These two things look very similar…but they’re quite different!
Ouchi-01 by Jun Ishikawa via Divisare
Way back in December, I had a fight with one of my bifold doors. And that was the last push for me to replace it with a more convenient door set-up. I said #byebyebifold to those doors, and imagined a better door future for my home.
After meeting the Metrie team at Blogpodium last fall, I reached out to them with my disaster door dilemma, and they were generous to offer up some replacements. It’s now April, and I have had functioning double doors for a couple of months now. Oh, the changes that these doors have had to the look of my home and functionality of my space has been incredible!
The short piece of my advice I have is: If you’re contemplating a door upgrade, stop contemplating. Do it.
In my mind, I knew the Masonite Lincoln Park doors from Metrie were more modern than my plain slab doors, and I knew that upgraded hardware would add another level of modernity, but when everything came together, I really couldn’t believe the transformation. You don’t even want to know how many times I said “I love my doors!”
So, let’s take a walk down reno memory lane, shall we?
I had two of these basic bifold doors in my home:
I hated – yes, hated – them both!
The fight with my main floor bifold door resulted in this situation:
Upstairs, I had another bifold (the one on the left):
I lived with this bifold mess for a couple of months while I sorted out my replacement and installation plan.
And then…after installation day, a couple of days of painting, and new hardware, I ended up with this sleek transformation:
Because of a larger area of space, I was able to replace my upstairs bifold with a full-size door. This, too, has given me the impression that I have a bigger closet than before. 
Look at those beauties! So modern! So efficient! The double door option works perfectly in my tight hallway. These doors open and close like a dream, and (to my surprise) my closet seems so much bigger because the doors fully open, and I can access every bit of the closet space. The doors and trim make my house feel brand new!
As anyone who has completed a renovation knows, one project will inevitably lead to another (or many others). While my main purpose with the interior door project was to replace two bifold doors, I ended up replacing all of the interior doors in my house. Why? Because I wanted everything to match, of course! And since the new bifold doors required new casing (frame around the door), I had to replace the casing on the other doors, too. And since the casing was more modern and substantial than my original baseboards (framing on the floor), I had to replace those, too! One after the other…after the other…after the other…
So I had original doors like this:
and this:
I ordered matching doors from Northfield Trim and Door here in Waterloo. I was thrilled when my doors arrived early one morning.
The doors arrived unpainted.
And after a weekend of painting, I had fresh, white doors everywhere in my home.
      
Aren’t they lovely? So darn modern!
I’m so grateful to Metrie and Northfield Trim and Door for collaborating on this project. I received incredible service along the way. Sending a special thanks especially to Justine, Jason, Bob, Mike, and Chris.
While part of this project was sponsored, all photos and 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!
Welcome back to the One Room Challenge. Today marks the halfway point of this 6-week makeover journey, and things are looking pretty good in my new laundry/bathroom…even though the photos in this post (and my week 1, week 2 posts) are full of dirt, dust, and mess!
This week, I’m sharing what happened after the plumber gave my pipes a makeover. He installed a shower, as you may recall, so when he left there was a big trench in my room. The floor needed patching, the walls needed insulating, and there was still a bunch of plumbing to take care of. Â 
 the beginning of a beautiful shower
check out those pipes
insulation installation
My drywaller patched up the floor with cement(I keep calling him my drywaller, but, honestly, Chris can do everything!). Once that was dry, my electrician (aka my dad) and my tiler got to work.
drywall installed
In terms of electrical work, quite a bit needed to get done. Dad installed new lighting, updated outlets, and did the prep work for my floor heating system. He also installed a new fan.
new electrical
In terms of the floor heating system, I’m very lucky to be working with WarmUp on this project. The people I have been working with from WarmUp have been phenomenal. Really informative and great communicators. I was so pleased that they were as eager to work with me as I was with them!
To get the floor ready for the heating system, my tiler first installed the WarmUp insulation boards. These insulation boards not only prepped the flooring for the heating mats, but these boards will also ensure more energy efficiency.
WarmUp insulation boards installed
After the boards were secure, my tiler laid down the heating mats – the DCM-PRO membrane.
Dad was then able to install the cables on the mats. The cables were tested before, during, and after installation to ensure the product’s resistance had not been altered. Dad let me know that the installation of these cables was eaaasssy! Good to know, right? He liked the simplicity and straightforwardness of the DCM-PRO system, and he liked the contrasting colours, too, because this meant that everything was really easy to see.
WarmUp floor heating mats and cord installed (no heating on the right side of the photo because that’s where the toilet and vanity will be installed)
Stepping out of the shower onto a heated floor is going to be divine!
After everything was installed and tested, the tiler put a skim coat over the WarmUp floor heating system, so that it would be ready for tiles.
I encourage you to check out what the One Room Challenge guest participants and featured designers have been up to during week 3.
If you’d like to see more of my ORC progress, see my week 1 and week 2 posts. Thanks to WarmUp for supplying my new floor heating system. All opinions are my own.
I’m thrilled to welcome back Daniela to White Cabana today. You may remember her amazing gift guides from the holidays. She’s a very thoughtful gift giver, and we are all eager to meet her second little one this May. I’m grateful that she has taken time to share this impressive list of gift ideas for Mother’s Day with all of us. Take it away, Daniela!
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Hey Everyone, I am back with Mother’s Day gift ideas. As I anxiously await my second child arriving early May, I have definitely catered to the “new moms” you may be buying for in your life, although I have to say I think many moms would love the items on this list.
First up is this looks-like-butter romper. It’s from a Canadian company – Smash + Tess – that definitely knows what days are like with children. The variety of rompers not only exude comfort but also ease. They’re great for when you need to relax but also feel put together at home. They’re also great for when you need to run a few errands or are worried someone may come to the door after a sleepless night.
Smash + Tess’s The Sunday Romper looks like it would be the perfect every day outfit for a new mom – or any mom. It’s a Sunday Funday and what better way to celebrate than being comfortably chic? Oh… and maybe another round of mimosas. You know what they say: “a Sunday well spent brings a week of content.” Mission accomplished with this romper. In a Midnight Black rayon from bamboo and cotton blend, this romper needs no zipper, no buttons…it’s that fabulous! It’s spacious, stylish, and fits in all the right places. Looking for a new staple item? Look no further.
The Sunday Romper, $119 CAD, Smash + Tess
As you may recall from my holiday gift guides, I am definitely a coffee lover. I also find that I need the right mug each morning to go with my “mood”. Here are a few mugs that I’d definitely love to add to my collection.
Super Mom mug, $21.99 CAD, Amazon
#MomLife mug, $12 CAD, Chapters Indigo
On a note about beauty, I recently discovered Maison Apothecare, and I’m hooked! This is a Canadian company with both online ordering options as well as stores in Toronto, Niagara, Guelph, and Oakville. The company has skin care lines and cleaning lines all made from 100% pure plant derived extracts. As a mom, I think it’s important to really take care of yourself, and these products really are about taking care! They’re void of harsh chemical components, and they are sure to compliment the mom in your life’s beauty regimen or lack there of (moms don’t always have time). Here are some of my picks from their lines for the special mom in your life.
Facial Charcoal Brush, $15 CAD, Maison Apothecare
Facial Gift Set, $140 CAD, Maison Apothecare
Lavender & Sea Salt Soap, $8 CAD, Maison Apothecare
Exfoliating Soap Bag, $5 CAD, Maison Apothecare
Now onto the luxury gift in my shopping guide! When a mom finally gets to put her head down after a long day, what better way then to sink into the most luxurious comfortable sheets? That is where Soma Organic Mattresses comes in. Their full collection of St. Geneve bedding is lovely. For this post, I am featuring my wish list sheets – the Nico Organic Cotton sheet set. I have never felt anything like them and definitely know they would be an incredible investment (or gift) to a better luxurious night’s sleep! If you are in the Toronto area, the sales team at Soma is well-versed on everything “bedding,” and their service is top notch.
St. Geneve Nico Organic Sheet Set, $302 CAD, Soma
Finally, for the mom on the go with toddlers or school age children, this bag not only keeps mom fashionable but is also great to keep mom’s hands free while on the go this spring and summer. I wouldn’t suggest this for a diaper bag, but it is a great bag to carry everything you need for a day out with children while ensuring your comfort, too.
Rebecca Minkoff backpack, $276.50 CAD, Saks Fifth Avenue
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Yes. As predicted, Daniela spoiled us with a wonderful selection of gifts. I have had my eye on St. Geneve linens for quite some time! They are indeed luxurious! Thanks, Daniela!