CasaSugar

Madonna Wants to Re-Create Her Former English Manor in NYC

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:00:03 -0700

Since her split with Guy Ritchie, Madonna has parked herself in an Upper East Side apartment, moving on from their shared historic estate in Wiltshire, UK, the Ashcombe House. But, according to the Mirror, she misses the English countryside so much that she's asked her architects to re-create her country home room by room in her NYC digs. Let me add that the Mirror is not always the most reliable source, so this news bit still has rumor status.Apparently, she's hired people "to go out and troll the Upper East Side boutiques for candelabras, side tables, and period chaises" and even had the wood floors of her new Georgian-style townhouse "ripped up and replaced with terracotta tiles, similar to Ashcombe." There's even talk of bringing chickens into the Manhattan pad to make her kids feel at home - I'm going to go out on a limb and say that might be stretching the truth. Nevertheless, do you understand where she is coming from? Would you do (or have you done) the same thing? Or do you think she's nuts and should decorate like she lives in Gotham City, not the English countryside?

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On the Market: Madonna's Former Abode

CasaSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:00:21 -0700

Want to feel a little closer to the Material Girl? Then you might want to consider buying an eight-bedroom, nine-bath 1926 Beverly Hills manse that was once owned by Madonna. That is, if you have some millions to spare: the mansion is on the market for nearly $17.5 million.

For more details on the home, and to see more photos, read more.
The property's current owners purchased the 6,458-square-foot Spanish-style home from Madonna for $8.75 million in 2004. Designed by architect Wallace Neff, who also designed the Pickfair Mansion, the gated house features "courtyards, an outdoor fireplace and dining area, a pool, formal gardens, a detached office, and two guesthouses," and was featured in the July 1999 issue of Architectural Digest. Madonna purchased the property for $6.5 million from actress Diane Keaton, who is a well-known property flipper with an interest in historic California homes.

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Home Away From Home: The Madonna Inn

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 05:30:01 -0800

Looking for a kooky, kitschy hotel experience? Then check out San Luis Obispo's own Madonna Inn. This 51-year-old hotel is an absolutely unique experience for visitors, featuring an overwhelming pink color palette and rooms with themes including "Love Nest," "Caveman," and "Portugal."

If you're in the market for a unique wedding reception venue, the Madonna Inn can handle your reception. Fully equipped with a steak house, day spa, convention center, and bar, the Madonna Inn can supply all of your needs - especially if those needs involve gaping at the Swiss-Alps-meets-Old-West decor. One last piece of advice: don't forget to direct your male friends to the rocks and waterfall urinal if they need to take care of business - it's apparently a tourist must-see.

Take the full tour.

Do You Have Your Own Letterhead?

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:00:00 -0800

I came across an awesome Tumblr site called Letterheady that collects and posts vintage letterheads of famous people and companies. The site is really making me appreciate custom letterhead - oh, the good old days! Whether you have something like Madonna's centered script or Houdini's fantastical scroll header and illustrations, custom letterhead is an extra special touch that makes your mail more memorable. Do you have your own?

Madonna's Former Abode

CasaSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:26:25 -0700

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Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 10:30:03 -0700

Jakob Dylan found a buyer for his Spanish-style spread.
Read how Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan describe their Greenwich Village home.
Splendid scallops are the latest trend.
Learn seven steps to becoming your own decorator.
Tord Boontje was named Head of Design Products at the Royal College of Art.
Take a peek at James Bond style throughout the years.
Check out India Hicks's beautiful Harbour Island home.
Madonna wants to re-create her former English manor in NYC.

How Well Do You Know '80s Design?

CasaSugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:18:08 -0800

When most of us look back at the '80s, we see it as a eyesore: big hair, leggings, puffy sleeves, the Bangles. We certainly don't celebrate 1980s fashion design unless sarcastically — with Jacko and Madonna playing in the background. But when you're talking about '80s interior design, there are plenty of things to rave about. So, I want to know how well you know '80s design. Take this quiz to find out!

Question 1 of 7

In 1988, who did nightclub maestro Ian Schrager, former co-owner of Studio 54, hire to redesign the Royalton Hotel in New York, effectively launching the first "boutique hotel?"

This Just In: Versace to Design NYC Clock Tower Interiors

CasaSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 14:00:46 -0700

Donatella Versace has been contracted to redesign the interiors of Manhattan's Clock Tower Building on 5th Avenue, according to the New York Observer. Once the MetLife building, the Clock Tower is being transformed into a 55-unit condo building by international holding and investment company, Africa Israel. Rotem Rosen, the company's CEO, told the Observer that the building is shaping up to be "the highest-end residential building in New York." He said, "the whole interior design of [the Clock Tower will be] Versace, from the lobby to the spa to the restaurant designed specifically by Donatella herself. Everything inside will be 100-percent Versace design." The building's restaurant club will be the world's first designed specifically by Donatella, and the rest of the building will be designed by the Versace Group.There's more to learn about this luxe megaplex, so read more.

The units have yet to be sold (or constructed) but Africa Israel is expecting a lot of excitement from Russians, who make up a lot their client base and love Versace as well as "top celebrities." Aside from Donatella Versace herself and her daughter, he declined to comment on which celebrities had plans to live there, but he did say, "To give you an idea we connected with Versace through Guy Oseary." Guy Oseary is the CEO of Maverick Records and a talent manager, whose clients include Madonna, Lenny Kravitz, Katharine McPhee, and Alex Rodriguez.

According to Reuters, "Africa Israel paid $200 million for the Clock Tower building last year," and the "completed complex is expected to be worth about $1 billion." The penthouse alone will be over 10,700 square feet. Yowsers! Tell me, would you like your pad to be designed by Versace?
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Coveted(?) Crib: Palazzo Chupi

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 06:00:22 -0800

When artist Julian Schnabel unveiled the facade of his West Village building last Summer, New Yorkers howled in protest over the overtly hot-pink shade. Schnabel, most recently in the news for his directorial turn on The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, has definitely translated his imaginative aesthetic into the world of architecture, and despite the eye-popping initial color of the building, known as Palazzo Chupi, I have to admit I like the place, especially after seeing the interior photos (and no, the building isn't that pink in real life).

To see what Palazzo Chupi looks like on the inside, just read more.

One of the building's three-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom apartments is selling for $27 million, according to The New York Times real estate listing. The listing describes the property as

influenced by the scale and finishes of European palazzos and the character of Stanford White's cottage architecture, 360 West 11th Street, designed by Julian Schnabel, is New York's most unique residence. These homes have an atmosphere and aura unmatched in the city.

Vanity Fair's March issue has additional photos of the home, including an absolutely covetable basement pool with wooden-clad walls. I love this apartment's sunny rooms, oversized fireplaces, beamed ceilings, and handmade details, such as bronze door handles. Granted, if I actually had $27 million I'd likely spend it on something else than Palazzo Chupi, but it's fun to think about what it might be like to live in this place. Especially since, as Ingrid Sischy writes in Vanity Fair "Bono, Johnny Depp, Martha Stewart, Hugh Jackman, and Madonna have all checked out the remaining residences for sale, at prices ranging from $27 million to $32 million." Who knows who your neighbor might be if you moved into Palazzo Chupi?

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This Just In: Vogue Living Book Released

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 06:03:44 -0700

Today is the release date of Vogue Living: Houses, Gardens, People, a book written by Vogue Editor Hamish Bowles draws on stories that have appeared in the pages of Vogue and Vogue Living over the past two decades, along with never-before-published images. The book features photographs by celebrity photographers like Annie Leibowitz, Mario Testino, and Bruce Weber, and gives us a sneak peek into the coveted homes of celebrity style-makers like Madonna, Oscar de la Renta, and Karl Lagerfeld. I don't know about you, but I'm already halfway to the bookstore to pick up my long-awaited copy.