Hi, I'm Velvet. Welcome! Te Esse by Velvet is a design and lifestyle blog and together with my sister Elisabeth, and Ifiyenia the third accomplice in this web-series, our dear friend and fitness coach we share our good times, home decor ideas, trend reports, tips on design and fashion, our travel experiences and workout routines in a meaningful way. Our motto is "being as opposed to doing." When we don't publish here, you can find us on te-esse.com/
I have new microcement flooring in my bathroom (including the shower area) over the old tiles. We had it done by a professional, and it has varnish over it to make it waterproof. I am wondering though, if I need to dry the floor after every shower to prevent staining? I had accidentally left a damp mop on the floor for a few hours shortly after it was done, and it left a horrible stain in the shape of the rectangular mop, so our bricklayer had to re-do the area. Now I take no chances, but it is a bit of a chore after every shower. The other thing is, can I use the rough side of a sponge to scrub the floor? I find that when I do that, it rubs off a bit of the surface, leaving a bit of a white patch that is visible on my grey floor... . How can this be fixed?
If your bricklayer re-did the area properly, then there is no real need dry the floor after every shower. The first time round when you varnished the microcement flooring, it hadn't dried up completely. That's why the damp mop created that stain. Since you had it redone though, I believe it's un-necessary to continue to dry the floor. However, you shouldn't use any harsh detergents or the rough side of a sponge to scrub the floor. That's because they do indeed strip off the top coating which makes your floor waterproof and exposing it to possible staining. Now remember, the top coat is the sealant and it's a very thin layer, as the layers underneath that. So you need to look after it by using only mild detergents. Moreover, every five years or so, you should sand off the top varnish and have it re-applied to keep it protected. Microcement looks great, but it does require maintenance in the long haul. xV
We've just had this put in our bathroom, it looks so good. We've gone for a nice grey microcement with black toilet/sink bowls, which are being fitted tomorrow. I can't wait to see the outcome
great video! could I kindly ask what white or off-white color would you recommend for 2 of my rooms? 1. a north west facing bedroom (one window) that will be converted into a white built in closet for filming content? 2. A south west facing bedroom, one window both rooms have Shaw, desert light carpet (neutral color) its been very difficult to find a video for north west and south west rooms. Thanks in advanced for your help!
Thanks for the t-shirt they are now nearly folded in my drawer. Let's see how long that lasts 😂. I'm usually rushing and haphazardly folding and stuffing them in 😂😂.
Yes 🙌 thank you velvet. I hate getting rid of things. I have worked so hard for my stuff. I try to keep things clean and organized but I don’t want to let my treasure go.
Hi, I painted my window trim, basebords, crown moulding, ceiling Chantilly lace. My open kitchen/dining gets morning light (E) then the back of open room dining/living gets the West strong sun. I live on a hill with no trees shading it. My counter is yellowy and my fireplace is dark brown. What white (with sheen) would you recommend? Any other colors that you think would look great tying this all in? TIA...
White Dove makes a great option in your case and in fact, personally, I would go for the eggshell finish. However, since you did ask for other colors, then I would also recommend that you check out BM Nature's Essentials 1521 which is a fantastic neutral beige or BM Elmira White HC84. Best of luck. xV
Hi there. I’m kinda struggling and would appreciate your help. I’m looking to paint my living room, which is west-facing and has grey laminate floors. My furniture, however, is more on the warmer side (caramel coloured sofa, wood table, etc.). Any tips would be appreciated!
Most people opt for an off-white color as a no brainer solution. In your case, if you pick a color with a grey undertone to it, you may possibly accentuate even more the warmer tones of your furniture. If that's not a desirable situation for you, then I suggest you go for a more neutral off white like Chantilly Lace. However, if I were you I would look into other color options like beige hues. Here's the link to an article I wrote about my go-to beige shades you might find useful. te-esse.com/2021/12/my-top-5-benjamin-moore-beige-paints.html In fact, take a closer look at Nature's Essentials; it's a truly beautiful beige shade that might work for you best. xx
I tried Marie Kondo’s method of folding and vertical stacking. It looked nice, but all of my clothes were much too wrinkled to wear, even things like leggings and jeans. So, I went back to minimum, looser folding. I store as many clothes as possible on hangers, and move them to and from storage seasonally, on hangers, too. I don’t want to re-iron or re-steam everything that’s been in storage. My only exception is wool and cashmere clothing; I wash, dry and store those folded in zippered bags to prevent moth damage. I never store anything that hasn’t been freshly laundered or dry-cleaned. Storing clothes that seem ok, but have been worn, can be a disaster; some stains like those from “clear” beverages, aren’t apparent until they set in storage, then they can’t be removed. Clothes that have been worn attract insects, too.
It sounds like you have found a way that really works for you, which is great. I'm also in agreement with you on storing clothing items only after they have been freshly laundered or dry-cleaned. Some stains are indeed not visible at first, but over time they will surface and spoil the clothes. xx
What a wonderful and informative video... I learned a lot and greatly appreciate it. You are so well-spoken and articulate and I love your color and design suggestions! Thank you 🧡🌷
Hello! I'm very inexperienced in this topic, but I've been wanting to change up my room lately. I have two matching dresser and wardrobe in the same (neutral-ish) beige color, two doors that are a warm toned beige, and a bookshelf with a super dark cold toned brown that i cant change with another furniture, (so the best way to change the color is by wallpapers). I was wondering if i could make the room look more cohesive by adding dark wood color accents on my other beige furniture, will dark and light wood combination look good together in a single furniture?
I love the way you express colors. You really help me understand the concepts of undertones and lighting. Thank you so much for this video. It helped a lot. Aloha!
Thank you so very much for explaining the what and what not to do so simply. I certainly wouldn’t try it myself. I love the Minimal look that can absorb colour and sometimes clutter in the right place. I live in an apartment in Melbourne Australia, where I bring the garden into the living area through large windows. I also have tiles in the bathroom where I am left with ‘what was the tiler thinking.?’ I want to create a continuous floor line throughout the apartment. This will allow me to play with the plaster walls, regarding colour. As for the bathrooms they need to be redone cover all tiled areas. So here is my question do you have any suggestions as to how I might find a professional micro cement technician in Australia, without having to go through a designer? Should I contact a supplier who might be able to refer someone? Do you have any suggestions?
Hello Kylie, thanks for your nice comment and for sharing this video. To be honest though, I'm not sure how things work exactly in Melbourne. However, I do believe that many suppliers may be able to refer your to a professional micro cement technician. That's certainly the way things work in my part of the world. So you definitely don't have anything to lose by asking around. Cheers!
Hi there Could you please recommend a white or grey for my sons room. His furniture is a weathered oak and his bedding his a modern black and white graphic. We have one wall with a black brick on it. We are looking for a white as he would like to,add some black and grey lines to his walls. Our carpet in a tan coloured beige. Also he has an upholstered charcoal bed ( ideally he is going for a black white and grey bedroom....teenagers) I have painted his room 4 times and driving me crazy to say the least. The room faces north and just a wee bit east with a window measuring 3 feet x 4 feet. I painted his room paper white and it turned ice blue, then painted collingwood..it turned pink, mauve, next was cliffside grey..it looked light blue, lastly I paint gladden white just to bring the walls back to light. I have sample on foam board Sherwin Williams repose grey/ looked purple, agreeable grey looked green, the big chill looked purple, tempered grey and silver chain turned purple, On the rocks ..I forget what was room with that one as I am going GRAZY Benjamin Moore stonington grey and grey owl looked green. Classic grey looked purplish . I know this is overwhelming. So I recommendation for a good ole grey that I can accent with white and black or second option I was moving toward white walls and that appears to be about as insane as grey. But with white walls, we want something that looks white( so he can accent with black and grey) that looks white, not yellow even when you turn the lights off. Any insight would be greatly appreciated😊
Hi Shannon, it sounds like you have your hands full with this one. But have you tried BM Chantilly Lace OC-65? It's what I would go for - super neutral, white wall paint. The second best bet is BM White Heron OC-57. Hope this helps! x
Hi, There are so many whites to choose from! I am looking specifically Benjamin Moore. I definitely do not want any yellow or creaming undertones at all. I’m fine with a slight grey undertone but not too blue. I’m recoloring my walls in one room because I want to start filming videos. I don’t want something that is too white - for instance if I was wearing white clothing I wouldn’t want to camouflage right into the walls. Right now, I am debating between Chantily Lace, Super White, and White. Also, it is a room that is in front of the house, it has a big window so it receives quite a lot of light in the day time. Please let me know what you’d recommend. Thanks in advance! No undertone would be famtastic
Since you have plenty of natural sunlight, then I would recommend White Heron. It is less creamy than Chantilly Lace. But in all honestly, I would consider a grey-ish off white like Classic Grey; so even if you wear a white outfit, it won't wash you off.
What is your recommendation among the whites you mentioned for a low sunlight or very low natural light small condo? I hope you reply. Thank you. New subscriber here.
Honestly, my home has also low sunlight. Therefore, I have used Simply White. The reason for that is because it a) not too stark to make me feel uncomfortable or project my furniture in an awkward way, b) just the right amount of cream toned to be soft on the eye, c) feels very contemporary and d) dates well. The last time I painted my walls (aside from my furnishing updates) was over a decade ago and I haven't regretted it for a single moment. Do note though, that when a space has very low natural light it is best to employ color paint finished with a sheen. The flat finish won't reflect much light. So if I were you I would go for the eggshell or pearl finish on the walls and the satin or semi-gloss for the ceiling. Your choice of paint finish can make all the difference IN THE WORLD! Hope this helps! Happy holidays and stay well, Velvet
Hi i have a basement with barely any sunlight has just 1 window, i need to brighten the room as it always looks dark. What white paint do u recommend? Is chantily lace good? It has 2 light fixtures on the ceilings like in bedrooms
Chantilly Lace will shine off its full potential when you have a well sunlit room. Therefore, I would go for Simply White instead. However, do play around with the paint's finish. Don't go for a flat one. Try the glossy one, especially for the ceiling so that part of the sheen can bounce around the room. And of course, an oversized mirror may also help in creating the illusion of a brighter room. Moreover, consider using light fixtures with more than a couple of lamps. In other words, you need to increase the output of your light sources. There are many ceiling lights and/or suspension lights that feature a minimum of three lamps. But, don't go for spotlights for these will keep your ceiling in the dark, and a dark ceiling means a dark room. Hope these tips help you.
Hi, please help me. I have a modern house facing north. The entry is also north. Which is the most luxorious white ? For trims I used middle antracit grey. I'm searching for the most luxorious white color now. Thanks. My goal is to feel some kind of a luxory yacht vibe in the end. Door handle is chrome.
Chantilly Lace may work really well for that luxurious feel, yet a house facing north may work better with Simply White. That's because north facing rooms have a uniform, even, but darker light coming through. Hence, Chantilly Lace won't shine off its full potential.
is white opulence a good paint to use in a small room with an east facing window to brighten it up? i recently painted the walls a white color with a brown undertone and i found that it was too cold and dull and want some warmth and light
White opulence is a creamy off white with a brownish undertone. So it's definitely warm toned, but not as much as say Acadia White. Therefore, I think it will work just fine as a bright, warm toned off white. :)
