CasaSugar

A Bold Living Room Update

Casa Community — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 07:00:20 PDT

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member stephaniepoli from the Su Casa group:

The living room was feeling kind of bland. Don't get me wrong, I love a neutral palette, but sometimes you just find yourself craving something bold. I find the easiest way to change the feel of a room is with throw pillows. I also added these matching black and white lamps over the couch for added symmetry. For additional photos and information about this room visit my blog Love&Lace.

Have you finished any redecorating projects lately? Be sure to share your photos with the Su Casa group!

Coco Rocha and the Eternal Marital Issue: Throw Pillows

Julia Millay Walsh — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 06:00:06 PST

Vogue.com recently toured the Gramercy Park home of model Coco Rocha and her artist husband James Conran. The apartment is luxurious in many ways (custom dream closet, check!), but it's also honest with a rough-around-the-edges look. Rocha's flawless face may be plastered on billboards a mile high in the sky, but her home gives me the feeling that she's still very down-to-earth.

One thing in particular that struck me as quite relatable was when Rocha said, “James is always laughing at me for buying things like very expensive pillows for the bed. He thinks they just end up on the floor.” I've had that very conversation with boyfriends in the past, and not always concerning expensive pillows (but I admit, I do fancy myself a frou frou bolster). No matter how expensive, I don't think men understand the concept of a throw pillow. They're decoration. And when we go to sleep, they do wind up on the floor. The rest of the time, they make a bed look like it's supposed to look: made.

Do you agree? Or do you know men who like to pile on the pillows? Sound off below.

Add Holiday Sparkle With Sequin Pillows

Tara Block — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:00:00 PST

While perusing shelter mags with festively decorated rooms, my fave standout piece this season hasn't been the Christmas tree, but the glitzy throw pillow. The shiny embellished accent perfectly reflects the tree lights and glowing fireplace and can go from Xmas festivities to New Year's and beyond. I'm partial to the solid gold and silver ones - like UO's Sequin Swirl Pillow ($32) - since they can easily be adapted for the postholiday seasons, while still packing a glam punch. The striped and dotted ones are fab, too! See my picks below.

Source

Brooks Brothers Launches a Dapper New Décor Line

Julia Millay Walsh — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:00:15 PDT

If there's a man in your life who has the dapper dress going on, but whose bachelor pad still qualifies as cringe-worthy, now he can shop for his throw pillows and cuff links in one fell swoop: Brooks Brothers has launched a home décor collection! The masculine new line, available exclusively online, includes decorative pillows and bedding and bath items.

Most noteworthy are the Tie Stripe Silk Twill Pillows ($248-$288), which are made from the English silk used to craft the brand's classic, dashing neckties - though I must say they're a bit overpriced. For the bedroom, Brooks Brothers Home offers two collections; the Blue Yarn-Dye line is inspired by men's dress shirts, while the Herringbone line features classic white linens with a three-row embroidered border. I'm just hoping one day they'll offer monogramming. Meanwhile, simple terrycloth towels, robes, and slippers make up the bath collection. The brand is expected to debut some more home accessories like lampshades this Fall, too, so stay tuned! Check out my favorite picks from the line below.

Glen Plaid Full Flat Sheet ($148)	Horizontal Guard Stripe Square Pillow ($288)
Terry Bath Sheet ($48)	Herringbone Full Bed Skirt ($128)	Diagonal Repp Stripe Square Pillow ($268)

Love It or Hate It? Social Networking Décor

CasaSugar — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:00:41 PDT

Do you tweet? Maybe update your status periodically? If you're addicted to social networking like so many people are (yours truly included), then you may also be smitten with geek-inspired décor. If the first thing you do in the morning is reach for your iPhone and scroll through your news feed or alert all 500-plus friends that you are craving pancakes, then these Social Networking Pillows ($20) may be right up your alley. But then again, maybe you're the type who pretends she doesn't do Facebook but mysteriously knows everyone's birthdays, kids' names, and political leanings. If you're looking for a way to out yourself as a social networking junkie, you can let these pillows do the talking. So tell me, do you want to hit the "like" button?

Nice and New: Bloomingdale's Sky Bedding

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 06:00:11 PDT

Take as many glances as you want at this bedding and you'll still be convinced it's from Anthropologie. Am I right or am I right? But truth be told, it's actually Bloomingdale's brand-new bedding collection, Sky. With vibrant colors, textures, patterns, and lots of mixing and matching, it's bohemian, feminine, and full of personality. Not only is it chic and youthful, it also owes some of its "freshness" to the fact that it's Bloomie's first full-scale mix-and-match bedding line.

Including three collections - "Summersweet," "Batik," and "Sundial" - it's made of pure cotton and totally affordable, with entire sheet sets starting at just $70. On top of that, Sky has a wide variety of throw pillows with girlish accents like scallop trim, rosettes, and colorful Middle East-inspired embroidery. I think I've just about died and gone to, well, heaven.

Love It or Hate It? Whitney Port's Mismatched Pillows

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 May 2010 13:00:00 PDT

In this week's episode of The City, we got a glimpse of Whitney and Roxy's West Village apartment, a much less modern space than Whitney's one-bedroom last season. Whitney's brought her turquoise and gold patterned sofa along with her to her new digs, but it looks like she's given it a slight makeover by adding even more throw pillows. With so many mismatched textiles, the couch has a much more eccentric, bohemian look. What do you think? Do you like this laid-back look or do you think Whitney should tone it down with more simple, solid cushions? Make your vote and let me know your thoughts by commenting below.

DIY: Appliqué Throw Pillow

Casa Community — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 10:00:00 PDT

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member nancita from the Art(ist)s & Craft(er)s group:

I am not an expert crafter, but I have a friend who is, and she has started hosting a Craft Happy Hour, where she teaches her noncrafty friends to sew, using a different project each month. Food and drinks are served, hence the "happy hour."

My first time using a sewing machine ever (!), we made these throw pillows with self-made appliques. I didn't think I could do it, but it was surprisingly easy and oh so cute. My pillow is now proudly displayed on my bed, so you know it wasn't a total disaster. Here's how to do it:

What you need:

A 14" x 14" pillow form
At least 15" x 15" of fabric for the front panel
At least 21" x 15" of fabric for the two back panels
An image printed for your appliqué. The image is best as a silhouette (search Google Images for basic art) and printed to the size you want it to be on the pillow. I chose a maple leaf, while another friend used a goose (at right).
A coordinating fabric for your appliqué big enough to fit your image (could match the back panels or not)
A coordinating thread in a color that you want to border your appliqué
Enough Wonder Under for your appliqué

To learn the steps,

How to do it:

Cut the front panel and two back panels of the pillow cover to size.
Cut the appliqué fabric to a square a little larger than your image.
Cut a piece of Wonder Under slightly smaller than your appliqué fabric square.
Iron the Wonder Under to the wrong side of your appliqué fabric square. Peel off the paper backing of the Wonder Under.
Draw/trace your image on to the wrong side of the fabric, on top of the Wonder Under adhesive.
Cut out your image silhouette to create your appliqué.

Iron the appliqué on to the front panel of your throw pillow cover in your desired location.
With a narrow, short zig-zag stitch, sew around the border of the appliqué with your sewing machine with a thread color of your choice, coordinating or contrasting.

Now prepare your back panels. Fold the short side of one panel under once, then iron the fold line. Fold the short side of the other panel under twice for a double fold, then iron the fold line.
Hem the double-folded panel close to the inside edge of the first of the two folds.
Lay your front panel on a flat surface, right side up. Lay your double-folded panel right side down on top of the front panel. The long side should be vertical and the unfinished end should line up against one edge of the front panel. Lay the single-folded panel right side down on top of the other two pieces of fabric. The long side should also be vertical with the unfinished edge against the opposite edge of the front panel than the first back panel is lined up with. The two back panels should make a square the same size as the front panel with your finished edges overlapping in the middle.
Pin all the way around the border of the pillow cover catching all pieces of fabric.
Sew all the way around the border with the appropriate size seem allowance.

Trim your corners close to the seem with three snips each. Turn the case right-side-out and use a point turner or pen to clean-up your corners and get them nice and pointy.
Stuff your pillow cover with your pillow form.
Voila! You have a throw pillow cover accented with a self-made appliqué! Congratulations!

Behold the proud pillow makers! Note: Three of us had never really sewn before at all.

Have you been doing any crafting of your own lately? Be sure to post photos and tales to the Art(ist)s & Craft(er)s group!

Nice and New: Jonathan Adler Zodiac Pillows

CasaSugar — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:00:00 PST

I love the kitschy elegance of Jonathan Adler's "granny gone wild" needlepoint, and I can't resist horoscopes. Needless to say, I need to get my hands on Adler's latest needlepoint pillow offerings.

The 12 varieties of velvet-backed Zodiac pillows ($98 each) feature wool needlepoint designs in fabulous '70s shades. I especially love the regal color scheme on this Gemini pillow. The product descriptions include astrological profiles - naturally! - so here's hoping your sign design suits your style. To see my five faves,

View 5 Photos ›

DIY: Throw Pillows

Casa Community — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 05:30:02 PST

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member Kyro298 from the Su Casa group:

This is my first post so I hope it comes out okay. I have a few DIY projects I'd love to share.

I CANNOT sew. Period . . . and I got sick of my plain, solid color throw pillows and think that throw pillows cost way too much most of the time. I got some solid color cloth napkins (because they already had hems sewn on all four edges) at a craft store and some iron-on hemming tape. I put the old pillows in between two napkins and used an iron to seal the hemming tape along the edges, painted on a design with some fabric paint and voilà! I was really happy with how they turned out. It was incredibly cheap and now it matches my décor.

Have you done any DIY projects lately? Be sure to share photos and tales with our Su Casa group!

Blackwatch Sequin Pillow $350 - Ralph Lauren	Horchow Sequin Dance Pillow $215 - Horchow
Gray Silk Taffeta Cushion Cover With Sequin Embellishment ($23)	Glamorous Throw Pillow Covers ($32)
Sequin Swirl Pillow $32 - Urban Outfitters	Embroidered DROPLETS pillow ($12)
Dransfield & Ross - coral 'metallic confetti' pillow by dransfield and ross $140 - Unica Home	Nate Berkus Metallic Sequin Pillow ($50)
Bijoux-Dots Pillow Cover ($34)	Ultra Shine Black Sequin Pillow ($49)