CasaSugar

Casa Verde: Cameron and Cameron Talk (and Walk) Green

CasaSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 11:00:31 -0800

I have yet to catch an episode of Sundance's Iconoclasts series, which pairs celebrities or leading innovators from two different industries to chat about their passions and creative processes. But, after seeing some clips of season four, which couples long-time environmental advocate Cameron Diaz and Architecture for Humanity cofounder Cameron
Sinclair, I think I've been wooed. This season, the series follows the two to New Orleans and Biloxi, MS, to take in the environmental impact of Hurricane Katrina. While Diaz may be an eco-conscious gal, she's not exactly an expert, so Sinclair, whose global organization works to find sustainable architectural solutions to humanitarian crises, is really the force in this pairing. It's refreshing to see him getting some face time and interesting to hear his perspective on an environment which has been so monumentally devastated.

To see a clip of this show, read more.

I'm curious now if anyone over at Sundance has a personal connection to New Orleans and a strong interest in architecture. If you remember, the network also has a series called Architecture School, which follows a group of students from Tulane University's prestigious School of Architecture as they compete for the chance to design an affordable home in Katrina-devastated New Orleans. Regardless, I'm happy to see that both Sinclair and the city of New Orleans are receiving some attention.

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Ron Arad Exhibit Opens at MoMA

CasaSugar — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:00:05 -0700

From Aug. 2 through Oct. 19, catch a new exhibition highlighting the work of designer Ron Arad at the MoMA in New York. Ron Arad: No Discipline showcases the work of this powerhouse designer. From chandeliers to architectural spaces and furniture, Arad's unwillingness to stay within one design discipline has helped him to succeed in many.

Paola Antonelli, the MoMA's senior curator notes that:

Arad is well known for his iconoclastic disregard for disciplines - and, at least apparently, for discipline. He has defined much of the current panorama of design, inspiring a generation of practitioners who disregard established modes of practice in favor of mutant design careers that are flexible enough to encompass the range of contemporary design applications, from interactions and interfaces to furniture and shoes.

To find out more about the exhibition, and to see some of Arad's commercially available work, read more.

Featuring around 140 of Arad's industrial designs, studio pieces, and architecture, the exhibit showcases the designer's mastery of different mediums, including fiberoptics, thermoplastics, aluminum, and steel. Check out his iconic designs, as well as some you've never seen before. The exhibit moves to Paris in the Fall.

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Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 10:30:51 -0800

Protect yourself with nine steps for keeping your home safe during the holidays.
Be sure to take my quiz to enter to win a $1,000 perfect holiday table from west elm!
Make your shopping a cinch with my gift guides.
Check out the authentic look of HBO's True Blood.
Cameron Diaz and Cameron Sinclair are Iconoclasts who talk and walk green.
Leonardo DiCaprio is going green by trading his Malibu pad for this NYC one.
Top Design's Ondine Karady is my latest Designer Spotlight.

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Casa Shops: Timorous Beasties

CasaSugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:00:03 -0800

Lately, I've been showing you some cool lamps that have been sporting dullsville shades. I was thrilled to recently spot a cure to this problem with a wow-factor pink-and-brown patterned shade in the recent Casa Cravings, submitted by TeamSugar member Freshpink. The shade is from the Glasgow, Scotland-based store Timorous Beasties.

To find out more about this store, and to see some of their great products, just read more.

The name Timorous Beasties comes from the Robert Burns poem. "To a Mouse."

Noted for its surreal and provocative textiles and wallpapers, the design studio Timorous Beasties was founded in Glasgow in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons, who had met while studying textile design at Glasgow School of Art. By depicting uncompromisingly contemporary images on traditional textiles and wallpapers, Timorous Beasties has defined an iconoclastic style of design once described as “William Morris on acid.”