There has been an outpouring of questions about my kitchen runner and I am here to answer each and everyone of them.
Two months ago ABP hosted a little opportunity for you to decorate my kitchen floor. The uber-fab company Shades of Light generously offered to adorn my woody kitchen with whatever rug won the vote. The results were tallied and the winner was #1 – the Happy Trellis Rug. But considering the beautiful options that the Shades of Light design team came up with, I would have been one lucky dog either way.
But let’s “Adam Sandler it” and hit the rewind just a bit, shall we?
Before, our kitchen was sportin a yellow wool rug that was just begging for a spill or stain faster than you can say “NOT CHILDPROOF”. We snagged this yellow Pottery Barn rug up for a fraction of the cost at the nearby outlets and hoped that it would survive in the kitchen till we could find a decent replacement. Not only was it the wrong size for this space but since the kitchen is very high-traffic, it started to pill and we were holding our breath when doing the dishes. Which is never a good idea for a time-consuming chore. One accidental slosh and it would have been ‘siyanara suckas’.
Enter Shades of Light. (just pretend I am a damsel in distress) Oh Shades of Light, you rescued me! Oh oh oh! Smooch smooch smooch (a little tongue…not too much though). You need air? Ok…let’s get this binding plastic off ya, shall we?!?
OH yeah…look how long this sucker is! Perfect for in front of the sink AND the stove…since that is where I stand the most, it makes sense to have something comfy underfoot.
And now that I received a beautiful new rug, I went into mother-mode and knew that I had to do everything in my power to protect it. After all, a rug this nice is an investment…not something you test for kitchen survival skills.
So I did a bit of googling and found that I could use a standard Scotchguard fabric protector on it….it works for wool rugs too! First step – a once over with the vacuum. And let me tell ya, it had already gotten dirtier in one week than Mickey Rourke’s rug…and I ain’t talking about the one on his floor.
Next I got down and dirty…err…clean. I did a thorough job checking each and every square inch to see if there was any itty bitty bits left behind from the quick sweep or any oreo crumbs that were imbedded.
I noticed a couple little spots where ‘sloshing’ had occured. So I flipped it over to see if there was a small area that I could do a color test on the rug. I sprayed just a tiny bit of water in the corner and blotted away…seemed okay to me. Seriously…I don’t know anything about color testing but this seemed like the logical process.
Color testing stage 1 complete. I moved on to color test my favorite carpet cleaner. SUCCESS! So I went to work dabbing just the tiniest cleaner fluid on the spots and blotting away. Since the fibers of my new rug were so tightly woven, it really wasn’t easy to blot…but eventually my paper towel showed evidence of the brown smears…gotta love brown smears 🙂
After all the cleaning/prep work was finished, I got to work with my protective topcoat of Scotchguard. The key was to use a sweeping motion about 6″ away from the rug to get a very thin layer. The back of the bottle said – 2 thin coats is better than 1 thick one. If you plan on doing this – be sure to have a paper towel in hand to wipe up the bits that get on your wood floor!
And there you have it – doesn’t it look like a completely different kitchen? I think so. It is amazing how it not only breaks up all the wood, but it really draws you eye to see the yellows, greens, and reds that are in the rest of the room.
The best part is that now the sink area is no threat to my new pride & joy. I have total confidence that any little spills will bead up and can be whisked away before their staining power takes affect. My boyfriend likes it too. Especially since he does all the dishes. Not as much screaming now…
Warning – I kinda got loopy off the Scotchguard. Man, that stuff is powerful! That or I am a total wimp. Either way, I was flying real high as I cut a rug next to my brand new & protected yummy green runner. That ever happened to you guys? Or do you only Scotchguard smaller items? Any tips for the amateur Scotchguarder? Or any questions about the runner – let me know! Gotta go satisfy the munchies…like always!
I love that runner! We are planning to put in new hardwoods and the green rug would go perfect in the kitchen!
I love that rug! I want!
I too got kind of high off scotchguard once, good times….hey, is that why you have the munchies?
Hi Katie. I’m new to your blog and I absolutely LOVE it. I’m a newly wed as well and even though I rent, I’m trying to grow and expand in my decorating. So my question to you is this- I see that your rooms have evolved over time and items have been replaced. What do you do with the old furniture or decor items? Do you get rid of things all together or keep everything in case you want to use it again? Thanks and keep the lovely pictures/ideas coming!
We are about to sniff some fumes and Scotchguard the underparts of our sofa…you know, the parts under the slipcover. Then we are going to Scotchguard the brand new WHITE slipcovers so that hopefully we don’t have to wash them daily. Any tips will be much appreciated.
Hi Laurie – Actually I think I have munchie-itis. Symptoms include hunger while breathing, stomach noises while sleeping, and cravings for anything containing high calories and no nutritional value.
Hey Megan – You are so right, our rooms have evolved and items have been replaced – like our kitchen rug for one! Our older furniture gets used in other rooms or we end up selling it on Craigslist/ at yard sales. But just to be honest…we have kept probably 90% of the stuff we have ever bought (even dating back to our college days)…that being said, we didn't start with much so we didn't have that much to get rid of. Hope that answers your question!
Hello Elizabeth! I never thought to Scotchguard the underpart of a slipcovered sofa…good idea! We have a white slipcovered sofa and have never used a protector on it…and we only washed it once in a year & a half…just be sure to use a washer that doesn't have an agitator, pretreat as necessary and add a little splash of bleach for an ultra clean & white result. Good Luck!
XO – Katie
me likey katie! i really do. love the green…you did good as always…regarding the tease…i cant help it.
It looks amazing! Love it. And one day I might even be able to come up with something more intelligent than how much I love everything you’ve posted. But don’t hold your breath – your posts leave me speechless ;o)
That runner looks great in your kitchen!!!
Great idea with the Scotchguard. I would have never thought of that.
Thanks Katie! We are scotchguarding the underparts because we’ve got big, hairy dogs and even though they know they aren’t supposed to get on the furniture sometimes they sneak and do it anyway. Also, I’m a spiller. We’ve got a schmancy front loader, so we are good to wash. It’s good to hear that you don’t have to wash your white slipcover very often!
You are so funny…a little tongue! I love your kitchen and the new rug.
Just curious,
What color is the paint in your kitchen? I’m hoping to repaint ours soon and our cabinets are sort of the same color (although ours are circa 1960). Just trying to figure out what looks good with medium wood – almost all the kitchens I see these days have either white or black cabinets! Thanks.
Hey Torey,
The color in the kitchen is called ‘Dusty Trail’ and I love the greenish/brown undertones of the color. It is Olympic brand. Here is a link to the post where we showed the befores/afters.
http://allbowerpower.blogspot.com/2008/12/let-dusty-trail-fly.html
Hope this helps!
XO – Katie
soooooooo so so so so love that rug. it is FABULOSO!! I need it. Perfect for my skinny long kitchen 🙂
and ps-you had me crackin up in this post!
LOVE IT!
now, question: do you keep the plates out on the bar area all the time or did you just put them out before the photo to make it look faboo? reveal all your secrets!!!!
Hi there Suzanne – actually we keep the plates and chargers out there most days. It actually breaks up all that black granite so that it doesn't feel like a black hole pulling you in. And it is extra convenient to have the plates ready to go come dinner time. Granted, if we didn't have the counter space available for cooking then the plates & chargers would be stored like all the rest of the dishes…the bacon would come first 🙂
XO – Katie
That rug is gorgeous! I went running to the site that you got it from and it’s on my wish list.
P.S. I featured your blog in my blogs that I adore series. I hope you can check it out.
http://enjoyalllifehastooffer.blogspot.com/2009/05/blogs-i-adore-bower-power.html
If you are married, why do you still call him your boyfriend?
Hi Anon…you would not believe how many times I get this question…let’s just say it is enough to make hair models pull out their locks and run away screaming…but not me…just another reminder of my sweetie 🙂 Here’s an explanation:
http://allbowerpower.blogspot.com/2008/09/letter-to-my-boyfriend.html
Hope this helps clarify 🙂
XO – Katie
I love the rug, it’s my signature color! The runner was a great idea – perfect solution for your long wall of work space!
I’m another one that may have to snag that rug too 🙂 – I’m glad I came across your blog – I am so clumsy so my rug needs some attention. Love your blog btw.
Wow, you have such a beautiful kitchen and even more gorgeous Rugs! I think I’m jealous… 😉