CasaSugar

The New Yorker Profiles Kelly Wearstler

CasaSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:00:06 -0700

The “presiding grande dame of West Coast interior design,” Kelly Wearstler, is featured in a six-page profile in the Sept. 14 issue of The New Yorker.

I've always considered Wearstler (pronounced "Worst-ler") an enigma - wife of a hotel mogul, author, Top Design judge, crimped-hair enthusiast, Southern belle, ex-Playboy model - but her design skill is irrefutable. So, it was interesting to read about how the girl who grew up in a cluttered Myrtle Beach home decorated in a "blowsy Provincial style" became the face of ornate, layered, over-the-top Hollywood Regency style.

"You don’t hire her for her subtlety, you hire her for what her critics call ‘muchness'," said a client. Her style, as it turns out, is governed more by instinct than intellect: "I don't have time to think things through a lot. I just do how it feels," she says. I was also intrigued to hear that she thinks of herself as having "a very European sensibility" that's "well travelled, collected." Pick up a copy to read the full text or read an abstract online.

Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan Describe Their Greenwich Village Home

CasaSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 12:00:27 -0700

Most of us describe our homes in fairly generic terms, tossing out "modern," "traditional with a twist," or "relaxed Regency," if pressed for a characterization. Well, leave it to Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan to turn dull description on its head.
To hear how they describe their home, read more.

In the June 22 issue of the New Yorker, Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan take writer Ariel Levy through a tour of their Greenwich Village apartment. While there weren't any photos of the apartment, the quotes were vibrant enough to paint quite the picture of their home (and if you're curious, check out these 2005 photos from the New York Times. In the meanwhile, I have to share my absolute favorite quotes from Jonathan and Simon, as they describe their style:

"Palatial gay fantasia." - Doonan
“Glamorous romper room . . . Because Johnny and I are very infantile."- Doonan
“This is the antithesis of the two-room flat where I grew up." - Doonan
"It's mantique-y" - Adler

Painting by Simona Galeckaité

Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:30:57 -0700

Philippe Starck and Karl Lagerfeld take on the October issue of Wallpaper*.
The Melrose Place apartments are on the market.
Try one of these 10 ways to say "home sweet home."
Don't miss these design ideas to steal from the Boys are Back.
Why not hang one of these alphabet posters for grownup homes?
The New Yorker profiles Kelly Wearstler.

Hey New Yorkers! Going to the Domino Home Bazaar?

CasaSugar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:33:05 -0700

From October 11-14, the Domino Home Bazaar is hitting New York City.

Tickets are $20 per day and only valid for day of admission. This is a great deal though: You also get a 1-year subscription to domino (a $10.00 value) with your ticket, and 5.00 of each ticket purchased benefits the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America (ACRIA), a collaborative and independent not-for-profit organization, that studies new treatments for HIV/AIDS and related diseases, and conducts a comprehensive HIV health literacy program. Tickets may also be purchased at the door.

If any Casa readers are thinking about going, please let me know. And snap some pictures of your favorite home accessories while you're there! I'd love to see those photos.

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:00:02 -0700

Settle into rusty and cozy elegance.- Desire to Inspire
See Renaissance paintings and contemporary architecture fused.- Art Is Everywhere
Recycled sweaters become beautiful bouquets.- Daily Danny
This is the best thing since sliced bread.- Design Milk
Want to be a design reality TV show host?- UnBeige
Is cohousing the new commune?- Shelterrific
One artist painted this New Yorker cover with an iPhone.- SwissMiss
A little interview with sfgirlbybay.- Shiny Squirrel

Scenes From New York's Design on a Dime Event

CasaSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 08:00:00 -0700

If you're a New Yorker, you may have been lucky enough to catch the Design on a Dime event that finished off this weekend. Over 40 of the world's top interior designers, including Elizabeth Bauer, John Bartlett, David Cafiero (Chloe Sevigny's designer), James Huniford and more, created room vignettes for the event, and furnishings were sold off to visitors at a 40 to 60 percent discount. The proceeds benefit Housing Works, the nation’s largest grassroots AIDS service organization, but another perk is that each vignette is an inspiration for those of us decorating our own homes. Tell me what you think and take a look at many more designer spaces when you read more.

View 29 Photos ›

Source and Source

This Just In: Heidi Klum Loses Benjamins on Bank Street

CasaSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 16:00:23 -0700

Heidi Klum, the host of my all-time favorite reality show, just sold her West Village penthouse, which she's owned since 2002. The lucky new owners are photographer, gallery owner, and collage artist Steve Joester and his wife, Debra.

The Joesters spent $5.35 million for Klum's penthouse - a quarter million dollars under the the asking price. The three-bedroom apartment includes a library, open kitchen, two-and-a-half baths, a hot tub, rooftop deck, and exceptional views of Manhattan and the Hudson River.

To find out if Heidi and her family have plans of leaving Manhattan altogether, read more.

Lest any New Yorkers out there are concerned about fewer Heidi sightings due to this sale, fear not: According to the New York Post:

[F]riends of the Teutonic temptress say that she's looking to buy a substantial pad in downtown Manhattan.

She's outgrown the apartment," says a source. "She's very family-oriented and needs a lot more space for nannies and visiting relatives. Plus, she didn't like the kids climbing the small spiral staircase between floors.

Photo courtesy of Rankin and Source

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?

View 7 Photos ›

Source and Source

Karim Rashid Wears Only Two Colors

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 06:00:28 -0700

New York magazine recently profiled five New Yorkers who only wear one color, all day, every day. Industrial designer Karim Rashid, a Designer Spotlight, was one of them. Rashid wears white half the time, and pink half the time; somehow the pink doesn't surprise me.
Here are some of my favorite quotes from the interview:

Rashid on why he wears all white:

In college, I was obsessed with wearing all white. I felt angelic and free. But then, in the early eighties, I started wearing black. That was status quo in the avant-garde. If you were interesting - a designer, an architect - you wore all black.

On why he also wears pink:

Sometimes I think it’s because my mother dressed me in pink when I was a child. She wanted me to be a girl.

On whether or not he wears pink underwear:

The only place in the world that sells men’s pink underwear is American Apparel.

Source

Holiday Card Guide: R. Nichols Cut(e) & Paste Cards

CasaSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:51:09 -0800

R. Nichols Holiday Cards ($20 for 10) are witty, cheerful, and endearing. The cut-and-paste designs of his cards remind me of the grade school holiday projects that we all cherish as the homespun fun of celebrating the holidays. His cards are designed for the New Yorker, the shopper, the pet lover, the family, and the garden-variety festive card-giver. I'd love to see one of you DIY your own cut and paste holiday card. Send in photos if you do!