Upholstery Spot-Treating Tips

"New Couch" by Reed Wiedower is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

We all have our accident-prone moments, from spilling red wine on the white couch or dropping a pen on the good furniture. When these tiny accidents happen, you don’t need to call in a professional cleaning company or try to use your stain-remover pen. Just follow these steps from Apartment Therapy and you will be on your way to stain-free upholstery!

Vacuum: Upholstery should be vacuumed frequently to keep the fabric in good shape and prevent dust and crumbs from settling into the body of the furniture. In the case of an old stain, it's surprising how much a simple vacuuming can help the fade the stain. It should always be the first step in dealing with this kind of damage, you don't really know what you're dealing with, or how bad the stain truly is until all of the loose particles have been sucked away by the vacuum.

Assess: Check your furniture for its cleaning codes. This gets you on the right track of how to best tackle your stain. Some pieces can be cleaned with water, others will require moving directly into various solvents. If your furniture lacks a cleaning code, which is often the case with vintage and antique pieces that have been modified over the years, do a simple spot test on a hidden piece of upholstery. I like to test water, vodka, and vinegar because they're always my first choices for cleaning, before getting into the more heavy-hitting chemical stuff.

Steam: If your furniture can be cleaned by water hitting the stain with a bit of steam loosens it up and makes the stain more responsive to treatment. I typically just grab my iron and and use the steam button for this application, I don't find it necessary to drag out the steamer to deal with small areas.

Clean, Phase 1: This is the phase where you cross your fingers and hope that a simple solution is all that's needed. If your furniture can be cleaned with water, mix a little dish soap with cool water, and using a wrung out sponge blot the stain with the soap mixture. Take care not to rub at the stain, at this point it's unlikely that the stain will set in deeper, but rubbing can weaken and pill your fabric. Rinse the sponge and use just water to blot out some of the soap mixture. Press dry with a cloth or paper towels. If your furniture cannot be cleaned with water, use vinegar or vodka on a cloth to blot the stains. The smell of both vinegar and vodka will disappear when the area is dry.

Clean, Phase 2: Time to go heavy duty and break out the cleaners. Any cleaner you choose to use should be spot tested in a discrete place on the piece of furniture. Some people swear by Resolve, or Tuff Stuff, and Jenny Komenda of Little Green Notebook has had some truly remarkable results with Folex. I'm fortunate that my stains came out without having to venture into this territory, but on several separate occasions when an entire glass of red wine or a mug of hot coffee has spilled Wine Away has been a real life saver. It managed to entirely remove red wine stains (caused by an unfortunately placed glass being flung across the room by an exuberant hand gesture) from the two brand-new cream side chairs in my living room.

Repeat: If your stain has survived this entire cleaning process, you are dealing with one stubborn stain. As exhausting—and possibly irritating—as the process can be, doing it all over again can give you the result you're looking for. The previously mentioned wine on white chairs situation took two full passes before the stains came out. I really thought when I entered Phase 2 for the second time that there was no way these stains were going anywhere, but perseverance paid off and the stains disappeared!

Celebrate: The seemingly impossible to remove set-in stain has been conquered! Hooray! Feel free to share your accomplishments with friends, so long as you offer to help out if they ever have need of your stain removing powers.

Prepare: Just in case a spill happens in the future that you can take care of immediately, here are some tips and tricks for how to spot clean upholstery stains that have just happened.

Happy cleaning!

Furniture Arranging 101

Have you ever arranged a room (and strained your back) to find that something about it just doesn’t flow? If you want to make a change in the feel of a room or want to switch things up for the current season, moving furniture around is a completely free way to do so. Consider these tips from Apartment Therapy as you rearrange your space.

Dining Room:

• Distance between the walls and the dining room table: Ideally, provide at least 36″ between the dining table and any walls or other furniture on all sides to allow seats to slide out easily.

• Distance between a dining table and an entrance: Provide around 48″ between the table and an entrance to allow people to enter and exit the room with ease.

• Vertical space between a dining chair and dining table: Chairs and chair arms should be able to slide under the table with ease. Leave about 7″ between the chair arm and apron of the table.

• Distance between chandelier and dining table: This is one of the more flexible topics. Low hanging lighting sets a more modern tone, but even so, it should never interfere with the ability to make conversation— no need to duck your face down to the table just to see your dinner guests. However, a light hung too high will detract from the cohesive feel of a room as well. A good rule is to hang lighting between 24″-32″ from the table.

• Area rug and dining table: A rug should span about 36″ wider on all sides of a dining table to allow chairs to pull out easily without catching.

• Space between dining chairs: Ideally provide about 24″ between chairs to prevent hitting elbows and to allow people to slide chairs in and out without any collisions or bruised knuckles.

"Living Room Updates" by Emily May is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Living Room:

• Distance between a sofa and coffee table: Allow around 18″ between the table and sofa edge to give enough leg room but to be able to set down drinks or reach appetizers without straining. Coffee table heights vary greatly, but a good rule is to keep the table height and seat height within 4 inches of each other.

• Distance between seating furniture: Aim to provide between 3.5′ and 10′ between seating options to help conversation flow without crowding a room.

• Side table and sofa height: In general, an end table should be approximately the same height as the arm of your sofa or chair. This allows guests to set down or reach for drinks without straining, and it also lends a more cohesive feel to the room.

• Distance between tv and sofa: There should be about 7′ between the tv and seating options.

• Area rugs and furniture: Too often area rugs end up feeling like bath mats. To keep your area rug from feeling random, at least the front two legs of a sofa or chair should rest on the rug.

• Distance between room-size rugs to walls: Allow about 24″ between the wall and room-size rug in a large room, and between 12″- 18″ in a smaller room.

Decorating Myths Debunked

We’ve all heard the famous “no white pants after Labor Day,” but there are plenty of myths floating around about home decor, too. Ultimately, your decor is your choice and should be a reflection of you and what makes you happy. However, if you’re curious about some common interior design fact and fiction, Elle Decor (courtesy of House Beautiful) will give you the truth.

Photo courtesy William Waldron

MYTH: Throw pillows must appear in odd numbers only

REALITY: It's more about what you feel works in the room. Here, in a Long Island home, designer Robert Stilin alternates two pairs of pillows in a similar color scheme for a look that's perfectly serene and symmetrical.

Photo courtesy Simon Upton

MYTH: Trends should be incorporated only in the form of small, replaceable accessories

REALITY: If a trend—say, metallics—speaks to you, you should feel full license to use it with abandon. Here, Jean-Louis Deniot's hammered silver kitchen cabinets show that going big on a trend you love can end up being the most show-stopping part of a home.

Photo courtesy William Abranowicz

MYTH: Collections are only meant to be decorative

REALITY: A collection can be something as simple, beloved, and downright useful as a stack of magazines, as seen here in Eric Hughes and Nathan Turner's Malibu apartment.

Photo courtesy William Waldron

MYTH: Choose one pattern to be the star of the room

REALITY: Through artful pairing you can feature two, three—even five!—fabulous patterns as long as you keep the color scheme similar, and get creative with scale.

Photo courtesy William Waldron

MYTH: Your ceilings must be white

REALITY: A dramatic color can actually draw the eye upward, plus it gives you an extra surface to make a major impression, as Richard Mishaan illustrates in a Westchester home.

Photo courtesy Eric Piasecki

MYTH: All 4 chair legs must be on (or off) the rug

REALITY: It's more important that the space can morph and adapt to however guests configure themselves. In Michael Leva's Manhattan apartment, a flexible seating arrangement is constantly in flux to make room for everything from cocktail to dance parties.

Photo courtesy William Waldron

MYTH: All "ugly" architecture must be hidden

REALITY: Even something like exposed ductwork, as seen here in a D.C. apartment decorated by Nestor Santa Cruz, can be embraced for what it is. "It gives a rhythm and movement that flows through the rooms," says Santa Cruz. Something to consider before taking on a massive cover-up process.

Photo courtesy Richard Powers

MYTH: All artwork must be at eye level

REALITY: Art can live wherever it feels at home—to your eye, at least. In Susan Hable Smith's Georgia home, a piece tucked up at the top corner of the room offers a moment of surprise beauty, while silk screens and drawings add pizzazz even from the floor.

Photo courtesy Richard Powers

MYTH: Once is enough, when it comes to a busy pattern

REALITY: If you truly love a pattern, why limit it to only one surface? In Alex Papachristidis's Manhattan apartment, the same cotton fabric covers the walls, sofa, canopy, and curtains...and still looks fresh and modern thanks to the artfully-chosen prints that balance the entire room.

Photo courtesy William Abranowicz

MYTH: The most expensive piece in a room should get pride of place

REALITY: It's the piece with the most character, not highest price tag, that deserves the spotlight. For example, this chair, in William Abranowicz's entry hall, was found in the dumpster!



What other myths have you heard? Do you believe them to be true?

Make a Bold Decor Move

Photo courtesy Wicker Paradise

We have all seen something on Pinterest that we thought would look so cool, but then said, “I could never do that.” Yes, you can! Aside from things that you may have to ask your landlord for permission for, there are still many things you can do to take risks as you decorate--from furniture, to rugs, to accessories. So here’s that motivation you need to actually put those Pinterest boards to use, courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

1. Decide to do it — This is both the easiest and hardest part. You've thought it through, debated endlessly and now it's time for a simple yes or no. It's liberating! No more, "Gee, I'd really like to have..." or "Someday I'll try a..." That day is today! Don't dawdle, say yes and don't look back.

2. Get inspired — Time for the eye candy. You have a general plan, sure, but browsing some great inspirational images will help you really nail down what you love and what turns your stomach (and with risky decisions, it's usually one or the other). This is also when you'll start to get really excited about your project, which will further cement your decision to do it. Remember: this is fun!

3. Tell everyone — Now that you've made your decision, it's time to share. Telling everyone your plan is an insurance policy that you'll actually follow through. You're accountable, see? Sure, people will have their own opinions (and may decide to share them, unsolicited) but that won't bother you because you're solid in your knowledge that you've made the right decision for you.

4. Baby steps — Don't get overwhelmed and derail your decision. No matter how big or small, breaking down your project into baby steps will help you see a clear, do-able path to the finish line. It may be scary to paint a wall pink, but it's not scary to drive to the paint store — you can do that. It's not scary to grab some paint samples, piece of cake! Now, wash your wall, no problem. Baby steps are everything.

5. Repeat after me: nothing is permanent — There's nothing you can do to your home that you can't undo; it's as simple as that. Don't overthink this. If you don't like it, you'll try something else. Yep, you've spent some time and money to learn what you don't like (a very valuable lesson by the way) and next time you'll do better. The journey to your perfect home is never-ending and that is part of the fun, so don't be afraid to make a mistake once in a while.

Labor Day Cookout Menu

Alas, it is the unofficial end of summer...so why not go out with bang and invite your friends and family over for a cookout? Whether you are hosting or attending one, these recipes from Delish are sure to be the talk of the gathering! On the menu is mango peach sangria, grilled corn with mango-habanero butter, Mo’s sticky ribs and mixed-berry spoon cake. Visit Delish for some other recommended Labor Day cookout recipes.

Mango Peach Sangria

1/3 cup(s) sugar

1/3 cup(s) water

1 cup(s) Grand Marnier

1 bottle(s) Viognier

1 mango, chopped

2 peaches, cut into thin wedges

1/4 cup(s) mint

In a saucepan, cook the sugar and water until the sugar dissolves; transfer to a pitcher and refrigerate until cold. Stir in the Grand Marnier, Viognier, mango, peaches, and mint and serve over ice.

Grilled Corn with Mango-Habanero Butter

1 mango, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup(s) mango nectar

1 tablespoon(s) honey

1/2 habanero chile, seeded

1 1/2 stick(s) unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoon(s) packed cilantro leaves, chopped

1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt

8 ear(s) corn

In a small saucepan, combine the chopped mango with the mango nectar, honey, and habanero chile. Bring to a simmer and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the mango is very soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree until smooth. Strain the mango puree into a small bowl and let cool, about 30 minutes.

Wipe out the food processor. Add the cooled mango puree along with the butter, cilantro leaves, and salt and puree until smooth. Scrape the mango butter into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. Pull the corn husks down to the base of the stalks, leaving the husks attached. Discard the corn silk. Using butcher string, tie back the husks. Fill a large bowl with cold, salted water and submerge the corn for 10 minutes.

Drain the corn but don't pat dry. Grill the corn over moderate heat, turning occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Transfer the corn to plates, spread with the mango-habanero butter, and serve.

Mo's Sticky Ribs

2 1/4 pound(s) baby back ribs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Granulated garlic, for sprinkling

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

1 tablespoon(s) whole cloves

1 12-ounce bottle of lager

1 cup(s) ketchup

1 cup(s) peach or apricot jam

3 tablespoon(s) fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, season the ribs with salt, pepper, and garlic. Drizzle with oil and scatter the cloves over the ribs and in the pan. Pour the beer over the ribs, cover with foil, and bake for 2 hours, until the meat is tender.

Strain the pan juices into a saucepan. Whisk in the ketchup, jam, and lemon juice and boil over high heat until reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Set the ribs meaty side down on the baking sheet, brush with glaze, and broil 4 inches from the heat for 7 minutes. Turn the ribs and brush with half of the remaining glaze. Broil for 10 minutes, until starting to char. Brush with the remaining glaze and broil until browned, 10 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

Mixed-Berry Spoon Cake

4 pint(s) strawberries (2 pounds), hulled and quartered

2 pint(s) blackberries (12 ounces)

2 pint(s) raspberries (12 ounces)

3/4 cup(s) sugar, for the filling

2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch

1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 cup(s) sugar, for the batter

2 teaspoon(s) finely grated lemon zest

1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder

1 teaspoon(s) kosher salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup(s) milk

1 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 stick(s) unsalted butter, melted

Make the filling: In a bowl, toss the berries with the sugar and cornstarch and let stand for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the batter: Preheat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the sugar, lemon zest, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and vanilla. Whisk the liquid into the dry ingredients until evenly moistened, then whisk in the melted butter until smooth.

Spread the filling in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Spoon the batter on top, leaving small gaps. Bake in the center of the oven for 1 hour, until the fruit is bubbling and a toothpick inserted into the topping comes out clean. Let cool for 1 hour before serving.

Did you try any of these recipes? Let us know or share your pictures in the comments!

Kitchen Storage Hacks

"Kitchen" by jen robinson is licensed under CC BY 2.0

If you have a small kitchen in your apartment, it’s important to get the most efficient use out of the space you have. The coffee pot alone takes up valuable space that could be used in food preparation. To take advantage of the space you have, try following some of these hacks from Apartment Therapy.

1. Pegboards, more like awesomeboards

Pegboards are a utilitarian's dream: They can hold just about anything with the right hooks, can be made as big or as compact as you'd like and can be arranged throughout the year as your storage needs change. How do you keep your kitchen from looking like someone's workshop in the back of a garage? Consider painting it a bold color, and really pay attention to how you arrange elements on the board; make it more like an art display.

2. Tension rods

Why we're not all using tension rods in all the places I'm not sure, but if you haven't yet experienced the organizational wonder of these cheap and handy tools, you should experiment. From keeping your cutting boards from looking like a pile of scrap wood to creating a cozy little space for your cleaning supplies to hang from, your use of tension rods in your kitchen is limited only by your own imagination.

3. Mounted magnetic knife block

Get a heavy duty magnetic block to mount and forever save your counter tops from those standing knife blocks that always seem to take up so much space and kind of always look like they need to be nudged to a slightly different angle. Want to get even more handy? Make a double magnetic knife block and use that side of the refrigerator.

4. Storage on wheels is a go

Hey if you have room for a larger rolling kitchen cart, then you know the pleasures of having mobile storage. But don't discount the helpfulness of smaller rolling storage shelves and carts that can fit in weird nooks, be pulled out when needed and pushed away when finished with.

5. Above-the-cabinet storage

Don't decorate with dust-catchers in the small space you might have above your kitchen cabinets; use that as extra storage by incorporating some uniform, enclosed, sparsely spaced baskets or boxes to hold the stuff you need but don't need all the time (we're looking at you light bulbs, batteries and tools).

6. Drawer dividers are delightful

If you're not using drawer dividers yet, consider changing course. Taking an afternoon to add a few bought or DIYed drawer dividers to your kitchen drawers will make them go from "almost junk drawer" to "Martha Stewart would be proud."

7. IKEA's array of affordable organizing tools for small spaces

Take full advantage of the products IKEA offers when it comes to hanging, storing and displaying. Done neatly and with intention, you can cover nearly every vertical surface in a tiny kitchen to add storage to your space without sacrificing style.

8. Pantry risers, small shelves and lazy susans

If it seems like a lot of work to get nit-picky and organize even your smallest spaces into even smaller compartments — well, it can be. But the extra space you'll gain won't just mean you can stuff more stuff into your space, it'll (hopefully) mean you won't forget about cans of food for months at a time (because you can't see them).

What small-space tips do you have? Share them with us!

Facts of (LA) Life

"2006 Beverly Hills" by Jens karlsson is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Unless you were born and raised as a Los Angelino, you can probably remember the culture shock you experience when you first moved here. If you just moved here or are here for an extended stay, here are some LA-living realities to get under your belt, courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

Embrace the car: Sure you can take the bus or ride your bike, but like it or not, Los Angeles is built for cars — it's big and the roads are wide. Cons: With so much time spent behind the wheel, it's not unusual for people to multitask: Shave, put on makeup, change clothes, brush their teeth...remember that scene in "Sideways" in which Paul Giamatti reads the paper while he's driving up the coast? It would be funnier if it weren't so true; people don't always have their full attention on the road. Pros: Your car is a giant purse. Even people who keep nothing in their cars have a yoga mat stashed in the trunk.

You need to know someone: Unlike New York where everything's right out in the open, LA is a secret city. (Though if you really don't know anyone, radio station KCRW, and The LA Weekly, Angeleno and LA Magazine are some resources to get you started). Cons: That ugly strip mall may be the site of the world's greatest restaurant, but unless someone takes you there, you'll never know. Pros: It's a city of constant discovery.

NY is a dinner reservation town, LA is a dinner party town: I think it was Michael S. Smith who said that, and he's right. Maybe it's because the homes are bigger here. It's not unusual to be asked to someone's home. Cons: At some point you're going to have to reciprocate, and that means inviting people over to your house. Eeek! Time to take the one of the Apartment Therapy Cures! Pros: You get to see a lot of amazing homes, and I love seeing people in their home environment.

A full tank of gas and a fridge full of groceries will you get through the week: Since you're not walking past stores, coffee shops and newsstands, but hurling past them at 40 mph, that money in your pocket will stay in your pocket. Cons: You miss a lot of the spontanaeity that comes from living in a walking city. Pros: A savings account.

However much of a fashionista you are, your wardrobe will get much more casual: Jeans are a uniform here, as are sweats. Maybe it's the indoor/outdoor living, but I know I'm not the only one who's walked outside — or gone to the grocery store — in their pajamas. Cons: You'll become a person who wears jeans everywhere. Pros: You'll own a lot of suede, and your shoes will last for years.

The flea markets are better here. We have one every week! (Here are some hints on how to do the Rosebowl.) Cons: That money you've been saving? You'll spend it on knickknacks. Pros: You'll score some amazing finds, especially if you love midcentury modern. We also have great thrift shops, especially if you venture outside LA.

The produce is amazing: Everything is bigger, brighter, juicier and sweeter. And there's a farmer's market somewhere in LA every day of the week! (The biggest and most well-known ones are Santa Monica on Wednesday and Saturday and Hollywood on Sunday). Cons: You'll spend way more money at the farmer's market than you were intending to. Pros: You're eating a lot more fruits and vegetables.

Yes, you will talk about how you got there: That SNL skit, The Californians, is true: the first few minutes of any gathering will invariably involve a discussion about how you got there, how much traffic there was and how long it took you. Pros: You'll learn about secret routes. Cons: People who don't live here will think you're crazy.

Your day will start at 6 and end at 10. Whether the excuse is exercise, an early set call or a love of breakfast, LA's a morning town. Pros: The light is beautiful, and it's a great time to go running. Cons: Don't arrive at a New Year's party after midnight or you'll find everyone's gone home.

Native Angelinos, what would you add to this?