more FAQs

Yay for Friday!!  I've got another round of most frequently asked questions for you...  Like I mentioned before, I'm really not able to keep up with emails & questions these days, (due to work, family & life in general)  so I'll be doing FAQ Roundups to hopefully answer as much as I can. I appreciate your patience!! Thank you!!

Here we go: 





Q: Hello. Love your table. Can you share how the lucite holds up to scratches. if it scratches can they be removed? Special cleaner needed etc? 

A: My lucite table has gotten a beat-down at our house.  Our boys have scratched it to death with toys and it looks pretty terrible after three or four years of abuse.  I have to admit, after I saw that it was getting so badly scratched, I sort of gave up and figured that we'd replace it later.  I keep magazines or a tray and books on the coffee table anyway so it's mostly hidden.  I've also watched my kids fall on it more than once without crying, which is what's kept it in the house for so long.  They also love playing under it and around it because of the clearness.  (Nothing's funnier than watching a newly crawling baby ram his face into it ;) ;)  However, I recently purchased a lucite buffer/ polishing kit (by Novus) and one of these days am going to give it a try.  I'll definitely post to let you know how it goes.  Lucite should be cleaned with a super-soft cloth (never paper towels) and hot soapy water.  Don't ever use a cleaning product like Windex or anything else in a spray bottle that isn't specifically for lucite.  



{Our client's custom porch swing}


Q:  Where did you get the porch swing?

A: We had our client's custom porch swing made by Vintage Porch Swings , who did a beautiful job.



Q: I JUST read your post about not having time to answer all questions, so I get that you might not get to this and no hard feelings! Anyway, I've admired this room for awhile. I'm looking for the right paint color for my room and I'm struggling. I want a cream or white, and then noticed the curtains in this room. Are those the Pottery Barn Velvet in Ivory?

A:  Sorry it's taken me so long to get back to you!  The walls in this room are seashell by Benjamin Moore and the curtain panels are custom and made of oyster-colored linen.  


{Our kitchen, when the island was still in-progress}

Q: What type of floors do you have in your home?

A: We used unfinished random width (4"-8") wide plank white oak and had it finished with  gray Woca oil.  We got our floors from Mountain Lumber Co. (specifically, Janel Conforti) who couldn't have been more helpful.  Woca Oil "contains primarily cold pressed vegetable oils and aromatic hardening oils that penetrate into the surface of the wood floor and, as they cure, harden to form a very protective surface that becomes part of the wood floor. This means that normal wear and tear, such as small scratches and indentations, do not show up as much as on a floor with a urethane finish.  The oil finish will also let the wood floor breathe through its surface.." (taken from their website)  I loooove the finish on our floors as it's matte and very natural-looking.  Oils do leave marks on the the floor and it's already started to develop a patina, which is what we're after.  


Anyway, I'm off for the day & have amazing Memorial Day weekend!!!  To check out my last round of FAQs, (including questions about my wall mural on my dining room wall) go here.

                                                                    

If you'd like help creating a home you absolutely love, contact me about our design services.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Lauren, you mentioned towels you loved from Horchow (I think)and can't find it - can you tell us again? Thanks, Pat

Lauren said...

Hi Pat! I haven't used any Horchow towels but love Restoration Hardware's towels best!
xo,
Lauren

Deidre Interiors said...

One questions I would LOVE to get an answer to is your experience with the software Studio IT. A few months ago I thought you did a post on a new software management system you were trying. Would love to know how it's going!

Lauren said...

Hi Deidre- We are in the process of switching over to Studio IT & I am JUST learning it so as soon as I have some true feedback for you, I'll post!
xoxo,
lauren

Loretta Fontaine (EcoHappy Blog) said...

Lauren- so nice to hear the Woca oil is working well. "plant-based, environmentally responsible, sustainable, nonpolluting.." So nice!

...and did you install solid wood the traditional way and sand it down before applying the oil? I don't see those little horizontal "v"grooves running on the surface. (And, if so, an easy to sweep and clean floor - we inherited a pre-finished polyurethane wood floor and I always think of those grooves as catching dirt.)

Loretta

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing..!
iPad developer wanted

Dawn @ Inspired Living said...

Thank you for answering my questions about your clients gorgeous living room.

When and where will your new home be published? Can't wait....I will buy whatever publication it may be..... :)

Mary Ann Pickett said...

Have to try the BM seashell...thanks!

Louisem said...

Thank you so much for that info about the Lucite table....on my wish list.....

Unknown said...

I love these Innovative Home Furnishings & are a great source of Inspiration.

elizabeth said...

How water resistant is the oil finish on your floors? We did that in our last house when we refinished the floors, and if any water was spilled on the floor, the wood swelled and it left a permanent spot. I love the texture and finish though, so I'm wondering if a different oil product might work better.

Lauren said...

Elizabeth- it seems pretty water resistant... it's the oil that seems to make the marks.
xoxo,
lauren

mrs. V | Chez V said...

Lauren - I have used the Novus products to clean lucite & acrylic many times. The stuff definitely works to minimize the appearance of scratches and to polish up the surface but it won't remove the deeper scratches all together. I have been happy with the results. Thought that input might help to manage expectations. I was sold the stuff under the premise that it was a 'miracle worker.' While it does work well it doesn't completely remove all scratches. I have the 3-step pack with the special cloths.