CasaSugar

What You're Wanting, Revealed: An Outdoor Dining Room For Adrian's Castle

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:00:54 -0800

For the latest what you're wanting, I asked you how you'd furnish, accessorize, and style an outdoor dining room for Adrian Brody and Spanish girlfriend Elsa Pataky's stone castle-like house in upstate New York. The house is stunning, so I'm sure a basic picnic in the grass would still be glamorous, but AudreyStar really took the challenge and ran with it. So she wins the Sugar swag of her choice as a reward! Not only did she choose colors and materials that created a cohesive space, but she thought about all of the details of what a great outdoor space should have, including everything from lounge seating to festive napkin rings. To see her look, read more.

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What You're Wanting: An Outdoor Dining Room For Adrian's Castle

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:00:35 -0800

As I recently shared with you, Adrian Brody and Spanish girlfriend Elsa Pataky are putting down roots in a stone castle-like house in upstate New York. The photos, which were splashed across the pages of Hello!, are pretty over the top with the lovey-dovey behavior between the two, but the building itself is fascinating.

While Giorgio Armani apparently designed the interiors, I figure that no castle is truly complete without a fit-for-a-king outdoor dining area. So, for the latest What You're Wanting, I want to know how you'd furnish, accessorize, and style an outdoor dining room for this home. Would you throw down some rugs? Use indoor furniture outdoors? Would you use curtains as a Moroccan-inspired tent?

Add all the finds to your ShopStyle Living stylebook, and create a look tagged with the phrase Brody's Castle. Private message me if you have any questions. Oh, and as extra incentive, I'll give some Sugar schwag away to my favorite look!

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Home Depot to Launch Exclusive Martha Stewart Living Brand

CasaSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:00:11 -0700

Home Depot and Martha Stewart Living have announced a plan to develop an exclusive Martha Stewart Living line of home improvement products including outdoor living, home organization, and home décor items for Home Depot's stores. Like Martha's other products, you can expect them to be traditionally stylish and good quality, but they will also be affordable. Both design teams are working side by side to create a collection that makes coordinating décor and design during home improvement projects easy. You can look for the line's outdoor living products, such as patio dining sets ($399-1,999), in stores beginning in January 2010, followed by home organization items, such as closet organization systems, in February.

It's no surprise to see Martha Stewart expanding her brand to another store - she's practically on her way to world domination. But it is curious to see Home Depot taking on a designer name. Designer capsule collections is something we've seen with other big retailers like Target, Macy's, Rooms to Go, and HSN, but it's a first to see Home Depot headed in that direction. It's also exciting! Especially since Home Depot is a national brand, and a one-stop shop for home improvement products, it will be a treat to find some stylish décor there.

Open House: Do You Decorate Your Outdoor Spaces?

CasaSugar — Sat, 02 May 2009 08:30:54 -0700

As much as I love the designs of outdoor rugs these days, I feel like they're more trouble than they're worth. I know they can all be hosed off and left to dry in the sun, but that's more effort than I'd like to put in. People have been entertaining and hanging out on their hardwood decks for decades, and I've never heard any complaints - OK, I did get a splinter once.

I've seen outdoor spaces accessorized just like living rooms with accent pillows and throws, and while I appreciate the effort, it's just too much. Beyond some comfortable lounge chairs and an outdoor dining table, I don't need much to keep me happy. Sure, I wouldn't mind having an outdoor kitchen, but if I ever do, there won't be a cutesy paper towel holder in sight.
How about you? What's your limit when it comes to outdoor décor? Do you keep it simple and functional? Or do you like to decorate it more like your interiors?

Summer Style: Sam's Wine Country Shack

CasaSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:00:06 -0700

While I wanted to love Bottle Shock, the film about California's vineyards featuring the blind Paris wine tasting of 1976, I had mixed feelings about the movie. However, I had nothing but love for the decidedly rustic digs that Sam (Rachel Taylor) inhabited on the Chateau Montelena vineyard.

While I can't imagine anyone actually living this exposed to the elements (at the very least some mosquito netting would've helped), I do love the overall effect of the building.

For some of my favorite decorating ideas from Sam's wine country shack, read more.

I loved the use of antique furniture in Sam's digs, especially the rocking chair and the iron bed frame. The al fresco wine tasting, shown below, also inspired me to eat out of doors on every sunny evening this Summer. The lack of rugs or busy textiles emphasizes the austere, uncomplicated look of this old, dilapidated building, putting the emphasis on the outdoors. In your own home, cut back on heavy Winter rugs and blankets, and take a cue from Sam by covering your bed with a white or light-colored blanket or duvet cover.

Try also moving some indoor furniture out of doors for an impromptu dinner or gathering. There's something absolutely magical about seeing a table normally reserved for the dining room out on a lawn or a porch.
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Casa Quickie: Let's Take This Outside

CasaSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Attractive outdoor furniture is often expensive, and affordable outdoor furniture is tacky more often than not. But, if you're a country dweller with a beautiful backyard, you shouldn't let it sit unused this Summer. Considering bringing your indoor furniture outdoors when you're entertaining. Obviously, you don't want to lug your heavy dining table outdoors whenever you want to eat, so pick up a Folding Melamine Banquet Table ($42) from Staples and a Summery table cloth that you love. Then, have each of your guests bring their dining chair outdoors from your dining room. Instant chic dinner party!
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In The News: Where the Sidewalk Ends

CasaSugar — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 04:30:02 -0700

If you've ever lived in a large city, such as New York or Los Angeles, you know that space is at a premium, especially outdoor space. Yards are virtually unheard of, so what's a gal to do when she wants to dine al fresco? Why, take it outside - out to the sidewalk, that is. In a recent New York Times article, "The Dining Room Takes to the Streets," writer Penelope Green looks at a group of rather atypical rebels who assert their elbow room by dining on the sidewalks outside their homes or even in nooks atop the Brooklyn Bridge.

It turns out that hauling your dining table and chairs onto a sidewalk is actually perfectly legal. Janette Sadik-Khan, commissioner of the Department of Transportation, says, “Public space is the glue that holds our city together and makes it worth living in . . . I always say the streets are the living rooms, so I guess that makes the sidewalks the front porches. We’re trying to remove the barriers to enjoying that space. The D.O.T.’s priority is safety. If someone wants to use the sidewalk for a casual dinner, they just have to be considerate of the neighbors.”

Andrew Henderson for the New York Times

On the Market: Matthew Perry's Former Pad

CasaSugar — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:00:06 -0700

Are you a Friends fan with an eye for modern real estate? Then you're in luck because, according to Big Time, the 8,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, five-bath Beverly Hills former home of Matthew Perry is on the market for $12.5 million.The listing for the property reads:

"Lautner-esque" Modern estate at the end of quiet cul-de-sac in Trousdale. Poliform kitchen opens to family room, which spills out to sizable back yard with large lawn, outdoor cooking & dining, and infinity pool & spa. Sensational city-to-ocean views can also be enjoyed from lavish master suite with Poliform closet and 2-story high living room. State-of-the-art Crestron system controls luxurious, advanced 14-person, tiered screening room, as well as most other automated features of the house.

To hear about Perry's real estate portfolio and see many more photos, read more.

Perry purchased the property in 1999 for $2.9 million, and sold it in 2005 for $6.1 million. This Spring, he purchased a modern three-bedroom in LA for $4.5 million. And this Summer he paid $883,000 for a modest fixer-upper in LA's Studio City. It's clear that Perry is a modern man who loves to shop the market. While this industrial modern estate isn't quite my taste, it's certainly quite dramatic and architecturally stunning. I'd love to spend a weekend there, or even a few months . . . and pretend to be Marcia Brady with a trust fund.

View 31 Photos ›

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On the Market: Jamie Foxx's Slightly Dull Tarzana Manse

CasaSugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:30:03 -0700

Actor Jamie Foxx, who has been trying to sell his three-bedroom, 5,428-square-foot house in Los Angeles’ Tarzana area since April, is still asking $2.3 million for the house. Built in 1949, the home is located on approximately 3/4 of an acre and features a game room, pool and pool house, master suite with private entrance, media theater, gourmet kitchen with SubZero and Wolf appliances, and a dining area with an aquarium. The house was purchased by Foxx in 1997 for $930,000, so it seems to me as if there's a significant markup on these slightly dull digs.

The listing states:

This three-bedroom, three-and-a-quarter bath estate at the foot of Braemar Country Club and Santa Monica Conservatory has just been freshened to a crisp finish and includes media theater, soundproofed rooms and orchestral wiring used as recording studio and vocal booth, game room, sports court, gym, pool, pool house, great room, outdoor living deck, motor court for about 10 cars, all tucked away behind a secluded wall . . . .

If by "freshened to a crisp finish" they mean "homogenized to within an inch of its life," I'd have to agree with the listing. For an actor who's given such powerful, intricately developed performances in movies such as Ray, I expected something a little more nuanced from Foxx's home. And if this is the fault of the staging crew, then I say for shame - there is absolutely nothing interesting about this house, from the suspiciously West Elm-like panel curtains in the living room to the outdated, harsh recessed lighting in the game room, I'm a bit disappointed. Maybe Foxx fled to his new Mediterranean villa in Thousand Oaks out of boredom from this home. Do you agree, or am I a little harsh on this expansive, yawn-worthy house? Take a look at the gallery and then let me know.

View 14 Photos ›

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In the News: An Inspiring Outdoor Space

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:15:28 -0700

Since Summer is soon on its way, it's natural to think about creating functional, beautiful outdoor spaces where you can entertain and relax. In a recent LA Times article by Debra Prinzing, a family does just this, using repurposed, recycled, and found objects. Greta and Mike Jarvis, along with their daughter Annika, were tired of the awkward, unused backyard at their Manhattan Beach home, so Greta, an adept flea marketer, decided to transform their 30-x-40-foot backyard into something more family friendly. They started by getting rid of a small, underused grassy area, as well as their unused hot tub. By expanding the doors that led to the backyard, they also made the space more accessible.

To see what materials they used, read more.

Bougainvillea and a trumpet vine were planted on salvaged trellises, and handmade Mexican chairs were upholstered in weather-resistant, colorful fabric. Antique planters and hanging containers hold geraniums and other plants. A horse trough was repurposed as a fountain, with antique spigots spilling water into the trough. The family also built a wood-burning fireplace from stucco and a rusted grain bin that became a chimney. The backyard also features an outdoor dining room - perfect for the balmy climate.

I find the Jarvis's outdoor space inspiring, and it makes me think about some of the small changes I want to make in my own yard. Do you admire it as well? Find out more of their easy-to-copy ideas over at the LA Times.

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