A couple of weekends ago Sal and I had a "lunch-date". We dropped by the Timeless Bakery and Cafe on Northfield Drive in Waterloo where scrumptious breakfast and lunches are served daily. Delicious cappuccinos and lattes. Classic food. Check out their menu at: . Directly beside the cafe is the Timeless Material Co. selvage barn - a huge, multi-storied structure with wonderful reclaimed architectural materials inside. You'll want to take the time to explore the many hidden staircases and stacks of interesting items.



Glass vintage doorknobs. Check. Every type of wood beam that you can imagine. Check. Metal duct grates from an earlier time. Check.

If a walk down memory lane is what you're up for, or if you're sourcing unique, on-trend materials for a future renovation in your home, you need to check out The Timeless Material Co.

Website: www.timelessmaterials.com

My latest crush.

Decorative toss cushions. They are all my BFF's. Sigh. I'm so in love.

But seriously. Toss cushions, throw pillows. They can elevate a space, changing the look and feel of a room, very simply and easily.

The strategy is to reign in a colour scheme fairly tightly, using only a few specific colours. Let's say green, blue, white and black. Also, used some large patterns, small stripes, a few solids and maybe also a floral. Mix it up good. The combination of these colours and patterns will make a strong visual impact, and create a focal point. It makes that area of your space look tight and inviting.

I have a blah and boring antique sofa in a neutral tan colour. It's a large piece of furniture. And I'm not ready to replace it yet. So I have to make it work in my space. I piggy-backed on the colour scheme of the entryway (next to the living room) and brought in the colours of the upholstered bench by the front door. Red, white, green, yellow and black. I used toss cushions in these colours with varied patterns, and all of a sudden this sitting area is looking pretty and inviting.

Winter is really dragging on this year. Sometimes a little pick-me-up makes our spaces and our spirits feel lighter. And it's a place to snuggle away from the cold.

Enjoy.

LIving for real in your space.

It's a multi-use kind of thing. My personal living space. A "décor science" experiment lab. Fun, colour, personal expression. And chalk-dust. What?

Chalkboard paint into the kitchen? I've been inspired by software developers writing their formulas and work-flow plans on the walls of their industrial start-up spaces. Crazy-jealous about their freedom of scrawl, I wanted to try a similar idea in my kitchen. Only, it would be for household stuff and family use. Practical stuff. After carefully taping off the edges, I painted portions of the kitchen wall and cupboard doors with black chalkboard paint, (Benjamin Moore brand). Check out link here. Then I stood back to watch. Smile.

My home is occupied by 5 people under the age of 52. Three kids, two adults. They are accustomed to the landscape of our home continuously changing as I try out new ideas and experiment with colour, pattern, texture and layout. My family knows that periodically they will have to search for things after I've scourged a room, re-modelled, re-arranged. Anticipating the chalk-board paint shaking things up in our kitchen, I waited to see how it would work for us. Please be cool.

Happily, it brought a rustic, tactile element to the space. Check. Just what I wanted. But it also added a playful, interactive function. I would have never believed how much everyone likes to add their two cents worth with a piece of chalk on a chalk surface. It has become a "to do" list of sorts. From sketches, to notations, to happy-face drawings. Oh yes, and the iconic "Sarah was here". Duly noted.

I'm really psyched by the fun we're having with the on-trend, cool, chalkboard surfaces in our space. So, I challenge you to try out new ideas. Be daring. Make your home fun to live in, and fun to play with. Put a smile on your face. Re-arrange (hide!) your kids gaming controllers. A fresh paint hue or a few fabulously colourful toss cushions can inject a new vibe and functionality into your space.

Stay tuned for the magic of toss cushions.