madamemaisonette's Profile

Didn't we learn anything about DDT? We don't have enough environmental problems already?

I was hoping for an answer, but I'll tell you what I do because hot water and soap rarely do the trick.

I know it's a toaster oven, but this what I do for my main oven and it usually works pretty well.

I take a baking pan (3 inches deep) (metal works best) and fill all the way up to the top with water, put in about 2 T of dish washing liquid with grease cutter, and lots of real lemon juice and stir.

I set the oven to 250 degrees celsius and slide the dish into the oven and leave it inside the oven until nearly all of the water has evaporated off.

The using a silicone heat proof oven mitt I start with a good thick sponge to work on cleaning the door because it's coolest and the heat inside the oven will keep the grease loose until you work your way inside.

If you have a lot of grease it may take awhile and you have to repeat the steps, but it seems to work well for most grease and other stains. It just takes a long time!

By the way, the same process works with a bowl in the microwave!

I used to live in this neighborhood and the brownstones are stunning. It's great to see one rennovated. My favorite part is how the skylights let the light come in. It's by far one of my favorite house tours on AT so far!

I would start by changing the color of the walls. The window alcove is very traditional (it reminds me of New England somehow). Another poster mentioned it and I agree - yellow and peach tones sunlight = bad.

Personally I'd get rid of that railing all together, but it's the least of your problems. You have contemporary furniture (the sectional sofa arc lamp) in a more country-style house (the windows, the railings) and a non-traditional layout.

I'd put a door on that kitchen if there isn't one to control the way the rooms flow. You already have a dominating wood varnish color, but I would go slightly darker with the varnish by one or two tones. I'd also rip that carpet up. Diana Vreeland said she couldn't imagine anything worse than a beige life. She obviously never saw a beige carpet.

I think replacing the railing with a solid wall, maybe even a wall that goes up the ceiling with a cut out might work. You could fill the cut out with a beautiful piece of stained glass from a flea market and then a chandelier or big light fixture in the foyer would illuminate it while the sunlight coming into the room would illuminate it if you were in the foyer.

If you don't want to do major remodeling, move the couch in front of the window and place a table slightly higher or the same height as the back of your couch behind it. Cover the table with interesting objects, pictures, etc. and put the arc lamp behind the couch, positioned over the longer piece of your sectional sofa as if it's a reading lamp (but change the shade first).

I think the most important thing because of the way your house is designed is to work with all the rooms starting from the foyer upwards and for vantage points where one room can be seen from the other to unify key elements whether it's color, a particular theme of objects, or making sure that your furniture is placed in a way that attracts the eye into the next room in the flow.