CasaSugar

President Bush Buys a Post-White House House

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:00:53 -0800

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to move into the White House, President Bush has picked up some new property for his life post-1600 Penn, when he leaves office in January. George and Laura have ponied up for a 8,501-square-foot, four-bedroom, ranch-style home in Preston Hollow, a wealthy North Dallas neighborhood where they lived before he became governor of Texas in 1995. I guess George is saying goodbye to the Georgian style.Preston Hollow counts some other prominent residents, including Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, former Dallas Cowboys Roger Staubach and Chuck Howley, and billionaire investors Harold Simmons and T. Boone Pickens, among others, so the Bush family should feel right at home, and perhaps their new neighbors won't be starstruck. The word on the sale price is that the property sold for "considerably more" than its $2.1 million appraisal price. There's also rumor that the couple is under contract to purchase an adjacent home, which they may tear down, use for an office, or for secret service. To see photos of that property, read more.

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Coveted Crib: 90 Years and Still Stylin'

CasaSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 05:00:05 -0800

At 90 years of age, Dallas socialite Betty ("Boop") Blake and arbiter of art is redecorating (reupholstering) with longtime friend and design collaborator Joseph Minton. Her mid-century modern mid-rise apartment lends itself as a showcase for notable works of art by Josef Albers, Joan Miró, Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, and others, as well as for perhaps more notable pieces designed by another old friend of hers, legendary British interior designer Syrie Maugham.
To hear more about and see photos of Blake's home, read more.

In the D Magazine article about Blake's home, Minton declined to speculate about the worth of Blake's Maugham pieces (including original, never reupholstered ones), but beats around the bush by saying, "let's just say they are very, very rare." Alongside the modern art and Maugham treasures are Louis XV-style chairs around a 1950s marble-top dining table, a pair of Knoll tables beside a Maison sofa, and a smattering of grand antique hand-me-downs from Blake's mother's estate. Of this unorthodox mixture, Blake poses, "because having all of only one thing would be dull, don't you think?" A bona fide art connoisseur, Blake opened the Betty McLean Gallery in Preston Center, Texas in 1951, which was the state's first contemporary art gallery. She has also lent "tremendous support to regional artists and museums." While her relationship with the art world may explain her inclination to redecorate, she inspires us all by asking, "Is there ever a time not to enjoy good design?"

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Coveted Crib: Judy Aldridge's Textured Texas Home

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:00:40 -0700

It's no secret that fashion designer Judy Aldridge (mother of Jane, the high school "It" girl fashion blogger, aka Sea of Shoes) has a passion for design - take a gander at her blog, Atlantis Home. Each ensemble she puts on is more innovative than the next. So, it comes as no surprise that her home is equally chic. After spotting some stunning furnishings in the background of one of Jane's photos, I was determined to get a peak at the fashion-centric family's Texas digs. As it turns out, the Aldridge home is more crave worthy than I imagined.

After a divorce, Aldridge snatched up a home in Trophy Club, Texas that had great bones including cathedral ceilings and a big galley kitchen. Before dressing it to the nines, she had to do some major gut work. "There were railings everywhere, like a country-Western bar; beige carpet; creepy, hideous ceiling fans with little flowers painted on them," she told Dallas News. With a base of white walls and pretty sealed floors, she curated a mix of Pottery Barn upholstery, vintage finds, and some designer pieces (including Philippe Starck's Louis Ghost Chairs and Verner Panton's S Chair). Overall the design is heavily white and natural in tone, with plenty of texture thanks to fur accessories and well-worn wood. Aldridge was really disciplined in designing in her home and it paid off: the result is utterly relaxing, chic, and full of personal style. Take a look when you read more.

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Designer Spotlight: Gary Spain

CasaSugar — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:00:44 -0700

San Francisco-based interior stylist Gary Spain creates eclectic interiors that take inspiration from unexpected sources. Indeed, in the current issue of California Home+Design, he notes that, "When I’m on a project, I’m really inspired by everything I see."

Spain's interiors mix high- and low-end finds, global influences, and showstopper new and vintage pieces. This aesthetic can be seen on this month's cover of California Home+Design, where he combines French Provençal chairs, original art, vintage high-end pieces, and a CB2 pendant lamp to create a lively, welcoming living room.

Spain, who previously worked as a creative director and photo stylist in Dallas, TX, has lived in San Francisco for four years, where he works for editorial photos shoots, advertising shoots, and catalogs, concentrating on styling and interior design. In the magazine, he explains his aesthetic by saying “I find interesting, weird things and make them work. I want people to walk in and be wowed. I like to create spaces that make people think." For more pictures of his work, read more.

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Casa Verde: Texas Approves Wind Power Superhighway

CasaSugar — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:30:00 -0700

According to an Associated Press article, Texas has preliminarily approved "a $4.9 billion plan to build new transmission lines to carry wind-generated electricity from gusty West Texas to urban areas like Dallas," and "build a slew of new turbines." The Lone Star State already stands as the nation's leader in wind power, generating about 5,000 megawatts with the nearly 4,000 wind turbines already in place, but a lack of transmission lines has prevented that energy from being used. The new plan will mobilize about 18,000 megawatts, "enough to power more than 4 million Texas homes." Texas electric customers will see a $3-4 price increase on their monthly bills, but it is likely to be offset by lower energy prices. The plan awaits final approval later this year, and the lines won't be ready for use for three to five years. It looks like Chicago may no longer be "the Windy City" . . .
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This Just In: Bombay Company to Close All US Stores

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:24:43 -0700

According to Dallas News, the home furnishing stores of the Bombany Company, Inc. are going out of business across the US The retailer filed for bankruptcy in September and plans to sell its remaining US inventory to Gordon Bros. Retail Partners and Hilco Merchant Resources, who will shut down the U.S. stores and keep the Canadian shops open. If the courts approve the bankruptcy filing, there could be going-out-of-business sales as early as next week. The retailer operates about 400 stores in the US and Canada, selling home accessories, wall decor, and furniture. We'll keep you posted if any stellar sales come up. This news comes as a bit of a surprise because Bombay, which started in 1978, has been experiencing significant growth since 2000, including launching a kids store in Dallas in '02 and reporting a 38% increase in fiscal earnings in '03. But, we all know a lot can happen in 4 years...
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