Marketplace: In the Kitchen with Kate Spade

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In the fall, I brought you news from High Point Market of Kate Spade’s new line of furniture and home accessories. While I don’t particularly love the furniture as much as a lot of other people do, there are a select few items that I do really like (e.g., pom pom throw, Afton coffee table, many rugs), but, overall, it’s too much “bow” for me to commit to.

Its kitchen collection, however, is right up my black and white alley. In keeping with true Kate Spade style, it’s peppy and pretty and polka dotted! Oh, and of course there are plenty of bows thrown into the mix, too. Obviously. This is Kate Spade after all!

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deco dot tea kettle, $50

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3 piece ice cream set, $40

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cookie cutter and storage tin set, $25

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bow trivet, $15

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Eat Cake for Breakfast cake plate, $35

 

 

 

 

Uptown: Working with Pink in my Basement

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I didn’t intend to inject my basement with shades of pink, but some things were just meant to be. I couldn’t fight it. I didn’t want to fight it.

After I wrote about Minted’s collection of large-scale art, I was just about certain I was going to get a black and white piece for over my day bed. Instead, I was mesmerized by this piece, and I couldn’t say no. Minted generously sent over the gorgeous abstract art, and it hung vertically above my day bed for many months as I made progress on my fireplace redo.

*** Warning: Pink is about to make a brief appearance on White Cabana. ***

Holly-Katie-Craig-MintedHolly by Katie Craig

Once my fireplace makeover was complete, I turned my attention back to the daybed area of my space. I opted to rehang Katie Craig’s print horizontally, and I think it works much better in my space.

White-Cabana-Katie-Craig-Minted-artI adore the large-scale version of Katie Craig’s print. It’s bright and dramatic and bring a whole lot of interest to my space. As you can see, the room is still very much dominated by black and white even though there’s colourful art on the main wall. The addition of  fuchsia brings me joy, so I think I’ll keep it.

Here’s what (most) of the room looks like now:

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I painted the Fjellse bed frame (made from two twins that came with my house) high gloss blackWhite-Cabana-home-1

(I’m still on the lookout for two side tables of the same height)

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(featuring my most recent Alessi addition – Karim Rashid’s Hellraiser tray for Alessi)

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see how I transformed my old 80s fireplace into this beauty

I have recently published this makeover on Domino. If you click here, you’ll see a couple of before photos.

Many thanks to Minted for sponsoring this post.

Sources: art – c/o Minted; day bed (two Fjellse singles joined and painted high gloss black) – Ikea; wall paint – c/o CIL; white tray – Style at Home; black side cart – Market Road Antiques in St. Jacobs; chevron pillow cases – Target; bicycle pillow case – Urban Barn; coffee and side tables – Kijiji; shag rug, lamps – vintage; silver tray – Alessi; fireplace mantle – vintage; bamboo ladder painted high gloss black – garage sale; ceiling light – Ikea; art on fireplace – Janet Hill Studio, Chapters Indigo (tea towel); hex fireplace tiles – Twin City Tile

Two for Tuesday: Mirrored Backsplashes

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Last week, I introduced the first post in my new Two for Tuesday series. It was a high/low feature (I love doing them!), so if you’re interested, click here.

Today, I’m sharing two gorgeous white kitchens that have a bit of sparkle. The backsplashes in each of these kitchens are mirrored and shiny and glam. Tiles were installed in a classic brick formation, but the size of the tiles differ.

Sth-Yarra-Kitchen-02Avia Desire to Inspire

w620_h800via Domino

The first kitchen, as you can see, mixes a lot of materials – wood floors, traditional wood table, and a bold copper light. All of these items magically work with the shiny silver backsplash.

The second kitchen has a slightly different look. The black counter and faucet are sleek and smooth, and the lighting is industrial. The tiles are small but mighty!

Food & Drink: Moët for Valentine’s Day (or any day)

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I’m of the mind that champagne (whether from Champagne or not) should be consumed during celebrations both big and small: closing on new house, having a great day at work, meeting with a friend you haven’t seen in ages, a new baby, or a school graduation*.

I guess with Valentine’s Day around the corner, bringing out the bubbly is very à propos. Heck, whether you’re in a relationship and you celebrate this day of love, or you’re single and avoid the commercialization of it all, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t toast you and your loved ones with a glass of champers**.

It’s not too often that I actually get spoiled with some of the popular champagnes like Moët or Veuve Clicquot***, but maybe 2016 is the year that I bring this luxury to the forefront of my life (maybe to go with my future luxurious but affordable bed makeover?).

Just look at this work of champagne art:La-maison-depuis-1743_fixed_310x310

And the Moët & Chandon bottle is so beautifully classic.

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If you’re looking to pair this with food, the Moët & Chandon team tells me that the Impérial Brut (feature in the photo above) pairs particularly well with sushi, scallops, oysters, white fish, and white fruit (e.g., white peach tart), but I’m pretty sure my tastes buds are also happy when I pair champagne with the goodness of homemade pizza. Who’s with me?

Or, if you’re looking for a way to switch things up with your champagne, you might opt to try the following recipe for the Moët Ruby Red (festive for Valentine’s, the Oscars, etc.):

Moët Ruby Red
Ingredients
3/4 oz. Lemon
3/4 oz. Tarragon, Raspberry, Citrus Shrub (see below)
1 oz. Vodka
2 1/2 oz. Moët & Chandon Brut

Directions:
Serve over ice in a white wine glass. Garnish with fresh tarragon and citrus.

Tarragon, Raspberry, Citrus Shrub
Ingredients
2 cups Raspberry Purée
2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
4 cups Cane Sugar
1 Lemon Peel
4 sprigs of Tarragon

Directions
Bring ingredients to a simmer on a stovetop, then remove from heat and let cool.

This drink seems to be right up my alley – even though I generally prefer to drink champagne in its original state. I tend to take my champagne in a coupe, maybe with a raspberry thrown in for good measure.

What about you? How do you take your champagne?

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* Maybe this is one of the reasons why I have pursued more than one university degree (I’m on lucky #5!)
** Is this a word people use, or is this just a word I use with my friends. Blurred lines.
*** Toasting my PhD achievement was probably my most memorable Veuve occasion (see this and this and this).

Images via Moët & Chandon.

 

The Friday Five: Subway Tiles in the Bathroom

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I am still a ways off from tearing out my basement bathroom and redoing it, but I’ve been collecting tons of inspiration photos. These days, I’m leaning toward white subway tile walls and dark flooring. The goal is to install a shower, invest in a more energy efficient washer/dryer combo, and injecting a whole bunch of sleek into the room.

Here are five of the photos from which I’m drawing inspiration and the features I like about each space:

1. I like that this bathroom is all-white. It’s so clean and bright and spa-like. I like the white subway tiles with white grout as well as the white floor. The shower head is sleek, and while I doubt I’ll be going with a full wet-room in my own space, I really like the idea of a seamless floor.

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via Dwell

2. The subway tiles are a little larger in the bathroom below than in the one above, and it looks like dark grey or black grout was used instead of white. This really highlights the shape of the brick pattern (and any imperfections, I’m sure, too). Again, I like the seamless floor in this bathroom. While I do have a thing for hex tiles (see my powder room and my fireplace), I’m thinking that in my bathroom, I’ll opt for something different.

 

 

3. Shannon’s basement bathroom below is just about what I want. Again, the seamless floor caught my eye in this space, and I think the glass divider was a wise design move. I appreciate the stacked subway tiles, but I don’t think it’s for me.

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via 8foot6

4. A double shower? Cool! My basement bathroom is much too small for this type of installation, but it’s really neat. I adore the shower heads in this bathroom, and the herringbone floor is pretty. Again with the seamless floor! I must figure out how to do this in my space, because I most definitely prefer it over the lipped shower install. When I see this space, I’m getting the feeling that I do not want the high white-black tile-grout contrast in my own bathroom.

blog_black-bathroom-flooring

via Greige

5. I’ll take just about everything from the bathroom below. Add a larger sink and a washer/dryer, and this room would be perfect. The gold fixtures are divine, and the marble floor is beautiful. I love the larger subway tiles with white grout, and it looks like the shower door sort of swings out very neatly.

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via Nordic Design

Now all I need is to be showered with money so that I can get this project done! No big deal, right?

How about you? Which is your favourite from the five bathrooms above? Any advice to share in terms of a major basement bathroom redo?

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