Soaking Linens

I am going to give a tip on soaking linens.
I am sure those of us who love linens,of course (I do!) and monograms (doesn’t have to be PFB) however, the monogram must be unusually beautiful. I look for them at flee markets, estate sales, anywhere - napkins, sheets, hand towels - either new or old must be divine.  

This is a trick I learned growing up in the south, it takes everything out! Rust, lipstick, wine, butter... What is that? Stains.  I soak my linens in Sodium Perborate.
I have never heard of this before so ---shhhh keep it to yourself, dear readers 

According to Wikipedia,

Sodium Perborate serves as a source of active oxygen in many detergents, laundry detergents, cleaning products, and laundry bleaches. It is also present in some tooth bleaching formulas. It is used as a bleaching agent for internal bleaching of a non vital root treated tooth. The sodium perborate is placed inside the tooth and left in place for an extended period of time to allow it to diffuse into the tooth and bleach stains from the inside out. It has antiseptic properties and can act as a disinfectant. It is also used as a "disappearing" preservative in some brands of eye drops.

I have bought Sodium at drugstores (in the South - they stock it) but in LA they must order it for you- For those who like to shop online, you can get it on Amazon or Humco

 So here goes - the Directions (these are not on the Sodium Perborate container)


It only works on pure cotton, linen, etc.  No synthetic fabrics! I have even soaked a piece of silk with success.

1. In a bath tub, plastic bowl or any container that your item / items can be submerged in -
 use 6T of Sodium Perborate per gallon of water.

The most amazing thing about this product is that you can leave the items in for as long as you like. The fibers do not suffer damage and is color safe. (That I know of)

2. After soaking for 24 - 48 hours check to see if the stain is gone - if not, (some stains are tough)
add a bit more of Sodium Perborate and soak longer. If the water turns dirty, I usually start over with fresh water and Sodium Perborate. 

3. The next step is washing the Sodium Perborate out of the fabric with a mild detergent. It will dry stiff if you do not, which is OK. However, it doesn't feel good. Hang dry in sun light, if you can, after it is washed.

4. Iron the item, I usually use a little bit of sizing or starch.

Viola, that piece of linen you thought was no good is back to being great looking once again!

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.

Peggy Braswell Design Featured on Houzz.com

Peggy Braswell Design has been featured on Houzz.com!

You can browse through hundreds of different designer portfolios and create your own idea book. It's a great resource if you need fresh ideas.

Dear readers, check it out here-

Braswell the Shop, Spring 2011

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.

Painting walls

We are painting a room for a project and thought I would show you the production of getting the perfect color(takes time but is well worth the effort)

As color is the least expensive of major changes a room can have ( Remember - it pays dividends in the end)  
to go through this process.  

1. I think there should be no less than three colors (picked from client's wishes)

2.  Boards are painted (if we paint on boards we won't leave big color blocks on the wall)

3. Tape painted boards at different spots around the room (colors change with the time of day)
I put colors up on three walls North, South & West

what I think looks just right in the can or color wheel can change once the paint has dried (colors dry darker) - take a look at the color- morning, noon & night to see if desired effect is what you want at different times of the day, believe me! the paint changes color as you go through the day.

When we are taking the paint boards to client I usually stack them between wax paper so they do not stick together. 

Now you are ready to put them on the wall at the clients(or your own home) 

There are different finishes-flat, eggshell, pearl, satin, semi-gloss, high gloss-
I prefer eggshell for flat walls-it is washable and durable(for kiddies-pets etc. it is Grand) Remember one thing-High Gloss Paint shows every imperfection that a wall can have. 
so dear reader, get those paint bushes out and start painting!


There's a great eco friendly paint company I have used for those who are in need of a source. It is called Yolo Color House. They make environmentally responsible paint. 

www.yolocolorhouse.com

To see your vision come to life, email us about our design services at Peggy Braswell Design. 

You can purchase many of the items found on this blog, according to BRASWELL and much more at  BRASWELL. 

We will work with the trade.

Culver City Art Walk 2011

CULVER CITY ART WALK 2011

Culver City Art Walk is this Saturday, June 4th. For more info, click here.

There are over 35 galleries and exhibition spaces participating.

www.culvercity.org

Hope to see you this Saturday!