CasaSugar

Found It! Trompe-l'œil Grandfather Clock

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 08:00:50 -0800

I spotted this photo in the portfolio of photographer Joanna Henderson and I'm absolutely in love with it. Not only is the light beautiful, but the space couldn't be any more understatedly elegant. The trompe-l'œil grandfather clock is simply great for that white wall, and it pairs perfectly with those bentwood chairs. The little floor lantern gives this antiquey corner a bit of Eastern flair, and the horse print is so sweetly styled. But back to the clock - it looks familiar, doesn't it? Wondering where you can buy it?

Casa Quickie: Paint Your Home Library

CasaSugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 06:15:00 -0700

If you don't read and you don't want other people to know it, you can fool your guests by painting a faux bookcase on your wall. New York interior designer Amie Weitzman had a trompe-l'œil bookcase put in this sitting room of the New York residence of one of her clients. As you can see, the homeowner appears to have a mighty colorful and extensive book collection that makes a powerful focal point. But if you look closely you'll realize it's not what it seems. Literacy is overrated anyway, isn't it?

Definition: Trompe-l'œil

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:33:19 -0800

Trompe-l'œil is an artistic technique that uses extremely realistic imagery. This technique creates the optical illusion that the depicted objects really exist, instead of being mere, two-dimensional paintings. The name is derived from French for "trick the eye."

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How-To: A Trompe L'œil Headboard

CasaSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 06:15:02 -0700

A headboard can create a stately focal point for even the most meager of spaces, and just because your mattress sits on the simple bed frame that came with it doesn't mean your bed should be ignored. Whether you can't afford to buy a headboard or simply want to try something unique, you can paint a trompe l'œil headboard to achieve the same, if not more interesting, results! Inspired by the Brocade Home Open Carved Headboard, which is an all-time favorite of mine, I decided to transform one wall into this Rococo style headboard, with just a small can of paint and a Sunday afternoon. To learn how to take on this project yourself, and to see photos of the steps, read more.

Measure the width of your space where your headboard will go.
Unfold a large paper bag, and cut it to half of that width.
Draw one-half of your headboard design onto the bag, and cut out the shape.
Tape the bag onto the wall above your bed.
Trace the outline of the shape with a bit of chalk.
Then, flip the bag over horizontally and tape it onto the other half of the wall.
Trace the outline of the shape again with chalk.
Paint in your "headboard" with two coats of your paint color of choice. Sleep tight!

View 7 Photos ›

Trend Alert: Advanced Etching

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

Dating back to the 1500s, etching, using acid or mordant to cut into a material, is certainly a thing of the past. There's actually an old cliché that I love: in an effort to entice a woman home with him, a man will say, "Want to come up and see my etchings?" as an offer to come look at something artistic. But ladies, these days etchings are something worth taking a look at. Designers have abandoned girlish mirror and glass etchings, using new materials like acrylic and plastic, using laser to etch, or even adding color like a tattoo. And these advanced etchings aren't simply decorative. Many, like the Ghost Acrylic Candelabra ($65), make a trompe-l'œil statement. See more modern etchings.

Cool Idea: Grass Tiles

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:00:36 -0700

I just spotted these grass tiles in the portfolio of UK photographer James Merrell, and I'm absolutely charmed. I have no clue who makes them; I did a quick Google but no such luck. I think they'd be really fun in a small space like a bathroom or a closet, but in a large room the trompe-l'œil effect could be overwhelming. It also might be intriguing to use them in only part of large room, like an area rug. Regardless, I'm swooning over here. The possibilities are endless. Let me know if you have any idea who makes these.

To see some similar grass tiles, read more.

Imagine Tile sells a similar Grass Tile that offers a trompe-l'œil effect, but it doesn't have the same flower details, which I found quite charming. Both remind me a bit of Chair Couture's grass upholstery, which I also swooned over.
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Found It! My Feather Pillow

CasaSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 15:00:39 -0700

Over a year ago, I picked up a pink velvet throw pillow screen-printed in gold with a feather (at right) on sale at a San Francisco boutique for $14. Since then, I've always wondered who made it, and I haven't seen it anywhere else. As it turns out, the pillow sells for over 10 times more than I bought it - score! It's also available in a variety of colors and with other imagery printed on it, such as a deer, a lobster, and chainlink. Want to see where you can buy one? Then read more.

Maison24 sells a sky blue, 12"x16" Feather Pillow for $145. I also like their peacock-blue velvet pillow with gold-metallic deer screen print. But, to be honest, I wouldn't buy either for over $100.

Like my trompe l'œil headboard? Learn how to make one here.

Open House: How Does Your Home Have a Sense of Humor?

CasaSugar — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:30:35 -0700

Refinery29 recently toured the home of Vena Cava designer Lisa Maycock and while I did love the easy elegance of her home's "lost and found" look, what struck me most was its sense of humor. In a corner of her living room, she placed a wooden triangle pegged with metal spikes on her Marcel Breuer Wassily Chair. In her bedroom, a poster titled "Just Bone Me" with skeletons in kama sutra poses hangs above her bed.I once had a cocktail party, and lined the shelves of my medicine cabinet with medicine bottles filled with candy. Or, sometimes I'll write silly notes to my guests with lipstick on my bathroom mirror. On most days, though, my house is tame, aside from its playful attitude toward scale and trompe l'œil effects like my painted headboard. How about your home? Do you play tricks on your guests? Do you have any funny posters or artwork? Any revolving doors that go nowhere? Tell all below!

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Cool Idea: Chalk Headboard in 500 Days of Summer

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 15:00:11 -0700

As I've mentioned before, 500 Days of Summer is full of design eye candy. One of my favorite décor ideas siphoned from the film is Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character's chalkboard wall headboard. Chalkboard paint, as you know, is quite trendy these days in the interior design world. But being the skilled architect that he is, Tom Hansen (Gordon-Levitt) took it to the next level, drawing a simple, Mission-style headboard, complete with shading and all. The idea is similar to the trompe l'œil headboard I painted on my own wall, but chalk offers the flexibility to erase and start over. Are you a fan of the chalkboard wall in the movie?

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Love It or Hate It? Cane Chair Screenprinting

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 14:00:21 -0700

I recently caught up with Danny Seo for breakfast at the Philippe Starck-designed Clift Hotel in San Francisco, and couldn't help but stop to take a gander at all of its surrealist furnishings while I was there. This cantaloupe-colored armchair, which is screenprinted with an image of cane chair, struck me as something that'd be easy to replicate - if you've got drawing and printing skills up your sleeve. It has a tongue-in-cheek trompe-l'œil effect, elevating a simple seat to something out of the ordinary. The Ikea Ektorp Jennylund Chair ($199) would be ideal for this DIY. What do you think?