CasaSugar

Home Away From Home: Chandelier Creative

CasaSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:00:00 -0800

Chandelier Creative is a three-year-old, full-service creative agency based in New York City with a focus on fashion, beauty, retail, travel, and luxury lifestyle brands. Among Chandelier's clients are Coca Cola, Four Seasons, Parfums Givenchy, Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Old Navy, Nanette Lepore, and W Hotels. Though the agency's client list is certainly an impressive one, you know me: I find myself more taken with the interior design of its SoHo penthouse, designed by agency owner, Richard Christiansen. Much like its work, Chandelier's space is slick, colorful, and imaginative and in every sense far from what the word "office" conjures in even the most forward-thinking mind. Here, a black leather Chesterfield sofa with matching tufted Louis XIV chairs and a Saarinen table set on glossy white floors form a creative conference area. Soccer balls roll about to lighten the mood. A Chippendale chair at a turned wood dining table makes a desk space, and an overflowing book case with colorfully spined volumes infuses the space with life and language. To see many more photos of this amazing space, read more.

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Source and Source

Before and After: A Sophisticated and Glamorous Nursery

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:00:44 -0700

Su Casa member mianakao recently moved into a new home, and turned this dull room into something absolutely spectacular. Her fabulous results prove that even the most dull room can be transformed into a gorgeous, glamorous space with a little imagination and a lot of hard work.
She writes, "We just moved into our new house (a sprawling foreclosure), so I had free reign with this room! As you can see in the before photo, the room was dull, dingy, and needed lots of TLC."

The results are truly astounding. To see how mianakao turned this dingy, dull space into a beautiful nursery, read more.

Can you even believe it's the same room? I am truly amazed! Mianakao explains, "My goal was to use black and white in a tasteful way to help the baby's visual development. My first choice was stripes around the room, but I figured that might just make the baby dizzy after a while. So, instead, I went with a high-gloss black latex paint, and brightened up the room with tons of white. (The green is an after thought accent color to warm up the space)." "Also, in an effort to be somewhat creative, I stuck a vinyl decal of a tree on the wall, painted over it, and then cut out the vinyl with an X-acto knife. Had I thought ahead, I could have incorporated the accent green on the tree. Sticking a vinyl decal on the wall wasn't creative enough for me . . . and I didn't want to deal with all of the air bubbles."

I also love that mianakao kept to a strict budget for this makeover. She writes, "Since we're in a tight economy, everything you see (with the exception of the crib and the chandelier) was found on Craigslist. Nothing was over $40! I also found items for free from the freecycle network. I just sanded the furniture and painted it flat white to match everything else in the room . . . well, my husband handled all the hard work. Small accents like the beautiful black and white crystal chandelier just added a touch of chic for our new baby girl!"

Take the full tour when you check out the gallery. I'm truly inspired!

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Chandelier Creative

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:40:06 -0800

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Furniture and Accessories That Make Us Blush

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:00:05 -0700

If you're going to put provocative décor in your home - dudes, are you listening? - forget the stripper pole and the cheesy frat boy Kiss poster. When it comes to erotic furnishings, designers and artists around the world have gotten very creative. From crystal penis chandeliers to porcelain vaginal vases, there are plenty of furnishings and accessories for the pervert in you, and if not, at least you'll get a laugh out of these.

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Su Casa: KateDavis's Amazing DIY Dining Room

CasaSugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 10:00:30 -0700

Sometimes I am blown away by the utter creativity and DIY know-how of CasaSugar readers. That was the case when I discovered the photos of KateDavis's dining room in the Su Casa group. She writes, "I wanted a change in my dining room, and after coming across Damien Hirst's 'Valium' online, I knew it would be perfect for my dining room. The only problem . . . the $20,000 price tag for a print." Instead of bemoaning the price tag, KateDavis put her DIY skills to work. She says, "I put a lot of work into recreating the piece and had it printed at Kinkos and framed. It probably ended up being about $80 all in."

KateDavis didn't stop there, though. Her new artwork made her eager to switch out her dining room lighting. To see the incredible DIY chandelier she made, read more.

Kate used the ReadyMade instructions for Jean Pelle's Glass Bulb Chandelier to create this gorgeous chandelier. She writes, "At first I was overwhelmed and concerned I wouldn't be able to make sturdy knots and that I would be in over my head, but the more I looked at the picture the more I knew I needed to try. It took a little while, and many trips to several hardware stores to collect all the materials, but last week I finally had it all together and got to work. I am so thrilled with the results!!! I feel like I have a whole new dining room!"

I have been eyeing this chandelier project for the past month or so myself, and am thrilled with KateDavis's successful re-creation of the lamp. Congratulations to her on all of her hard work!

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Before and After: A Thrift Store Chandelier Goes Girly Glam

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 08:00:58 -0800

Super-creative blogger/knitter/crafter Vickie Howell stumbled across this dingy, dated chandelier in a thrift store. She was able to see beyond its faux gold exterior and see the treasure just waiting to be excavated. What I really love about her transformation of this chandelier is that instead of using toxic spray paint, she used less-toxic craft paint.

She writes, "The other bonus to using craft paints is that there are often more color choices than you'll find from their spray sisters. This leaves the creative doors open for you to decide whether you want to go white for a Shabby Chic look; silver for a more modern feel; or with a bold color for an urban eclectic vibe."

To see how the chandelier turned out, read more.

I love this deep shade of pink; it adds a mysterious moodiness to this girly accent. What a great change! Check out the instructions for transforming your own thrifted chandelier here.

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Casa Interview: Tyler Velten

CasaSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:45:16 -0700

Tyler Velten, a student at the Yale School of Architecture, was recently featured in the New York Times article Lighting Changes Everything. However, Tyler wasn't interviewed for his architectural projects. Instead, his artistic re-use of found objects and repurposing of Craigslist furniture and even the hated plastic bag were featured in the article. Tyler recently found some time between his busy school schedule to answer some questions for CasaSugar about his home design experiments.

CasaSugar: What was the first object you found that inspired you to start augmenting your apartment?

Tyler: We moved into the apartment knowing I was going to play with the space. It is a gorgeous apartment with great natural daylight. When it was empty, it felt more like a studio than an apartment. The first task was to somehow distract attention from the white walls. We found a kitschy brass table lamp complete with a tattered latex shade on the street. Instead of placing it on an end table or dresser (which we didn't have), I hung it from the wall. Lizzie [Tyler's wife] has teased me for years about taking it down. As a relic from our first days in the apartment, the lamp simply cannot be replaced.

For the rest of my questions, and to find out how Tyler's wife feels about his experiments, read more.

CasaSugar: How do you feel your architecture training has changed your ideas about interior design, if at all?

Tyler: I have been making art for many years now, whereas architecture is a fairly new adventure for me. Although I do think that my first year in architecture school has helped inform some of my newer pieces, like the woven light shade beside the bed, I believe most of my ideas regarding space were born a while ago. The real benefits of the program are the community of designers. I am surrounded by creative people thinking about culture and objects at all different scales.

CasaSugar: How does your wife feel about your lighting and décor experiments? Is she a part of the creative process?

Tyler: Absolutely she is part of the process. There are pieces she adores, and others, she could do without. Most of the pieces use non-traditional switches or are situated in awkward ways. My desire as an artist is to challenge our interactions and perceptions of functionality with everyday objects. In doing so this often inhibits their purpose. Lizzie is always helping me refine and focus my pieces, to make them intuitive without sacrificing their idea. She is my voice of reason.

CasaSugar: What projects do you have in the works?

Tyler: The real task in our apartment, and consequently the real derivation for most of my non-lighting projects, is to create more storage for our tiny apartment. We only have one closet in the apartment and the kitchen has one tiny counter top with a few small cupboards. I am constantly trying to find more storage space for our things. Although I would love to make a new bed and headboard, the real pressing projects are coming up with creative storage systems.

CasaSugar: When do you have time to work on this? Do you find these projects relaxing/therapeutic? What motivates you to work on them?

Tyler: I do not have much time because of school. Most of these projects manifest themselves over Winter or Spring breaks. Nonetheless, they do not take much time. Most of these projects take an hour or less. Aside from the grocery bag chandelier, every other project was quite simple. Adding doors to bookcases requires a bit of measuring, but the assembly is very quick, a few saw-cuts and a few screws. Although I love to design unique objects, I feel the most satisfying design is to re-purpose/recycle waste into useful things. By filling up wine bottles with water, then burrowing them upside-down in the soil of a large potted plant, one can make a great slow drip-irrigation well for indoor plants.

It is tremendously therapeutic to think of ways to use the waste that we create in unique ways. We throw away so much stuff, stuff that is really beautiful. It is very satisfying to make an object like a grocery bag transcend its original purpose by becoming an elegant light filter for a chandelier.

CasaSugar: What are some of your dream projects?

Tyler: I would like to have more specific big ideas, but that usually gets me into trouble. I can only hope to continue to experiment and play.

Phil Mansfield for The New York Times

Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:30:08 -0800

One Su Casa member got innovative with a Christmas mantel shelf.
Can you believe it's December already? Here are my Must Haves for the month.
I brought some more Gift Guides your way.
Brad Pitt is the cover boy for this month's Architectural Digest.
Chandelier Creative is one coveted Home Away From Home.
Thinking about buying a clawfoot tub? Consider a few things first.
The Sugar Best of 2008 blowout is here!
I gave you a tour of Victoria Skirpa's Deco Dream apartment.

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How-To: Live Green Like Jessica Alba

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:15:36 -0700

InStyle currently has a great feature on celebrity interior designer Kari Whitman and her eco-friendly ideas for Jessica Alba's home. Whitman is known for her creative use of salvaged artifacts (like the vintage chandeliers shown here) that she finds by scouring antique shops, flea markets, and her clients' homes. For example, she says, "For Jessica Alba's house we bought almost every piece used." Snatching up second-hand pieces isn't the only way she has greenified Alba's home, though. To hear some of her other tips and tricks, read more.

Whitman also advocates using zero and low VOC paints, bamboo flooring, Mrs. Meyer's cleaning products, and eco-friendly pet and nursery furnishings. She has also purchased upcycled accessories for Alba's home, from stores like Uncommon Goods.

To hear more about Whitman's techniques for making Alba's interiors simultaneously stylish and eco-conscious, and to see additional photos of her home, check out InStyle!
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What You're Wanting, Revealed: A Dashing Dining Room

CasaSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:40:51 -0700

For this latest What You're Wanting, I wanted to know how you'd create a dashing dining room, based on this dining room, which could be yours if you have $2.45 million to spare. It has great bones, but it needed a little fleshing out.

As usual, your creativity and thoughtful choices left me impressed. Thanks for the inspiration!

I loved the look that Luvs2curl put together, which she describes as "classic, romantic, formal, and elegant." I'm especially fond of the Michael Aram accent pieces.

Luvs2curl wins the CasaSugar schwag of her choice for the look she put together. Congratulations!

To see another lovely look, read more.
I also loved the dining room look put together by Cocochic, who says, "The color scheme for this room is all about peacock. Rich silk drapes, a green scroll rug, and new blue chairs add luxury and texture to the room. The china is modern but plays with the colors. The twig lanterns and nest-like chandelier add a whimsical, dream quality. The room is finished off with some bird prints and masculine finials."

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Benchwright Dining Table - $1,699.00	Michael Aram - $190.00
Footed Glass Hurricane - $19.00	Hotel Tablecloths, Ivory - $49.00
Matelassé Table - $72.00	Lenox® Opal Innocence Ivory Decorative Table Runner - $24.99
Michael Aram for Waterford Jaipur Dinnerware - $39.99	Amber Beaded Chandelier - $4,200.00
Light Charcoal Rug - $999.00	Domed Serving Dishes - $135.00
Scratchwood Entertaining - $24.00	Persimmon Centerpiece Bowl - $49.95
Michael Aram - $79.00	Michael Aram Tulip Servers, Pr. - $65.00
Marrakech Centerpiece Bowl - $42.95	Pointillist Plates - $14.00
Marrakech Dinner Plate - $16.95	Reed & Barton Fiori 45 Piece Flatware Set - $99.99