CREATE YOUR COMFORT ZONE

The bedroom is where you can relax, lounge and find inner peace. There’s nothing like curling up in bed with a good book, watching your favorite TV show or movie or simply catching up on your sleep.

Create your perfect comfort zone with beautiful frames, luxurious linens and plush pillows.


BED SCENE. Choosing the right bed frame will anchor the look in your room.
Selection of bed frames includes wengue or bleached-wood bed frames with unexpected detailing in the headboard or footboard, or try a little adventure with a leather bed.


Luxe Linen. Linen is the heart and soul of the bedroom and seals the whole bedroom experience. Linen selection ranges, country style floral patterns and opulent velvety designs. Explore your options with an inviting mix of prints, patterns and hues. Plump your bed up with pillows of all sizes that are not only decorative, but also comforting.


Bedside matters. Enhance the feel of your room with accent pieces like vases, lamps, photo frames that give a personal touch to your bedroom.

Steps of Greening Your House

Let us work together and make our surroundings green. It really is easy being green, especially at home. Here are simple steps to green your house while greening your wallet, your energy, and your earth.

1. Change your bulbs and recycle them.
According to GE, incandescent bulbs use heat to produce light, while a fluorescent bulb (CFL) creates light that is four-to-six times more energy efficient. When replacing your bulbs, use the chart below to compare wattages between the standard bulb and CFLs.

• Standard Bulb/CFL Bulb wattage
• 60w/13w–15w
• 75w/20w
• 100w/26w–29w

• 150w/38w–42w

Just don’t stop there, because whenever your bulbs blow, you can safely recycle them to protect the environment from unnecessary mercury contamination.

2. Compost your food and use biodegradable bags for pet waste.
Composting your food puts it back into the soil where it belongs and lessens the production of methane and leachate formulation, which forms from waste materials liquefying into an acid water solution. If you have a garden, find out how to start your own compost file by using, like for example BioBags to line my compost bin, and they even make some for pet waste, though you should not compost your pet waste. Or like some people are doing, switching to biodegradable kitty litter and poop bags in the meantime until pet waste is used as an alternate form of energy!

3. Buy green cleaning supplies or make your own.
Choose cleaning supplies that keep your nose hairs away from chemicals that will fry them. Other householders like to make their own using what is already in their cabinets or under their sink. Use other green cleaning supplies that has natural scents in your home and on your clothes.

4. Put on a sweater and turn down your heat.
In an apartment with a heating unit on the wall, Turn it on first thing in the morning for fifteen minutes to heat up your apartment, making sure to close all bedroom doors, and do the same in the evening. Then turn it off. With adequate insulation, your home can hold the heat while you grab your grandmother’s Afghan or that hand-knit sweater that makes you feel cozy inside

5. Move the three R’s in as an extra guest.
Reduce, recycle, and reuse should be your mantra for 2008. Repairing items is reusing them. Donating your old clothes to charities or thrift stores also reduces what goes into the landfill. Reusing an item is even better than recycling so that it doesn’t have to be reprocessed and then reintroduced into the chain of production. When you purchase long-term, durable goods, you reduce waste. The same goes for buying products with less packaging. According to the EPA, by 2006, curbside recycling programs served almost half of the American population and moved 82 million tons of material away from landfills.

6. Buy a laptop and let it sleep when you sleep.
Laptops use less energy than desktops and shut it down every night. If you’re the type that wakes up in the middle of the night to use your computer, then just put your computer in standby mode, which on a PC you can do by going into your Control Panel>Power Options.

7. Wash in cold and dry clothes part-time on a line.
We’re lucky to have an Energy Star washer and dryer, but I change the temperature of each wash cycle from hot/warm to cold. Save the hot water for filthy laundry, and make sure it’s a full load. The same goes for your dryer; switch it from high/medium to low and choose to line dry all of your intimate items and clothing that could use a break from fading and shrinking in the dryer.

8. Save some water.
Run the dishwasher only when it’s full. Take shorter showers instead of baths. Keep the temperature down in that shower. When you are waiting for the water to heat up, put a bucket in your shower to collect that water and use it on your houseplants. Think about installing low-flow faucets and showerheads.

9. Let your oven be your sous chef.
A clean oven is more energy efficient. Don’t preheat your oven unless your dish needs to cook for more than an hour. When cooking, use the broiler whenever possible since preheating uses more energy. Use the leftover heat from your oven for warming food and plates.

10. Cool your food so your refrigerator doesn’t have to.
See if your refrigerator has a tight fit and shuts on its own; if not, the gasket might need replacing. The best way to save energy is to turn the freezer temperature down and raise the fridge temperature.

Dust and Grease Speed Cleaning Tips

Here are some tips or strategic methods to speed cleaning dust and grease that we dealt with around every corner of our house.

· Open the shades and windows to let in the sunshine and air; then light a scented candle and let its aroma take over the house.

· Free up your kitchen counters from piles of papers and mail for the space you need for cooking, and keep table open and clear.

· Use dustpan and garbage bag to catch the bunnies in each room before they hop away.

· Take two rags and take a natural cleaner when cleaning around the house. Dust wooden surfaces with one and spray clean the kitchen counters.

· Clean every door, cabinet, and sink handle in the house, removing whatever dust and grease

· After sweeping away the dust bunnies, it’s time to degrease the oven and soak the sink. using sponges. They scrub off caked-on grease from the stove. Use another sponge for the kitchen, one for the bathroom, and another one for the toilet.

· Always require a regular touch-up of your bathroom, say once or twice a week. Sprinkle the sink and bathtub with Bon Ami, and then wash them clean with hot water.

· Fluff the pillows. Bring outside couch and bed pillows and do a little shake to take away dust and pet hair that it accumulates..

· Go through the fridge and see which vegetables are ready to go to the bin.

· A quick sweep of kitchen and wood floors will catch the rest of the dust bunnies and dirt, sprinkle in the carpet and on my rugs a mix of essential oil and baking, for quick deodorizing before the vacuuming. Sweep and mop the rooms in your house that requires some mopping like, kitchen and bathroom, and take a rag and use the natural cleaner to spray the floor, then finish up the speed-cleaning and move across the floor.

How To Vacuum: Vacuuming Your Carpet Like A Pro

I read someplace the other day about "How To Vacuum". The instructions said, "First, get your vacuum." Wow! That's probably the best advice you'll ever get! Actually, before I drag my vacuum out, there are a few other things I do first.

• Do a walk-through of your carpeted areas picking up clutter and any large pieces of debris that your vacuum cannot suck up such as leaves from shedding house plants, small toys, paper clips, anything that is obvious.
• If you have a hand carpet sweeper, give the carpet a quick "pick-me-up". You may be able to avoid having to use your heavier vacuum cleaner this time.
• Use an anti-static spray on your dust mop or dust rag and run around the baseboard where dust collects next to the carpet..
• Most vacuums will not get right up to the edge where wall meets floor, so use a good stiff broom with some elbow grease and give that area a good sweeping before you vacuum.

Vacuum Cleaning 101

Basic house cleaning rules tell you to begin on the top, at the back. That means, if you have more than a one storey home, start on the top level in the room furthest from the stairwell. Since vacuuming is the job you should do last in any room, you should already have picked up clutter and put things away, removed cobwebs, dusted and polished furniture.

In areas where you use "throw" or "scatter" rugs, pick them up and shake them out-of-doors. Then fold them neatly, place on the side of the tub or on a chair until you are ready to put them back on the floor.

Draperies and furniture should be vacuumed first.

Consider the furniture that needs moved in order to do a thorough vacuuming and move it. You'll find it appropriate to move chairs and smaller tables into a central area, and then vacuum as close to the edge of the room and up to the furniture as possible. Reach under beds, couches and dressers as far as you can.

Replace the furniture and begin vacuuming in the corner that is farthest from the door and work towards the door, using gliding, even strokes, backing to the door. As you look over the freshly vacuumed floor, you should see no footprints.

"B" Is For Bathroom

Cleaning bathrooms can be tricky, as it may be partially or fully carpeted. If they are covered wall-to-wall, start behind the toilet and work your way through the room. Close yourself inside the bathroom and get behind the door, the edges of the cabinets, bathtub and shower. Again, this is a room that benefits from going around the edges with a stiff broom as hair and powders can be hard to vacuum.

Vacuum all the bathrooms first. Start behind the toilet, vacuum the floor. Do not forget behind the door, and along the edges of the cabinets and bathtubs. Make sure you get up all the hair and dust off the floor. Watch out for any standing water on the floor!

Moving Right Along ...

Make every motion count. Never use a power head on uncarpeted floors. Never use the upright to do stairs..

After all of the rooms are vacuumed, it's time do the hallway. Begin in the area furthest from the stairs and work your way backward to the top of the stair well. (Look behind yourself often!) A canister vacuum works best on stairs because you can use the wand.

If your home is only one level, you are probably ready to put your feet up and relax. That is, unless you have carpet in your kitchen that needs vacuumed. If not, you may have throw rugs that need to be shaken well and/or laundered. If they are small enough, these benefit from being tossed into the dryer with a fabric softener tissue and an old, clean pair of tennis shoes, then tumbled with low or no heat. The fabric softener freshens the fabric and the shoes work as a beater, fluffing the nap and removing lint.

Damp mop all remaining washable, hard-surfaced floors and NOW relax!

Vacuum Cleaners and Attachments

• Your vacuum is one of the most versatile, useful home appliances you'll ever own. Here are some suggestions on how to make your cleaning chores a little easier.
• When purchasing a new vacuum, make sure it has a powerful motor. Compare to the other models, and pick the one with the highest strength. The power is in direct proportion to the amount of dirt it will remove from your carpet in one or two passes.
• Compare manufacturers and read the warranty. If possible, select one that has a local authorized dealer and repair facility.
• Take a good look at the attachments. Unless you are willing to drag all the heads, wands and hoses along, and use them every time you get the vacuum out, don't be influenced by the marketing hype. Less is best.
• Overall, speaking as a professional (we are a maid service, remember?), we have found that heavier vacuums hold up better in the long run. Our vacuums really get a workout - several times a day.

Painting ideas

Paint is a very inexpensive and easy way to spruce up the interior of any room, very quickly but you must know the condition of the wall, how to paint and the amount of paint needed.
The choice of the paints: Paint is available in thousands of colors and a variety of different textures, sheens and coats. There are so many changing choices in the trend but one must be clear what the paint will look like.
The shine determines the brightness the paint will exhibit on your walls or ceiling.
The less the shine of the paint, the minimum is the glare or the reflection.
The shine of the coat hides the small imperfection but are difficult to clean and maintain.
Paints also come in mat finish which is easier to clean and reflection is not there.
Semi gloss paint is the perfect paint for children's rooms, kitchens and bathrooms because of their durability.
The enamels are used for painting wooden surfaces.
Making the walls ready for the paint: The condition of the walls determine the amount of colour needed and the finish. Here are some points to take care of:
If the walls are never painted before, they will soak a large amount of paint if applied directly, thus a coat of primer should always be used as the base coat.
It also gives you a smoother finish.
If your walls have already been painted, use a paint scraper to remove any loose or chipped old paint.
Fill any drywall holes with spackling compound too. Clean dirt off your painting surface.
Hardware and paint stores carry stain blocking products you can spray or brush on.
How to determine the quantity of the paint needed: The right amount of paint needed requires a skill and should be purchased carefully.
To estimate your ceiling paint multiply the length of the ceiling times the width. This will give you the area.
LENGTH X WIDTH = AREANext, divide the area by 350 to determine how many gallons of paint you will need. Where did we come up with the number 350? Most gallons of paint will cover 350 square feet! To estimate the wall paint needed, add together the length of each wall then multiply the sum by the wall height.
LENGTH + WALL HEIGHT = AREAYou can even subtract 20 square feet for each door and 15 square feet for each window in the room. Divide the final figure by 350 as shown above to tell you the number of gallons to purchase.

Have you seen this house?

The Dakota Home of Celebrities on Central Park West in New York City

For some, the Dakota is the creepy apartment building in Roman Polanski's chilling film Rosemarys Baby. The Dakota is also famous for being the home at one point or another of many other celebrities such as Judy Garland, Yoko Ono, Lauren Bacall, Leonard Bernstein, Rex Reed, William Inge, and Connie Chung.