There’s something so refreshing about a room that is filled with natural light. It can certainly handle dark floors, furnishings, and fabrics but the uncomplicated purity of white upholstered pieces and pastel accents is so alluring. Keeping them looking like they fell out of the pages of a magazine is another story. I am the first to admit that it’s top of mind for me. I saw an elegant woman the other day, dressed in winter white. She stood out in a sea of dark clothing clad gals and guys. My first thought was how much I admired her, my second, I could never wear such a thing. I’d worry constantly that I was going to spill on it, sit on something wretched, spoil that unspoiled goodness.
While these feelings are valid, they don’t warrant drastic measures a la Mrs. Miles. Mrs. Miles was an older lady with whose care we “the three Falla girls” where placed when there wasn’t one single other sitter available. A nice lady to be sure, but her living room was dark, shades drawn to protect the furniture from harsh sunlight, and further protected as they were encased in plastic. All sustainability issues aside – plastic isn’t inviting. Lordy that is a definite no. I am also not a fan of dust cloths over everything – awaiting a house guest for their brief removal, and further drastic tactics like serving only white food and wine. Hum, not for me.
Ho Boy! Plasternoon Delight.
And still, I want the white, and I want to be able to LIVE in my apartment, eat a cupcake on the sofa, green juice away, and not fret over the cleanliness of my hands. Here’s where IKEA comes in. They have upholstered sofas and chairs in white canvas duct that are amazingly durable, attractive, and comfortable. They are slipcovered, respond astoundingly well to Shout, and can be thrown in the wash when a thorough dousing is in order. My sister has them in her second home. We lie all over them, as do the renters, and seven years later they look nearly as good as the day the arrived. I won’t get too graphic. Suffice it to say – they’ve been exposed to the elements. All this durability and comfort combined with a great price get them my humble recommendation.
I have suggested my friend purchase the set-up for her great room. I feel absolutely sure that they will stand up to Henry’s boy bumping, jumping, relocation services – this kid is strong! and playful attention. Here’s how I would put it all together.
Spot on! (No pun intended)
I stumbled across an obscure little cleaning product called Tech and have never turned back. I have yet to find a stain it doesn’t remove and have no fear adding white furniture to my living room with 2 little boys. Over thanksgiving my parents dog threw up bile on the bottom half of a white chair and the 100 yr old wool rug it was sitting on. I wasn’t home at the time but the next day I sprayed the heck out of it with Tech, soaked it up with a towel and both (yellow!) stains just disappeared.
When I wash my white curtains, slipcovers and pillows I add a good dose of Tech to the pre-wash cycle and they come out looking brand new- all smears of pizza grease, chocolate and general patches of dinginess gone! It has even taken washed and dried motor grease out of a nylon rain jacket (I let that sit in a bucket of Tech and water over night before washing).
Suffice to say, the stuff is amazing and I buy it in bulk. Oh, and it says right outside the bottle that it’s “100% safe to use” which alway cracks me up a little:)
Sarah- thanks for that tip! It’s something I will put into use immediately.
with the constant moving of furniture, the inevitable dirt smears and smudges appear.
I’m saved!
Happy holidays. Hope to see you soon. Jackie