apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Why is it that I am so drawn to bright white rooms that I see online on design blogs and the like, and yet I feel like every room in every apartment that I've ever had which was painted an actual white left me feeling like the room was kind of...insane-asylum-ish?

I think it must have to do with the natural light. If you can get good natural light in your white-painted room, maybe the effect works well and just looks bright, clean and cheery. But if you're trying to "brighten up" a room with little or no natural light by painting it white, that's when the attempt falls flat. That's my conclusion anyway.

Wow, the one featured (far left thumbnail) is so beautiful, it makes me want to crawl inside and take a nap in that bed.

That room is definitely beautiful because of its natural light and its built-in character. Trying to recreate this in my dark apartment would be sad. So instead, I'll just dream of someday having that room... maybe overlooking a quaint old harbor. Hey, a girl's gotta dream.

Wait, you can get any stain out of anything?? Got any hot tips for removing trivisol stains? Blueberry pie stain on a red t-shirt? Massage oil stains on fleece changing table cover? Any advice welcome...

I also love the all-white look but have decided it only works in a room with architectural character. In our boxy little 1951 house, an all-white room just looks like you haven't done anything yet...

robinm: I've been using this laundry spray for years. So far, it's been undefeated by two busy kids and one big dog. It's gotten out blood, poop, blueberries, red wine, grease, grass, and even old stains that have been through the wash a few times. It's truly miraculous.

I have discovered that soaking anything in a bucket of 1 scoop Oxiclean dissolved in hot (boiling water) will get myriad stains out. This worked on my great-grandmother's damask napkins that had been stuffed in a non-climate controlled closet for 30 years. They started out brown and splotchy. After 6 hours of soaking (stirring occasionally with wooden spoon) they were ecru again.

If it's a berry stain, just plain boiling water poured over the spot works wonders.

Massage oil: pour some cornstarch on it and let it sit. You might try turning the item inside out over a paper towel or other absorbent surface and lightly steaming it with your iron to encourage oil transfer. My mom also had good luck with a product called Orange-Glo on greasy stains.

Good luck!

I agree with ClaraE. Oxi in piping hot water works WONDERS.... I find that adding a dash of regular detergent to the water gives the oxi a bit of a boost. As for grease.... pine sol! Dab spot with pinesol and toss in the wash with detergent. grease spot is gone! (Obviously, I do this with everyday cottons, and not delicate silks or cloth with natural dyes.)

As for the white rooms:
I think the key to all of the lovely white rooms online is that there are probably a dozen different shades of white and cream in the room. It's not just stark white. There's a lot of visual richness in a pile of linens of various shades of white, cream, and ecru....

I LOVE white nurseries! Beautiful and easier to keep clean than one might realize. I agree about Oxiclean. It is a miracle product.