What comes to mind these days is the song "Changes" by Charles Bradley. A soulful ballad about losing the one you love, by the late Funk and Soul singer who had a whole lot of heart—I was fortunate to see him a couple summer's ago and boy let me tell you, he really left it all on the stage. Although this song in particular is about love, it's also about adapting, and the uncompromising ebbs and flows of life. Change is constant, and nothing is certain.
Right now as the world and our country battles COVID-19, we're facing a whole lot of change and uncertainty. Everything has been touched by the pandemic, from our lives to our relationships, our jobs to our children. Our storefronts are closed, our streets are less travelled, our elderly are in danger, and the state of the economy is fragile. But there's glimmers of light too...
Air pollution has cleared in major cities, wild animals are returning to the areas in which they once roamed free, communities are coming together to offer support to their neighbours and beloved small businesses. Applause and gratitude is being extended to those on the frontlines. Awareness is happening about the inequalities many face every single day. Hope and perseverance is enduring against all odds, in small ways and in big ways.
So today we're celebrating the things we have, and the things we haven't lost. Our beautiful storefront, our staff & family, our connection with you folks — the rug & weave community —, and our desire to learn from this and come out a better friend, neighbour, business, and individual.
We have so many stunning photos of the space we call our second home, our Brick & Mortar at 460 York Rd in Guelph, ON. Although closed for the time being, we'd like to share them with you. The memories we've created in this space, and continue to create, keep us holding our heads high although we miss it dearly! This space has seen countless transformations, and I'm sure it will see many more. Let's take a look.
This hutch was a Kijiji find that we painted black, and we couldn't love it more! We like displaying monochromatic decor here, like our Acacia Boards or Mortar & Pestles.
Our Baby & Child selection is ever expanding, and today it looks even quite different from this photo we took a month or two ago! We've been focusing on adding soft colour palettes, pastel hues, earth-friendly textiles, and plushy soft stuffed animals and pillows. Stay tuned (very shortly) for our newest addition, keepsake wooden toys in all different shapes, sizes, and forms. Check out our current kid's selection here.
If you've been to our shop, you're definitely familiar with our main Rug Wall! This sprang out of the need to display and showcase our rugs in a more accessible way, whereas when we started, we kept them rolled or folded in the back warehouse, with only a select few styled on the shop floor! We love switching the Rug Wall up with our newest vintage rugs, or rugs with unique designs. Now not only do we have the Rug Wall, but we've expanded our shop to included a whole showroom where the majority of the rugs we carry are laid out for your pursuing! Check out our rugs by clicking here!
Our extraordinary ZZ Plant is captivating, and we definitely miss all your "os's and ah's" when you see her! Don't worry, she's been getting a healthy dose of water and sunlight despite our shop's closure, but ZZ's actually thrive on neglect anyways!
On another note, incorporating Gus Modern Furniture into our shop this past year has been so darn fun! From the Plank Dining Table pictured above, to the Carmel Sofapictured below, we're so proud to be a Gus retailer. Did you know we offer a huge furniture selection online, and you can see swatches of fabric too? You also can shop and buy the floor models, just drop us a line! Click here to browse.
The front of our shop gets the most sunlight due to two huge traditional storefront windows, and we love displaying apothecary and kitchen & bath items here. Little grab and go treats that are as beautiful as they are functional. This room has seen SO MANY revolutions, and if you're local you can attest to that! We can't wait to reopen with yet another transformation, as we're continuing to evolve this space.
Locally made soaps, handmade brass bowls, and ceramic trays are just a few of the treats to be discovered in our front room.
The evolution of our shop feels much like this pillow assortment, a slow gradual transition that only keeps getting better. Although 2020 is bringing new challenges, and we're heavily reliant on our online presence more than ever, we can't help but want to continue to evolve and focus on our physical space too—it's our heart and our soul!
You best believe that when this is all over, our doors will be wide open to our community, and our shop will be filled with a new breath of life. In the meantime, we hope you all stay safe and healthy, remain at home when possible, and enjoy the little things! We will get through this.
In January 2019,Gus* Modernbecame our first furniture partnership! We were so proud to support a fellow Canadian business. Since then, Gus* has become one of our most popular furniture manufacturers! We reached out to the Gus* team to learn more about how they started, their design process & environmental initiatives!
One of our most asked questions is how to size a rug for a room. It's a good one, and there are some tried and true answers. Here are our tips below for landing that expertly styled look, without the doubt!
Our new sheet sets are made of a cotton & linen blend. The soft touch of cotton & breathability of linen make for the perfect cooling sensation for those hot summer nights.
What comes to mind these days is the song "Changes" by Charles Bradley. A soulful ballad about losing the one you love, by the late Funk and Soul singer who had a whole lot of heart—I was fortunate to see him a couple summer's ago and boy let me tell you, he really left it all on the stage. Although this song in particular is about love, it's also about adapting, and the uncompromising ebbs and flows of life. Change is constant, and nothing is certain. 
