I have been following Daniel Kanter (Manhattan Nest) for years. Seven years ago, he bought a dilapidated old home (with so much potential) in Kingston, New York, and he has been renovating it ever since. Recently, he has taken his readers down memory lane, and it has been wonderful to see the results of his effort to make his home beautiful. I appreciate his design aesthetic and how he has maintained the charm of historic home while injecting it with some modernity.
What do you all think about floating bathroom vanities? Normally, I don’t like them because they don’t maximize storage. However, I’ve recently had a change of heart after seeing this gorgeous vanity (see first image below). Although the vanity is not white, I love it. I also think it’s paired beautifully with the full wall of subway tile, the delicate gold-framed mirror, and simple sconce.
This image made me think about the feeling of lightness of the floating vanity. I think this would be a great option for a small space. A floating vanity would mean there would be more space for floor tile, which would give the illusion of a bigger space. What do you think? Agree? Disagree?
I crave calm after busy days full of work and social time (in both pandemic and non-pandemic times). This is one of the reasons why I live in a white home. The white walls, art, decor, and furniture make me feel happy and calm. Yes, I do have colour around my home, but for the most part, I live in quite a white space.
The owners and designers of these two homes – one in the country and one in the city – seem to feel the same what that I do about the beauty and peacefulness of white spaces.
I know my posts have been sporadic these last few months, but I think my creative juices are slowly coming back, and I feel like writing more regularly again.
I’ve had this California home saved for a while to share, so here it is. The view from the large living room window is spectacular, and I could imagine so many lovely meals at the dining room table. Wouldn’t it be ideal if the table was always set as it is in the photo?
The low-rise bed in the main bedroom is waiting for someone to jump on it, I think. And the the twin room is sweet and cozy.
A classic, inviting, and functional foyer design generally includes a bench or console with a mirror on the wall. These foyers share common elements: a wood bench/console and a large round mirror. It’s a great combo!
I have yet to tire of white bathrooms with lots of marble in them. If you look through my blog archives, you’ll see that I have been featuring white, marble bathrooms since I began writing about design over 10 years ago.
Large slabs of marble mean there are few grout lines and a lot of continuity. Alternatively, classic rectangular marble tiles can be laid down in a herringbone pattern (see final image below) to add more interest to a space. In my home, I have marble herringbone in my foyer and marble counters in my kitchen.
When I was in university (the first time), I spent my third year abroad in Bordeaux, France. I loved every minute of my experience there. My French improved drastically, I learned so much about the French way of living, and I met incredible people along the way. Bordeaux is a beautiful city and region. If you like wine, this is an incredible destination. The city is manageable in size, and the people are friendly (or friendlier than Paris, definitely).
I’ve only been a couple of time post-university, and each time, I have enjoyed my stay. If I get to the Bordeaux region again one day, I think I’ll have to stay at Les Sources de Caudalie. It is on a beautiful property surrounded by vineyards; it also has an exceptional restaurant and spa. And the rooms? They are unique and a pretty mix of traditional and modern.
I have written about terrazzo before here on White Cabana (see this post from 2018), but since it recently came up in a real life conversation, I thought it was time I bring it back up here, too.
My jaw dropped when I saw these progress photos from Waterloo-based designer Kendra Bester. I think I need French door hardware in my future! (Note: This hardware is called cremone.)
We got hit with an awful freezing rain and snow storm yesterday, which meant that it was the perfect day to decorate my home for Christmas, drink multiple cups of tea, and take a nap by the fireplace. It was a good day.
The dreary day also had me down an internet rabbit hole of cozy, white cabins. I’m a cottage person more than a cabin person, but you wouldn’t have to twist my arm to stay under soft blankets and reading all day if I had a gorgeous mountain cabin of my own!
There are several elements that these spaces share: warm white tones, textured fabrics, wood accents, and fireplaces.
I love all the shapes in this first room. The room is balanced. The hard edges of the fireplace surround, rug, and door are balanced with the soft edges of the tables, sofa, and the accessories. The fireplace’s curved opening is balanced by the hard-edged vertical slats that frame it. It’s beautiful.
This second design is beautiful in its simplicity. The floating stone seems like an optical illusion. How does it stay up? This fireplace would heat up a room in no time since it’s open, so the design showcases a great pairing of function and form.
When I move to Italy or France in the future, I hope to have a place with at least one curved door/doorway. The same goes for my future potential cottage. A curved doorway would put a smile on my face.
The September issue of Style at Home magazine arrived this week, and one of my favourite features in this magazine is the high-low article. In this issue, the Style at Home team designed two versions of an office – high/low, of course!
Before you scroll down, make your guess!
Did you guess correctly? What gave it away? The rooms are so similar, so it’s definitely hard to decipher between the two! I usually look at the lighting to help me determine which room is high and which one is low.
In this feature, the magazine writes, “We set up this chic home office on both a three-figure salary and a minimum wage budget.” You know I love Style at Home, but I have an issue with this statement. First, what’s a three-figure salary? Should it be a six-figure salary? Also, if you earn minimum wage ($14/hr in Ontario) and work 40 hours a week, your weekly earnings (before tax) is $560. Would you really then spend nearly $1000 for a home office?
So I wondered if it was possible to design a similar room at an even lower cost. When I spotted an $80 vase in the low version (compared to a $60 version in the high?), I thought I could do better. So I took on the project, and here’s what I came up with.
The total cost for this “extra low” version is $674 CAD. I know I could create an even lower cost version if I was shopping in actual stores (including second hand) rather than doing my shopping in online shops only. In this design, it was especially challenging to find a more affordable rug, so I opted for a slightly smaller size than the ones featured in the magazine.
I’ve been thinking about cottages for years now. I want one. I want to design one. Want. Want. Want. Yes, it’s true. I am back to dreaming about a cottage. These dreams are especially strong after spending the last two weekends at two friends’ cottages in two opposite ends of Ontario. My friends’ cottages are charming and have that cottage smell that I would love, too (not the musty cottage smell…the “come in, relax, take a load off” smell).
With the dreams, naturally, comes the design! Of course! Here’s what’s currently on my cottage design wish list.
The cottage would be small and cozy. It would have rocking chairs on the porch. I’d rock there with a cup of coffee in the morning. I could be lazy since I’d be on cottage time.
The kitchen would have some open shelving for dishes, serving pieces, and art. I’m not normally a fan of open shelving, but I think it’s a good option for a cottage kitchen (or at least part of it).
The bedroom(s) would have vintage director chairs. There would be extra director chairs in the cottage that would fold neatly for storage, but could come out for extra seating.
I don’t think I’d use blue as an accent colour. I’d use shades of white. Maybe grey. Even a touch of black. I’d have rocks in every shade in bowls around the cottage with white and grey paint available for guests to get creative.
When I find a neighbourhood that I like when I travel, I tend to look online at real estate websites. Does anyone else do this? I guess I’m curious about the real estate market and the design of homes. I think I also have the “Where could I live if I moved here?” question in my mind, too. You know how it is, right?
On my recent trip to Montreal, I became most curious about real estate in the Outremont area. Here’s one condo that has me dreaming of moving to Montreal and living the luxe life!
1420 boul. Mont-Royal, apt. 311; $1.8+ million, all photos via Centris.ca
Have you seen an increase in dark kitchens floating around design sites and magazines? I’ve been seeing hunter green and black more than usual along with an increase in shades of blue on walls and cabinetry. While I do appreciate the moodier aesthetic, I think a white kitchen is the way to go (no surprise, right)? Just look at the kitchens here – they’re bright, clean, and inviting. Food looks great on white dishware…and it also looks perfect in white kitchens!
The first few kitchens below were part of the One Room Challenge Spring 2019 event, so I encourage you to click through to see the before photos of these spaces.
We all know I love a good hex tile. I have mini ones in my powder room and small ones in my laundry/bathroom. Love them! My final bathroom renovation is still a project for the future, but I wouldn’t hesitate to install more hex there. I’m inspired by these two spaces with their large, grey hex flooring.
One day I will stay in an a-frame cabin. Perhaps I’ll venture over to Trott Cottage in Muskoka, Ontario to try it out. It looks so pretty. Here are two images from Trott Cottage’s Instagram that really show the character of the letter A.
I am seeing caning everywhere these days. Online. In stores. High end. Low end. Even HomeSense had several caned chairs and tables in stock when I was there over the weekend.
This home. Oh my goodness. I have drooled over every photo of it. My friend Shannon spotted it first on Erin McLaughlin’s (Style at Home Editor) Instagram feed. I quickly hopped on to the listing, too. It’s just so beautiful!
It’s hard for me to choose a favourite room, but if you twisted my arm and I had to choose, I think it would be the kitchen as it’s hard to resits the brightness and the wall of windows. I also love the foyer because it’s dressed beautifully in white.
Would you like a tour? Here you go! You may recognize a space or two from Erin’s home as it was previously featured in Style at Home magazine.
I’ve been devouring Architectural Digest online lately. Articles, images, videos…I’m enjoying all of it! There’s inspiration at every click, but it was this image that definitely had been examining things up close.
I’m drooling over all of the gorgeous apartments for sale. I’ve been on realty sites far too often these days! This stunning 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment is in the 7th arrondissement.
Of course I still have Paris on my mind even though I’ve been home for a few days. Did you follow along my Instagram photos? Do you want to see more? I have much to share, so stay tuned for those posts in the weeks ahead. For now, here’s a gorgeous Parisian apartment in the 6th arrondissement that could be yours for just over 5 million euros.
Much of my Internet travels lately has been focused on Paris. My trip is in a couple of months, yes, but it’s never too early to travel plan as far as I’m concerned. Plus, my trips around the web have brought me to some incredibly beautiful and interesting apartments and homes to rent.
Villa César – a massive Parisian home – is one of the gorgeous rental properties available on The Collectionist.
The Lower East Side home of Daphne Javitch and Pali Xisto Cornelsen is just too beautiful. From the custom couch to the wood beams to the quirky pottery, this home has plenty of charm.
I have been collecting images of interesting light fixtures for a little while now (beyond this ribbon lamp that I have loved for years), so I thought I’d finally share a few. Here are ten fixtures at various price points – and in many styles – that have caught my attention.
These bright, white bathrooms have caught my attention. Whether it’s the leaded glass windows, the marble sink surround, a lovely curvy tub, or the view, each of these bathrooms comes with something unique.
I love it when beautiful images of white spaces and objects come through my email. Over the weekend, my friend sent me a link to her brother’s Stockholm condo that is currently for sale. Naturally, I drooled. All the white! And in Stockholm! I am happy to share this sleek home here.
It’s always interesting to see what catches my eye when I’m scrolling through Pinterest. Recently, cool credenzas were popping up everywhere. And just like that, I’m bringing them to White Cabana. Have a look.
We’ve had another great month of #WhiteCabanaWearsPink. I hope you enjoyed the weekly infusion of pink. As you know, I do this every October to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer awareness.
To end the series this year, I’m sharing some amazing pink coloured spaces.
It’s #WhiteCabanaWearsPink month, which means, I can infuse pink into posts on days other than Monday, right? Yes!
Today I’m showing you two sweet designs that share elements of pink and brass. The first is a kids’ play kitchen and the second is a bathroom. You’ll quickly notice that the two photos have pink cabinets and brass globe lights in common.
After a weekend in Grey County with friends (#WhiteCabanaGoesToTheCountry), I’m enjoying a day in Toronto with family. Life is good. There’s a lot to be thankful for. Yes, even with all the not-so-great stuff that life has thrown at us, I am thankful. I hope the same is true for you.
I’m thrilled to share that I have already raised nearly $650 for the Canadian Cancer Society (see my personal page to donate). I’m grateful for family and friends who supported my 5K Run for the Cure and who continue to donate. I am appreciative of everyone’s generosity.
My #WhiteCabanaWearsPink series continues today. Since it is Thanksgiving, I’ve curated a collection of pink Thanksgiving table settings.
Some days, I really want to get rid of everything I own and start fresh as a minimalist. Yes, even though I do really love all of my collections! But just look at these spaces. Every piece, every fixture, every finish is placed and purchased so thoughtfully.
Many of us in the design community are used to seeing large round mirrors in hallways, foyers, bedrooms, and bathrooms, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for the classic rectangle. There is! Check out these beautiful spaces with rectangular mirrors.
Classic campaign style furniture goes well in modern, traditional, eclectic, and monochromatic spaces. In short, a campaign dresser (or writing desk) is a great investment piece because it can float around various spots in a home.
Kristie’s campaign dresser in the front hall (full house tour)
So what’s the brief history of campaign style? Well, Sarah Beaumont wrote,
“During the height of the British Empire, officers on lengthy military campaigns in India and South Africa needed lightweight, durable furniture that could easily be transported. But they also didn’t want to sacrifice the creature comforts they were accustomed to. So British furniture manufacturers like Chippendale started designing pieces specifically for the military that gave them all the rugged functionality they needed, and all the luxury they craved.”
Of the recognizable details of the furniture, she further explained, “Leather straps and canvas seats made objects lightweight and easy to fold up. Recessed brass handles were added to drawers and brass angle pieces were used on furniture corners to protect them from being damaged while in transit.”
It’s hard to resist those brass and leather details even today!
These stone sinks are impressive vessels, aren’t they? While I can’t quite see one in a suburban home, I can definitely imagine a beautiful stone sink in a gorgeous Italian villa! Can’t you?
If you’ve ever seen my house in person or really paid attention to my stories here on White Cabana, you probably know that I dislike my upstairs bathroom. It’s huge. It has a corner jacuzzi tub that I rarely use and the smallest corner shower. When I bought my house five years ago, I did a quick reno – removed the shiny grey wallpaper, painted the 80s wood trim on the cabinet, and replaced the counter, sink, faucet, and lighting. I also tried to draw the eye up from the grey tub and linoleum floor by crafting a giant inkblot art wall.
This was a good mini makeover, and it’s still serving me pretty well. And since I’ve spent my renovation budget on other things in my home – painting, tiling, doors, trim, and my laundry room – there has been no room in my renovation budget for the big bathroom.
So I’ve had to continue to get creative. With input from other creative people, of course!
When my sister was over a couple of weeks ago, she encouraged me to rip out the disgusting shower door and replace it with a pretty curtain. Just rip it out. Sure.
Yup. I thought this was a manageable DIY task.
The Before
So, one morning, when I was still in my pajamas, I took out my tools and started removing a dozen or so screws. I chiseled, hammered, pushed, and pulled the door and frame out of place. It was gratifying.
The Tools (perfume optional)
I then scrubbed the built-up gunk off of the marble step. This made a huge difference. I felt like I had a brand new shower.
I filled all the old shower door screw holes with silicone, hung a shower curtain tension rod, and added a pretty curtain. Done and done.
The After
This was an easy DIY that has made a big difference. The whole project cost about $50 (for the rod, shower rings, shower curtain and liner). Yes, I still dislike the corner shower, but at least I don’t have a dirty door to look at every day. Much improved!
images from 
The Before
