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!
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.
What are your thoughts about kitchen colours? Are you a fan of white, colour, or natural wood?
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.
To get the look, here are four things you’ll need:
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.
The price tag? 4.5million €.
All photos via Barnes International Realty.
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.
All photos from Barnes.
I love when so many lovely spaces pop up on my Instagram. Here are the latest gems that have come across my screen.
And a great reminder, too.
I’m ending the week with five gorgeous, white bathrooms that are bright, airy, luxurious, and inviting.
Let’s go to Manhattan, shall we? More specifically, let’s go to this minimalist 2-bedroom home in Tribeca.
images via Dezeen
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 C̩sar Рa massive Parisian home Рis 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.
photos Sarah Elliott via Jenni Kayne
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.
glass disc chandelier, $374USD (on sale), West Elm
Petite Friture x Daniel Emma, Cherry White Large, $402 Euros
Lauzet chandelier, $6299USD, Aerin via Circa Lighting
Eleonor table lamp, $105.99 CAD (on sale), Wayfair
Safavieh Pauley table lamp, $220CAD, Walmart
Hanna table lamp, $179USD,CB2
Castle Peak glass lamp, $949USD, Kate Spade via Circa Lighting
Darbon sconce, $489USD, Aerin
Selfoss sconce, $799USD, Aerin
Simpson floor lamp, $439CAD, Casalife
After looking at all of these photos, I want to fill my house with candles this Christmas.
Dear Readers,
I’m having an issue with WordPress, so I need a couple of days to sort some things out. I’ll be back in a jiffy!
In the meantime, have a look at this gorgeous kitchen.
via Elle Decor
The rest of Michael Bruno’s (of 1stdibs) home is equally spectacular.
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.
via Style Files
Studio KO, via Home World Design
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.
 images from Nestor Fastighetsmakleri
Thanks L.U. and I.S. for sending this my way.
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.
Greg Natale, via Style Curator
One part of today’s pair is certainly Halloween inspired. I’m seeing diamonds (and not the sparkly kind) all around!
costume, H&M
Jessica Waks, via Style at Home
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.
pink bedroom, My Beautiful Mess
Whether they’re real, faux, or DIY, cotton branches make an excellent centrepiece for fall and winter.
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.
Christofle mood gold 24-piece canteen
Happy Thanksgiving!
Leopard! It’s one of my favourite patterns. I love to wear it, and I like its muted shades in home decor.
Chelsea boot, Cole Haan
Pacific Palisades, Studio McGee
Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian readers!
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.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
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!
 campaign dresser, $1895 USD, Williams-Sonoma
campaign dresser, Dering Hall
campaign writing desk, $249 USD, All Modern
vintage campaign chest, $445 USD (on sale), Charish
campaign dresser, $949.51 CAD, Crate & Barrel
Source: Laurel & Wolf
Today’s two of a kind are chic kitchens that include a lot of white subway tile, black grout, black cabinets, wood, art, and a touch of gold.
Christine Dovey, Style at Home
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?
via My Paradissi
via Carla Aston
Coqui Coqui Residence and Spa, via Remodelista
via My Domaine
via One Kin Design
Have a great weekend!
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!
Books. Magazines. I love them stacked. I enjoy seeing my books and magazines (neatly) over-flowing all around my home. I tend to keep my stacks in my kitchen and office, but I also often have stacks of books and magazines in my bedroom. They make me happy. And it seems like these stacks make others happy, too.
via Domino
designed by Alexander White, via Home Adore
via Love Eva
Have a great weekend! Happy reading!
Serge Mouille was a French designer who is best known for his lighting. You may have seen his arm chandelier or sconces floating around design magazines and blogs for many years now.
Original Serge Mouille lights cost in the thousands of dollars, but as many iconic designs, there are plenty of reproductions online and in stores that cost a few hundred dollars. And you can see from the images below that Serge Mouille lighting looks great in a variety of interiors.
Julie Hillman, via The Decorista
Christine Dovey, via Style at Home
 via SF Girl By Bay
via Goop
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.
Sun N Salt, Etsy
designer – Ashley Botten, via House & Home
If you’ve been to a design museum, then you may have come across Vico Magistretti’s Atollo table lamp. The lamp was designed in 1977, and many people would agree that it is as beautiful today as it was 30 years ago.
via Mohd
via Remodelista
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
Monika Hibbs, Photo by Tracy Ayton, via PopSugar
Tamara Eaton, Simply Framed
Yes, yes, cottages remain on my mind. I keep coming across some gorgeous cottages online that I hope you don’t mind that I keep sharing them here.
This place by la Shed is bright and airy, and it comes with incredible views.
I could move right on in!
I’m starting continuing to gather inspiration images for my dream bathroom renovation (which is still years away, I’m sure!). Specifically, I’ve had my eye on double vanities and the lovely double mirrors that go with them.
Vanessa Alexander, via Dering Hall
via Becki Owens
via Decorist
Are you a bathtub or shower person? And if you like bathtubs, what style do you have? If your tub sits on four ball and claw legs, then you have a traditional clawfoot tub.
Emily Chalmers, via SF Girl By Bay
This style reached popular stats in the late 19th century when it spread to England from Holland at a time when bathing became fashionable. Fashionable. Could you imagine living in a period where bathing was such a luxury. In some parts of the world, I know it still is!
In the 1880s, companies started manufacturing porcelain enameled cast-iron tubs. Nowadays, these tubs could be made of fiberglass or acrylic, which makes them much lighter than the traditional cast-iron version.
I recently learned of a design firm called Three Birds Renovations, and each project is absolutely stunning. You wouldn’t have to twist my arm to live in any of these spaces.
If you’ve been following along regularly, then you know that over a 6-week period, I shared the progress of my laundry/bathroom combo room makeover as part the the One Room Challenge event this spring. Last week, I shared five room reveals from the featured designers of the One Room Challenge. Today, I bring you five more gorgeous spaces, but this time, from the guest participants of the event..
Here’s a sneak peek at 5 rooms from the guest participants…
And one more for good luck:
And just a few more:
Decor Happy’s teen girl’s bathroom
The Posh Home’s modern living room
A House in the Wood’s shared girls’ bedroom
Wonderfully Made’s laundry room
Cait Waite’s bedroom
Deeply Southern Home’s library
Home Glow Design’s she-shed
Hartley Home’s laundry room
Jessica Devlin’s living room
My Pinecone Home’s guest bedroom
Have a great long weekend, everyone! See you back here on Tuesday!
p.s. In Royal Wedding news – this cake recipe!
Ladders in the home are not just for dark, moody libraries. They’re used in kitchens and closets to reach high shelves, and they’re used in living rooms and bedrooms for hanging blankets. In my own home, I have a couple of bamboo ladders – one for storing extra towels in my bathroom (well, “just for show” towels), and another that is decorative in my basement lounge.
These photos show the diversity of this decorative – and functional – piece.
I’ve had a look around shops online, and I found some great ladders that could work well in a variety of spaces.
ladder, $102.99 CAD, Wayfair
ladder, $214 CAD, Target
ladder, $98 USD, Anthropologie
ladder, $99 USD, The Home Outpost
ladders, $80-96 USD, West Elm
It’s been all One Room Challenge around the design blogosphere over the last six weeks, and the featured designers and guest participants shared all their after photos on Wednesday and Thursday this week. This means that we have a lot of reading to catch up on this weekend! Hooray!
To get us started, here’s a peek into five beautiful spaces from the featured designers. Next week, I’ll share some of my favourite spaces designed by the guest participants.
backyard oasis – Jojotastic
basement – Coco & Jack
master bedroom – Rambling Renovators
living room – Natasha Habermann
office – Bisou Style
Have a great weekend, everyone! Happy Mother’s Day!
Today’s the day! It’s the One Room Challenge final reveal day!
So, without even a moment more of pause, let me welcome you in to my new laundry/bathroom combo room!
And before I share more photos, let’s have a look at the before photos of the space. (Note: You can see more photos in this Week 1 post.)
I’m so excited to share these after photos with you. The last six weeks have been full of mess, clean-up, shopping, and styling. I’m beyond thrilled with the end result, and I am so grateful for the team of experts who helped me transform this space. I now have a bright space for laundry days, and my guests have a beautiful white bathroom to enjoy while they visit.
As I showed you over the last six weeks, we completely gutted this space. No surface was left untouched, and nothing from the original room remained. Everything is new – from plumbing to studs to tiles to accessories. This space needed an overhaul, and that’s exactly what it got!
I’ve always called this space small but mighty. I demand a lot from this space in terms of functionality, and the changes my construction team and I made have definitely improved every aspect of the space. It’s a combo room – laundry plus bathroom – so it’s really going to be put to work!
I am absolutely loving having a large laundry sink. After five years with a bathroom vanity sink, this change is a big one. I was lucky to work with Blanco on this project, and the company generously provided me with the durable Liven laundry sink. The Silgranit material is supposed to be “exceptionally resistant to heat, scratches, and impact,” which is exactly what I need.
To match the sink, I opted for the Blanco Urbena faucet. When the box arrived way back in the fall, I took the faucet out immediately, and was so impressed with its strength and substance. Now in place, this piece looks even more beautiful (and it’s even better in person). The pull-down faucet function is going to be great as I start making a mess in this space with indoor gardening projects, hand-washing delicate clothing, and more.
I had a custom cabinet made in Toronto. It’s painted Chantilly Lace, and it has the same door front detail as my interior doors (see below). For the counter, I went with white quartz, and a 6″ backsplash. The door pulls are from Ikea.
I have used some pieces in this space that I have already in other spaces in my home. Why change a good thing, right? For example, I have the larger version of the mirror in my powder room. And I have the same toilet and toilet roll holder in my powder room. I know many people like to switch things up in the design world, but I like consistency and simplicity, so I was happy to use these same pieces in my new space.
The addition of a beautiful new shower has really made this combo room that much more functional. This was a big job, and I lived with a trench in my floor for a couple of days as my plumber was working his magic. I opted for classic white 4″x12″ subway tiles, and my tiler surrounded the shower with them. I carried the hex floor into this shower space, too. The shower system is the Arris style by Moen.
The little “door” that you see in the photo below is a genius invention by my drywaller. It slides up and down, and it hides my main water pump/valve. It’s incredible. It’s so handy, and it looks sleek, too!
The floor is much more exciting than what you might see in these photos. Beneath these gorgeous hex marble-like tiles is Warmup‘s floor heating system. And it’s luxurious! The thermostat is easy to use, and I have been playing around with different schedule settings. I can even control the temperature from my phone. You know what this means, right? I can lie in bed on a Sunday morning and only get out to do laundry once my floor has been heated up! Genius! (Note: I haven’t added a bath mat to the space yet because I want to stare at the floors!)
The doors in this space are Metrie’s Masonite Lincoln Park. I used the same style in my #byebyebifold makeover, so it only made sense to carry them into this new space. Side note: In fact, I have replaced all of my interior doors, and the change has refreshed my whole home! The door hardware (just like everywhere else in my home) is the Milan in satin chrome from Direct Door Hardware.
The addition of the pocket door to separate this gorgeous space from the less-than-gorgeous furnace room has been an especially smart addition. I was beyond ready to get rid of the accordion door six weeks ago, and I was even more thrilled when my drywaller told me he could get in a pocket door.
To bring more beauty into the space, I reached out to my friends at pamuk & co., and they sent me the softest set of Turkish towels and a matching robe. I am so spoiled with these items! Each towel is a piece of art, in my opinion. And have I mentioned how soft they are? Absolutely luxurious! You can see the robe in #WhiteCabanaStyle action in this Instagram photo! (Side note: pamuk & co. has been spotted in Meghan Markle’s hands post-yoga and in her former Toronto home!)
I have two pieces of art in this laundry/bathroom combo room. The top piece above the toilet is Clothespins 2 by Elliot Stokes from Minted. Under this is a photo my friend Suzanne took, and I printed. It’s a close-up photo of a large-scale piece by Marco Godinho called “Forever Immigrant.” If you’d like to see more of the art, I recommend this video.
And one final look before I leave you for the day (to explore other One Room Challenge participants’ reveal posts):
Thanks again for following along this renovation journey with me.If you’d like to take a walk down memory lane, check out my week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, and week 5 posts. And for more inspiration, click on over to the reveal posts from the One Room Challenge’s featured designers and guest participants.
Thanks to Blanco, Warmup, Minted, and Pamuk & Co. for collaborating on this project. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to my construction team for making my design come to life: Chris, Troy, and Tony. Thanks to Mom and Dad for your continued willingness to help out and get messy!
***
Sources:
sink: Blanco Liven (c/o)
faucet: Blanco Urbena (c/o)
floor heating: Warmup (c/o)
robe and towels: pamuk & co. (c/o)
art: Minted (c/o)
art: photo from a friend
hooks: Ikea
hangers: Ikea
cabinet and counter top: custom
cabinet paint: Chantilly Lace
mirror: HomeSense
doors: Metrie Masonite Lincoln Park
door handle: Milan, Direct Door Hardware
floor tiles: Toronto
wall tiles: Toronto
shower system: Moen Arris
toilet paper holder: Bed Bath and Beyond
toilet: Costco
ceiling lights: Costco
We are near the end of this spring’s One Room Challenge event.
I can barely believe it actually. This week 1 before post seems like a distant memory now that all my new pieces are in place. This is definitely going to be a dramatic before-and-after feature, so I hope you’ll stick around until next week to see the big reveal.
For now, here are a few glimpses into my transformed space.
My Blanco Liven sink and Urbena faucet were installed. They’re surrounded by a white quartz countertop and a custom cabinet.
My drywaller made the greatest invention to cover my water main valve. 
My pocket door is one of my favourite features of my new room.
And my new mirror adds some classic shine to this high-functioning room.
Finally, my WarmUp floor heating thermostat was installed, and it works perfectly. My floor warms up in minutes, and it’s definitely a luxury for this space. Without the floor heating system, my tile floor is so cold!
Over the next week, I’ll be adding all the finishing touches: shower curtain, toilet roll holder, and art. It’s going to be a fun week!
Check out my week 1, week 2, week 3, and week 4 posts to get caught up on all the action. And for more inspiration, click on over to the posts from the One Room Challenge’s featured designers and guest participants.
Thanks to Blanco and WarmUp for collaborating on this project. All opinions are my own.
I’ve been keen on terrazzo lately. Terrazzo is a type of polished concrete flooring that has bits of marble or granite set into it. Â While I have no use for terrazzo in my house, and the installation process does seem intensive (I’ve watched plenty of YouTube videos to prove this), I keep wondering about how I could possibly use it in the future. Maybe for my third bathroom redo? Hmm…
Here are five gorgeous spaces that use black and white terrazzo.
via Buk & Nola 
via Buk & Nola
Have a great weekend, everyone!
 
 