Tag: cape town

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Tips on cleaning an upholstered couch

Whether you’ve just got crumbs, or the toughest of stains, these cleaning tips will have your sofa looking as good as new.

1. VACUUM

Use a hand vacuum or the brush attachment on your vacuum to clean debris and dirt from the sofa surface. Be sure to clean the crevices where pet hair, food crumbs, and dirt accumulate. If the cushions are not attached, remove them and vacuum both sides. If there’s a lot of pet hair, use a lint roller to remove hair the vacuum can’t get.  

2. CLEAN THE WOOD OR METAL AREAS

Wipe down the sofa feet and other non-fabric parts of the sofa with a solution of warm water and liquid dish soap.

3. DETERMINE THE TYPE OF FABRIC YOU ARE DEALING WITH

Find the tag on the couch and read the instructions for how to clean upholstery. Here are the codes found on labels:

  • WS: Use a mild detergent with a steam vacuum or a dry-cleaning detergent
  • S: Use a dry cleaner detergent only.
  • X: Use a vacuum only. No water.
  • W: You can use water to clean it.

4. REMOVE STAINS

We all love being couch potatoes but it’s no fun to lounge on a dirty sofa. Over time, crumbs, spilled soda, pet hair, dirt, and oil from your hands and feet build up on your couch and make it look dingy. No worries. Here’s how to clean a couch so that it’s ready for you to binge watch an entire season of your favorite TV show.

1. Vacuum. Use a hand vacuum or the brush attachment on your vacuum to clean debris and dirt from the sofa surface. Be sure to clean the crevices where pet hair, food crumbs, and dirt accumulate. If the cushions are not attached, remove them and vacuum both sides. If there’s a lot of pet hair, use a lint roller to remove hair the vacuum can’t get.  

2. Clean the wood or metal areas. Wipe down the sofa feet and other non-fabric parts of the sofa with a solution of warm water and liquid dish soap.

3. Determine the type of fabric you’re dealing with. Find the tag on the couch and read the instructions for how to clean upholstery. Here are the codes found on labels:

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SAVE money by making use of an interior designer

There are many misconceptions about what an interior designer does. The main one is that they are only for the wealthy, people who are happy to get rid of what they own and subsequently spend outrageous amounts money on pricey goods famously marked up by absurd percentages. Yes, those people do exist and their homes are ready to be shot for a glossy magazine, but that’s not what most interior designers do.

Surprise, surprise. Designers are not only for trust fund families. In reality, an interior designer will not only save you money, but will also save you hours of frustration and stress — which undoubtably is priceless.

The top five ways a designer saves you cash:

1. Discounts (there is no one who doesn’t love a discount)

Furniture stores from Restoration Hardware to the “trade only” offer discounts to designers that range from 10% to 50% off. Also, crafts workers like tilers, painters, carpenters, and flooring specialists who often work with your designer will give you the best price as they know your designer will give them more business if they do great work and are reasonable. Using a designer is like getting things at a bulk rate without buying the bulk.

2. Reuse, Recycle, and get BANG BANG for your buck

Interior designers love a challenge. If you must keep that sofa because it was a gift from your grandmother, they work with it (it might be reupholstered with new legs, but hey, grandma won’t mind the makeover). They also know that on a budget, sometimes a fresh coat of paint and new hardware can make a piece of furniture feel brand new.

3. Time IS money

With their years of knowledge and experience, a designer quickly sizes up and offers sensible suggestions on how your space can be improved. They create a plan including a timeline, a budget, and a list of priorities. It is their job to know where to find a Spanish revival dining chair or who can custom make that kitchen banquet. They answer the hundreds of questions on details such as finishes and sizes that come up in every room so you don’t have spend time figuring it out (and perhaps fixing it if you get it wrong). They coordinate with the stores, contractors, architects and other artisans to complete your project on time and within budget.

4. Learn something, and become a wiser investor

Unlike the fickle fashion world, a wide range of furniture actually never goes out of style or loses its value. A designer will know what those pieces are and when and where it makes most sense to use them. Your designer is like your personal furniture investor.

5. Impress people, especially potential buyers

Everyone loves an aesthetically pleasing picture. If your home is eye candy, people will want to buy the candy. The value of your home increases, showings increase, and that results in an exponentially faster sale. A faster turn around equals faster money in your pocket.

Get in contact with us to see how we can save you time and money in decorating an existing or new space.

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Color trends forecast for 2020

We just love thinking ahead this time of the year on what will be trending in the next year that we wanted to share these interesting videos, with a forecast of what colours will be hitting the market in 2020. Our personal favourite is the Neo Mint.

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Decorating ideas for spring

Add bursts of bright color, energetic patterns, and lively springtime motifs to your home to effortlessly transition it into spring.

Tabletop Terrarium

Carve out a sunny nook to refresh and recharge with a mini tabletop greenscape. A tray table makes it easy to move plants near a window’s natural light. Place plants that share light and watering needs but vary in texture and color for a fresh spring display in a glass terrarium.

Easy Accent

Bring a spare birdbath indoors to create living artwork. A shallow model can hold just enough soil to make a pretty display of moss, spring-flowering bulbs, and pussy willow branches. It’s the perfect miniature garden to enjoy indoors before your outdoor landscape blooms.

Ombre Update

Refresh a spare dresser, console, or nightstand with a fun ombre paint effect. Vary the brightness of a soft spring paint shade by mixing in different amounts of white paint. Apply the lightest shade to the top of your furniture piece, and gradually work down to the darkest shade.

Wonderful Windows

Sometimes all you need to update a room for a new season is a fresh window treatment. Use a pretty, floral-pattern Roman shade to turn a window into a work of art.

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Pet Friendly Apartment Decorating Tips

Getting your apartment decorated and suitable for both you and your four-legged friend can be a challenge. Between your own style, your pet’s needs, and your space restrictions, there’s a lot to think about when decorating for a pet friendly apartment. Read on for a few tips about how to decorate with your pet in mind.

DECORATE UP

Use your wall space as much as possible. Tables and bookshelves can be great for storage and aesthetics, but you run the risk of your valuables getting damaged. Your pet might knock into a table while playing in the house and accidentally break vases, picture frames, artwork, or other expensive decorations. Avoid this by placing your decorations out of reach from your pet. Consider floating shelves, hang artwork on the walls, and keep breakable items away from your four-legged friend.

FLOOR RUGS: DO’S AND DON’TS

If you have hardwood floors, you might want to consider skipping the rugs. Cloth absorbs all sorts of things — smells, spills, bacteria — and you can easily avoid this by sticking with hard, smooth surfaces. If your pet has an accident on your hardwood floors, you can easily clean it up without anything soaking into the floor.

On the other hand, if you have wall-to-wall carpeting, you might want to consider a rug. Since rugs absorb most of a spill or smell, you can easily toss it in the washing machine. It will protect the carpet beneath it and can add a nice pop of color to an otherwise bland room.

CONSIDER YOUR FABRICS

Thinking of getting a new couch? How about a chic loveseat? Consider the type fabric you’ll be putting in your home or apartment. Is it going to attract your pet’s fur? Will it be easy to remove fur and stains from it? Typically, fabrics like velvet and silk are notoriously bad choices for pet owners. Instead, try furniture made from materials like leather (faux or real) and ultra-suede (machine-washable); they’re both pet friendly and can still create the look you want.

MAKE DEDICATED PLAY AREA

If you’re lucky enough to have space in your home or apartment to create a dedicated play area for your pet, then do it. It could be something as small as a corner of the living room that houses your cat’s scratching post or a basket full of your dog’s chew toys, or even an entire room for your pet to play in while you’re at work. Whatever it looks like for you, confining the play space to one area of the apartment is an easy way to create a pet friendly apartment.