Curbing Our Dust Problem

Dust can be an issue in any home.  Some houses tend to be dustier than others due to location, age and interior features.  An old house with lath plaster walls will be dustier than a newer home with plastered walls as will a house with a lot of textiles or pets.  Increased household activity can cause dust to become airborne while indoor air currents can cause the dust to form dust bunnies, the bane of many homemakers.  Our home was built in 1994.  The walls are drywall and one selling feature for us was the absence of carpeting.  I quickly discovered that a home with all hard flooring did not mean less dust.  If anything, the dust is more apparent because it has nowhere to hide.

After moving in, I realized the floors needed daily attention to keep them dust free.  There is a farmer's field behind us which is only a problem when the farmer is tilling or harvesting so I simply keep the windows shut then.  I came up with several solutions to control dust in our home including the use of both wet and dry mops.  I use the Bissell steam mop for floors as well.

About three weeks ago, I noticed the dust of the floors getting worse which really didn't make a lot of sense.  It was still cold enough that I hadn't had the windows opened and it had been over a week since we had had a larger get together.  Still, where I had been able to keep the floors looking nice by dusting each morning, the dust balls were quickly growing into the size of dust tumbleweeds.  I resorted to sweeping the upper level floors morning and night but within a half hour of sweeping, they looked like they hadn't been touched.  I was getting frustrated so mentioned to my husband that we might have to install an air cleaner on the furnace.  I set about researching for furnace air cleaners when I cam across a site that listed several ways to reduce dust in the house.  The author indicated that in most cases a furnace air cleaner was not worth spending the money on.  One of his suggestions was using a higher filtering furnace filter.  We already use the 3M allergen control filters so I went down to the furnace to check the filter.

Oh my gosh!  I discovered the furnace filter was beyond being dirty.  It was clogged as you can see from the picture.  Clearly we had somehow forgotten to change out the furnace filter.  Actually, forgetting this important task is rather easy since it is not something you see on a regular basis and it is even easier when you spend time between two houses.  I know we changed a furnace filter back in December but it must have been at our vacation home.  At any rate, I did find the problem.

I turned off the furnace then went to the hardware store for a replacement.  With the new filter in place, I turned the furnace back on and set about removing as much dust as possible from the floors and furniture. I swept all the floors to remove the larger dust bunnies then vacuumed and finally used the wet mop.  Then I went through the house and damp dusted the furniture.  Once the dusting was finished, I turned the furnace back on.  The following morning, the floors were considerably better.  There were no large dust bunnies, just a light coating of dust.  I am using the wet mop with a vinegar and water solution each morning just to keep the dust knocked down even though it doesn't really need it.  At least the floors are back to looking normal rather than living in a dust bowl!

The Master Bedroom Bedding Thus Far

In anticipation of the arrival of our new bedroom furniture, I did a bit of shopping for bedroom accessories. Well, in hindsight I should have made different choices but at least the lamps and yarn for the new crocheted bedspread in progress were spot on.  Unfortunately, a couple of the purchases did not work out as planned which means back to the drawing board.  In the meantime, the bedding is usable.

My husband is funny about quilts.  Years ago before we finished having kids, I splurged on a beautiful handmade quilt to replace my childhood handmade quilt that he so loved.  It had more than seen better days.  Thirty years later and the quilt I splurged on is as close to being a rag as it can get although I am considering salvaging the top to have it re-quilted if possible.  My husband bought the lighthouse quilt about five years ago.  It matched the theme of our previous house along with the navy blue bedding including dust ruffle. While the lighthouse quilt actually matches the room nicely with all the colours from my colour theme appearing, it does not match the curtains that have a fair amount of yellow tones in them along with more of a tropical theme than a nautical one.  However, my husband insists on having this quilt which is fine as it will be covered with a plain quilt then the crocheted bedspread.

The taupe 1,200 thread count bedsheets fit perfectly, matching the planned colour scheme.  However, my husband does not like the feel of them.  He claims they are too soft!  He likes the red set, as shown on two of the pillows.  It is a harsher feeling set likely an 800 thread count.  So, I'm back to shopping for taupe sheets.  I knew the duvet (foot of bed) would not fit as it is queen size but put it there to see if we wanted anything there or not.  It's a nice look for winter but a lot will depend on how the crocheted bedspread looks when it is finished.

I'm just playing with pillow arrangements.  The two back (taupe) pillows are the new king size pillows.  The two middle (red) are queen size as is the blue striped one.  The three smaller cushions were a real bargain bought for the inside not the ivory removable covering.  I wanted pillow forms to cover in crochet to match the bedspread.  Pillow forms for that size are $7.99 each but I found the cushions at Jysk (a bed, bath, home store) for $2.99 so bought them to cover in crochet.  I'm still tinkering with the pillows.  At any rate, I need to buy two more king size pillows.  So, the room is still only partly finished.

The New Master Bedroom Furniture!

Our new master bedroom is from Vaughan-Bassett's  Reflections Furniture Collection.  It consists of a king size sleigh storage bed, two nightstands and triple dresser (7 drawers) with mirror in a dark cherry finish.   The two bottom drawers of the triple dresser and the drawers in the sleigh bed have cedar bottoms.  The style is classic luxury with an air of regal splendor.  This furniture will really look quite lovely in the master bedroom!  A five drawer chest (41" W x 19" D x 57" H) is available but we decided to wait and see if we could fit in another piece if needed later.   

We chose a storage bed because it would give us storage to replace some of what we would be losing by eliminating the highboy.  The sleigh storage bed is set up in much the same way as a waterbed.  The frame is set up first and because the frame is both large and heavy, it is positioned where desired first.  Once the main side rails are attached to the headboard and foot board, a wood centre support T is placed on the floor beneath where the slats will be attached.  The slats that are attached to two material bands are pulled out from the foot of the bed to the head.  Each slat is then securely screwed into the side rails.  The mattress rests on the slats, eliminating the need for a separate box spring.

One of the complaints we had heard about memory foam mattresses is they were hot.  That is the last thing either of us want when sleeping!  Yet the idea of a memory foam for comfort was rather appealing.  We chose a Valentino Therapedic International EcoGel® king size mattress.  This mattress offers an ideal balance of comfort and support.  The soy-based gel memory foam reduces pressure points while keeping you cool. 

The set-up of the furniture took about an hour and a half.  The delivery men moved the old highboy downstairs, moved the queen bed set and frame into the guest room and set it up, and did the complete set-up of the master bedroom furniture.  Once the set-up was complete, we had to dust the furniture then it was time to make the bed.  Of note, this bed is high.  The top of the mattress is 30½" - inches from the floor.  The furniture does fill the room nicely so we are glad we didn't buy the chest at the same time.  I don't think we really have room for it.  The picture really doesn't do the furniture justice as it is quite impressive!

The Final Master Bedroom Prep on Day of Furniture Arrival

We have dealt with a small Mom & Pop furniture and appliance store for decades.  We did not hesitate to buy our new bedroom furniture from them.  They are very, very good to deal with.  The only downside is on some items like our bedroom furniture is, they have to order it in which takes time.  While the time frame is usually two to three weeks, delays can happen and that was the case with our bedroom furniture.  We received the call on Wednesday (April 24, 2013) that they would be delivering our furniture that Friday.   It was time for the final prep of the room.

Most of the master bedroom had been cleaned out.  We moved our triple dresser to the guest room and the two chairs to the games room.  The highboy was cleaned out ready for the delivery men to move it downstairs for us. The delivery men are really good!  The move the old furniture, bring in the new furniture and set up both.  They take away old furniture and appliances if desired and they remove any packaging the new furniture came in.

That morning, I stripped the bed then just covered it with the duvet to keep any dust off the mattress until they arrived.  I removed everything from the make shift night stands then stacked the baskets in the corner.  The lettering on the east wall was rather easy to remove by simply peeling off.  I was surprised that it did not leave any marks at all, not bad for a quick bit of personality from the dollar store!

The sewing machine and antique trunk remained in the room.  At this time, I turned my attention to the floor.  I did a good sweeping and oh my gosh, true to form the dust was bad (more on that in a later post) even though the floors are dusted daily.  After sweeping, I dry dusted the floor.  I was going to wash the entire floor but instead, washed just where the bed was going.  I knew the deliverymen would have their shoes on so decided that washing the floor after the install would be a better option.  After taking this picture, I decided to move the sewing machine in front of the closet doors just to give them extra room for bringing in the new furniture.  With that, there was nothing left to do in the room until the delivery men arrived.

Progress on the Master Bedroom Crocheted Blanket

Work continues on the master bedroom crocheted blanket.  I'm tempted to call it a bedspread as that is what it really will be given the finished size.  This blanket is a lot of work but it is coming together nicely.  I won't have it finished before the furniture arrives.  The way it is going, I will likely be working on it for a couple more weeks or more but that's ok.  When the blanket is finished, it will really offset the classic beauty of our new furniture!

This picture was taken on Day 20 (Friday, April 26, 2013) of working on the blanket just after finishing the third band of small granny squares.  The blanket now measures 57 - inches square, a little over half of the planned 98 - inches for the finished blanket.  This is sized to fit our new bed with extra deep mattress.  The picture was taken on top of the queen sized bed that is being moved into the guest room. 

I was rather excited as I took this picture.  The furniture was scheduled to arrive just after 4 PM that day.  I had stripped the room of everything except the bed, highboy dresser, antique trunk, sewing machine, the two wicker baskets and unused satellite tv box.   The bed had been completely stripped down with just the duvet in place for the photo shoot. 

Next up, the make-over - both ups and downs...

Working on the Master Bedroom Accessories

Earlier this month I wrote about starting the master bedroom make-over.  The plans were to keep the sage green colour of the walls and work from that bringing in the rest of the colours for our home.  The colours are cool taupe, green, deep burgundy, white, black and grey with lots of wood tones to warm and tie the colours together.  We ordered new bedroom furniture that was expected to arrive three weeks from the purchase date but it hasn't yet.  The Mom & Pop furniture store we have dealt with for years told us yesterday that the furniture would be in tomorrow or Monday so they would call to arrange a time for delivery.  During this time, we did most of the prep work like move our triple dresser into the guest room as our kid who was going to take it and the high boy decided it was too big.  We worked on purging some of our clothes and I started shopping for accessories.

I'm not the type to go out and buy all the accessories for a room at once.  Rather, I like to build on my ideas waiting to find just the right item to fulfill that idea.  The new king size bed frame is a storage sleigh bed.  I immediately decided that a homemade blanket would be ideal, bringing in a bit of old fashion country charm.  I bought 4 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver yarn - medium thyme, cornmeal, buff, aran - all colours found in the new master bedroom curtains.  I wanted a plain quilt for under the new blanket that would allow the blanket to become the focal point.  It was a fluke that I found a king size quilt set (quilt, two pillow shams) at a bargain price that would work perfectly.  A few days later I found a  six piece king size bed sheet set in taupe accented with an embroidery scroll design.  Finally, I found two clear raised coasters that I think are meant for pillar candles but will be used for our drink bottles on the night stands.

About a week ago, we were at Sam's Club and my husband picked out a package of king size pillows for the new bed.  Serta is a good brand and the price was quite reasonable.  Pillows are one of those things that most people do not replace often enough.  I saw one recommendation that pillows should be replaced every 3 months but I think that could be extended if you put pillow protectors on the pillows.  I think we almost need to buy another set so we have one set for the shams and one set for sleeping.  We can still use some of our existing pillows as they are fairly new as well and not used for sleeping.  I'll take the pillows we were using for sleeping to the animal shelter as they are always looking for pillows, blankets and towels.

A few days ago I found bedside lamps.  They were mix and match in that the pieces were bought separately.  I chose a brush stainless steel finish for the lamp base which was a very easy way to introduce grey into the bedroom.  The A-line shape shades are a medium light taupe material with just a hint of sheen, accented with stitched scrolls imitating the scroll embroidery on the bedsheets.  I think they will look quite nice with the darker wood tone of the new furniture.

We aren't sure whether the sewing machine cabinet the lamps are temporarily sitting on will be staying in the master bedroom.  We may have to take out the antique trunk as well.  I'm hoping the trunk can stay as it would look quite nice with the new furniture.
 

I actually saw a bedspread called a Wendy blanket after the designer.  I knew I just had to make it but only wanted to use four colours not the seventeen she had used.  I bought the pattern on Ravelry and talk about a disappointment!  The only part that could be considered a pattern was how to do the first four rows of a granny square, of which those instructions are widely available for free from numerous resources.  The rest was simply how she arranged the granny squares. There were no details for anything else other than number of small granny squares and number of plain granny rows between the squares.  I ended up doing several ripouts and some of them rather large ones.  The so called pattern was basically useless.  How she could justify charging someone for the instructions on how to work four rows of a granny square is beyond me!   So I am writing up a full pattern for the blanket as I work complete with the actual way I put my design together, including the method I used for that first granny row after the small granny squares.  The small granny squares are worked up to the last row then that row is created using the join as you go method to form the band of small granny squares.  

This is day 12 of working on the blanket and now that I am using my own methods, the work is progressing nicely as pictured.  The piece is on top of a queen size bed (60" x 80") to give a bit of perspective as to its size.  The piece is currently 46 inches square, a little over half of the size I want it to be to cover a king size bed 76" x 80".  I will be working the piece to at least 80" but perhaps a bit larger.  I'm currently working on the next band of small granny squares (a total of 44).  I found an online tool that helps with randomly generating the colour pattern.

My initial goal was to have the blanket completed by the time the furniture arrived.  Between the ripouts and other demands, progress has slowed somewhat.  The piece is getting increasingly cumbersome and heavy to work on. I know it won't be finished by the first of the week but it shouldn't take too long with any luck.  I'll post more on my blanket later.  I think the blanket will end up being a focal piece in the room.

Working a bit of navy blue and burgundy into the room is going to be a challenge.  I'm not sure how I will do it but I'm sure something will come to mind.  At least we are getting a bit closer to finishing the master bedroom makeover.  Once the furniture is set up, things will come together rather quickly!

Continuing With the Guestroom Make-over

When we bought this bi-level house in 2011, we immediately knew we would not be using the five bedrooms as bedrooms.  The three upper level bedrooms were destined to be master bedroom, guest room and home office.  The two lower level bedrooms were to be a walk in pantry and a dart room/den off the main games room.  The pantry is to the right of the den, across from the lower bathroom off the hallway leading from the games room to the outer walk-out.  We plan on putting a fouton in that room to double as addition guest sleeping space if needed.

We actually liked the various taupes in the house even if they did mix warm with cool tones.  Most of the taupes will be repainted in similar colours but in cool tones, letting the strong wood tones warm the rooms for a balanced feeling.  My colour choices for this house are deep burgundy, taupe, olive green, black and white.  I have to work in navy blue as well since our couch set is navy blue leather but that can be done through accent pieces.  Green is not difficult to work in given my love of plants.  Within these main colours there is a wide range of colours to work with so I'm not having too much of a problem starting to coordinate the rooms.  The upper bathroom floor tile is hunter green with greyish and light green marbling. 

The guestroom is at the end of the upper hallway with a north facing window.  The small wall with the framed needlepoint (windmill) done by my mother-in-law is the end wall of the closet in the master bedroom.  This forms a small, fairly useless entryway into the room.  The main room is 11' x 11' which isn't too bad of a size.  While the rest of the house was fairly neutral in various shades of taupe in most of the rooms, the upper bathroom was a horrid peach including the ceiling and the guestroom had obviously been a little girl's room.  The window wall and door wall were shocking pink.  The small wall and entrance were an almost neon blue and the far west wall by the chair was a neon yellowish green.  Running along the top corner where the chair is were coordinating circle stickers.  The bar light bulb was covered with a huge paper globe (likely a dollar store find) that had been decorated with drizzles of the shocking pink paint.  This room took two full coats of primer followed by two coats of paint just to cover those colours!  I used Beautihome semi-gloss colour ND044 which is the cool greyish blue, more grey colour of the marbling in the upper level bathroom floor.

As you can see, an air mattress  on a metal frame has taken the place of an actual bed in the guestroom for the past 18 months.  We were taking it down after each use to give the grandkids more room to play.  This worked well because we don't have a lot of overnight guests, mainly a couple of our kids with the grandkids who are still fairly small.  The guestroom is used primarily for the grandkids to play in with a ready bed if they want a nap which doesn't happen very often!  The air mattress is deflated for storage now so we can move our queen size bed into the guest room.  The air mattress will still serve as extra sleeping if needed, likely set up temporarily in the games room

There was no window treatment other than a curtain rod left in the guestroom.  I improvised with a cloth shower curtain until we found the Elsinor ring top panels at the fabric shop going out of business.  They are outdoor panels that are fade and water resistant.  They have a flowery print in black outline with red outline leaf accents on a creamy white background so they have three of my colours and match nicely with the room.  Clearly I need to add mini blinds behind them as well to block a bit more light when needed.

This wall is at the end of the upper hallway with our bedroom door to the left and the home office sharing the wall on the other side.  There is a nice size but not over large closet that currently needs purging.  The dresser holds kids crafts in the top drawer and some of my yarn stash in the other four drawers.  The yarn drawers are stuffed!  There are a few projects on the go on top of the dresser.  The floor lamp needs to be worked into our home somewhere.  It along with two table lamps were custom made for us by a very dear friend shortly after we bought our second house.  The wood is covered with a special coating that gives the pieces an intense shine and depth.

I put two shelf units in the guestroom to house some of my book collection along with toys and books  for the grandkids.  There is enough floor space for them to play with the Lego bin but we will lose a bit of floor space with the larger bed.  I have the yarn ready to start the crocheted blanket for the bed to bring in a homey feel.  We are planning on upgrading the wood trim for the entire upper level which will change the look including the guestroom and home office closets.  The master bedroom trim has already been upgraded but even that may change. 

Within the next couple of weeks the guestroom will be closer to completion.  There aren't a lot of accessories to buy but I do need to find a light fixture and shade for the floor lamp.  We haven't decided on the bed placement yet but I have a couple of ideas including using the bookshelves to create a headboard.  I will likely buy a new quilt and pillow sham set as well.  Off to do a bit of shopping...