CasaSugar

Coveted Crib: Victoria's Deco Dream Apartment (Part Two)

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:15:28 -0800

Yesterday, we toured Victoria's fabulous entry, living room, and studio space. Victoria, a jeweler living by "the jewel of Oakland," Lake Merritt, is the lucky inhabitant of a Deco-era apartment that features much of the original detailing, including several stunning chandeliers (such as the one shown here). To continue the tour with a turn around her study, check out the slideshow.

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Crave Worthy: Worlds Away Bennito Side Table

CasaSugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:00:09 -0700

What could be more glamorous than a combination of hand-applied gold leaf, a mirror top, and feminine curves on an Art Deco side table? Nothing seems to come to mind. The Worlds Away Bennito Side Table ($1180) is an Eva Zeisel-meets-Grace-Kelly furnishing for the modern woman. Use it as console table in your foyer to stash your fab clutch, luxe cell phone and your favorite lip product, or simply set it next to a crave worthy sofa. And, don't be surprised if guests think you're actually the Princess of Monaco . . .

Home Library: Plants and Their Application to Ornament

CasaSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:00:01 -0700

Anyone with a little design savvy, flower-philia, or an appreciation for the way that flowers' shapes lend themselves to pattern will covet Plants and Their Application to Ornament. This reprint of Eugène Grasset 's 1897 design book features amazing botanical illustrations of a variety of flowers, from water lilies to lilacs. Each flower illustration is adapted as a pattern for use in such home design applications as rugs, stained glass windows, metalwork, and tile work. While I was smitten with nearly every illustration, I'm particularly partial to the gorgeous use of nasturtiums (seen on the cover), a flower that I often think of it as a pesky weed here in the Bay Area. A celebratory merging of the beauty of botanicals and art nouveau style, this book is sure to be a favored distraction on anyone's coffee table.

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Love It or Hate It? Illuminated Art-Deco Wall Panel

CasaSugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 06:15:49 -0800

This circa '50s French illuminated wall panel (contact dealer for price) would certainly add a dash of Deco glamour to a home. I can see it in a Hollywood Regency-style mansion or a Deco-decorated theater, but I can hardly imagine it in any other home. Can you?

Crave Worthy: The Paris Table

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 06:09:29 -0800

I heart the Art Deco curlicue shape of this Paris Coffee Table ($1,645) like Milton Glaser hearts NY. It's chunky, solid, reclaimed elm top keeps its calligraphy-esque shape from seeming too la-di-dah, so it mixes well with a variety of décor styles. I may not live in the City of Lights, but I'd surely love to enjoy du vin et fromage on this beauty.

Definition: Art Deco

CasaSugar — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:28:46 -0700

Art deco is a bold, industrial design style characterized by geometric shapes - particularly triangles - sharp angles, heavy lines, and bold typography. The term grew out of a modern decorative arts exposition held in Paris in 1925, and though the trend continued well into the 1930s, art deco is very closely associated with the styles of the Roaring '20s.

Influenced by the emerging technology of the machine age, as well as the Cubist art movement, art deco can be found everywhere from skyscrapers to poster art to furniture design. The Chrysler Building in New York is a prime example, as is the South Beach district of Miami.

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Cool Idea: New Orleans Water Meter Doormat

CasaSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:00:42 -0800

Anyone who's ever lived in New Orleans recognizes the starry, art-deco design of the city's water meter lids. Designed by Edwin Ford in the early 1920s, the crescent moon and stars became so sought after that people actually used to pilfer them, so much so that for a time the city tried to replace them with plain ones to try to stop the theft. Nevertheless, the 85-year-old design has become an iconic symbol of the city - along with the fleur-de-lys, of course. So, one clever local turned the groovy vintage meter cover into a Decorative Door Mat ($32). The high-quality, durable mat is as useful as it is nostalgic and charming, and you don't have to steal from the city to own it. Clearly, it's not for everyone, but it's a great gift for anyone who knows a thing or two about NOLA. Hint, hint.

Coveted Crib: Abbijane Schifrin's Technicolor Townhouse

CasaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:00:33 -0700

The Gramercy Park townhouse of the late fashion designer Abbijane Schifrin is on the market for $8.75 million, and it's truly a dream. The five-story 1855 building sits on a delightful, tree-lined street and looks quite prim from the exterior, with a pair of 21 Club-esque jockeys and a cast-iron gate. But inside the house is dressed with glitzy gilt walls, bright turquoise and pink paint, and Mediterranean-style arts and crafts tilework - a drastic deviation from what passersby see. Dramatic art-deco furniture, animal-print upholstery make the zany space a treat to tour. The style is not for everyone but definitely fun! See more photos when you read more.

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Link TIme!

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:00:47 -0700

This home is the apple of Elizabeth's eye. - AT:DC
Tour the Pioneer Women's Lodge. - The Nest
Craft this owl for your Halloween decorating. - Craft
I'm in love with this deco-glam home. - Desire to Inspire
Artists featured on Man Shops Globe! - PoppyTalk
Wow, Audiowood turntables! -Shelterrific
The Obamas choose "avant-garde" art. - ShelterPop

Casa Shops: Schoolhouse Electric

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 05:30:00 -0700

Historic homes and buildings like turn-of-the-century schoolhouses are a treasure trove of great design, featuring ornate moldings and classic light fixtures. But unless you stumble upon one of these real estate wonders, it can be difficult and expensive to track down originals or even true-to-form replicas to give your own home historical authenticity.

Enter 150-year-old Portland lighting company Schoolhouse Electric, which was founded when a collection of original cast-iron molds, all but forgotten for more than a half century, was discovered in an upstate New York warehouse. The company now sells over 100 replicas of these fixtures, some of the best examples of true American lighting design, ranging from the early 1900s to the middle of the 20th century. Since its establishment, the lighting company has discovered more collections of art deco, arts and crafts, early electric, transitional, art nouveau, colonial revival, and classic modern molds and fixtures, making it a go-to vendor for all of your luminary pursuits. See more of the fixtures in place when you read more.

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