CasaSugar

Good, Better, Best: Chic Backgammon Sets

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:00:49 -0800

Even if you haven't a clue how to play backgammon, these chic boards will put you on top of your design game. Laid out on a coffee table, backgammon sets are like the leisure-time equivalent of a pretty art book or an elegant bowl. Here are three to suit your budget, whatever it may be.

The Ballard Designs Backgammon Set ($70) looks like it could have been designed by Kate Spade. It's perfect for whiling away the days at a Summer retreat, or just making your living room feel like one.

For the even better backgammon boards, read more.

I can't get enough of the Barneys Handmade Psychedelic Lacquered Wood Backgammon ($795). Something about combination of hoity-toity and hippie-dippy puts me perfectly in the mood to roll some dice.

This luxurious Ralph Lauren Dawson Backgammon Set ($1,299) could easily be a set piece in a Gossip Girl Upper East Side living room. It's masculine and just a tad sinister.

Crave Worthy: Psychedelic Circles Backgammon Set

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 05:30:07 -0800

I’m going to cross my fingers here and just hope that a certain ex of mine isn’t reading. Two weeks holed up in a boring town with my boyfriend’s parents and - pulling my hair out not in the cards - the only activity that helped me pass time with his ‘rents was a competitive game of backgammon. Before Scrabulous and Facebook stalking, some people actually did entertain themselves with classic games, and lucky for me, I happened to be a wiz. Nevertheless, I’ve since come to find an unparalleled brand of inter-generational bonding power in such timeless recreations and have vowed to always keep one handy. Finances aside, the Barneys Handmade Psychedelic Lacquered Wood Backgammon ($795) may just be The One: its trippy hand-painting recalls my elders' Haight-Ashbury days and its lacquered wood frame is slick enough for my modern pad. If that won't do the trick, I don't know what will.

Simply Fab: Barneys Snap Measure

FabSugar — Sun, 20 May 2007 02:22:22 -0700

How cool is this Barneys New York Snap Measure, $45? The mini 2x2 leather covered case with snap detail is the perfect way to measure in style!

This is how I imagine it would come in handy: I'm sitting around the apartment while the hot plumber is working on unclogging my sink. He asks for a measuring tape so he can, er, measure the pipes? Nevermind. I run to the drawers containing all my sewing needs and bring it to him. And, of course, he thinks it's, and I'm, so cute. Okay, back to reality. It's just one of those things you must have handy in your home because your clothing and accessories aren't the only things that should reflect your style!

Desire/Acquire: Luxury Rubik's Cubes

CasaSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:00:38 -0800

If your man is a Rubik's Cube whiz who has everything, the Barneys New York Rubik's Cube ($195) could be a fun Valentine's Day gift for him. Made of leather and chrome, it's much more stylish than the '80s original and will give his messy desk an instant face-lift. I can already hear you scoffing now, and you're right: The original costs less than 10 bucks. Well, if you don't plan to splurge on this luxe gift, you should know you can get it for less. To find out where, read more.

The same luxe Rubik's Cube ($155) made of solid chrome with leather inlaid sides is available from Zontik's Games for $40 less. Buy this one and maybe you can still afford to take your beau out for dinner, too! On second thought, if he's such a genius, he should know you'd prefer the V-Day din din be on him.

Halloween How-To: Simon Doonan

CasaSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:00:38 -0700

Yesterday, I showed you how your man can dress like Jonathan Adler this Halloween. Adler's wardrobe is an endless bucket of fun, so he's an ideal costume inspiration for any design fiend. But Adler's hubby Simon Doonan, creative director of Barneys New York and recent Top Design guest judge, is the go-to guy when it comes to fashion expertise, and never shows up at a party in anything less than eccentric. Doonan's signature look features a vibrant floral button-down, so that's a must for anyone trying to model himself on the man. Here are a few other finds to finish off the look:

Robert Graham Townsend Floral Shirt - $298.00	Stripe Web Belt - $39.50
Cheap Monday Autobahn Straight Leg Jeans in Unwash - $65.00	CO-OP Barneys New York Dot Tie- Forest - $55.00
Navy Velvet Blazer - $198.00	New Balance 420 Low Pro - $70.00
Bottega Veneta brown woven leather messenger bag - $2,120.00	Eccentric Glamour: Creating An Insanely More Fabulous You - $24.00
Simon & Schuster Wacky Chicks - $13.00

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Coveted Crib: Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan's Pied-à-terre

CasaSugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 11:00:34 -0700

In honor of Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan's impending nuptials, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek at what their married life at home away from home looks like. USA Today recently interviewed them in their Shelter Island, New York home, which Doonan aptly described as, "a fully branded home." The space is in many ways the love child of a Jonathan Adler shop and a Barneys window display (Doonan is creative director) — bursting with energy, color, creativity, and Adler's inventory. To see for yourself, check out this slideshow, and read the article for more details. Source

View Slideshow ›

This Just In: Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan to Tie the Knot

CasaSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:00:06 -0700

It's not every day that one of my favorite designers gets hitched, so I'm excited to tell you that designer Jonathan Adler and Barney's New York creative director (and author) Simon Doonan plan to legally tie the knot in mid-September in California, according to New York.
But their big day won't be your usual ostentatious celebrity wedding. In the New York article, Doonan was quoted saying, "I always thought we were married, so I don’t feel like celebrating the fact that the government’s allowing me to think I’m married. It’s more like paying a parking ticket. We’ll have a nice romantic dinner, him and me."

Apparently, it was Adler's mom and sister who really got the ball rolling on this wedlock. Doonan went on to say, "They’ve been incredibly supportive and kept an eye out on what was going on, and they said, ‘Oh, you guys should get married
in California.’ So it was them that sort of prompted us."

In case you're wondering where the cute couple is registered, you can stop looking, as they apparently are happy enough just to have each other. "We have enough tchotchkes at home for one lifetime," said Doonan. Well, I'd hope so, considering that Adler himself is a purveyor of tchotchkes! I for one love this wacky, creative duo, and am happy to see them making it official — even if it's just like paying a parking ticket.
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Get the Look: Carrie Bradshaw's Creative Crib, the Accents

CasaSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 09:59:12 -0700

You're not an expert just yet on how to get the look of Carrie Bradshaw's creative crib. Here is a lesson on the leading lady's accents.

The Accents:
Ms. Bradshaw is a fashion fiend, so be sure to subscribe to all the girly glossies and use them as coffee table reading. She’s a writer, so hoarding periodicals is a part of her job. Everywhere you look, high and low, there should be stacks of mags, books, and archives of the newspaper you write for. I don’t endorse smoking, but C’s a smoker so a butt-brimmed ashtray is a must. Hang shopping bags from all the high-end NYC shops (Barney’s, Bergdorf’s, Bendel’s, Jimmy Choo) on the backs of doorknobs to use as storage for all the "stuff" that amasses living in a big city. Choose a super plush mattress, and anything from Calvin Klein's bedding collection will get the look.

Adorn your bathroom sink and bathtub with beauty products (Kiehls moisturizer, Bobbi Brown brushes, your boyfriend’s Rogaine). Stock the kitchen with an assortment of stemware you wind up with after late nights out. Plaster the fridge with magnets and family photos so you feel at home. There’s no use in trying to make your jam-packed walk-in closet look neat; think of it as “organized chaos.” Mat and frame abstract sepia and black-and-white photographs, and hang them above your bed, or prop them on a console table. Be sure to have curtains made from the Marimekko fabric Carrie used.

To see my CB-esque picks, click the images below.

Source and Source

Get the Look: Carrie Bradshaw's Creative Crib, the Lighting

CasaSugar — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 10:04:36 -0700

You're not an expert just yet on how to get the look of Carrie Bradshaw's creative crib. Here is a lesson on the leading lady's lighting.

The Lighting:
Carrie's lighting choices are functional more than anything else. She puts her lamps exactly where she needs them, and nowhere else. In her living room, C chose two wooden, mid-century floor lamps with drum shades to brighten up the living room when she's reading in Aidan's chair or writing at her desk. A dainty lamp on the entry hall console table leads her in when she comes home late, a basic bedside lamp lets her read herself to sleep, and under-cabinet lighting in the kitchen is a remnant of an old NYC rental.

Maybe you don't read Vogue or shop at Barney's, but you can still get the Carrie look if you embrace your clutter. Find a way to make your dusty stacks of periodicals look intentional. Don't just go out and buy furniture that looks like the ones you've seen here. Collect mid-century-like pieces of similar wood finishes or colors that you love, slowly over time from flea markets, and choose a few, soft colors of the same hue to paint your walls. The best way to channel Carrie is to be yourself, whether you're a person who wears bold brights or simple khaki colors.

To see my CB-esque picks, click the images below.

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Casa Verde: Cameron Diaz on Going Green

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 03:50:46 -0700

Cameron Diaz has written the foreword for The Green Book (2007, Three Rivers Press), a new book on the importance of living an environmental lifestyle. I certainly agree that we should try to live as sustainably as possible, for our sake as well as that of our children. Let's see what Cameron has to say.

"I never got into the environmental movement [before] because I really didn't connect to what was being said and how it was being said. I'm a selfish American. I don't want to give it all up. But at the same time, I found that I was already practicing the basics, everything from recycling to composting to saving energy to hybrid cars. I had been pursuing those things myself without knowing that they were part of the movement. Then I started listening more closely to what was being said because I was looking for a way in. I wanted to do more than what I was doing just for myself. I wanted to help other people do more. ..."

To hear more from Cameron, just read more
"Look at how long it's taken us to create what we have today and all we've done efficiency-wise, product-wise, and quality-wise-all of the things that we as Americans gain comfort in and expect to have available to us. We're doing pretty well. We're in a good place. It's an exciting time to be alive. We can figure out how to maintain our lifestyles and the health of the planet if we do it right. And that's what I want. I don't want to be running around barefoot, pushing my car like Barney Rubble. I don't want to go back to the Stone Age. I just want to maintain what we have for a long period of time-forever. How nice would that be? I'm very selfish."

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