Category — Kitchens + Baths

How is it Friday again, already? Jeepers. How was your week? Ours was busy but sun-filled and I can’t complain. It’s Mother’s Day this weekend…what plans do you have in the works? We’ll be pretty low key over here, spending time with both of our families, and the kids have some top secret projects in the works at school. I’ve got a preschool tea party with Lilah this morning before I head off to the shop and it’s bound to be adorable :) As promised, here are my top links of the week plus some tunes for the weekend…

1. These Mother’s Day printables by Striped Cat Studio would make any mama smile on Sunday morning:

Striped Cat Studio for Studio DIY

2. The entire May/June 2013 edition of Rue is devoted to the Pacific Northwest, YAY! So many great features, including this outdoor picnic, as well as a great tour of Vancouver shops and much more…

Rue. Photo by Julie Harmsen. Styling by Hens & Chicks Collective.

3. This entire cabin makeover is to-die-for, especially the kitchen. Seriously. My dream getaway:

Smitten Studio via A Cup of Jo

4. Loving everything about this pic, especially the pile of new pillows:

My Cakies

5. This Kentucky Derby themed wedding shoot is pretty near perfect in my books! My childhood friends would laugh…I’ve always fallen hard for horses! (While most had Kirk Cameron posters on their walls…um, I had Palominos and Arabians!) :

Ali Harper and Blue-Eyed Yonder via Snippet & Ink

As I’ve mentioned before, I love finding new music (as in not Top 40) and great apps like Songza and Shazam make it all the easier these days. I’m also a huge fan of NoiseTrade, where artists share their latest EP’s and it’s FREE! So great. Here are some tunes that I have on current rotation, hope you like them! Happy Weekend!

1. Among Savages: In the Nighttime
2. Empire of the Sun: Walking on a Dream
3. Churchill: Lock Your Heart Down
4. Boy: Little Numbers
5. American Authors: Believer
6. Freedom Fry: Friends + Enemies
7. Paper Route: You + I
8. Rah Rah: Art & a Wife
9. Walk Off the Earth: Red Hands
10. Wild Country: Wake Owl

It’s Friday, yeah! And better yet, I’m making a run for the city, double yeah! I’ll be hanging with a couple of friends tonight for an impromptu girls night out before meeting up with my  Spruce girls to set our vintage rentals on display at the Hush wedding show on Saturday night…the perfect mix of work and play!  Despite the never ending downpour outside, I thought I’d get this weekend started off on the right foot with a dash of glamour and what could be more glamourous or on trend than gold! If you’ve met me, you’ll probably recognize this necklace (I’ve been wearing it longer than I can remember) which was given to me when I was 9 by my Baba and Dida (Croatian for Grandma + Grandpa). My sister has one with her name on it too and I plan to get similar ones made for my girls when they’re a little bit older…

My namesake necklace

I fell in love with this kitchen some time ago and haven’t been able to look at chrome hardware in quite the same way ever since. I know, I know, it feels like you just finally purged the ’80′s out of your kitchen and it’s all come full circle, right? Ah, but so it goes and I’m loving the revised clean lines and minimal take on warm metals this time ’round…

Matthew Williams for Dwell via Camille Styles

West Elm Martini Side Table

Rue via SF Girl by Bay

Lovely Indeed

Emily Henderson

Luna Lighting

NY Times via Automatism

Although some may cringe, I’m a big fan of mixed metals too…no matchy matchy for me! Worried your new stainless steel appliances will clash with burnished bronze accents in your kitchen? Don’t be. They’ll warm it up and add character in no time! Enjoy your weekend…I know I will :)

It’s hard to believe that we’re halfway through summer vacation already! While we’ve had plenty of fun and a whole lot of R&R going on around here, we have yet to complete the lagging renovation of our master bath. Now, “master” bath sounds quite grand but ours is more of a cubby hole! The shower was the guilty source of the nasty leak that inspired the demolition, but the vanity is a builder basic that really just needs to go. I think I’ve finally convinced Brad to rip it out but will have to get really creative when finding the budget-friendly replacement. And when I say budget, I mean as cheap as possible because this reno was definitely not on our radar for this summer! I love the idea of a vintage cast iron wall mounted sink and have seen several at the Bellingham Habitat for Humanity store for around $50 apiece. It would take some reinforcing for the supporting wall, as I’d imagine they weigh a tonne, so I’m open to re-jigging a vintage dresser or table instead…if I can find the perfect piece! Here are some lovely examples…

Better Homes & Gardens

Photo by Virginia MacDonald for Canadian House & Home

Photo by Kristin Sjaarda for The Marion House Book

Photo by William Waldrun for Elle Decor

Design*Sponge

Ellen’s Album

Feldman Architecture via Desire to Inspire

Photo by Laurey W. Glenn for  Southern Living 

Photo by Andrew Grinton for Canadian House & Home

I know that there are a few new vanities in this mix but I do love their simplicity, especially when paired with rustic and reclaimed wood elements. Isn’t that wood-slatted shower floor above fantastic? As I cruelly hinted at on Thursday, I’ve got a certain big project in the works (will just have to keep you hanging a wee bit longer!) so we’ll have to hustle and get our ensuite finished. The novelty of sharing one bathroom between all 5 of us has definitely gotten old too! Off to the beach now but have a wonderful Monday!

My kids are happily enrolled in day camps this week and I must admit that it felt really great to actually have a couple of hours to gather my thoughts yesterday. It was cold and very rainy which also gave me a good excuse to tackle some much needed domestic duties like cleaning and baking….both of which are much more enjoyable in an empty house! I feel like I could use some help in the productivity department these days though. Often, my daily to-do lists and potential free time get hijacked (completely self induced, I know!) by our inbox or the lure of Pinterest. Funny how those online minutes simply slip away, isn’t it? I did come across this great worksheet though (scouted on Pinterest, of course!) that I immediately printed off and I’m hoping it will help with both long and short term goals…to be determined!

An added bonus of our never-empty inbox are submissions of homes like this one belonging to Valerie McMurray, CEO and founder of Soleil Organique skin and sun care. Valerie lives in Shelter Island, NY with her husband and three children and I was immediately drawn to their bright beachy home which was recently re-designed by Cynthia Walker. White walls, pale floors and just the right hint of sea glass are the perfect ingredients for a beach house, wouldn’t you agree? Come take a look…

Photo by Jay Ackerman via Keep It Chic

Valerie founded her Soleil Organique while pregnant with her third child…it’s amazing how kids make us more aware of the daily chemicals around us, isn’t it?

“There was no mineral-based, chemical-free sun care line out there that spoke to me the way my mother’s Bain de Soleil did when I was a child,” says McMurray, “and while I want total sun protection I also don’t necessarily want to feel like I am wrapped in a chalky shroud of zinc oxide when I’m outside, especially on vacation. I don’t want to sacrifice that feeling of luxury even in my sun care products.”  

While I haven’t tried Soleil Organique myself (nor were we paid to feature it on our blog), they have been receiving some pretty fantastic press reviews and can be found at luxury resorts and spas world wide. From the looks of it, Valerie’s pure and simple approach for her products translated directly into her design sensibilities within her home as well…it’s always great to see art imitating life, so to speak!

I’ve been thinking a lot about the chemicals that we put on and into our bodies lately so Valerie’s line of skin products really caught my attention. Completely mineral and marine based with not a single chemical additive in sight, Soleil Organique is not only 100% natural sunscreen but it’s also loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. I love soaking up the sun whenever I possibly can but have been feeling a bit wary of the endless list of unpronounceable ingredients on each bottle of our current sunscreen, especially when reapplying several times a day to our three kids. If you’re interested in reading more about mineral versus chemical based sunscreens, you can find detailed info here.  I hope you enjoyed taking a peek around the McMurray’s family home!

*Please note that we did not receive any reimbursement or product for this feature. We will always disclose if and when we do. 

Well, hello! I don’t know about you, but my long weekend sure got away on me quickly! Brad’s been fishing with his dad up at their family cabin in the Kootneys since early Friday morning so I’ve been single mom-ing it for the last few days. We all would have gone if Gabe’s camp hadn’t started on Sunday but have kept ourselves busy with lots of visiting in the meantime and it felt very good to catch up with some old friends and even get to know a couple of new ones. I read a great article over the weekend about being “too busy” and it really struck a chord with me. I’m not exactly sure what the future holds career-wise but I do know that the past year felt just a tad too hectic and I really want to refocus my energies closer to home before branching out on any big ventures. That being said, I always like to keep my creative juices flowing and take chances on good opportunities as they come. One such opportunity has come about thanks to Jayme’s kitchen renovation being featured on Design*Sponge and I’m excited to fill you in on the details very soon! Needless to say, I’ve had kitchens on the brain and fell in love with this modern space and it’s to-die-for brass hood fan and accents after seeing it over on Camille Styles last week…come take a peek!

Photo by Matthew Williams for Dwell Magazine

Photo by Matthew Williams for Dwell Magazine via Camille Styles

Photo by Matthew Williams for Dwell Magazine

Photo by Matthew Williams for Dwell Magazine

Photo by Matthew Williams for Dwell Magazine

Photo by Matthew Williams for Dwell Magazine

Photo by Matthew Williams for Dwell Magazine

Isn’t that hood fan gorgeous? Not to mention that under-the-stairs storage! If you’d asked me three years ago my thoughts on brass hardware, I probably would have made some very unladylike dry-heaving gesture (so rude, I know!) but now I’m 100% on board. There’s something so classic, nautical and a little bit masculine about brass, don’t you think? Makes me think of sailboats, sea captains and cufflinks, especially when paired with glossy white cabinets and warm wood counters like these. I imagine it would weather to a beautifully warm patina over time too. What are your thoughts on the look? Please share!