Historical Sackets Harbour over Labour Day Weekend

I recently spent Labour Day weekend down in Sackets Harbour, USA.  It is a quaint and beautiful little town bordering Lake Ontario, specifically sitting in Black River Bay.  Sackets Harbour has quite a history, going back in time and was one of the sites of the war of 1812.  The main street is lined with beautiful architectural buildings and several shops and restaurants.  We stayed in the Marina Inn at Madison Barracks which is one of the country's oldest military bases and stands overlooking the bay.   There are several old abandoned buildings which are now being refreshed into living quarters and several new buildings being erected with the look of the older style.  Our spot was lovely and we could sit outside our room and see the water as well as walk a few feet to a little bistro which had outside dining overlooking the water.

The revitalized  "Marina Inn" at Madison Barracks

I always love to see older buildings refurbished rather than torn down

 One of the abandoned buildings.  Love the Turret                                                                                                                                                                                  

 
 and another just waiting to be refurbished into something great

This one has an interesting entrance.  I hope they can do something with it

 

All of the above buildings surrounded a huge green space which would have been used for military maneuvers and was also used as a Polo fieldThe view of the harbour from our suite

Some of the lovely buildings on the main street

 

Our favourite spot to eat outdoors - Tin Pan Galley

The outdoor dining is always packed as it  has a great ambience and feels like you are either in a European bistro or down south

 

Hubby and I - he always closes his eyes...

Flexible Stone, wood and much more from Surface Innovation

The Beauty of Natural stone, wood…and other incredible materials                                                                  

Natural materials have always been considered luxurious and can create a wonderful atmosphere in home décor whether it is contemporary, traditional, country or any style you desire depending on what you select. 

Natural stone has been valued throughout the millennia for its sculptural and architectural qualities.

There is a unique new surface innovation for architects, designers, kitchen cabinet and furniture manufacturers and more!  Real slate, sandstone, granite and marble are now available in lightweight, and in some cases flexible, veneer sheets, their use limited only by the imagination.  Put natural slate, sandstone and granite where it was never before possible with SlateFlex, SandFlex and GraniteLite! These revolutionary veneer sheets are a thin slice of real stone, not man made composite imitations.    

While attending IDS 2010, I visited the booth of SurfaceInnovation Inc., a company located in Parry Sound, ON and for the first time viewed their “Flexible Slate Veneer” available for the Canadian market.  This product is real slate available in lightweight, flexible veneer sheets. Since that time they have evolved into many more product lines. 

Slate is an exotic and unique natural stone that is stately, sturdy, and durable; this earthy stone just exudes warmth. Who doesn’t love slate?   The character of slate allows it to fit into a traditional design with an informal time worn, classic, old world feel; as well as an upscale rich, sophisticated, sleek look of the refined, modern design of a high-rise. This stone is versatile almost everywhere.

Slate is commonly used in its rigid form regardless of its application.  How many more creative applications could be utilized if it were flexible?? This product comes in many distinctive slate colours and sandstone and is suitable for vertical interior and wet applications. Slate can be applied to surfaces where it was never before possible.  Think about the possibilities in kitchen and bath design, even furniture and curved walls.   It can be used on a backsplash, cabinetry, and columns (curved), curved walls, furniture, lighting, signage and feature walls.  Certainly we have seen it on some of these applications in its rigid form, however, with the lightweight and flexible nature of the veneer the possibilities are limited only by the imagination.

How is this possible??  This slate veneer is made from adding a fiberglass layer to the slate slabs and then peeling it off when it adheres to the stone.  The rough split texture is a raw stone surface covering a wide range of the colour pallet.  Both natural and quartzite slabs are available.

The Slate Flex veneer product is not only very flexible (approximately 2mm thick) it is also lightweight (approximately ½ lb per sq. Ft) which allows for many creative applications. A standard sheet size is 2’ x 4’ and can be processed with standard tools and readily available adhesives.  Slate Flex can be cut with heavy snips, table saw with masonry disc, metal shear or wet saw. 

The rough stone surface should be treated against contamination with standard stone sealers.  With the properties of natural slate being anti-bacterial, stain-resistant, non-absorbent (even with no sealant) and fireproof, this is definitely a low-maintenance and durable product now available at great cost savings.  

When looking at the transportation cost, fuel and space required in shipping and handling standard stone products, the extreme lightweight property of Slate Flex adds to its desirability of being eco conscious in reducing the carbon footprint.

IIDEX 2011 saw Surface Innovation roll out it’s new booth design and a number of new products.  Numerous architects and designers were introduced to two exciting new products, Marblelite and NatureFlex.  They were pleased to receive a bronze award for booth design.  

Many projects are currently underway as a result of the show.  Surface Innovation, based in Parry Sound, Ontario, specializes in products that can clad almost any vertical surface in your home with thin, decorative, natural materials. Options include: several types of stone, shells and even water hyacinth.  The veneers are thin enough to wrap concave and convex surfaces in natural stone.

The Flex series of products are far lighter than traditional stone products with a far smaller carbon footprint of transportation. Also, they are a much more efficient use of natural resources as only a thin layer of surface material is used.

The Barnwood product line features reclaimed barn-wood mounted on fabric, which allows for application to a multitude of different surfaces. The use of low VOC finishes is a safe and eco-friendly option for those who want to avoid harsh emissions. 

Surface Innovations has a representative in Southern Ontario or can be purchased through The DecoratingCentre in Burlington, ON.

Below are a few photos of the possibilities!!  Check out their website for the many other great ways to use this fantastic product.

Fall Colour

It's here!!  Not the fall colour outside but what I have seen for inside.  I dropped into Homesense for a minute on the weekend and ended up spending more than a minute and a few dollars as well.  Who could resist when you see what I saw.  They hit you with it right at the front entrance and continue throughout the store.  I also noticed chaise lounges being featured as well as  Pantonne's colour of the year;  Emerald. Guess people were really drawn to it so it contining to be seen.

So much for dark fall and winter colour for home interiors this year.  Let's add some colour.   I saw so much gorgeous colour I had to share it.  My photos were from my phone so not quite as crisp as I would like, but you get the idea.  Usually bright colour comes alive in spring and we get a happy and cheerful feeling but seeing it now is really making me re-think fall and winter.  You can be cozy with bright colours.  You will feel so rejuvenated.  I just must add more colour to my decor!! What do you think?

Visiting our Nation's Capital over Civic Holiday weekend and a little Shopping Too ....

I have some family in Ottawa and whenever we visit, it is to see them and I never go out and about.  This past weekend I played tourist in Ottawa and had a great time.  Of course we saw family but I finally got to the much mentioned Byward Market.  So much to see and so many great restaurants.  As I mentioned in a previous facebook post I had to hit some Home Decor shops and poor hubby already knew it was in the cards.  He is used to it and lucky for him there were kitchen things and he loves those as he is a fantastic chef.  I stopped into Zone and ....... which had really interesting products.

I also hit The Modern Shop

Of course I took a few pics of our Parliament Buildings. Unfortunately we couldn't get into a tour of the Parliament as they were always full and I do not rise at 6 am when on a vacay even if to see these great buildings.  The guides said it was the most crowded even for a holiday weekend that they had seen so I will return on a regular weekend and do the tour.

Looking at where the three rivers meet behind the Parliament Buildings
















We did however visit he residence of our Governor General for a tour.  We couldn't take photos but I found this one on line.  It is quite beautiful and it was interesting to hear about the history associated with it and to see a model of how the different phases of it grew over time into what it is today. The grounds were amazing.

The Room above is known as 'The Tent Room' and was originally built in 1876 as an indoor tennis court that could also serve as a large dining or reception hall. For important events, striped canvas was draped over the bare walls and ceiling, creating the look of a tent. Today, the room retains its tent-like decor, and is used to host formal events such as artistic performances and literary celebrations — all under the watchful eyes of the portraits of Queen Victoria and former governors general.