Do you like to host? I do. I like hosting friends and family at my house. In the online world, I do enjoy having great guests. Blogging is a very social activity, even though communication happens online with “strangers”. I have met so many incredibly interesting and inspiring people over the last few years of blogging, and today I’m happy to welcome one of these people. Gabrielle is the blogger behind the beautiful food blog Eye Candy Popper. We met a few years ago through a mutual friend (Hi Rebecca!), and over time, I have watched her begin and grow her blog, share her love of cooking, and educate many readers about healthy living. Her recipes – and photos – always look so delicious! Today, Gabrielle shares with us her kitchen and her approach to design. Welcome, Eye Candy Popper!

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Hi! I’m ECP, aka Eyecandypopper. It’s so nice to meet you! I’ve been talking to Jordana about writing this article for months. Yes, months! It took some organization, and a lot of collaboration to get to the final product (including help from my friend at Aya Photography and Design), but here we are, 6 months later! Yay! I’ve known Jordana for a couple of years. We met through a common friend, and because I was just starting in the blogging world, I looked up to Jordana for advice. I also loved her blog immediately because I’m a big fan of white too. This post is different for me, because I mostly talk about food on my blog. I create healthy, but decadent recipes to share with my readers. I focus on organic and healthy whole foods, but I also care deeply about the environment, and the state of our planet, so I share tips and information about eco-friendly and sustainable products. Today, I wanted to introduce to you the place where the magic happens: my kitchen! When we renovated the space 4 years ago, I chose these creamy white shaker-style cabinets because I love the old charm and classic element that they bring to the space. My house is really small, only around 850 sq ft, but the 10’ high ceilings add a grand feeling, and since storage is always an issue in any space, I wanted to take full advantage of the height by using tall cabinets (I used a combination of 36” + 15” + crown). I only have upper cabinets on one side in order to lighten-up the space, and we used glass doors instead of full panels. In order to fit in my eco-conscious needs, I chose natural materials, like the cabinets made out of painted wood (maple) instead of melamine in order to minimize toxic glues used in the process. They were also Canadian-made, reducing shipping distances and fuel used. We chose quartz for the counter, which is not a natural material, but it uses recycled glass and leftovers that would’ve otherwise been thrown out, so I felt good about it. The floor tiles are porcelain and the backsplash is natural Carrera marble, both durable and long lasting materials. I’ve done some shopping around to find good prices, but I also spent more money for large ticket items in order to get better quality. Splurging on these items gets you a much better return on your investment. My goal throughout the house was to maintain a calm, airy, and uncluttered feeling, so we’ve kept decorative items to a minimum and only keep things that are useful. I like my cake stands, and I use them all the time to store freshly baked muffins or cookies. I also like to integrate souvenirs and pictures brought back from trips around the world. I’ve used a few small paintings throughout the kitchen, 2 from a trip to Paris, 2 from a trip to Hong Kong, and various pictures from trips throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. There’s also an old elephant bell brought back from my husband’s grandfather from Thailand in the 40s. These are the decorative items that make the space comfortable to me. They are not just decorative items, but they evoke memories at the same time, or they are useful and used on a daily basis. What a lot of my readers don’t know is that I share a passion for interior decorating and design. My passion for the environment and design has combined together in recent years to become what it is now. While it is sometimes hard to find an eco-friendly version of a building material, I strive to use really good quality materials that will stand the test of time and fads, and I focus on natural materials as well in order to be less toxic for my health. So that’s my kitchen! A lovely space which I enjoy every day! I hope you enjoyed it too! Come back next time for a visit of my office.

ECP xo

Pictures, courtesy of Aya Photography & Design. (If you live in Southwestern Ontario, please check out this small talented photography company on Facebook.)
Organic vegetables, courtesy of Eat Green Organics, an organic produce delivery service serving most of Southwestern Ontario. 
Cabinets and counters: Home Hardware
Floor tiles and backsplash: Olympia Tiles Toronto
Light fixture and faucet: Home Depot
Pantry: Ikea

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Thanks for taking us into your bright kitchen, ECP!