DIY Stain Removal from you Carpets and Area Rugs

I'm frequently asked how to remove stains from carpets and area rugs.  I'm much better at selecting the proper area rug or carpet for your home than knowing how to clean them!  Thank goodness for all of those who specialize in removing stains from carpets!  

I recently came across stain removal advice on Twitter, of all places.  It was so good that I want to share it with all of our followers.  Selfishly, I also wanted to have it an easy place for me to quickly reference in a pinch!  Read below for the great advice from someone that I follow on Twitter @HomeImproveNow.  

1. Be fast 
If you are very quick you may be able to blot away the stain before it even has a chance to set. Grab a white absorbent cloth or tissue and use the four basic steps to remove the stain. 

2. Check Color 
Check to make sure the carpet is colorfast and safe to clean, test the carpet in an area that inconspicuous before you apply the cleaner to the stain in the carpet. 

3. Dry Cleaning Solution 
You can use dry cleaning solution (surgical spirt). Detergent solution one teaspoonful of detergent to ¾ liters of warm water. Dab Spot. 

4. Vinegar 
You can also use detergent and vinegar. It must be white vinegar and not malt vinegar. Add one tablespoon of vinegar to the detergent solution. Dab Spot. 

5. Ammonia 
Smelly, eye watering but very effective. Add one teaspoon of branded household ammonia to one cup of warm water. Dab Spot. 

5. Alcohol, Coffee 
If the stain is alcohol, coffee, tea, liquid foods or urine blot up the surplus spillage but do not rub it back and forth. Use detergent and vinegar solution. Start by working from the outside of the stain moving inward a little at a time. Frequently blot with a dry cloth 

6. Chocolate, Blood, Glue 
If the stain is chocolate, sweets, blood, glue, ice cream, milk ,soft drinks or vomit you will have to clean up the excess using a blunt knife or a putty knife. Be sure not to grind any of the spill into the carpet. Us the detergent solution starting at the outer edge working your way into the middle of the spill. Blot dry and then use the ammonia solution and blot dry again. 

7. Fats, Tar, Gum 
If the stain is solid fats, tar, chewing gum, oil, ointment, or shoe polish scrape up the excess with a knife or a putty scrapper. Use the dry cleaning solution followed by the detergent and vinegar solution and blot dry. 

8. Unknown Spills 
For stains or spills which you are not sure as to what they are first scrape or blot up the excess material. Then use the dry cleaning solvent followed by luke warm water and blot dry. If the stain is still there treat with the detergent or the detergent and vinegar solutions then blot dry. 

9. Follow Up 
All the above procedures should be followed up by a simple mix of one part white vinegar and four parts water. Place mixture into a spray bottle Spay over the stained area and blot dampened area. Do not rub to remove excess moisture. White paper towels work well. Stack 5 to 8 sheets on top of each other and blot till dry. 

If the moisture is still present stack 5 to 8 sheets of paper towel and place over the stained area and place a heavy book on top to help absorb the excess moisture. Leave overnight if needed. If you are leaving it overnight be sure to change the paper towels before bed. Repeat as often as necessary. 

10. Dab and Blot 
Remember always scrape solids up and blot liquid spills. Never rub from side to side. The little effort it takes to make up the above solutions will save you a lot of money and time. Always remember to do a spot test on a hidden area before applying. Be sure to dab and work in towards the center of the stain. Even if the stain will not come out it will make it easier for the professionals to lift it when they come to clean the carpets. 

11. Store Safely 
If you are making up solutions in advance be sure to mark all containers before storing them and never leave them where young children might get at them. 

12. Scotch Guard 
Your new carpet may be scotch guarded to make it stain resistant but it is always a good idea to remove the stain with the above treatments anyway. 

Happy Carpet Cleaning!

Jennifer

Design tips: Abstract Landscapes are great artworks

You want a new piece of art for your living room. You want some color, but you’re afraid that a still life painting of a bunch of flowers will get boring fast. It doesn’t have to match the décor—in fact, art can be a lot more interesting if it doesn’t -- but you can choose some wonderful and affordable pieces of fabulous art that will truly enhance the atmosphere of your room.

Love the beach? Want a painting that will help you remember that special trip and you’re sick of same old seashells and lighthouse posters? Or something to commemorate the picnic with your family, in that beautiful field watching the sunset over the hills? The clouds and low light made everything look misty and strange...

The key is art: abstract landscapes. Color and shape, artfully composed, can make you think of a special time and place and yet it may mean something completely different to another person.

Warm, mysterious, interesting, moody, dramatic, dreamy, powerful, quiet, calm… the fun with an abstract landscape is that it is what you want it to be. A hill, a cliff, a waterfall. The ocean, a field or a far-off forest. Like pictures in the clouds, it’s your world to think about.

Sometimes a painting’s title can give you a clue what the image is in the artist’s mind, but  if it’s on your wall, you can think of whatever you want. The best thing about art is that the true meaning depends on the viewer as much as the artist’s intentions.

Originals are nice if you can afford them, but a giclee print on canvas or even a quality poster nicely framed can be just as meaningful, and a lot less expensive. Perhaps you were overwhelmed by a painting in a museum, the poster will remind you of those feelings. If it makes you think, and you enjoy it then whatever you hang on the wall is art. And, it can match the sofa if you want it to. 

Until next time!

--Elaine Bothe

 

First image (top): James Lavadour, “Blue Black,” 2009. Representation by and image courtesy of www.pdxcontemporaryart.com.

Second image (above right): Gerhard Richter, “Large Eifel Landscape,” 1969. Image courtesy of www.gerhard-richter.com.

Third image (above left): Mark Rothko, “Untitled (Violet, Black, Orange, Yellow on White and Red),” 1949. Available as a poster at www.allposters.com.

Last image (at right), Curtis Phillips, “Sepia Study,” 2007. Image courtesy of www.artnet.com.

 

Simple DIY 4th of July Decor

There's no need to go overboard this 4th!  You can add subtle touches that you can DIY throughout your home and still create a festive feeling.  Get creative with items you already own.  Martha Stewart had a great tip when she suggested turning existing glass containers around your home into patriotic votives.  You can use water glasses, vases, hurricane candle holders or even repurpose old glass jars and face cream containers!  Purchase Glassine sheets in red, white and blue from your local craft store and add that firecracker sparkle with votive candles that go inside your decorated votives.  So simple, inexpensive and patriotic!  

You can bring in the spirit of the fourth with little touches, such as red white and blue candies in a dish or festive cupcakes with 4th of july colored sprinkles and red napkins.  There's no need to go overboard with your decor.  For the 4th keep it simple and enjoy the festivities.  Remember that your guests will be much happier and have more fun when you are relaxed!  Keep it simple and the host smiling and your celebration will be a success!

photo courtesy of Martha Stewart

Design Tips: I Love Letters

Words are fun, old letters are cool, and lately they’ve been showing up everywhere. On rugs, walls, even in the garden!

Old signs in a Las Vegas signage graveyard are raw material for inspiration. Photo at right is by  www.roadsidesholar.com.

Check out some of these other great examples.

At left is a rug inspired by an eye chart by Bev Hisey.

The company called Character, based in Finland, rebuilds then sells vintage signage letters with           LED. This is the “z”   from a "Suzuki" sign. Unfortunately, these are not available in the States. Boo.

Fun letters for the wall, at left, on sale at Pottery Barn.

 

Make your own sign! And the letter G, at left, brought to you by www.buysignletters.com

 

Elegant lettering for a girl’s room at right, “sophie” letters are available at www.butterflycraze.com. So are the little butterflies!

 

Letters in the garden and other fun stuff for you British consumers available at www.notonhighstreet.com.

Until next time!

--Elaine Bothe

 

 

DIY Place Mats & Napkin Rings

If you're like me, you hang on to fabric scraps. I came across this great project that takes your scrap fabrics and turns them into place mats and napkin rings for your dining room table. If you don't have any scraps to get rid of, you can go to your local JoAnns or WalMart to get fabric for this project.
The place mats are constructed like a quilt, with three layers. Cut two 13x20 (or any custom size you want) pieces of fabric. Place them together, wrong sides facing, with a same-size sheet of fusible batting in between. Press the 3 layers with an iron, then stitch the mat with wavy lines. (If you want to get creative, you can stitch flowers or any other pattern to make your mats even more special) Bind the mat with strips of contrasting fabric or ribbon. Fold the strips in half, press the edges under, and then sew onto the raw edges of the mat. For a silverware pocket, press under the edges of a fabric square, stitch across the top, and then sew the other three sides to the mat. Voila!

To make coordinating napkin rings, cut two 4x2.5" fabric strips. Fold and press all edges under 1/4 inch. Place the pieces together, wrong sides facing, and sandwich a same-size sheet of fusible web between them. To personalize, insert the ring of a metal tag under the web along one edge, press with a hot iron. Glue rickrack to the back of the strip. To form a ring, tie the strip around the napkin with ribbon.To add extra flair to your placemats or napkin rings sew buttons and ribbon on to form flowers. Another way to personalize your napkin rings, instead of the metal tags, is to simply embroider the name of the person onto the fabric. You can use the same process of the place mats to make a table runner as well. These are such great projects for summer parties and barbeques. Whichever project you take on, remember to be creative and have fun!


Happy Friday! DIY Jill

Design Tips: Bold Textural Walls

Your room is a smooth white box. You have some nice furniture, but no fireplace, no interest of any type besides a window. Or maybe your room is nice enough, but the walls are cracked and old.

Or maybe you’re just sick of the same old painted orange peel wall finish and popcorn ceilings.

Doesn’t matter, to create a unique focal feature or a stunning backdrop, texture is an easy way to make it happen. Need to fix uneven walls? Add dimension and depth? Create an elegant historical atmosphere without the cost of an elaborate plaster job? Or simply make an ordinary house more rustic and warm?

Easy ways to apply dimensional texture to your own walls include paintable embossed wallpaper and borders. 

You also get a vocabulary lesson. “Lincrusta” and “anaglypta” are words describing traditionally produced embossed wallpapers, “friezes” (a really thick wallpaper border at the top of a wall, see image below) and “dados” which refers to the lower part of a wall, when decorated, between the wall base and another trim piece such as a chair rail. It's like a wainscot, but not wood.

Lincrusta and anaglypta are quite similar in appearance. Lincrusta, is heavily textured and traditionally made from linseed oil, sawdust, and other materials including sometimes dye. Anaglypta is lighter, more flexible and made of cotton and recycled paper. 

Modern, inexpensive paintable embossed wallpapers are made of vinyl.

All of these products are applied like wallpaper, some are prepasted, some not. You won’t need to paint the vinyl products, but you’d miss a great decorating opportunity if you don’t. Lincrusta and anaglypta need to be primed and painted for durability, since they are unfinished.

While there are other fun ways to add wall texture, such as plaster, faux painting and wallpaper, lincrusta and anaglypta products add a rich dimensionality to a wall that flat finishes will never match.

Until next time!

--Elaine Bothe

For more information and some history about lincrusta and anaglypta products, click here and here.

To purchase, go to www.wallpapersplus.com. Photos are courtesy of them as well.

www.urbanrevivals.com also sells these products.

DIY Striped Furniture

If you inherited an old piece of furniture and have no idea what to do with it but just can't throw it out, give it a make-over. (I'm a sucker for furniture revamping...clearly) My new favorite thing is striped dressers. However, it would look great on any kind of casework furniture if done right. To revamp your piece just sand it, tape off stripes, and paint between the lines! Super easy and inexpensive! I love the timeless colors of the piece above. But fun, bright colors would look great in a child's room or if you really want a bold piece. Change out the hardware to give an old piece a whole new look. You can also try different patterns. Like argyle, diamonds, or plaid if you want something different. As always have fun and be creative! Remember you can always repaint it!

Happy Friday! -DIY Jill

Design Tips: Linoleum Flooring-It’s Not That '70’s Vinyl

Linoleum was invented in the late 1800s and popularized during the Victorian era. Sanitary, continuous, inexpensive, easy to care for with innovative colors and patterns marked the benefits of linoleum over other flooring options of the times, including wood, stone and tile.

My, how times have not changed at all! Besides laminated and other engineered products, we’re essentially still using the same old flooring materials with the exceptions of vinyl products starting in the 1960s and continuing today, often mistakenly called “linoleum.”

Today’s vinyl products are much better quality and better looking than vinyl flooring from the '60s and '70s, and can be less expensive, though high end vinyl products can be as much as linoleum products. 

True linoleum is made from natural ingredients including linseed oil, pigments, wood pulp or cork powder which combine to create an impressive variety of subtle patterns and beautiful colors. Its recent rise in popularity began in the 1990s when consumers became more interested in a “greener” flooring product than sheet vinyl.

True linoleum, when properly installed, is durable because the colors go all the way through the product and it hardens with age. Keep it clean, and you should periodically wet mop a stripping product and a polish according to the manufacturer’s recommendations to further enhance the appearance and longevity.

Innovative patterns such as simple borders, “area rug” accents and decorative elements can be inlaid into a floor with contrasting linoleum colors. This was frequently done in homes through the 1960s.
While today's vinyl products often mimic wood, tile and even true linoleum flooring, linoleum has a unique beauty of its own. 

If you’re concerned about an authentic timeless look, are interested in a green product for a more natural home, or just enjoy a durable resilient floor that hides dirt and wears really well, consider linoleum.

Until next time!

--Elaine Bothe

Click here for a quick history of linoleum.

Click here for in-depth consumer information to linoleum courtesy of Armstrong:

Get a book about linoleum! (Image at left.)

Other photos (and another great article) courtesy of This Old House.

Update: New DIY Shutter Idea

A few months ago I posted some ideas for your old shutters. Well, here's a new idea for those old shutters lying around. You can paint them and hang them as shelves! You just need brackets to keep your new shutter shelf sturdy which you can find at Lowe's or Home Depot. To make the shelf just sand, prime, and paint the shutters and brackets, then place the shutters at a 90 degree angle and attach with screws. Secure the brackets at each end, then just hang it on the wall. I love the coat hooks added to this shelf. It makes for a great little place to hang bags, coats, or hats when you walk in the door!

If you have any DIY shutter ideas I would love to hear about them! Remember to be creative and have fun!

Happy Friday! - DIY Jill

Ask Jennifer: Light Fixture for All Seasons

Question: I have been considering buying a Natural Woven Swag Pendant Light (#12890 from Lampsplus.com) to hang over my dining room table. My daughter thinks the texture of it will not be appropriate for the fall & winter seasons.  She thinks it's better for a summer look.  What do you think?

Answer: I think this light fixture is great! It is warm and textural.  It has a very organic feel.  The warmth and the texture make it ideal for Fall and Winter, while still be very good for Spring and Summer.   Never having seen your home, It's hard to know if I would recommend it specifically for your room, however, for the price, I think it's a great buy!

Good luck with your purchase!

Jennifer

For more information on this light fixture click here:

Natural Woven Chandelier by Lamps Plus

photos courtesy of Lamps Plus

Design Your Own Sofa Made Easy! No More Dangling Feet!

Good Morning!

Today on BETTER Brooke and I talked about Designing Your Own Sofa.  We filmed in my personal favorite sofa and upholstery manufacturer's showroom, Classic Interiors, in Portland, Oregon.

When you design your own sofa you get the exact dimensions to fit to your body.  You can combine the elements of many different sofas that you have seen and love to get exactly what you want.  It is so much fun, and SO easy!  Here are a few things that you can select when designing your own sofa:

1.) Arm Height.  Do you want to rest your arms while watching tv? If so, a lower arm is much more comfortable.

2.) Seat Height.  No more dangling legs once you take those heels off!

3.) Back Height.  Are you really tall?  Or do you want it a little lower than normal to create a very contemporary feel.

4.) Seat Depth.  Add a couple inches for a really deep lounge feel.

5.) Arm Style.  Do you like rounded, square, super fat or straight and skinny?

6.) Leg Style.  Bun feet, hidden feet, chunky blog feet, or maybe even stainless steel contemporary legs.

7.) Overall base and body style.  Tear out pictures of what you love.  Analyze all of the different elements and then combine it into the ideal sofa of your dreams.

Remember to have fun with the fabric!  I like to go for a more neutral sofa and then make the pillows pop with color.  For more info on having fun with pillows check out our segment on BETTER, 1 sofa, 5 different looks!

To contact Classic Interiors you can email me, or call them directly @ 503-598-0600, but don't forget to mention that you saw them on BETTER.

Happy Designing!

Jennifer

Cooking tips-Freezer pops made healthy, simple and fun!

Break out the white shoes, it’s after Memorial Day. Summer has officially started, culturally at least. Usually in Portland, the nice weather doesn’t really start until July 5th. But we still have about a month to go.

We’ve had a warm weekend already, 85 degrees. Wilting weather for us weenies. There’s nothing more refreshing, whether you’re a kid or an adult, than a Popsicle! But now you can make them at home easily, healthier, too, without breaking out the Dixie cups and toothpicks like my Mom used to do.

Tovolo makes these fun molds that are the perfect size and dishwasher safe. I fill mine with fruit purees, nectar, juice or even chocolate soy milk. Or thicker stuff like protein shakes. Pudding mixes. Or for a REALLY tasty treat, open up a can of coconut milk and pour it into the molds then freeze. Oh yeah.

I like thick fancy juices best, like Knudsen’s pineapple-coconut, anything with tropical fruits like mango or coconut works well for me. One of these bottles fills one set of 6 “Rocket Pops” 

plus one of the rectangular “Groovy Pops” sets perfectly.

Mix up your own concoction, or layer the juices, you really can’t go wrong. Just leave room for the stick. Freeze and enjoy! Share, if you must.

Happy cooking!

-Elaine Bothe


Buy Tovolo freezer pop molds at Wrapables.com

or at Target.com

Other shapes at (and these photos thanks to) Tovolo.com

Double layer pops at Tovolo, as well as instructions!

R. W. Knudsen juices

DIY Clothing to Pillows

We all have clothing stashed away in our closets that we feel too emotionally attached to, to throw it away or donate. Most of the time it's a vintage piece from a grandparent or something that brings back too many great memories to get rid of. Well a great solution is to turn it into a pillow. So simple and so cute. Check out this one made from a vintage 1950's boucle suit. Or if you come across a piece in a vintage shop that would never fit you but the pattern is fabulous, you could make that into a pillow also. They make great conversation pieces and you can never have too many pillows. Stash them away and bring them out for special occasions or for a certain season.

To make the pillow above, cut two 16-inch circles, and a 2 1/2-inch band to fit around the perimeter, and a narrow strip to cover the piping cord. With wrong sides together, sew the circles, piping, and banding together with a 1/4" seam allowance, make sure to leave an opening for turning. Turn, insert a pillow form, and hand stitch the opening closed. You can always add a button tuft for good measure.

Remember to have fun and be creative!

Happy Friday!! DIY Jill

Design Tips: Rocking Chairs, a trend that needs to return

Warmth, comfort, hospitality… a leisurely summer afternoon sipping iced tea watching the world go by. Memories of sitting on Grandma’s lap on her front porch, listening to her stories, tipping back and forth as slowly as the humid air itself. 

She and Grandpa, each with their own rocker, cushions slightly askew and worn comfortably in all the right places. The porch paint under 

the runners long gone.

But the crown jewel in any porch seating arrangement, the rocking chair, is dead... apparently.

Alas, I guess a rocker moves too slowly for this fast paced world. 

And you can’t plug it in, you actually have to move a little for it to work.

Pottery Barn has only one in their collection and it’s on sale. Smith & Hawken has a few more choices, and they are all on sale, too. What gives?

Other outdoor furniture makers don’t offer any rockers at all.

For a more impressive collection of rockers, in amongst the outdoor furniture collections (not in their own separate category, tucked away) visit the Lloyd/Flanders site. Contemporary, traditional, all-weather wicker, wood, they have plenty to inspire your inner Grandma.

Or for your own antique rocker that has right look of age and patina, (no, not Keith Richards, not that kind of rocker!) support your local thrift or second-hand furniture stores. There, you can take one for a test spin, er, rock.

Watch this space for a project of ours featuring 

rocking chairs!

Until next time!--Elaine Bothe

Click here for Pottery Barn rocker, the brown 

wood one against the red wall.

Click here for Frontgate's rocker collection,

one of which is shown top left.

Click here for Smith & Hawken rocker collection, of which the wicker rocker is a part.

Click here for Lloyd/Flanders “Plantation” collection rocker, shown above right. Below is from their "West Bay" collection.

I <3 Domino's Book of Decorating

Today's post is a little less DIY and a little more interior design/decorating. I've just been wanting to share my new favorite thing with you guys. It's my Domino Book of Decorating that I picked up a few weeks ago from Home Goods for $15 dollars less than it's retail price (score!). The book is sorted room by room throughout the home and gives classic design advice and gives the reader a little more insight into design. For those of you out there who want to learn about design but don't want to go to school for it...this book is for you. I've even learned good tips that I never knew. Each room's section gives you a breakdown of arranging furniture, knowledge on a specific piece of furniture, extra tips, and ideas for small spaces. My favorite part is the section with lists and lists of recommended furniture/lighting/area rug etc. sources. The book is filled with beautifully designed rooms and I highly recommend it. If you don't end up reading, at least it looks cute sitting atop your coffee table! :)You can find the book on Overstock for a mere $20...$2 dollar shipping! Or in many bookstores! If you decide to pick it up I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Have any of you already read it? Did you love it/hate it? Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! DIY Jill


PS: You can now follow me on Twitter @DIYJill

Oops! I made a mistake!

I apologize!  My understanding on the function of 3 way light bulbs was incorrect. Thank you for your comments recognizing my error so that I could correct this misinformation.

Here is an excerpt from GE's website stating the correct application for a 3 way light bulb.

Technical Details
Regular, everyday light
Application: 3-Way table lamps
Base: Medium screw (E26); Bulb Type: A21; Watts: 50/100/150
Initial Lumens: 615/1,540/2,155
Product Description
From the Manufacturer
GE 50-Watt - 100-Watt - 150-Watt Soft White 3-Way A21 #97494. Use original GE's Soft White when you need a light without glare and harsh shadows. Specifically designed for 3-way lamps in your home or office, GE 3-way bulbs offer a range of light levels. Choose the low light setting for energy savings, higher settings for general and activity lighting. Choose the low light setting for energy savings, higher settings for general and activity lighting. 

Thank you for your continued loyalty to our blog!

Jennifer

Lighting Your Home. The Light Bulbs you Select DO matter!

One of the simplest ways to make an impact in your home is by changing out the burnt out light bulbs in your fixtures.  Almost all of us, myself included, have a few, if not several bulbs that need to be replaced at any given time.  

Today Brooke Carlson, host of BETTER, and I will be airing on BETTER and BETTER.tv about what type of bulbs are right for each of your fixtures.  It does really matter!

Here are some of the most important things to remember when purchasing your light bulbs:

1.) Replace all of the Burnt out Light Bulbs in your house Enough said!

2.) Price does matter!  Don't

 automatically grab t

he least expensive bulbs!  You definitely get what you pay for.  My personal favs are GE's Reveal Bulbs.  They give a clean, crisp, white light.  It helps your colors look like you intended them to look.  Many bulbs give off a yellowish light.

3.) Lamps  can purchase a 3 way lamp and  purchase a 3 way light bulb.  You get the ultimate control over the function.  Low setting for mood and ambiance, medium for reading at night and all the way on for maximum lighting.

4.) Recessed Overhead Can Lights  

 Triangular shaped, Reflector bulbs are a must!!  Regular shaped bulbs will lose 60% of the light back up into the fixture.

5.) Make sure every bulb in the fixture is the same type and brand Nothing is worse than a chandelier that has a yellowish looking 

bulb in the midst of crisp white bulbs!

6.) Low Energy, Long Lasting Bulbs  

These can be great for the environment, but not so great for putting on your makeup and for getting the true colors from your home.  I do recommend them, however, for hard to reach areas.  It will lessen the times you have to climb up and down a ladder!

Try these few easy tips the next time you are at the store selecting light bulbs and your home will look much better!  It is the easiest 5 minute makeover!

Happy Lighting!

Jennifer

Thank you to Bulbs.com for the photos

Ask Jennifer: Consignment Shopping

Faith Green from Philadelphia asked:  Can you give me the name, address and website of the furniture consignment shop that was featured on Better Philly today May 25th, 2009?  Thank you!!! 

Answer:   Today on BETTER we did a design segment on the ins and outs of consignment shopping.  We filmed with my very favorite consignment shop:

J & J Consignments & Heirlooms
(760) 324-9595

70125 Highway 111  Rancho Mirage, CA 92270

They are forever honest and give the best service.  I highly recommend them for all of your consignment needs. Thank you so much for watching!!

Happy Memorial Day!

Jennifer

Design tips: Mirrors! Windows!

Mirrors are windows. Our client had a great start… her condo has a full wall of southern exposure windows and overlooks all the action downtown. It’s a nice size, not too big nor too small, it’s just right for those trips to town to visit the grown children.

The existing furniture is high quality and attractive, and the buffet chest is beautiful with zebra wood beveled doors and a black granite top. Our client wanted a more “lived-in” look and wanted a mirror, at left is our solution. Below, is the "before" picture.

After exploring some mirror-backed curio cabinets and shelving options, as well as other framed mirror ideas we settled on this custom designed mirror, with a mirrored “frame” that mimics the design and proportion of the cabinet’s doors below.

It’s modern, yet traditional at the same time. It’s dynamic, exciting in the way the reflections play off one another. Yet it’s simple and clean since there are no other materials, just the mirror, but at different angles.

Not only does the mirror seemingly double the window space by reflecting the existing windows, it adds depth, sparkle and dimension to an otherwise dull corner. We left room for future draperies and the arrangement can be changed out with different accessories for interesting new looks.

Plus the buffet cabinet adds valuable storage space to a small condo. What’s not to like!

Until next time! 

--Elaine Bothe

DIY Drawer Bookcase

As you guys have probably noticed, I'm a sucker for furniture makeovers! I thought this one was so brilliantly creative that I had to share it with you.

I found it on the Country Living website! It's such an easy project and the outcome is so great. To create this beauty all you need are a few old drawers (from a dresser or kitchen), primer & eggshell latex paint, and a roll of wallpaper (or scrapbook paper).

So all you do is... take all of the hardware off of the drawers, sand prime & paint each drawer, arrange the drawers to create a bookcase, and use spray adhesive to adhere either the wallpaper or scrapbook paper to the back of the drawer. I would screw each drawer into the wall to make sure it stays secure. And voila...you can a beautiful bookcase out of a few old drawers!

I hope you enjoyed the clever idea as much as I did! Remember to have fun and be creative. Have a great weekend!

Happy Friday! DIY Jill

Design tips: Moroccan Magic

Hot nights. Romantic meals on the patio under a starlit sky. Outdoor rooms flowing indoors. Spicy foods and sexy drinks. You’re relaxing on a chaise piled high with pillows. Mystery and texture, the shadows playing pretty patterns on the walls and on the floor.

Wake up and cue reality: are you at an exotic Moroccan resort, or in your own back yard wishing you were? Here are a few ideas on how to capture some of the sultry magic of Morocco for yourself.

 

Lighting. The sun is harsh and at night the city comes alive. Carved wooden screens in windows and as dividers filter the daylight and the heat. Intricate tooled patterns on lighting shades create wonderful shadows and reduce glare from the light source, which makes Moroccan style lanterns and pendants perfect for nighttime outdoor lighting.

Color and pattern. The bright sun washes out color, so to compensate Moroccan style colors are vivid, warm and bright. Think of exotic spices: cumin, paprika, cinnamon. The colors are the same as the cuisine. In tile, fabrics and inlay patterns texture picks up where the shadow play leaves off: intricate geometric shapes and stripes, punched outlines of stylized flowers and pointed arches.

There is no such thing as understated in Moroccan style, if it’s worth doing, it’s worth overdoing. But to integrate some aspect of Moroccan flavor into your own style, choose a piece or two, perhaps a lantern and a carved wood screen. 

Or add a Moroccan tile backsplash as an accent to an otherwise contemporary kitchen. This will incorporate texture and color without overwhelming the scheme.

Have fun and dream on!

Until next time!

--Elaine Bothe

 

Pendants and fabric shown above are from the Saint Tropez Boutique in San Francisco, an amazing resource for inspiration and Moroccan lighting, tiles, carved wood screens, fabrics, textiles, furniture, even tubs and sinks. Visit them at

http://www.sainttropezboutique.us

 

Moroccan interior photo at the top of this post is courtesy of Saint Tropez Boutique, in a press release at:

http://www.prlog.org/10191164-moroccan-lighting-moorish-tiles-by-sttropez-boutique.html

 

Interior photo with white sofa courtesy of Tazi Moroccan Designs in San Francisco. View location information and other images at:

http://baylist.sfgate.com/tazi-moroccan-designs/biz/178958/gallery

 

Another resource for Moroccan style furnishings:

http://www.justmorocco.com

 

Design tips: Laundry: care and feeding of your front loading washing machine

I’m on my third front loading washing machine. My first, an Asko, worked very well, was gentle on my clothes but was so small inside that I had to do so many loads of laundry a week that my head spun faster than the drum.

I sold that machine, for a great price, with a free house wrapped around it.

New house (to me), new washer. LG had just come into the US market, and I bought a matched washer and dryer. The capacity of the washer is impressive, a veritable black hole, it keeps feeding on dirty towels, bedding, jeans, workout stuff, muddy mountain bike clothes and anything else I can dish out. 

This was five years ago. Happy times.

Unfortunately last week I had to buy a new washer. I bought another LG, a romantically named model called the “WM0642HW,” pictured above. Hopefully my first was just a lemon (the bearings went out), but I loved the easy-to-use interface. I also bought a five-year extended warranty, something I don’t normally do but it was offset nicely with state tax credits for saving water and electricity. Peace of mind. 

Ironically, those planet-saving tax credits do not apply to repairs, which would have been more than the price of the new machine!

Anyway, my second choice was a Bosch Nexxt 300 series, pictured at right. The tipping factor was the LG was on sale at Home Depot and the Lowe’s store which carries Bosch was further from my house. And because of the sale, the LG was cheaper.

I love the new machine, it works great. My fingers are crossed that LG pulled their stuff together and built a better machine overall.

I’ll give them that chance, because I also take some of the responsibility for the washer’s demise. Turns out the detergent I was using wasn’t a high-efficiency (“H-E”) detergent. While the literature for old LG washer never specifically mentioned H-E, the new one specifically does. Back then, detergents before H-E was H-E were simply “low sudsing.”

Committed to better care of the machine, I shopped for new detergent, too. Oh my goodness, the options are unbelievable. Color safe bleach. Concentrated. Scented, “Free and Clear,” hypo-allergenic, a whole grocery store aisle full.

I finally found an H-E detergent (with a logo similar to that shown at left) with a scent I liked… none at all. I bought some Seventh Generation Natural 2X Concentrate Laundry Liquid. So far, it seems to be working well. I’ve been using All Free and Clear. My grocery did not have the H-E version of the Free and Clear, if they had I probably would have bought that.

The moral of my washer story:

1. Read the owners manual, and keep it handy.

2. Clean the filters… the pump filter, the water inlet filter and also, to wash the tub. My new LG clothes washer has a “Tub Wash” cycle for this purpose!

Same goes for your dishwasher. My dishasher was starting to make funny noises, I cleaned everything – all the filters and screens, then it was fine. 

3. Use the right detergent, and not too much. I’ve always used less soap in my washer and dishwasher, not liking potential for residue and convinced the amounts suggested by the detergent manufacturers is designed to sell more of it. Use just enough to work.

Too much and/or the wrong kind of detergent really will:

-- work its way into the bearings and will dissolve the grease, therefore making them wear out prematurely.

            --leave a residue in the hoses and inside the tub that can get your clothes dirty again and create a musty or mildew-y odor.

Until next time!

--Elaine Bothe

 

Seventh Generation Natural 2X Concentrate Laundry Liquid, image and information is available here.

All Free and Clear H-E information is available here.

Consumer Reports article “Review of Laundry Products" is available here. You’ll have to be a member to see all the ratings, however, but I’ve found it worthwhile to join.

Websites "DIYers" Love

When I'm in the neighborhood for a new piece of furniture I always search Craigslist.com, Ebay.com, and Etsy.com before spending full price on anything! Sometimes you can find the exact same piece, brand new for way under what you would pay at the store. Or you can settle for something similar or something slightly used! But being a "DIYer" I like taking everyday or vintage pieces of furniture and bringing a new life to them.

Craigslist and Ebay are especially great for finding that piece of furniture on the cheap. Check out this set of 4 chairs for 100 dollars on Craigslist!! How great would they look with a new coat of paint and new upholstery. I would love to see them in a bright green paint color and a bold black and white fabric! If you have a budget for your furniture makeover, make sure you find pieces you can easily paint and/or reupholster yourself. It may not be so easy to reupholster a tufted wing back chair yourself. But if you can spend a few more bucks, pay to have a professional reupholster it or if you're diggin the fabric, just get it cleaned!

Over at Etsy, you can find great inspiration pieces or even sell your pieces to other DIY lovers. If you're not fimiliar with Etsy, its a place for people to sell their home made items to other arsty fartsy people. You can find anything from pillows to entertainment centers to art to jewelry to handbags to...well you get it! They have EVERYTHING! Check out this totally fabulous headboard from a seller who buys vintage pieces of furniture and reupholsters them in vintage fabrics!Oh I want it! So there you have it...the DIY website trifecta! I hope you find success while searching for your next furniture makeover project! Remember, almost anything can be repainted for a totally new look! Most importantly be creative and have fun!
Happy Friday! -DIY Jill

Cooking tips - Banana Bread!

My Dad always reaches for the darkest banana when he’s visiting and wants a snack. He thinks he’s being helpful but I have to fend him off.

“No, Dad, I’m saving those for banana bread!”

He’ll then pick up a yellow one, reassured that the stinky black ones will not be going to the compost heap. A treasure saved is a treasure earned, in the case of a nice ripe banana.

If I can’t get to making banana bread right away, I’ll peel the ripe bananas and freeze them for later. The texture is a complete non-issue, since they’re going to be squished up anyway.

This recipe is perfect to my taste for banana bread, since I don’t actually like it too banana-y in flavor or soggy in texture. This recipe has a dense cake-y texture, moist and not too squishy.

It’s also not too sweet. If the bananas are really black, I’ll back off on the sugar a little. The added spices keeps it tasty. If I don’t quite have enough squished banana to fulfill the recipe (two small bananas is usually a little shy of ¾ cup) I’ll top off with milk. This also helps make the final product cake-y.

You can also substitute applesauce for the squished banana. Add a bit more cinnamon for a truly tasty treat, or even chopped walnuts for a bit of crunch. Or if you have a lot of black bananas, you can double the recipe. The baked and cooled loaves also freeze well.

 

Banana Bread

1/2 cup shortening

2/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup well mashed bananas

1/3 cup + 1/4 cup unbleached white flour

1/3 cup oat flour

1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream shortening and sugar together until well combined.

3. Add eggs one by one, mix until fluffy.

4. Stir in mashed bananas.

5. Sift together flours, baking soda, salt and spices.

6. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and stir until just combined.

7. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.

8. Bake 45 minutes or until cooked through; a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean and loaf should start to pull away from the sides of the pan.

9. Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes or so; remove from pan and let cool further on a cooling rack. Slice and serve slightly warm.

10. Enjoy!

 

This week’s secret: For many sweet baked goods, cookies, brownies, etc., mix in a tiny bit of cinnamon to dry ingredients as you sift them together if the recipe doesn’t call for it. Just ¼ teaspoon is plenty—it will give you the slightest hint of flavor in the final product. More importantly, it’s a really helpful visual indicator for when you have the dry ingredients well mixed together.

 

Happy cooking!

--Elaine Bothe

Ripe banana photo courtesy of Elaine Bothe.

Banana bread photo courtesy of www.recipetips.com.

 

Design Tips: Recycling and Reuse in the Kitchen and other handy ideas

I forgot to write about Earth Week. Ooops! But since saving the planet is a year-round goal for me, I don’t feel like this information is in any way belated. I’ve been reusing containers big and small forever, and then recycling them when they break.

Here are a collection of some interesting and useful tips I’ve tried in my kitchen and around the house. Let’s all work together! I invite you to submit your own clever ideas in the form of the comments below.

Shortening Packaging

Shortening, I know, is not the best stuff for you but it sure makes baked goods and cookies taste wonderful. Crisco does have a non-trans-fat version, it is NOT the one pictured here. For a discussion on some alternatives to shortening, including butter, leaf lard and non-saturated fats versions of shortening, click here. 

In the mean time, Crisco’s shortening sticks make measuring and cleanup a breeze: however, it’s tremendously over packaged. Shortening, wrapped in a foil/paper, in a plastic box with a han

dy lid, all shrink-wrapped with a paper label. Here are a couple of ideas to reuse the packaging:

--Once the shortening stick is unwrapped, use the foil liner to grease a pan. This also works with butter wrappers, though the papery ones also have wax which might be effective but I wouldn’t want to eat much of the wax.

--The little plastic containers and lid make fabulous organizers for my measuring spoons (at left), espresso spoons, desk supplies and even drill bits and small tools in the garage.

Cleaning and Sanitizing

Take the 70% rubbing alcohol bottle you probably already have in your house and replace the cap with a reused spray bottle top. Many of these are interchangeable, save one that works well. Refill the bottle from a larger bottle, and recycle that when it’s empty.I use this alcohol, undiluted, to squirt down my counters, faucets (and even the soap dispenser) at the sink after I cut up chicken or meats to kill any germs. You just need to let the alcohol evaporate, you don’t even need to wipe it off. It doesn’t streak or smear, the odor dissipates faster than vinegar or sanitizing sprays.

Just don’t spray near an open flame or directly onto foods. It’s also handy in the bath, door knobs, telephones, keyboards and for lots of other uses. And take a smaller bottle with you when you travel. 

Dish cloths and kitchen towels

Throw that skanky old sponge away! It’s not recyclable, though it might compost but I have not given that a try. That thing is so full of germs, even if you run it through the dishwasher. Cut up old towels or buy stacks of all-cotton dishcloths to use, not the disposable kind or wipes. Keep a LARGE stash handy. Pull out a clean one every time you need to do some dishes or wipe down the counter. Your kitchen is cleaner, and you don’t need to wash your hands after touching the rag (or sponge).

Then toss the dirty rag… into the laundry. They’re small, they dry fast, and they are economical. I do splurge and wash these rags and towels as a full load in hot water to properly sanitize. Relegate to dusting rags or bathroom cleaning rags, then eventually into the garage.

Food containers

Cottage cheese containers, milk jugs, juice glasses from Cheese Whiz (back when they were glass), my parents were great at reusing stuff. We had a whole set of those glasses! Today there are plenty of reuse options. My favorites include:

The shaker jars from packaged parmesan cheese make great nut 

and bolt dispensers.

Bouillon powder jars make fabulous shakers for Kosher salt you can scoop it with a teaspoon OR shake it like a regular salt shaker, since the grains of salt are larger. See "before" and "after" pictures at right.

Big jars of nuts or party mix from warehouse stores like Costco make great pantry stable containers, and the big rubber bands from asparagus bunches neatly fit around them to hold a label. See image at the top of this post.

Plastic utensils are washable in your dishwasher, they’ll break eventually but at least you can use them more than once

Plastic grocery bags are recyclable, and are good for holding other recyclable bottles, picnic items, cans, compostables, etc. to bring home instead of throwing in the trash can. They’re also good for muddy shoes, dirty or wet clothes and more.

Silica “Do Not Eat” Packets

You find them in your new shoe boxes, purses, all kinds of things. You know they absorb moisture, but can you recycle them? No, but I have an open jar in my spices cabinet where I store them. Maybe they help keep moisture out of the cabinet, maybe they don’t, but at least they’re being used. I would not recommend this for households with small children however.

And, remember, these are fun ideas, they are not completely guaranteed and no promises are made.

Until next time!
--Elaine Bothe


Shortening information and image courtesy of Crisco

Bouillon info and image courtesy of Herb-Ox

All other images courtesy of Elaine Bothe