CasaSugar

Home Library: Majestic Metropolitan Living

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:00:10 -0800

Just a week after the fold of Metropolitan Home, I've got my hands on another city-centric design volume: Sue Hostetler's new book Majestic Metropolitan Living: Visionary Homes in the Heart of Cities. The shelter and design editor for magazines like Gotham, Hamptons, and LA Confidential, and the host of Plum Homes With Sue Hostetler on Plum TV (which "targets the most active, influential, and educated audience in the world"), Hostetler has tapped her cronies for tours of their unique and luxe urban dwellings.

The American dream of retiring to the pool and tennis courts in your countryside home is squashed by this book, which showcases a range of sprawling, real-life city homes. Each has an original sense of style, a warmth that defies traditional conceptions of "cold urban modernism," spectacular views, and in several cases, an outdoor space complete with a pool or lush garden. Many of the homes were created, not surprisingly, by converting former warehouses or other nonresidential buildings, or combining apartments.

Continue reading . . .

Home Library: Downtown Chic

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:47 -0700

No academic course will teach you how to give a derelict house a gut renovation and turn it into a fantastically unique, high-style home. That skill comes with experience and serious design savvy, something which Robert and Cortney Novogratz accidentally learned they had.

After renovating their first home in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood 10 years ago, which then was a neglected, not-so-fashionable area, they realized they had a knack for building and decorating, together. Since then, they've renovated and designed numerous buildings in and around NYC, including an entire block in SoHo and a house in the country, and founded their own design powerhouse, Sixx Design. As a memoir of sorts chronicling seven of the couple's projects, the Novogratz clan - did I mention they have seven children? - published Downtown Chic: Designing Your Dream Home, From Wreck to Ravishing. Hear my thoughts on the volume when you read more.

The first seven chapters of the book each cover a house the Novogratz couple have renovated, including lots of before and after shots. The duo offer advice learned from each experience, such as how to handle contractors, tips for buying a wreck, how to make your house renter-friendly, and how to mix high- and low-cost furnishings.

While the book jacket says each project proves "time and again you can bring charm to any four walls - and do so affordably," it actually just left me with a sense of envy, and with the reminder that the word "affordable" is all relative. The pair do have a knack for flea marketing and using vintage artifacts and architectural treasures in a unique way, but having the time to do so is a luxury in itself.

The book is full of tips like taming bold colors with neutral furnishings and mixing modern pieces with regional furnishings that in theory are helpful and affordable. But in reality it's the Cappellini coffee table, the luxuriously upholstered bed frame, and the couple's extensive collection of artwork that make me want to "get the Downtown Chic look."

This book is definitely a treat to read. It offers a sneak peek into one family's wonderful life as well as lots of inspiration, but in all likelihood, it won't solve the everyman's design woes. But then again, I guess you can hire Sixx to do that for you.

Home Library: Style and Substance

CasaSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:00:59 -0700

For 20 years, Elle Decor's chic issues have offered readers ideas and inspiration for their homes. I've been collecting a giant stack of dog-eared Elle Decor issues for the last 10 years, so I'm excited to announce that the best of the magazine can now be found in Style and Substance ($45) by Margaret Russell and the editors of Elle Decor. I was thrilled to receive a (personally autographed!) copy of Style and Substance in my mailbox, and couldn't wait to review the book.
To hear what I think, and to get a sneak peek at some of the chic interiors featured in the book, read more.

The book's 240 pages are an embarrassment of interior decorating riches. Featuring inside peeks of the homes of everyone from Miles Redd and Sarah Jessica Parker to Yves Saint Laurent and Monique Lhuillier, there's plenty of inspiration to be found. Hundreds of spaces are featured, and each chapter is relegated to a different room, including living rooms; libraries and home offices; dining rooms; kitchens; bedrooms and boudoirs; bathrooms; children’s rooms; and terraces, gardens, and pools. Besides gorgeous images, the book also offers smart decorating tips as well as a source book that features Elle Decor editors' favorite shopping websites and stores. Style and Substance is a wonderful resource for armchair decorators of any style. With homes that range in style from bohemian to classic, there's something for everyone here. Margaret Russell writes in the introduction that

[Elle Decor's] most beloved design characteristics? Personality, passion, joie de vivre, and flair. It's true, our most dazzling stories feature people with fearless style who don't care what others think - and those who are curious, confident, and cosmopolitan will always find a place in our pages. We believe that luxury needn’t be expensive, and there’s no reason affordable furnishings shouldn’t be chic. And when offered a choice, we’ll take a bit of patina and wear and tear over brand-spanking-new decor every time.

I think that this is a timely decorating philosophy, and while we may not all be able to afford a marble-clad master bath or a custom-designed bejeweled chandelier, we can all aspire to create a more beautiful, confident, and chic home, and with Russell's tips, now it's a lot easier to do just that.

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Home Library: A Girl's Guide to Decorating

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 09:00:07 -0700

When I think of interior designer and stylist Abigail Ahern, who also owns one of London's leading interiors stores, there are a few things that come to mind. One is the Neo Baroque Chandelier in her collection - one of the most breathtaking and showstopping pieces I have ever come across. And the other is her perfected and signature use of Farrow & Ball's "Downpipe" paint from floor to ceiling - which inspired my own gray(-ish) kitchen. And last, her playful use of both scale and vibrant colors, evident in both her own home (which you can tour here) and her sister's, which was featured in the New York Times. What this all adds up to is that the girl's got serious design skills.

So it's no surprise that Ahern's new book, A Girl's Guide to Decorating, is filled with plenty of inspiring and helpful design advice, not to mention gorgeous photos. Want to hear about it? Then read more.

The book covers a few of the fundamentals of decorating, including planning, color, light, texture, and accents, what she calls "glamorous personal touches."

When it comes to planning, some of her tips may feel irrelevant if you're not doing any renovating, but overall her advice will apply to renters and homeowners alike, with words on arranging multi-use rooms and using different types of mirrors to your advantage.

Throughout the book, Ahern offers tried-and-true how-to advice on things like putting up shelves, hanging mirrors, and making over your kitchen cabinets - task that are never as easy they seem. This might be my favorite element of the book.

As for those glamorous touches, she advocates using eccentric and rare finds and mixing-and-matching to give your home that X-factor. She offers various routes for arranging display items on a shelf, as well as artwork and pictures. And to finish it off, she recommends switching out door handles and drawer knobs.

Since we might not all be sold on "Down Pipe," Ahern considers the effects of colors warm and cool on your mood, and attempts to conquer the query of good vs. bad color combinations. Color, as you know, is a personal, subjective choice, but Ahern manages to handle it analytically. With so many swatch options out there, this is a relief. Beyond that, she gets down to the bottom of paint finishes and their effects, which can be illuminating for some of us.

She continues this combination of technical, practical advice mixed with her own design tips through her chapters on light and texture. And all the while, she pulls easy and universally affordable style advice from the photographs of dozens of beautiful, unique rooms - including the home of former Domino editor Rita Konig. This terrific tome is equal parts informative and inspiring, and both are bound to help even a "dude" decorator.

ELLE Decor Gears Up For the Launch of Style and Substance

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:15:37 -0700

It's a big month for ELLE Decor. Not only is it the magazine's 20th anniversary, but Oct. 28 marks the official launch of the new book Style and Substance: The Best of Elle Decor, written by editor-in-chief Margaret Russell (below). So on Tuesday the magazine held a special event for 600 of the design elite on the third floor of Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan. The guest list included amazing designers from interiors to art to fashion, including Bunny Williams, Michael Smith (Obama's decorator), Alexa Hampton, Jeffrey Bilhuber, and Mario Buatta. And Bergdorf's also created a special commemorative window for the event, which you can see below if you're not in the Big Apple to pass by it.

I've been collecting a giant stack of dog-eared ELLE Decor issues for the last 10 years, so I cannot wait to get my hands on this book, which condenses the best of the magazine's timeless interiors into one much more manageable volume! The book (which you can pre-order) is already number one in the interior design category on Amazon, and 240 pages overall, so I suspect it'll be worth the hype! See some more photos from the event below.

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Cool Idea: Books by the Foot

CasaSugar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:00:26 -0700

I am on a never-ending quest to expand my home library, and fortunately my home is small enough that I'm not plagued with any bare bookcases giving guests the illusion that I'm illiterate. But, if I did live in a sprawling space with lots of storage, why not fill those built-ins with books? Enter Wonder Book, which sells books by the foot. Prices for "like new" hardback books begin at $6.99 per foot. Depending on what look you're trying to achieve, or what you're interested in, you can choose from modern cloth hardbacks, vintage club books, oversized coffee-table books, vintage kids books, sets, books by subject, books by color, and more. I love the look of the Vintage Club Books ($49.99). I would prefer a collection of books I've bought one by one myself, so that they're not only decorative functional, and so the collection tells a story. But you never know, maybe you'll find a gem around foot 2.

Ask Casa: Books on Spanish Colonial Architecture

CasaSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:00:58 -0700

Hello Casa,

My dream is to buy or build a Spanish Colonial home for myself one day. I was wondering if you could recommend some books on this architectural style for me. Some coffee table books would be fine, or something on the construction of the homes too and interior design . . . anything at all I would greatly appreciate. I also remember that you wrote a post about Reese Witherspoon and that her new house was a Spanish Colonial. That house was absolutely lovely too. Thank you in advance!

Always, PeachyKeen19
To hear my suggestions for PeachyKeen19, read more.

Hi PeachyKeen,

Thanks for thinking of me! I'm with you on this one; Spanish Colonial is one of my favorite styles of residential architecture as well. This is especially true of homes with original architectural details. There are a few books I think might be right up your alley.

Haciendas ($34.95) by Linda Leigh Paul, from Rizzoli Press (one of my favorites), highlights the interiors and exteriors of 25 Spanish Colonial homes, both traditional and modern, in Mexico and the US, and will give you a broad overview of the style. This book is quite photography-heavy, with 250 rich photos, but I think this is key for understanding the architectural elements. It also gives a great historical background on the style, with information on the hacienda's origin as homes for Spanish nobility, up to newer styles today throughout the US.
Spanish-Colonial Architecture in the United States ($16.95) by Rexford Newcomb traces Spanish architecture throughout the US, including Florida, the Gulf Coast, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California. This book is a must-have reference, much more text-heavy than the former, although it is illustrated with 195 photographs and 50 measured drawings. Newcomb is a distinguished architectural historian who's written several books on various styles of architecture. This book is well-documented (no fluff here), and offers a range of perspective views, detailed close-ups, measured front elevations, and floor plans to get down to the grit of the style.
Another title out of Rizzoli Press, California Romantica: Spanish Colonial and Mission-Style Houses ($40.95) is co-authored by actress Diane Keaton and LA-native D.J. Waldie. In architectural circles, Diane Keaton is praised for her preservation of historic California homes, and considered a committed preservationist. California is basically the hub of Spanish Colonial architecture in the US, so this is a must-read even if you plan to live elsewhere. The book features residential examples of both California Mission and Spanish Colonial styles, and introduces you to influential architects like George Washington Smith, Wallace Neff, Richard Requa, Lilian Rice, and Paul R. Williams.

Beyond that, with her cinematic eye, Keaton made a point to specially commission the photography for this book, so the photos alone are must-see. The book also gives you a tour of Keaton's own Spanish-style home, which I've actually written about before.

Hope that helps! And good luck finding your dream home.

Cheers,
Casa

Source

Home Library: To Each His Home

CasaSugar — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 05:30:00 -0800

In a rare place where eclectic is the norm, where the title "interior designer" is alien, and flea markets and thrift stores replace big box and e-commerce retailers, To Each His Home ($45) by Bilyana Dimitrova would be the go-to design book. But, in a climate where design trends rule many of us, where finding one-of-a-kind, well-loved artifacts takes more effort than swooping up the hottest decorative accessory, Dimitrova's book isn't a design guide but simply a refreshing reminder that
our houses speak for ourselves, for better or worse. To see the rest of my review, read more.

For the eight free-spirited, creative types spotlighted in this book, their homes speak louder than others. From the colorful photographs of an accomplished architectural photographer and the multi-topic, meandering interviews with each homeowner (or renter), come clear portraits not only of idiosyncratic spaces, each more distinct than the next, but of people who couldn't exist anywhere but the homes they've created. You might find that the waterfront cottage and totem pole of a Native American or the creative city escape of a musician and a marionette maker don't inspire you, but that's the point. In your own habitat, you can coin your own how-to book. This book won't offer you any design tips, but it'll call on you to let your freak flag (or totem pole) fly.

Home Library: Stencil101

CasaSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:30:31 -0800

Growing up, I remember visiting many homes whose walls were stenciled with cabbage roses and ivy. These shabby chic delights were never my preference, even as a kid, but I did admire the technique of stenciling. Years later, stenciling became an integral part of graffiti culture, and Shepherd Fairey's Obey stencil, which he created nearly 20 years ago, launched an army of Obey stencils graffitied across the country.

Now, graphic designer Ed Roth is bringing stencils back to the home front. Roth, who founded Stencil1 in Brooklyn in 2005, makes reusable stencils that look perfectly at home on a kitchen wall or a pillowcase. His designs have been covered by ReadyMade, The New York Times, and featured on The Martha Stewart Show.

To hear about Roth's new book, read more.

With Stencil101: Make Your Mark With 25 Reusable Stencils and Step-by-Step Instructions ($24.95), Roth has made his iconic stencils available to the general public. The book contains 25 reusable card-stock laminated stencils, and directions simple enough for even the extreme novice to master. While some of the stencils are more suited for a teenager's room (think: cassette tapes, gorilla heads), others are very design-savvy, and would look lovely in any number of rooms of your home. If you're a home DIYer looking to add some simple, cheap style to your home, I highly recommend this book.

Home Library: French General: Home Sewn

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 07:00:47 -0800

On Project Runway, co-host Tim Gunn's most dismissive comment on a garment was that it looked home sewn. Given this unfavorable recent pop culture reference, it's refreshing to see a beautiful book proudly bearing a title of the same name.

Kaari Meng, owner of the adorable Hollywood crafts and notion store French General, has extended her expertise to the book world with French General: Home Sewn ($24.95). The book takes readers through through 30 projects for the home, from scalloped tablecloths to luxurious toile shower curtains, and makes adding traditional French style to your home pattern-book easy.

To find out about Kaari Meng's book and Hollywood store, as well as to see more photos, read more.

With photography from Jon Zabala that will give you major home lust, the book includes six pattern pages, embroidery transfers, and color photographs, as well as illustrations. Helpful guides outline the difficulty level for each project, and the directions are simple and straightforward. Though this isn't a book the first-time sewer would want to tackle, anyone with basic curtain-making skills could easily excel at most of these projects.

If you're in the Los Angeles area, stop by French General for special events, workshops, or simply some fantastic browsing. And of course, even if you're halfway across the world, you can enjoy some of French General's goodness by browsing products online.

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