Clean and Simple

I know it's not always easy to keep a clean house.  If you've got kids and/or pets it's even harder.  If you live in a big city like New York, then sooty dust if your #1 sworn enemy.  But a clean house feels so wonderful, so healthy and just more livable, doesn't it?

We often over-complicate the process with an abundance of products.  The spray for the shower is different than the spray for the counters which is different than the wash for the floors.  Over time you've compiled a small army of plastic spray bottles filled with mysterious chemical solutions for every single cleaning task in a home.  But, what if it were simpler.  What if only a small handful of ingredients and old-fashioned methods were all it took to get a sparkly home?

Thanks to my wonderful friends in the world of Pinterest, I've amassed a small list of some of the wonders that simple cleaning ingredients can do to keep your home germ-/grime-/stain-free and happy. 



Ah ha!



Source: thriftyandfabuless.blogspot.com via Connie on Pinterest

 

Clean old paintbrushes by soaking in boiling in vinegar for an hour or until paint floats off.





Source: re-nest.com via Whitney on Pinterest



Baked on grease and who-knows-what-else on your burners? 
Take about 1/4 cup of ammonia and seal it up with one of the burners in a large ziploc bag. 
You only need a little ammonia in the bag; not enough to soak the burner... you just want to seal it up with the ammonia fumes. Let stand overnight or longer.  Burner will wipe clean with a moist sponge.

TIP: Never, EVER mix ammonia with anything that has bleach in it.  It creates toxic fumes.



Source: viv-spot.blogspot.com via Whitney on Pinterest



Lemons can help whiten dingy linens on the stove. Fill a pot with water and a few slices of fresh lemon; bring the water to a boil. Turn off heat, add linens, and let soak for up to an hour; launder as usual.



Source: marthastewart.com via Whitney on Pinterest

Coat the inside of your dirty appliance with a paste made from water and baking soda.
Let stand overnight. Then, don gloves and scour off that grime. Make spotless with a moist cloth.

Source: thedailygreen.com via Whitney on Pinterest



To polish silver: Wash items, then place on sheet of aluminum foil in the bottom of a deep pot.
Add a ¼ cup baking soda, a few teaspoons salt, 1 quart boiling water and cover the pot for a few moments. The result is a chemical reaction that gets tarnish off even the grimiest gravy boat.



Source: realsimple.com via Gail on Pinterest

Unclog and clean drains with 2 parts vinegar to 1 part baking soda.

Source: tidymom.net via Cindy on Pinterest

Mix one part Dawn dish washing liquid with two parts hydrogen peroxide.
Pour or spray it directly on fabric stains, and watch it disappear like magic!

Source: glamour.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of 1/3 shampoo to 2/3 water. Swirl to mix.
Spray the shampoo mixture on the walls, doors, floors, counter top, curling irons, etc.
Let it set for a minute or two then use a sponge scrub to scrub the mixture off. 
Use a dry clean cloth to wipe clean. 

Source: somewhatsimple.com via Whitney on Pinterest

Happy cleaning, my friends!
Cheers,
Whitney

Calm Before The Storm

New Yorkers are used to chaos, but perhaps not the kind of chaos that Mother Nature has brought this week. 

On Tuesday, I perched myself on a fluffy chair in the D&D building waiting for some samples at the Schumacher showroom.  And, as I watched the fabrics in the wings quiver and ever-so-slightly billow, I caught myself thinking that the floor seemed to quiver as well.  Then, the windows creaked and the shades atop those windows banged against the panes.  I thought to myself, "No way, Jose. Manhattan is an island on granite bedrock, and it's gotta be geologically impossible for an earthquake to shake this town."  But, the building kept on shaking.  And then my California-girl instincts kicked in and I booked it out of the building down the stairwell.  Out on the sidewalk of 3rd Avenue, people clung to their cellphones, desperately glad to hear that it was 'just an earthquake' and not something threateningly sinister.

And just as we're all recovering from the excitement of the earthquake, now we're all preparing for Hurricane Irene to slam us on Saturday night.  And we're not used to hurricanes up 'round these parts.  New Yorkers may think Manhattan is the center of the universe, but it's the outer edge of the Atlantic's hurricane alley.  The last time a hurricane legitimately touched New York's shores was Gloria in 1985. 

Hurricane Irene's tropical storm-force wind field is larger than both Hurricane Ike (2008) and Hurricane Katrina (2005) at maximum size.  Besides the surf and the wind, the wicked rains are supposed to be the biggest problem for NYC.  It means that New York City will likely break the previous wettest month record dating back to 1882.  Uh yea, I'm a bit of a weather nerd.  Jim Cantore is my favorite meteorologist.  He's like the Bear Grylls of weather.

via TWC.com

While I'm not at all worried about myself, my mind is with the elderly who live alone or in nursing facilities near the coastlines.  How scary for them.  If you have an older relative living on the East Coast, please call them today and make sure they are safe in case floods and/or power outages occur in their area.  Panic is common at times of disaster, and preparedness is key.  I know, I know, I know; one can never be too prepared, but I had to giggle at the sight of a young woman buying 4 gallons of milk at the grocery store yesterday.  Unless she has a bunch of teenagers at home, I doubt that 2% milk will save her if NYC is flooded on Sunday.

So if you're holed up at home this weekend, clutching your flashlight batteries and side-eyeing your transistor radio, might I suggest a little fun stuff to occupy your worried mind...



Let's all sit for a moment and think about what we would do with this 56-drawer bad boy.  I would build a kitchen around it for a client with lots of dish wares.  For myself, it would be the landmark area for fabrics and accessories at the WID offices.  Wouldn't that be nice?!

Do yourself a favor and make this.  Baked French Toast from Jenny the Great.

Feeling crafty?  Grab your kids or nephews or neighbors and try this or any of Babble's adorable activities. 

The Pioneer Woman has a show on The Food Network premiering Saturday morning.  I'd watch just to see Walter the basset hound pretend to be a cattle dog...

If I had longer hair I would rock this style often.  Not just for weddings. 

The wonderful Mrs. Blandings nears her 1,000th post by way of vacationing back to her early days of blogging. 

I keep finding excellent deals at One Kings Lane's Downstairs.  Have you checked out their clearance section?!?

If Tim Burton designed a bathroom in a vintage Amsterdam apartment, I think it would look like this.  I just pinned this to my Pinterest board titled 'BadAss Bathrooms,' on which I'm gathering inspiration images for an upcoming bathroom reno.

Last night I said to my husband that I am sort of excited about the storm. So I kinda sang, 'Come On, Irene!' and thought of this song and brought me into a fit of laughter thinking about this dorky dance party and horrible lip synching from the Dexy lead singer.

Be safe this weekend, even if Irene isn't on your tail.

Cheers,

Whitney

Simple Living: Minuscule in Manhattan

This architect DEFINES minimal living.  I applaud his dedication to a tidy, organized and well-edited home.  His resourcefulness and handy construction work are commendable.  He says he loves the Midtown location of this closet home.  He's willing to live with very little privacy and comfort in the name of efficiency.  But is his willingness worth it? 

It's no lie that Manhattan apartments are typically overpriced, but I find this to be a disgusting example of thievery in urban real estate.  Just look at the work he had to do to make this place livable. 

 
When I first moved to NYC in 2002, I lived in a basement studio apartment on the Upper Westside.  It was small and perfect for a single girl with little money and few belongings.  I was paying 60% more than this fella pays with 449% more space.  I had my own bathroom. I had counter space in a tiny kitchen.  There was a stove. I had room for a full-size bed AND a chair.   I lived 30 blocks north of where this guy lives.  The fact that he's paying so much to live in a space so little seems inflated even to me, a jaded Manhattanite. 

What do you think?  Is the desire to live in a prime location worth sacrificing one's sense of personal space & comfort? 

Cheers,
Whitney

Is Convertible Furniture 'Unfortunate?'

There's something oddly quaint about convertible furniture, to me.  Which is funny because convertible furniture is usually complexly designed and even complicated to use.  Sometimes fresh and inventive, thought often absurd and tacky, furniture with two two two products in one! is certainly worth enjoying a bit today, non?  I'll stay mum on which pieces are Better and which are Unfortunate (remember I don't believe in Wrong vs. Right).  It's not hard to see which is which.

via Apartment Therapy

Ugh.  This looks cheaply made. I won't bother linking to where I found it because I don't want any of you birds buying this thing.

sneaky lil' stools via Kravet

clever.  and green.  via Oh Dee Doh

aahhahahaa! via Device Daily

via Tiny House Design

The week is almost over.  The oppressive heat is not.   How about we all sketch out a desk chair that converts to a swimming pool? And serves up icy cold watermelon mojitos by the pitcher.  Now that's a design challenge!

Cheers,
Whitney

The 72-room Bank House

image by Leigh Davis for New York Magazine

Called "the greatest real-estate coup of all time" by New York magazine, photographer Jay Maisel purchased this 72 room abandoned bank at 190 Bowery at Spring Street in 1966 for $102,000.  He renovated it for his family and his photography studio. 

The 1898 Gilded Age structure is measures 35,000 square feet over six floors.  As a residence, the space exudes an artist-commune vibe with creatively-used rooms and unique decor.  Maisel, his wife and daughter, share the space.  That's roughly 11,600 square feet per person.  "I need some space" is unlikely an uttered phrase in the Maisel home.

The dining room with original pressed-tin wallcoverings. 
image by Leigh Davis for New York Magazine

The original oak door frames separate former bank offices, now gallery space.
image by Leigh Davis for New York Magazine

The kitchen is on the site of the bank’s original kitchen, where staff cooked for the bankers.
image by Leigh Davis for New York Magazine

Long corridors are filled with the family's collected treasures.  Plastic sheeting acts as a makeshift ventilation system.
image by Leigh Davis for New York Magazine

The bank's original vault is used for the photographer's files and stored pieces. 
image by Leigh Davis for New York Magazine

image via Fireplace Chats

Upon purchase, this New York City neighborhood had been sinking into a deep sub-depression and the Bowery became an urban wasteland.  In an interview with New York magazine, Maisel described the area as having been “more disgusting than dangerous.”

But, as urban gentrification took over the Lower East Side, and slowly crept to the borders of the Bowery, Maisel found his property value increase exponentially.  John Varvatos opened a boutique nearby.  A Whole Foods megastore went up.  Luxury apartments are taking over derelict buildings.  And now Maisel's Beaux Arts structure and its property are worth between 30 and 70 million dollars, as the corner lot sits in the heart of NYC's latest desirable “new neighborhood” to live, work and play. 
Cheers,

Whitney

Magic Carpet Ride ... and cleaning tips!

I was taught that a 'carpet' was a wall-to-wall floor covering while a 'rug' was an area-specific/movable floor covering. But lately I've noticed how much the terms are used interchangeably in the industry.  Apparently the terms are the same in many languages, so the trade industry has long been using carpet/rug to identify either product.

This irks me, doesn't it irk you?  I'm a nitpicker with design vernacular, and it gets under my skin that there isn't a definitive solution to this English-language-terminology problem.  Nevertheless...  I stick to the old-school American terms, and when I'm chatting with a sales person about an ''area rug" while they call it a "throw carpet," we still get business done and my client gets a floor covering. 

Kermanshah "Tree of Life" by Claremont Rug Company

Aman & Carson collection by Stark Carpet

Many people get nervous about rugs when it comes to wear & stains.  Don't be.  If you have quality rugs made from natural fibers you are way better off than synthetics when it comes time to clean.  Wool rugs, especially, are extremely resilient.  If you've got an area rug with a tough stain, send it to a reputable cleaner.  If you have an installed carpet with a major accident, call in the professionals as well.  But if the accident is bad, you should act fast for best results. 

Recently I got an email from a client about a horribly massive RED WINE accident on her oatmeal-colored wool carpet we had installed in her California home about five years ago.  She wrote me and explained...  (BTW, I've omitted the details about the innocent-because-he's-young-and-adorable family member who may have directly-but-accidentally caused this carpet catastrophe.)

I had a large gift basket sitting on an end table in the living room waiting to be put into the car.  I ran into the room when I heard it tipping over.  And, of all the things in that basket to have broken, it was a whole bottle of California Cabernet Sauvignon that was smashed and gurgling out onto the floor.  The pretzels and cheese and the pretty dischcloth were fine, but all the broken glass in a 750 ml puddle of red wine was a terrifying sight on my pristine carpet!

Tribal Afghan rug available on Etsy

Color Refom line by ABC Carpet

So, I picked up everything I could, including large pieces of glass.  Then, I cried.  Then, I called some friends of mine who own a commercial carpet cleaning business (I had her cell number!)  So I followed their advice to a T......

I ran to the garage for my wet/dry shop vac.  I took out the paper filter in mine (black & decker), then started vacuuming slowly to get as much as the 'wet' as I could.  I probably spent 15 mins doing that over and over.  Then, I poured a bottle of California Chardonnay (yes, I'm not kidding.  If no white wine is available, skip this step) over the entire stain.  Then I repeated the vacuum step for another 15 mins or more.  Then, I got cool tap water and did the same process in small sections of the spill.  It's very important to suck up all the liquid in each spot to get it as dry as you can.  Then, I got as many white rags and towels as I could find and blotted any remaining dampness.  


Brindle Stripe by Dash & Albert

1880s Agra rug by Beauvais Carpet

Then, I ran to the grocery store and bought $20 worth of kosher salt.  I rushed home and covered the entire area with a thick pile of the salt.  Left it for 24 hours, then swept and vacuumed.

There is still a shadow of a stain, but my carpet cleaning friends are coming on Tuesday to work out the faint shadow-y stain that remains -- my fingers are crossed.

In Aubrey's case, acting fast was paramount to her success with this major stain.  Having access to professionals who gave her such specific and unusual advice (an entire bottle of white wine on top of the red wine stain? Seriously?!?) helped her as well.

Note: there was no seltzer water involved.  And no chemical solvents.  Just a wet vac, white wine, tap water and kosher salt.  Oh, and a ton of elbow grease!


Warp & Weft

Kelly Wearstler for Patterson, Flynn & Martin

The Rug Company

Persian Tabriz rug on eBay

In honor of my wonderful client Aubrey and her grace under pressure during this carpet catastrophe [and the TWO bottles of wine lost to this mess], I'm raising my glass tonight to the carpet professionals out there.  Whether you weave them, import them, or clean them, you are an important part of this industry and your product makes our homes softer, richer and happier.

Go forth, my friends.  Love your carpets.  Live on them and enjoy the textural depth they bring to your rooms.  And if disaster strikes, bring out the white wine. 
Cheers,

Whitney