MULTI TASKING

If you don't find me here daily lately, its because I am multi-tasking all over town. Summer is upon us as of today - XS K graduated from Kindergarten yesterday and Small K finishes 2nd grade today. That means class parties, end of year parties, and even birthday parties... XS K turns 6 today! 

Behind the scenes of the blog I am shooting all the photography and concepting the marketing of Canvas Interiors with Mr. K. We are looking at new adventures with the store including opening a 3rd location which we are very excited about (more on that later this summer).

If you've stopped by today thank you! If you stop by and don't find me here, you can find me on Instagram pretty much daily both for the blog and the store. On the days I am not blogging I am behind the camera shooting or pinning or instagraming or facebooking or tweeting.  Or perhaps even grocery shopping. That's a lot of 'ings'.  Just wanted to let you know where you can find me if not here. 

Today, here is a little perspective of an edit for Canvas Interiors - I love doing these collage exercises as it helps me envision where our collections are headed, how we can shape them and grow them.

Top row vibe: warm tones, middle row vibe: crisp white, bottom row vibe: grey and silver tones.
You can find more here: Canvas Interiors.  


Follow me on Instagram for a daily dose of what I am up to:  @canvasstyle and @canvasinteriors



SLIGHTLY OBSESSED: CHATEAU GUDANES

I saw the restoration of Chateau Gudanes pop up in one of my many 'feeds' (Elle Decor and Veranda have both picked it up) and got immediately intrigued.

The Chateau is being restored by an Australian family and their account of the journey has totally captured my imagination. Peeling back the layers of history sounds like the best job ever. Built in the early 1700's, the Chateau lay in ruin until this adventurous family discovered it. 



This is a total fantasy of mine, to restore an old property and spend countless hours unearthing the past. When I was little I used to dream of being allowed to stay in an old run down place by myself so I could explore. I will absolutely be digging in to this website and have already followed on Instagram.   From discovering original hand-painted wallpaper, to horses grazing on the front steps I am completely captivated.  So I thought I would share it with you today...





Now I just need to find an entire morning to read the blog and look at every single Instagram pic. 

check out their blog and find their instagram feed here


all images: Chateau Gudanes


WEARING WHITE

Living in a warm climate, white or cream of some variation works its way into my wardrobe year round. But I do remember the joy of post Memorial Day dressing when I lived in Toronto. It means summer is officially here. It means the Great Lakes are not frozen, the car windows can be down, and the white wardrobe pieces can be added to the mix with full reckless abandon. This is my favorite color after all. So here's to refreshing last year's whites with a little inspiration from these images.




Add shorts to the lace top, a tank to a fresh skirt, or jeans to your favorite chambray.


SIMPLE PLEASURES

have a beautiful (long) weekend



xoox
catherine


image found: here

ARM CANDY

I have a lot of fun with arm candy. If you follow me on instagram you will notice my 'stacks'. Either rings or bracelets of various mix and match vibes. Depending on the day, mood, outfit I'm wearing I throw on a very un-planned group of bracelets that I have collected over time. Some fancy, some very inexpensive (read: Forever 21).

Sometimes if you think too much, it looks that way. So leave a stack of goodies in a cute bowl and grab and go. Kind of like a snack.

today's mix


random mixes

Endless possibilites...



THE ROW

I love the idea of a retail experience that houses both clothes and furniture. And by 'houses' I mean that literally... in a house. Its on my list of things to do someday. I have it tucked away in the visual filing cabinet in my head.

I love this new store the Olsen girls have just opened. The Row's new flagship store in LA is stunning. They have found the perfect place to put their stamp on The Row's first store. 






You can read more about their concept for the store on WWD

MARBLE COUNTERS

Yesterday I went all over town looking for a delicious piece of marble for our kitchen 'refresh'.  More on that later... but the big news is I found it. I fell madly in love with 4 slabs. Some shy away from marble because it shows wear and tear but we are of the opposite mind. Wear and tear is a natural part of life in a busy household and a little patina is perfectly normal. When treated with basic care and feeding it works for us. 

We currently have a butcher block island top and I am going to switch it out to this little beauty (or one of the 3 slabs sitting behind it that I haven't seen yet):


This morning while cruising through RUE magazine I saw this image and know without a doubt that I fell for the right piece of marble.


I love it when what you see in your head comes to life on the pages of a magazine or blog. It gives me the extra push I need sometimes to stick to my initial vision and not second guess myself. When I freely follow my intuition I feel more grounded and at my best. Pretty deep thoughts for a post on marble right?!  

I do hope I provide a little of that inspiration for you here at canvasstyle as well. 

Have a lovely day!




FIRST LOVES

I was at Canvas Interiors yesterday taking pictures and while I usually snap the new things that have arrived and new displays that have been magically put together by the amazing Design staff, yesterday what caught my eye were the firsts. The things that arrived to the floor when the paint was barely dry. 

For some reason they stood out to me as a reminder of the initial vision for our brand and for some reason they really made themselves present in my lens yesterday.  I have no idea why or how I got in that headspace but it was really nice to walk the floor and look at the first things we picked out when the store was a concept of millions of pieces of paper taped on a wall in our guest room of our home. One of my friends called it the 'crazy room'.  From 'crazy room' to reality, these pieces still ring true to our initial vision for Canvas Interiors. 

First loves:

Julia white leather bed // Perle pendants (these are the last ones!)



Ledoux  4' tall finials // Marakesh floor mirror (that shot was taken  in 2011 as we were just unpacking things) // Baldwin chair



this whole set up: 


The links above will take you directly to each item, or you can cruise the Canvas Interiors site and browse around our collections.  And the links below will take you to Instagram which is where I am having loads of fun lately. 

Follow along with me as I shoot and play on Instagram for both the store and the blog


SIMPLE PLEASURES

have a beautiful weekend 
and a very happy Mother's Day





image found: here

MOTHER'S DAY GIFT IDEAS

Sharing a few Mother's Day gifts today ... local friends still have time to visit us in store for this Mother's Day and if you are reading from afar you can check out the entire gift section on the Canvas Interiors website for future occasions.



Wishing you a lovely Mother's Day!

HI-LOW

Ok confession time. I had two credits burning a hole in my wallet. One for H & M and one for Forever 21.  I pop in to each store from time to time and if they 'speak to me' I listen. Most often I leave empty handed and swing back through another time. Yesterday both stores 'spoke to me'.  

Here is what I picked up:

From H & M



From Forever 21:




I was pressed for time which is never ideal in either of these stores. You kind of have to Zen out and be ready to browse.  There are a few more things that caught my eye that will more than likely make their way into my closet soon. Mix and match with your 'high' pieces for a look that is your own. 




SLIGHTLY OBESSED: LEMLEM

I have been watching lemlem since its inception in 2007. Today it is a full blown brand with a clear vision and I think I could perhaps live in lemlem pieces all summer long. Which is a long time where I live. 

Handmade in Ethiopia from natural cotton, these pieces not only look effortlessly cool but are preserving the local art of weaving and bringing economic stability to Liya's native country. You can read more about the vision and achievements of the company here.

images: lemlem

Here are a few of my favs...



l to r - jumpsuit // scarf // patio dress (my all time fav)






CANVAS INTERIORS MONTAUK COLLECTION

Hi and thanks for stopping by. I'm sharing the Canvas Interiors Montauk collection today. This collection is laid back beachy with clean lines and a straightforward approach.  It combines touches of organic, natural and unfussy.

We like to put these collections together to help you sift through the multitude of sites out there and hopefully find your style in a less overwhelming way. We put looks together to get you on your way to designing your ideal home. Hopefully this helps take the uncertainty out of decision making and allows you to enjoy the process of design. 



The Oslo dining table makes a gorgeous graphic statement and comes with a dining bench. Put the bench on one side, slipcovered chairs on the other for a casual look. Add layers of texture with the Urchin chandelier. Toss blankets or fresh white guest bath towels in the fisherman baskets. A large coffee table and sink-in-sofa are the perfect spot for a cocktail or board game at the end of a beach day. 

Find it all here, in our MONTAUK collection

Are you packing your beach bag yet?  I just did in my head. 

Other collections on the site include Harbour Island, Belgium, Brooklyn, Metro.

Thanks for coming to Montauk with me today. I do hope you check out the Canvas Interiors site!



all images: Canvas Interiors







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