault since the 21c Museum Hotel is housed in an old bank. Food, drinks, art, history, and a place to stay all in one gorgeous building in central Durham? What’s not to love?

Here are some of the photos I took, if you’d like to see.

Mujer de Blanco, 2015, Marlu Palacios

Spoonfall – water trickling down hinged spoons making the most soothing sounds

Sleeping, 2007, Anthony Goicolea (available for purchase at Caviar20 if you have $18,500 to spare)

The bathroom was wild. I felt like I was in an episode of CSI. Art and function. Awesome. The signage is part of the We Don’t Care exhibition.

You’ll notice fuchsia penguins hanging around the hotel. Guests are encouraged to move them around to create new scenes – or surprises – for others. (Each hotel in the 21c collection has a different colour for its penguins.)

While I did not stay at the hotel, the rooms do look very White Cabana worthy! Perhaps on a future visit to Durham…or Nashville…or Cincinnati…I will check into a 21c Museum Hotel!

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