Loving Lime Green and Carrie

I have a really great friend, who has a really great cottage.  One of the best parts about her cottage is it's awesome vintage/retro feel, and that's probably because it IS vintage. What I love most about her place is the lime green accents!  When she first told me that her cottage was lime, I feel like she was embarrassed ashamed.  ASHAMED of lime green?  Preposterous!  And just to prove it to you Carrie, I dug up this picture taken when I was 16ish, right after I finished painting my room, you guessed it. Lime green!

My parents of course thought I was crazy.  But I think as long as I did all the work, they would've let me paint my room any colour!  I think my mom gets it now that I'm all grown up and I do what I do . . . 

Anyway, enough with my stroll down memory lane.  Let's get on with the lime green goodness!

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Lime grounded with grey AND accented with gold.  I probably wouldn't pick these colours right off the bat, but they totally work  The only thing I might do differently is the ceiling . . . it feels a bit unfinished to me because of the ornateness of the rest of the room.

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LOVE green and any orange toned wood.  So very modern and gorgeous.  See what I mean about the ceiling . . . when the ceiling has a treatment it feels much warmer.  

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Punches of lime are a great addition too.  It's such a strong colour that it can be intimidating for some.  If that's the case, then introduce it in something that it "temporary", like your lamps or toss cushions.  This way you're not committing.  This image is interesting because the safest way to introduce an accent colour is with neutrals . . .but in this case with the walls painted blue, it's a vibrant, fresh and fun feeling.

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mmmmmm . . . wanna take a wild guess why this one is my favourite?

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crisp white and a beautiful damask wall treatment.  gorge!

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Ok, so I know this is not lime green.  but I just llooovvvveee the application, the colour, the accent . . . everything!  I think I love it because it reminds me of my recent trip to Casa Loma and the past.  So bold and uncompromising   I love the change in pattern on the wall and how it's framed with white.  Anyone who knows me, knows my affinity for the black and white checkerboard floor . . .sigh. one day.

As a side note, I'll soon be taking the blog to the next level.  Some big changes will be happening soon.  Stay in the loop and like me on facebook or follow me on twitter (if you don't already):

• facebook.com/lovefreshdesign
• @lovefreshdesign on Twitter

Thanks for liming with me today!  I look forward to liming all weekend, now that I think about it!

Stay Classy,

V

Secrets of My Trade

So, my role as a home stager allows me to see A LOT of different homes.  I have the privilege of meeting tons of different people and seeing how they live.  But with it comes a whole slew of issues.  And by "issue", I mean things that may interfere with the overall presentation of the home.  These can be as small as dents left on a wall-to-wall carpet from a sofa sitting on it for a long time or as serious as gauges in the hardwood floor.

You are in for a treat today, because I'm going to spill the beans on some easy tricks I use to make sure each house I work in shines with all it's glory.

Ever have an area rug that you are constantly tripping on because the corners constantly roll up?  Well, quit your cursing because I have the solution.  SHELLAC!  I know what you're thinking ... but the shellac is to be applied to the underside of the rug.  Start with one coat right on the fussy corner or wrinkle.  The amount of shellac you should use is based on the thickness of the pile.  A thicker carpet will require more, while a thinner area rug may only need one coat.  Let each coat dry between applications and if needed, re-apply until the curl subsides.

What about candle drippings on your carpet? We've all been there, you have people over, someone inevitablely knocks over the candle holder.  Or you're like me, and you like to let the candle burn all the way to end so that the wax overflows and finds its way down to the carpet.  Fret no more! Use a brown paper bag over the spot as a blotter to absorb the wax and run a hot iron over it to melt the wax.  Just be careful not to let the iron sit on one spot for too long or else you will have a whole different problem on your hands.

But candle wax is a bigger issue on furniture surfaces, since that's the first place it will go.  To remove chunks of wax from your furniture surfaces, aim your hair dryer at it. Once it is softened, peel it off and follow with a clean rag or paper towel.

Do you have nicks or scratches in your dark hardwood floors? Try mixing enough water with instant coffee to create a thick paste and rub it into the wood.  Clean off the excess and wax as usual.  Good as new!  For deeper scratches, break a walnut or pecan nut in half and rub the scratch with the meaty side.  This method works better on lighter floors and is not necessarily a permenent solution, but does the job in a pinch.

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing water rings on wooden furniture.  Really, how hard is it to put down a coaster first?  But none the less, they make furniture look crappy and they are hard to wipe off.  A great trick is to rub the area with petroleum jelly and let it sit for at least 24 hours.  Rub it into the wood, finish up with a quick polish and you're good to go.

And finally, I didn't forget, those pesky flat spots on the carpet where the furniture sits.  Sometimes, if there is a heavy pattern in the area rug, it can go unoticed.  But if the carpet is a sold colour, the dents will be much more obvious.  Place ice cubes on the indented areas and let them melt.  Once they are gone, give the rug a once over with the vacuum and the fibers should pop right back up.  In some cases where the furniture has been sitting for extended periods, you may need to repeat this process a couple of times. 

So there you have it, some really easy ways to take care of those more complex chores.  Keep in mind that whenever you are applying anything to your furniture, upholstery or carpeting, it is always a good idea to test a discreet spot first, just to make sure that there is no adverse reaction and you're not making it worse.  Easy peasy right?  Of course, in my opinion, the easiest way to clean anything is to have someone else do it.  :)


Stay classy,
V

Tourist Weekend #1 - Casa Loma

I think it's so fun when you can discover new things in your city.

Of course, there's nothing "new" about Casa Loma. ;)

It's one of those places that everybody visits in elementary school, but alas, I never went. I must have been sick for that trip.

So a few weekends ago, Eli and I were hosting friends from out of town and we decided to visit the castle.

the dining room and great room.  the details on the main  floor are amazing.  So it goes that Sir Henry Pellat ran out of the money to finish the project.  It's obvious to see what the priority rooms were.

the sun roof in the green roof.  apparently, there is a big light behind the stained glass that can be lit on a dim day, so the ceiling is always spectacular.  I'm implementing the same concept in a basement where the window is under a deck . . . great minds think alike.

the lady's master bedroom.  it will never cease to amaze me how history repeats itself.  all of the pieces and fixtures in this house could easily be on the front page of a design magazine tomorrow.

lady pellat's ensuite.  coral details to match her bedroom.

such a statement! 

various doors throughout the castle.  beautiful details.

i love this piece!  would love to find one . . . 

even the radiators in the garage were rad,  :)  

fin.

I took so many pictures.  I made my friends go ahead because I was holding everyone up taking snapshots of the things I saw.  If you live in Toronto and haven't been or if you're planning on visiting our fair city, I highly recommend it.  Not only is it a great daytime activity, but you might get lucky and attend an evening function or wedding.  It is stunning when it is all lit up at night time.

***update: (3 hours later)

I think it's amazing when things are so kismet.  Literally, right after posting this, I started doing a little research about my business and getting it started and I came across the Happiness Project.  It is a movement to spark creativity and promote happiness and well being within yourself.  Doing fun and interesting things make us less stressed and more susceptible to being gosh-darn happy.  This weeks challenge is to, gasp, be a tourist in your own city!  Judging by the fact that I was still excited enough by what I saw and experienced at Casa Loma (and I have another trip waiting in the wings) to still write and post it is enough proof for me.  Check it out, I signed up for more challenges!

now I'm fin. :) ***