fourONEsixSTYLE

This might just change the way I think about fluorescent lighting forever. Toronto design collective Castor Canadensis has found a fun way to light a space while making sure used bulbs don’t end up in landfills all over the place. Using the old tubes tied together with incandescent bulbs lighting from within makes for a fantastic showpiece, especially for those eco-sensitive design fiends out there.

Made large to be hung horizontally or 2 feet tall for table or floor versions, the lamp will surely stand out from more traditional lighting. The collective notes on their cool website that they’ll cut the manufacture price by half for those who bring in burnt-out bulbs themselves from architecturally significant buildings. No word from the firm whether the design has any bearing on energy efficiency but blogTO readers have a comment or two. Hit recommend if you want to spread the word yourself.

Few of us ever take the time to indulge in a nice long bath let alone with a group of close friends, so I welcomed the opportunity when I got an email telling me to come to Body Blitz for a day of girlfriend fun at the ladies-only water spa. The spa had opened over a year ago in a converted old brick industrial building on Adelaide West at Portland and had generated a serious amount of buzz since it was the only one of its kind in Canada. I’d given several friends gift certificates to Body Blitz since I thought it would be a fantastic present but hadn’t gone to check it out yet myself.

Staff greeted my friends and I by taking tea orders then leading us through the spa with recommendations on how to get the most from our day in the therapeutic waters. We were to follow a circuit through warm, hot and cold pools filled with fresh and salt water, as well as one with green tea. In between we could hop into a lush steam room and sauna or hang out poolside on comfy leather loungers.

We lingered for hours, moving around the giant pool divided up by a stonewall with salt water waterfall. All around we were surrounded by natural elements of rock, wood and subtle lighting. Although it’s all indoors, the illusion of being in nature is fulfilled. It’s the best way I can think of to feel like you’re getting away while still being in the city - no need to travel several hours to dip your feet in salt water when you can find it right here in Toronto.

Post bath time several friends indulged further with massages, body scrubs and mud treatments. Had I known that the price (about 40 dollars) for “the waters” was included in any one of the treatments I would’ve slipped away for some shiatsu. Instead I did a few more circuits soaking up the benefits of the different pools and then kicked back all wrapped up in a toasty bathrobe. It’s one of the best days I’ve spent in awhile and a great way to unwind after the holiday.