When I told some of my mom friends that I would be trying out the Bissell Little Green for an upcoming article, they immediately said two words: Life changing. And after doing the dirty work myself, I can completely understand why — with a few caveats. While I may not be in my mom era yet, furbabies can give toddlers a run for their money when it comes to making your home look lived in. So, I unboxed the portable upholstery cleaner and put it to the test on my pup’s favourite napping spot, aka, my not-so-white couch.  

Bissell Little Green Pros

Listen, there’s a reason for the Bissell Little Green‘s over 65,000 ratings averaging at 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.ca. For being so compact, the Little Green is powerful — a lot more powerful than I expected for a machine retailing at approximately $120. 

I appreciated that the setup was simple enough to not have to dive too far into the instruction handbook and only took a couple of minutes. I used the trial Spot & Stain formula that came with the machine and filled the rest of the 48 ounces clean water tank with warm water. The rest of the setup was as simple as plugging it in. 

Before starting with the Little Green, I vacuumed the area that I would be cleaning and highly recommend you do the same. Though the suction is powerful, this machine is not intended to be vacuum. I’m embarrassed to say, some of the stains in our couch were very set-in — like months set-in. So, I sprayed any of the areas that looked particularly tough with the formula first and let them sit for a few minutes before going back in with the three inch Tough Stain Tool. I thought it would be best to work in a pattern from one side of the sofa to the other so I didn’t forget which areas I had already cleaned. Well, let’s just say it was very obvious which areas had been cleaned — no pattern necessary. I watched the clean solution turn into muddy water as it was sucked back up into the clear brush head. With the exception of a spot of red wine from who knows when, the Little Green transformed my sofa back to its former glory. I truly was not prepared for how equally disgusting and satisfying dumping the dirty tank of water would be. 

Bissell Little Green Cons 

For all that this cleaning gadget has right, there are a couple places where the Bissell Little Green just misses the mark. I’m not sure if it was user error, but when I was inserting the full clean water tank, it was leaking quite a bit. My next grievance may not be applicable to all, but I found the length of both the cord and the hose to be really restricting with the size of my sofa. I ended up adding an extension cord to give me a little bit more flexibility, but the shorter hose meant having to rest the body of the machine on the sofa instead of the floor. The included three inch Tough Stain Tool works wonderfully; however, it doesn’t come apart for cleaning itself (a design flaw I believe Bissell is well aware of considering they released an updated version that does). If you opt for the model I tried though, vacuuming your surfaces before will help reduce the amount of debris that could get trapped in the attachment. 

Is the Bissell Little Green worth the hype?

As a proud contributor and consumer of #CleanTok (its 107.3 billion views leads me to believe some of you are too), I am happy to report that the viral clips of dirt lifting seamlessly from seemingly the direst fabrics imaginable are not AI generated. The Bissell Little Green is (nearly) perfect for what it is. For smaller, quick and dirty jobs, this is the portable answer you’ve been searching for. If you’re looking to tackle larger deep cleans like my large white sectional or an entire carpet, I would opt for one of Bissell’s more robust spot cleaners or carpet cleaners or be ready to spend a lot of time going back and forth to the sink to dump the dirty tank.

The DIY divas of TikTok are at it again with another viral paint colour trend. To our surprise, the paint colour isn’t a gothy grey or Barbiecore pink — it’s actually Pewter Green.  The question is: what makes this paint colour so popular? Is it the boldness or neutrality in the shade? Or is it its incredible versatility? Any which way you paint the story, we’re totally here for this new colour takeover to transform our living spaces.

Related: This One Paint Colour Could Increase the Value of Your Home

Choosing a paint colour for your home can be a very personal endeavor. The goal isn’t to create a space for someone else, but rather a space that expresses you as an individual. With that said, trends come and go, so it’s important to know the facts before committing to something as labor-intensive as painting your home. Here’s what to know ahead of taking the Pewter Green colour plunge:

What Colour is Pewter Green?

Pewter Green is described as a muted dark green. Often confused with grey, Pewter Green is a solid green with slight grey undertones. Comparable colours include Behr’s Royal Orchard and Cypress Vine.

Which Rooms Fit Pewter Green Best?

The best rooms to paint in this versatile shade are living rooms and common spaces like dens or offices. Let this hue act as the statement colour, and pair it with softer, neutral shades. Most living room designs tend to attract more natural light as well, which better showcase the green elements of the colour, versus emphasizing the grey undertones. But at the end of the day, the colour is yours to make your own. It can look stunning in a cooking space too, as these green kitchen designs prove.

What Colours Match Best With Pewter Green?

When looking to complement a deep muted shade like Pewter Green, there are a few things to consider: lighting, decor and space. Introducing deeper greens into a room works especially well when the structure has higher ceilings and at least a moderate amount of natural light. Combined, paint colours like soft peaches, sandy beiges and pearly whites can work beautifully with darker shades of green. Consider trying Dune Grass, Canyon Wind or Minestrone by Behr (pictured above).

Related: The Best Small Bedroom Paint Colour Trends for 2024

While there was nothing inherently wrong with the original, builder-grade fireplace installed in my home, it really didn’t say anything about my personal style.  So, I decided to kick it up a notch and create the fireplace mantle of my dreams by myself! This DIY transformation didn’t take too much more than a few pieces of wood and my trusty power tools…

Materials Needed:

• 1×10 pine board (or MDF)
• 1×12 pine board (or MDF)
• 1×4 pine board (or MDF)
• 2×4 scraps
• 4″ pre-primed trim
• 3″ pre-primed trim
• Stain blocking primer
• Paint
• Caulk
• Wood filler
• Spackle
• 1 1/4″ brad nails
• 3″ and 1¼” construction screws

Tools Required:

• Mitre saw
• Drill/driver
• Brad nailer
• Sander
• Crow bar
• Handheld multi-tool
• Level
• Tape measure
• Paint brush
• Foam roller

STEP 1: DEMOLITION

I removed the original mantle by prying it away from the wall with my little crow bar.  It came off super easily in one piece and I was ready to build!

Step 2: THE FACE

I started with building the face of the mantle first.  I used a 1×12 board for the top portion and 1×10 boards for the two legs, making sure that my lengths matched up with the measurements of my existing gas fireplace.  I used pocket hole screws to secure the legs to the top of the mantle.  I found that these joints also needed some reinforcement, so I whipped up a bracket with a piece of scrap wood and some screws.

STEP 3: THE SIDES

So, the mantle is already starting to take shape, but at this point I needed to frame out the edges so that it would stand out from the wall (nobody wants a pancake mantle!).  I attached 1×4 boards around the perimeter of the back of the mantle face using wood glue and my trusty brad nailer.  I made sure all of my measurements were super accurate and I took my time lining up the boards so that I could get a super smooth end product.

STEP 4:  DETAILS

I wanted the mantle to stand out, just a little bit, with some simple detail.  I used some pre-primed trim around the outer and inner edges of the face of the mantle.  I cut the corners at 45 degrees for a more polished end result, and I applied wood glue to the trim before nailing them into place.

STEP 5:  INSTALL

To attach the mantle to my wall, I used 3″ construction screws to attach some 2×4 boards to the studs in the wall.  Then I lifted the mantle onto the wall and nailed it directly to these supports.

STEP 6:  FINISHING

My goal was to make this build look like it was all one piece, almost as if it were cast out of plaster.

I started by filling all the nail holes and gaps with wood filler.  I let it dry, and then sanded it smooth.  I did this process two times, making sure every edge and join was super smooth.   For a final touch, I used a couple thin layers of spackle to really smooth out the trim joins, sanding between each layer.

I used a stain blocking primer over the entire mantle and then went in a beautiful dark green-grey paint called The Hammer by Digby Paints.

For styling, I placed two wall sconces (with puck lights for simple installation) above the finished fireplace to add symmetry, and a thrifted picture frame with a simple watercolour to tie in the colours.  Mixing old and new items creates a layered space with personality and texture.

The end result created quite a dramatic transformation in my living room.  This corner used to fade away in the back corner of this room, but has now become a focal point that I will love for years to come.

BEFORE & AFTER: