CasaSugar

Wallpaper Magazine's 2009 Design Awards Winners

CasaSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:00:32 -0800

Wallpaper magazine, which focuses a discerning and design-savvy eye on topics such as travel, design, entertainment, fashion, and media, has just released its Design Awards 2009 issue, which goes on sale today. The 2009 Design Awards, which include recognition for everything from best grooming product to best women's fashion collection, also showcases a number of home and interior design items as well. The judges, which included Kanye West, had their work cut out for them, but I have to say they came up with some great choices. Definitely check out the current issue (W* 119) of the magazine for the full portfolio of judges' portraits and full explanations of the winning entries. To see some of the home-related award winners, check out the slideshow. Source

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Cool Idea: Patchwork Wallpapering

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:00:51 -0700

This feminine bedroom, styled by Bazaar Style author and stylist Selina Lake, was featured in BBC Homes and Antiques magazine.

I love how a patchwork of vintage wallpapers was used to create this feminine boudoir background. Not only does it give the room a nostalgic, period look, but since it really only requires wallpaper samples, it's also a very affordable. Furthermore, you don't have to be in love with each wallpaper because the patchwork effect overrides the dated look of the individual designs. There's strength in numbers!

What do you think?

Philippe Starck and Karl Lagerfeld Guest Edit Wallpaper*

CasaSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 10:00:04 -0700

Wallpaper* has called on two titans of the design world, Philippe Starck and Karl Lagerfeld, to guest edit its October issue. Beginning by pushing the boundaries of magazine production, Starck designed the first triple-layered, transparent front cover, while Lagerfeld introduced the first peelable front cover.

As for the editorial, Starck approached scientists, physicists, cosmologists, artists, and activist rock stars, on a "mission to make intelligence sexy." Meanwhile, Lagerfeld brought his photography skills to light, following his new model muse and coverman Baptiste Giabiconi "from Ancient Rome to mid-century Paris," revealing a passion for architecture. I love to see these design icons moving beyond the parameters we're used to seeing them in, not only taking on new roles as editors but showing that they're not one-trick ponies. The issue hits newsstands today, and check out this complementary gallery online.

DIY: Découpaged Walls

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:00:33 -0700

Découpaging your walls with pages from an old book, antique maps, or magazine covers can instantly transform a boring wall into a conversation piece. Your wallcovering will be one of a kind, a quality that even the most glam wallpaper can't give you. Some of you might think that tearing up a book for any project is sacrilegious. If you fall into this category, use a book that's already falling apart, or that has a damaged cover. To learn the steps for this project, read more.

First things first. Carefully pull the individual pages out of your book or magazine. Running an X-acto knife across the inside of the spine helps to make this step swift.
Now, neaten up the edges with a ruler and a craft knife, making sure they're relatively straight. Do the same if you're using old maps, or even use a paper cutter if you have one. You can leave the edges as is if you're going for raw look, though.
Lay down a drop cloth or newspaper on the floor below the wall you're covering.
Open up your windows, and make sure the room is well-ventilated.
Using a sponge brush, apply wheat paste to a small portion of the wall.
Now, line up one page flush with the wall, and apply it, burnishing out any bubbles with your hands as you press it onto the wall.
Continue to apply wheat paste and press your pages onto the wall, lining them up neatly until the wall is covered. If you want a more raw look, you can overlap the pages and even stagger them a bit.
Make sure you've burnished out any bubbles. Sometimes using a credit card here will help.
Now, allow the wall to dry.
Using a synthetic bristle brush, apply a coat of Polycrylic Protective Finish, which will protect the pages from peeling, scuffing, and other damage.
If your adjacent walls get messy from applying the Polycrylic, you can easily clean it up with a sponge and some warm, soapy water.

Source

7 Steps to Becoming Your Own Decorator, Step 1: Be Inspired

CasaSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 09:00:12 -0700

As talented as our favorite interior designers are, unfortunately, we can't all afford them. But that doesn't mean all hope is lost for those of us without a decorator budget. We can still take inspiration from them, and then by thinking analytically, create utterly chic homes for ourselves, which will inspire our friends. You're only a few easy steps away from becoming your own decorator!The first step to becoming your own decorator is to be inspired. You've got a leg up on interior designers here because you don't have to play any guessing games as to what makes you smile. For further details, read more.

Pull ideas and images from your favorite books, magazines, and runway collections, and just start an inspiration board. If you see a paint or fabric swatch or a wallpaper sample you like - even if it's out of your price range - save it.

Then, let this all simmer. Now, see if there are any themes running through your picks. Do you like purple tones? Trellis patterns? Architectural details? Textured fabrics? Keep your eyes open and you're likely to see a single thread which will serve as a jumping-off point for your design.
Source, Source, Source, and Source

Casa Interview: Interior Designer Leslie Bamburg (Part 2)

CasaSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 05:30:00 -0700

On Monday I brought you the first half of my interview with Labexperiment founder Leslie Bamburg. Two years ago, Leslie Bamburg formed her company Labexperiment, an interior design business that offers an affordable professional decorator option to the design fiend who lacks mad cash. Labexperiment works on the premise that beautiful design can be affordable, individualized, and integrated to meet the resident's needs. Leslie notes that she doesn't believe there should be separation between people's fashion, media, tech needs, music, and interiors. With this philosophy in mind, she makes diagnoses of clients' homes, notes what they need to add, subtract, or rearrange, and then prescribes the elements needed to improve a room or home. Check out the rest of Leslie's interview below.

CasaSugar: What are some of the ways you’ve integrated technology into your prescriptions? I see you’re not a fan of hiding televisions, etc. How do you make them part of the big, cohesive picture?

Leslie Bamburg: Technology can be really beautiful, or really out-of-place, just like anything else you’d buy for your home. I spend as much time thinking about what technology looks like as I do any other piece of furniture or accessory. Just like you’d want a high-quality, well-proportioned and beautiful oven or refrigerator in your kitchen, the TV in the living room or the computer on the desk doesn’t deserve any less consideration. I am a huge geek, so I know that technology is a big part of our modern, futuristic lives.

Want more advice? Then read more.

CasaSugar: What’s the biggest dude decorating faux pas?

Leslie Bamburg: Stereotypically, I think guys tend to not use enough softness in a room. There is a welcoming, comfortable quality in a room that has pillows on the sofa, a throw over the arm of a chair, a cushy rug and soft drapery. They tend to think more functionally, and are the primary target market for large, black leather sofas.

CasaSugar: What’s the biggest lady decorating faux pas?

Leslie Bamburg: Conversely, some women use too much softness. I like a balance of soft and hard lines, and I do think there is a place for black leather, if not used in huge quantities. I think a room should reflect the client’s personality, but still be welcoming to guests - male, female and everyone in between.

CasaSugar: What have been some of the reactions from your clients that have surprised or delighted you?

Leslie Bamburg: Every time a client tells me they are happy with their design, it makes my day. And even though it happens often, I’m still always surprised when a client who claimed to not be interested in design gets inspired after we work on their home. The next time I see them they might have bought lime green patterned pillows for their sofa, for example, which totally work. You know who you are.

CasaSugar: How do you recommend a reader do a home prescription of her own? How can she look objectively at a room and see what’s missing/wrong?

Leslie Bamburg: You can never be objective about your own home. So get a prescription from Labexperiment. Seriously, though, it’s really hard to get distance from your own stuff, so the best thing is to bring in a friend you trust who will give you an honest opinion. You can also start tearing out magazine photos of rooms you like, then lay them all out and think about what is different between your space and those, and see if you can implement changes to make it feel more like the rooms you like. I don’t mean just copying the photos, but if a room you like has a focal element like a wallpapered wall, think about your space to see if you can make a similar statement in the same scale, like hanging fabric panels on the wall, or just painting it with stripes.

Check out some of Leslie's work in the gallery, and then head over to her site to start your prescription.

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Source and Source

Cool Idea: Mother and Daughter Design Firm

CasaSugar — Sun, 10 May 2009 08:30:27 -0700

In honor of Mother's Day, I wanted to focus on a design firm that's all about the mother-daughter relationship. Interior designer Afiya Kumar, founder of AHA Designs, and her mother Johnene Adams, run one of Chicago's premier interior design firms, creating distinctive environments for luxury residential and commercial boutique clients. For the past 10 years, the mother-daughter team has helped Chicago residents embrace contemporary global style. The firm specializes in custom-made pieces, and has crafted metalwork pieces into light fixtures for past projects. “We trust each other implicitly,” Adams says. The design firm's work has been featured in publications including Elle Décor and Interior Design Magazine.

Have you ever worked with your mom, whether on an interior design project or in the professional world? I've definitely enjoyed the DIY skills my mom has passed on to me. From wallpapering to decoupage to sewing curtains and coverlets, she's schooled me when it comes to home skills. Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms out there!

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Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 10:30:49 -0800

What will be 2009's Keep Calm and Carry On?
Learn about a cool natural earth building method.
Don't forget to enter January's Su Casa Challenge.
Try out my ideas for displaying vintage aprons.
Zooey Deschanel graces the cover of February's domino.
Check out Wallpaper magazine's 2009 design award winners.
Do you own a dress form?

Source

Before and After: A Victorian Transformation

CasaSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:45:47 -0700

Sunset magazine recently featured the 154-year-old Victorian home of a Napa Valley couple that had great bones, but was bogged down with layers of wallpaper and colored with garish blue paint. The home had been neglected for 30 years, but a lot of hard work combined with the couple's pared-down aesthetic transformed it into a welcoming, light, and airy space that any of you would swoon over. To see the transformation, read more.

Beautiful, right? It amazes me how someone could ignore such a coveted crib for so long! I'm glad this Victorian's new owners were able to see through the mess and awful color choice.
Source

Designer Spotlight: Greg Natale Design

CasaSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:00:07 -0700

Greg Natale Design is an award-winning, Sydney-based firm of architects and designers who work with residential, hospitality, retail, and corporate clients, which was founded in 2001. Their work has appeared in dozens of Australian and international design magazines and books, including Vogue, TIME, Harper's Bazaar, House & Garden, and Wallpaper*. The firm also launched a collection of lounge furniture called "Rise Lounging" in 2007. Their work is dramatic yet subdued, glamorous yet masculine, polished yet comfortable, and contemporary despite traditional furnishings. To see for yourself, check out the gallery below.

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