Archive for the ‘Lana Torre’ Category

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Clean and Green

Thursday, September 15th, 2011
By Lana Torre
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Hate chemicals? Hate having so many spray bottles under your sink each solving a specific cleaning problem? Hate the thought of not cleaning ‘green’? Here are common household cleaners right from the fridge or pantry. They are green, safe, inexpensive, and you will not have to wear rubber gloves or ruin your manicure!
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Baking soda is a natural scrubbing agent and deodorizer. Use it in your kitchen and bath sinks. Mix water with it to form a paste and scrub your tub and shower. Of course we use baking soda to rid the fridge of nasty smells, but sprinkle it on spills on the fridge shelves then just wipe clean with a soft cloth.
Mayonnaise! I am a snob and always use Hellman’s for my egg and olive salad. You can clean and polish your wood furniture with it, sans the eggs. The mayo will leave wood case pieces clean and shiny.
Lemon juice is your natural whitener. You can squeeze the juice and whiten any yellowed kitchen appliance. Soak your fingernails in the juice to make them sparkling white. Use halved lemons as scrub brushes sprinkled with kosher salt. Grind leftover lemon pieces in your disposal for a fresh scent, the lemon will help to sharpen the blades in your disposal too. Mix lemon juice and kosher salt to clean the cutting surfaces in your home.
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White vinegar is the best and most universal of all pantry items. I use it to clean the coffee pot every week. Just pour diluted vinegar into the water tank of your coffee maker and allow it to run through. All the accumulated coffee oils and stains will disappear. Undiluted vinegar is the best product to get rid of soap scum in the tub and shower, it will naturally eat through it, leaving a clean, shiny surface. For nasty clogged showerheads, simply unscrew and soak in vinegar and they will perform like new.
Lemon Joy dish soap is an excellent glass and window cleaner. Just squeeze this yellow soap into a bucket of warm water and wash your windows with a sponge, then wipe dry with a micro fiber cloth, no rinsing and the glass will sparkle.
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Tea bags steeped in hot water will make an amazing cleaner for your hardwood floors. Your floors will be shiny and clean. The tannic acid in the tea is a super cleaning agent. If you have a few scratches on your hardwoods, crack open a brazil nut and rub it into the scratch, it will miraculously disappear.
Kitty liter is an inexpensive deodorizer. If your kids have smelly sneaks, pour liter into them and let them sit overnight. If they are locker room stinky, fill them with liter and place in the freezer overnight. {I would use the freezer in the garage].
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All these products from your kitchen are so safe your kidlets can join in the fun of cleaning ‘naturally’. Yeah, right!

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Lana Torre Brings Bayles Leather House on PSR – Listen Now

Thursday, August 18th, 2011

3rd Saturday of the month = Lana Torre on Property Source Radio!

Join House and Coyne as they welcome Alan Brandt, owner of Bayles Leather House in Victor at 7275 State Route 96, as he talks on what you should look for when buying leather! Good information and you will probably say – I did not know that!

Property Source radio is live on the radio Saturday Mornings from 9-10am on Sportsradio 950AM ESPN or you can stream the show from our website.

Listen to this PAST SHOW now!

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A Sunday Picnic

Wednesday, July 27th, 2011

By Lana Torre

Summer is passing us by. The stores are brimming with back to school supplies. All patio furniture has been marked down and purchased for next year. Your flip flops are looking tired and bleached out by the sun. Your honey do list has been done. What now? How about treating yourself, your kidlets, your significant other or a bff to a late summer picnic?

Plan a perfect late day or Sunday picnic.  In the Rochester and Fingerlakes area, we are blessed with countless spots to enjoy your picnic, especially if you gravitate to the water. Consider the obvious, Charlotte beach by the gazebo and pier, one of the many canal parks of Spencerport, Pittsford and Fairport. Highland Park was planned and planted so something is always in bloom. Try Sodus Point, Fairhaven Beach, or the winding path where Irondequoit Bay meets the lake. Letchworth State Park has many hiking paths to discover as well as a favorite picnic spot of my children, StoneyBrook. Here you relax by natural waterfalls and swim in the Mother Nature made pools. I remember picnicking as a child in Mendon Ponds Park searching for the ominously named “Devils Bath”. Cobbs Hill Park by the reservoir has great views of the city. And for a quirky spot try Mt. Hope Cemetery. Here you can view headstones of famous Rochesterians like Susan B Anthony. Love animals? Treat your kids to a fun day at the Seneca Park Zoo, complete with a packed, sack lunch.

Last Sunday, my husband and I picnicked at the public beach at Hammondsport, Keuka Lake. We were entertained by the antique boat show and parade. What delight to see restored wooden and fiberglass boats, strutting their stuff in the afternoon sun. On our ride home, I spotted a Mennonite family enjoying a supper at the Woodville Park at the South end of Canandaigua Lake.

Pack appropriately, utensils, ice, mosquito repellent, folding chairs and a large cloth tablecloth. If you hate preparing food, stop by the Dark Horse Café and grab sandwiches, chips and drinks, then go. Bring a book, read to your kids, find rocks to be painted as momentos. Share this time as we forge into fall.

Next month it is back to school, back to work, and back to fixing up and decorating our homes. But for now, relax, enjoy your Sunday, and always prepare a plate for the ants.

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Cottage-izing

Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
By Lana Torre
As you are falling asleep, do you hear the waves of water pushing gently against the shore? Do you love the thought of long walks along a sandy beach? Do you love the shabby chic look of cottage designs? With lots of white- white fabrics, white seashells and super white cotton sheets.
This month, I will give you so many ideas on how to give your home a summery, cottage look, without paying the premium of waterfront taxes.
Let’s start by removing all heavy, winterish accessories. Put wool plaid pillows away, as well as insulated drapery panels and baskets brimming with dried Evergreen boughs. Store away heavy bedspreads and bed skirts. Think lighter, thinner, sheerer, clearer. When accessorizing, less is more.
Is your sofa covered in a heavily textured, red chenille? Purchase cotton slipcovers in naturally soft colors of off white. Select twill, canvas or cotton duck. If you have club chairs, slipcovers those in soft ticking stripes. Replace toss pillows in nautical prints like sea shells, crabs, lobsters and shore birds.
On your coffee table, place light reflective accessories, like glass candle sticks and use white candles. Fill a large glass container with sand or kosher salt and then add sea shells. If your children have an unused fishbowl, make a terrarium in it. Old mason jars also look great filled with water and a few stems of fresh flowers. Replace your area rug under the coffee table with a natural sisal or cotton striped rug, look for wide cabana stripes.
Use crisp, white cotton sheets on your beds, add toss pillows covered in textures of white and soft blues and greens. Replace heavy draperies with sheer panels, you can hang these on tension rods, eliminating making extra holes in your window casing.
If you are hosting a summer party, plan a beach themed event. Find more mason jars, add some sand and a votive citronella candle. Using natural twine, hang these from the spokes of your patio umbrella. When evening arrives, you will be delighted how these mini lanterns glow when lit. For a table cloth, use fish netting (these are available at party stores).  Set the table with white dishes and make place cards by writing your guest’s names inside sea shells. If you still have shells left, string them on twine and cascade them around your chairs or doorways. Make a huge pitcher of frozen Margaritas, pour yourself an icy treat, close your eyes and picture the waves pushing against the shore.

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Of Pride And Porches

Friday, June 10th, 2011

By Lana Torre

Whether you are selling your current home, considering buying a new place, or just wish to give your abode a facelift, I have several ideas for you to boost your pride in your home.

Your home should rise up to greet you, transform it to be the best home on the street.

The first action should be to clean. Rid your yard of all debris, dead branches, leaves and ‘witches britches’ hanging from your shrubs. Purchase a power washer and spray your siding, shutters and gutters. Re-edge sidewalks, gardens, herb beds and then mulch. To keep weeds from growing up through the new mulch, lay down sheets of newspaper before spreading the new mulch. Rid your property of all seasonal stuff, like Christmas lights and wreaths. Replace with baskets of annual flowers and pots filled with herbs for cooking. Remember, you’re bringing in a new season.

Porches are back!

Whether attached to the front, side or back of your home, play up it’s detail. Plant climbing flowers like roses, clematis or morning glories and have them climb on lattice. If you don’t have lattice, tie strings from the ground to the porch ceiling so the plants can grow up and you will have created a living wall. Slipcover or buy new furniture cushions. I would re-think adding a row of white rockers, a la Cracker Barrel, but would consider adding a glider or hammock.

I remember our front porch, where I grew up, in the 19th ward. It was a sanctuary. A place for neighbors to gather and play cards. Our porch was the stage for fun games, long before the invention of Xbox. We played ‘red light, green light’ and ‘movie stars’ from our front steps. We waited for the “Skippy man” to drive down the street, listening for his bells, awaiting a purchase of a ‘Buried Treasure’.

It was a safe haven from big, scary dogs that roamed freely then. It was a place to storm watch and wait until puddles filled the streets so we could wade through them barefooted. It was the hangout to rest after we enjoyed a ‘street dance’ on a Friday night.

Way back in the late 1800’s porches were slated as healing places. “Cure porches’ around Saranac Lake were places where city dwellers could heal from tuberculosis. There are about 180 of them on the historic register.

Be proud of your home. Try a ‘bite sized’ project this weekend.

Clean the yard, plant and mulch. If you are fortunate to have a porch, make real lemonade and a lettuce sandwich. Relax on your glider, grab your deck of Bicycles, and spy on your neighbors- it’s the only acceptable place.

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Lana Torre Talks Porches on PSR – Listen NOW!

Saturday, May 21st, 2011

Join House & Coyne as they welcome Lana Torre from Evergreen Interiors. Lana brings her unique style to the show and talks about the re-birth of the front porch!

Property Source Radio with Steve Hausmann and Pat Coyne is every Saturday on Sportsradio 950AM ESPN. Listen to this show now.

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Paint it fun

Wednesday, February 16th, 2011

By Lana Torre

Does your child’s room need a color change? Is the room boring, builder’s white? Has your son moved into your daughter’s room, and is stuck in an orange and pink palace?

The quick and inexpensive fix is to paint it out. In one day, and one gallon of paint, you can create a fab, fun retreat for your kidlet.

Choose a fun color. I am all about creating fun spaces for children. Use your color wheel, add window treatments and accessories for a total look. Bright bold colors are back. Pure and fresh tropical color palettes are being painted to liven up children’s spaces. Always consider using combinations of warm and cool colors, like pink and green, orange and yellow with blues.

If you are moving your son into that orange and pink room, paint over the pink in a bright navy blue. Blue and orange are most complimentary because they are opposite on the color wheel. You can find sports accessories, and fill the room with basketball and football fun memorabilia. I have seen sports themed bed sheets printed with your son’s favorite team.

Choose beach color palettes for your daughter’s room. Paint sunny yellow, use accents of aqua blue and lime green. If your daughter is a diva, paint metallic paint in silver accented with hot shades of raspberry pink. Available at reasonable prices are night stands and dressers in mirrored finishes. For an unusual look, paint the walls a pastel pink and paint the ceiling a deeper, warmer tone.

Avoid character themed rooms. Your child will grow out of this in short time. Paint the room in a color story that will evolve and grow with your child.

Another popular paint is ‘chalkboard’ paint. It is a matte black and you can write on it with chalk. Tape off a pattern on your child’s wall, using blue painter’s tape then simply roll this special paint inside the pattern. You can get creative here, tape off circles or stars. Another choice of paint is magnetic chalkboard paint, your child will love it.

If you are having a baby, paint the nursery in gender neutral shades of green. You can accent in rosy shades of pink or navy blues. Your child can grow with green, just choose a lively shade.

Want to keep it neutral? Paint the room in shades of peanut butter. Lavender for a girl is a perfect accent color or deep red for a boy’s room. Charcoal grey is very popular. Accent the room with dusty powder blue and always select a bold white for the window treatments and trim color.

Your child’s room should be a fun retreat. Choosing the perfect colors for walls and accessories might be a daunting challenge, just remember to make it fun!

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Design: What’s New For 2011

Friday, January 28th, 2011
By Lana Torre
It’s a new year. If a new home or remodeling project is in your plans, here is a memo of what is in and new for 2011.
Think green.
Save water by selecting new sink and shower faucets that use about one gallon of water per minute. Gray water systems can be implemented to recycle bath and shower water into water for irrigation for your lawns and flushing your toilets. Solar roof panels are back, and redesigned to provide 75% of your home’s energy usage, and some provide so much energy, you can even move your meter backward. Anderson Windows has developed a window with high E4 performance and the frames are made of a fiber that is 700 times more efficient than aluminum windows.
Fabric. Looking to add a punch to your family room without adding a great expense? Use toss pillows everywhere. The new fabrics are earthy, like linens and burlap, full of natural texture and interest. The newest patterns this year botanicals, ferns, sprigs and buds. Busy florals are back but the colors are muted and soft. Look for spring flower patterns in shades of light green and butter yellow.

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    Decorating Mistakes We All Make

    Thursday, December 2nd, 2010
    By Lana Torre
    I really hate to admit it, but even after years of experience in the home design business, I too have encountered decorating mishaps, broken basic design rules and have panicked over a very minor error. We are creative. We are inventive. We are on a mission to make our homes more functional and beautiful, while creating interest to our spaces.
    • Mistake #1: The Wrong Lighting
    Lighting is the most important element in good design. Most homes are well under lit. Make sure your table lamps have enough wattage in the bulb. Use 3 way bulbs in lamps when you can. To save energy, swap out incandescent bulbs for CFL’s. These are compact fluorescent bulbs that use much less energy and last up to seven years longer than conventional bulbs. If you have dark corners in your room, use up lights. These lamps are placed on the floor and shoot the light up. They can illuminate your walls and look great behind plants. Lastly, use dimmers when you wish to create mood in your space, nothing is worse than a romantic dinner with screaming bright overhead lighting.
    • Mistake#2: No Color Flow
    Your home should tell its story with color.  If you start with a pastel palette, then continue with that thought. If you paint your family room earth tones, then use that color flow throughout the rest of your home. When in doubt, use your color wheel. It will tell you which colors are most complimentary, like green and red.
    • Mistake#3: When Christmas is over take down exterior lighting
    The rule is, right after New Year’s Day, it all comes down and is packed away until next year. I just hate to see strands of lights draping over garage doors. The only exception is possibly an arbor that is adorned with tiny white lights, or other garden accessories, but that is it.
    • Mistake #4: Too Small Area Rugs
    We have all seen these little itty bitty rugs in the center of a large room or foyer. Here is where you have to think proportion. Try to place that area rug in front of the sofa, with the coffee table on top of it. The rest of the furniture in the room does not have to be on the rug, but should be placed around it to form conversation areas. The rule in the dining room is to have the rug be large enough to have all the chairs legs on it, even when the chairs are pulled out [ usually, another 18” per chair ].
    • Mistake#5: Toilet Rugs
    I could have placed this mistake in the last paragraph, but I thought it deserved it’s own. I really hate toilet rugs, and plastic flowers they are both nasty. Ditch your carved out toilet shaped rug, and purchase new white [bleach friendly], vanity rugs.
    • Mistake#6 Plastic Flowers
    The faux representation of nature blooming is usually a huge no-no. The only time I find that they are acceptable is in very early spring when the crocus are still asleep. If you select very beautiful fabric flowers, and stuff your window boxes full, they can be rather cute- until the real flowers are ready for planting. All rules were meant to break, even decorating rules. The only rule never to be broken is the ‘toilet rug rule’

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