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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Travel: Charleston, SC – Part 2

Yesterday, I shared part 1 of my trip to Charleston, SC. I was only there for 24 hours, but I managed to fit a lot in. I ended yesterday’s post with lunch at Hominy Grill, and today I’m sharing what we saw post-lunch.

Since my sister and I were re-energized after lunch, we drove to the house district beside the harbour (I’m not quite sure that this is the name of it) and spent a couple of hours walking around, staring at the architecture, and wondering about the history of every mansion.

White-Cabana-Charleston-8White-Cabana-Charleston-2 White-Cabana-Charleston-1 White-Cabana-Charleston-3White-Cabana-Charleston-9And a few charming smaller houses were thrown into the mix, too.

White-Cabana-Charleston-4I mean, a golf cart? Awesome!

As you can imagine, there’s a lot of work to upkeep these homes. I watched in awe as this team of painters worked their magic using a crazy ladder-scaffold set-up.

White-Cabana-Charleston-10It’s hard to imagine the scale of these homes in photos, but I hope the image below helps with this. There’s our mini-van parked in front of one mansion. As you can see, the van barely reaches the height of the front steps. I mean, amazing, right?

White-Cabana-Charleston-1And there you have it – my two-part review of Charleston, South Carolina. Have you been? Would you like to go?

Photos by me.

Marketplace: Draper James Makes its Debut

Reese Witherspoon’s latest venture is Draper James – an online marketplace featuring classic southern style. Browsing the site makes me want to move south, sit on a rocking chair, and sip on a mint julep. It’s a shop full of very pretty items for your closet and your home.

Here are my top picks:

For the home

GF0013_silver_2_10sterling silver magnolia bowl, $400 (USA)

DK0012_horseshoe_1_10horseshoe objet, $98

TX0006_sayings_1_4southern sayings cocktail napkin set, $85

GF0016_custom_1_12custom mint julep, $85

For the wardrobe:

LG0003_put_your_face_on_1_8canvas powder room pouch, $65 (import)

DR0002_magnoliawhite_front_98eyelet love circle dress, $285 (import)

LO0001_DJ_front_28kiawah cover up, $200 (import)

I was curious to see what items were actually made in the south (or in the USA), and I didn’t find too many. I feel as if production was in the USA, this would really be an American brand. Don’t you?