A new kind of third space for families emerges in the Junction section of Toronto thanks to local studio Denizens of Design. Blending the familiarity of a neighborhood cafe with richly imaginative landscape for play and learning, a former dive bar is reborn as Willow Play Cafe. “So many of us grew up lingering in cafes, watching the world go by, dreaming and daydreaming,” says Denizens of Design founder and principal Dyonne Fashina. “We wanted to create a place where parents could reclaim that ritual, but now with their children beside them. The design had to feel familiar and grown up, yet quietly magical.”

Nostalgia meets invention in the new café, which welcomes families into the warmth of wood surfaces, checkerboard linoleum floors, vintage bentwood chairs, and softly patinaed light fixtures. A massive willow tree serves as the visual anchor while cafe millwork becomes infrastructure for play. The keyhole-shaped portal signals the transition from the café into a playground outfitted with rubber floors, sculptural foam steps, and integrated climbing and sliding elements that form a two-tiered play structure. Light Brite walls, tactile puzzles, and STEM-based activities embedded within wood panels are accented by locally sourced vintage lighting, reinforcing history and craft alongside playful faux greenery cascading from the ceiling. “Willow is gentle, curious, and resilient, just like the tree it is named for,” Fashina adds. “It is a place for pause, for wonder, and for growing together.”