CasaSugar

Desire/Acquire: Kartell Stone Stool

CasaSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:00:04 -0700

Designed by Marcel Wanders, the Kartell Stone Stool ($245) has a very precious appearance thanks to its geometrical facets, which reflect light like a Cartier engagement ring. I'm a fan of the stool's hourglass shape, and the range of colors offered allows you to cue the stool to your room's palette. But, like all of Kartell's products, it is made of plastic ("durable polycarbonate"), and at $245, many of you may consider it a splurge. Luckily, there's a more affordable alternative. To see it, read more.

The Prismatic Pedestal Side Table ($74.99) from Overstock maybe be a knock-off, but it could have fooled me! It has the same hourglass shape and faceted surface for a fraction of the price.

Casa Quickie: Easy Album Art

CasaSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 05:30:11 -0700

It's safe to say that most of you buy albums for the tunes, but cover art is a whole other beast in itself, and believe it or not, a lot of time and energy is spent to make it right. So, if there's an album cover that strikes your fancy, I give you permission to pull its spine out from the rows of records on your bookcase and let it shine. Album covers make easy art and look much more precious if you display them in a Lucite album box.

Here, in the Modern by Design showhouse, Gary Hutton transformed the Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers with an affordable box from TAP Plastics. Got any records worthy of becoming décor?

Etsy Find: Lucite Knot Napkin Rings

CasaSugar — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 05:30:14 -0800

If you want to do the earth a favor and use cloth napkins, you should do style a favor and get yourself a set of chic napkin rings. This set of eight Eddie Ross Lucite Napkin Rings ($75) passes the test in my book. Naturally, I adore everything Lucite, but I love that they go with any color palette. They're also transitional enough for any occasion, be it a formal dinner party or Sunday breakfast. Kind of like the LBD of the tabletop! What do you think?

Steal of the Day: Lucite Fold-Away Chair

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:00:44 -0800

You know that anything Lucite catches my eye, so it should come as no surprise that I'm digging this Gracious Home Lucite Fold-Away Chair ($54.99, reduced from $129.99). It's ideal for those of you living in a small space, such as a studio, as it folds away for easy storage, and when it's in use, its visual footprint is light as well. For those of you who entertain often, it's always smart to have some stylish folding chairs stashed away somewhere. At nearly 60 percent off, this is a deal not to be missed.

Casa Shops: Spectrum West

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:30:59 -0800

I just got an email introducing me to a shop called Spectrum West that sells "post modern acrylic furniture and accessories for the modern home decor enthusiast." As you know, I'm an enthusiast of both acrylic furniture and modern décor, so it sounded right up my alley. Spectrum West is a new venture by Spectrum Limited, a company that's been manufacturing high quality acrylic furniture for 25 years. The vast collection includes acrylic dining tables, console tables, coffee tables, chairs, as well as acrylic accessories and pedestals.
To find out more about this company and its furniture, read more.

You'll find many familiar faces in the collection, as certain designs are clearly inspired by classics like the Arne Jacobsen Series 7 Chair (the world's most copied chair), as well as more contemporary pieces like the Essey Illusions Side Table. Though "knock-offs" tend to get a bad rap, it's refreshing to see an iconic design newly envisioned in a transparent material, or a cheerful neon. Spectrum West has plenty of original designs as well, which are worth a gander. The prices are a bit overwhelming though; a set of three basic nesting tables, which you can get at CB2 $199, costs $1,325. I also noticed that in the Spectrum Limited Gallery, their acrylic coffee table (shown above) made its way into the home of Libertine clothing designers Johnson Hartig and Cindy Greene, which was featured in Domino.

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Crave Worthy: Double Alexander Table

CasaSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:00:18 -0700

Life isn't fair. Really, and truly. You know how I love Lucite. And, you know how I love Moroccan design. So, what if the two could become one? The White Webb Double Alexander Table ($2295) is both of those things, with its clean, crisp Lucite material and its exotic Moroccan pointed arches. But sadly it's a little beyond my reach - especially in these turbulent economic times. Okay, technically the table is based on historic Indian designs, but a quick Google image search (and a look back at this Moorish table) will prove me right. And my love for the exotic arches is all the same regardless of their origins.

Crave Worthy: Acrylic Lounge Chair

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:00:55 -0700

Much like the Philippe Starck Louis Ghost Chair, the Aaron R. Thomas Acrylic Lounge Chair ($1,480) takes a modern twist on a design classic by re-envisioning it in acrylic. In this case, the classic is the Molded Plywood Lounge Chair, designed by Charles and Ray Eames in 1946. Maybe classic-gone-acrylic's been done before by Starck, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't go to great lengths to seat this Acrylic Lounge Chair in my living room. And it doesn't mean Thomas doesn't have original designs: he does. A browse through his shop and you'll be tapping into your savings account and hitting up your rich relatives for spending money. Get it quick before it makes its way to the window display of every Design Within Reach store in the country.

This Just In: Alexandra von Furstenberg Unveils Modern Furniture Collection

CasaSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:00:46 -0700

Alexandra von Furstenberg (AVF), the former daughter-in-law of fashion icon Diane von Furstenberg and sister of Pia Getty and Marie-Chantal, crown princess of Greece, recently unveiled a limited-edition collection of modern furniture. The collection is composed of Lucite tables in flourescent pinks, greens, and yellows, including a pair of petite prism-shaped side tables, a slender desk, a hefty, square coffee table, a round, x-based cocktail table, and hefty, console tables. The gem-like designs, which are available exclusively at her Los Angeles gallery that opened in March, have been given equally blingy names, like "Trillion," "Ice," and "Radiant." You might be thinking that AvF is milking her last name for all it's worth, but she herself has a creative background, having relaunched DvF's famous wrap dress, studied at Parsons School of Design, pursued costume design and art history at Brown University, and served as a creative director and director of image for DvF.

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Less or More: Acrylic Tables

CasaSugar — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:33:12 -0800

For the next round of this game, look at each of the acrylic tables in figure A and B and guess which one is more expensive. In each case, one of the tables was designed by one of our Designer Spotlights, and the other is a (very good) knock-off.

Take the quiz

Crave Worthy: Nika Zupanc Maid Chair

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 12:31:12 -0700

I’ve been aching for a certain Lucite chair for a few years now. But, I have to admit that the Nika Zupanc Maid Chair has just surpassed the Phillipe Starck Victoria Ghost Side Chair ($294) as my favorite Polycarbonate seating choice. This beauty is perhaps the offspring of Saarinen and Starck. It’s sexy, fun, well-dressed, and looks good in the living room-much like the French maid it’s inspired by. Plus, for many of us living in a small spaces, the transparent color options of this Maid chair maximize the size of our homes. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the chair is available in stores yet.