CasaSugar

How Would You . . .

CasaSugar — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 13:00:15 -0800

This ornate pair of cypress wood Chinese Window Panels ($3,750) originally had an architectural (yet decorative) purpose in 19th century China. But, their greek key pattern, which is very popular these days, certainly gives the screen a sort of à la mode flair. I'd love to see them used in a home's interior, rather than its structure, and I'm wondering what ideas you have for them. I'm thinking they'd look quite unique used as a great headboard, coffee-table top, mirror frame, or even a hanging pot rack. The possibilities are endless. What are your thoughts? Tell me by commenting below!

Casa Quickie: Lighten Up for Spring

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:00:19 -0700

In case you haven't noticed, it's Spring! Isn't that supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!? Yes, it is. So, it's time to lose a few pounds — and I'm not suggesting you get in shape for the beach. You really need to lighten up your windows! Move that thick velvet drapery to your storage closet in favor of some airy, sheer panels or shades. Spring light is nothing to shy away from; it should be whole-heartedly embraced. Not only will switching to sheer panels let in more light, but it'll give your home a more relaxed look. And, why shouldn't your home loosen up a bit when you're already sporting shorts and flip-flops? Here are a few styles that should fit the bill.

Blue Stripe Grommetted Linen Panels - $69.00	Matine Toile Roman Shade - Select Items - $119.00
Lantern Window Panel - $39.00	Medallion Window Panel - $34.00
White Crinkle Voile Curtain Panel - $14.99	Smocked Drape - $50.00
Carlisle Drape - $19.00	Paisley Panel - $49.50
Outdoor Sheer Grommet Drape - $69.00

Source

DIY: Simple Panel Curtains (in Four Hours or Less)

CasaSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:00:00 -0700

Our living room features large deck doors that look out over the San Francisco Bay - a beautiful view, no doubt, but one that was previously obscured by some boring, less-than-aesthetically-pleasing vertical shades. Intent on making a Spring change, I decided to whip up some simple panel curtains to improve the view both inside and out. I chose a pretty, patterned Amy Butler fabric, which added a textile highlight to the room, and with a few simple but smart techniques, I managed to get these off my ironing board and onto curtain rods in about three hours.

Want to learn how to make these curtains? Then read more.
What You'll Need

2 to 4 panels of fabric (cotton is easy to work with, and seasonally appropriate), cut to the correct window length, plus about 1/3 of a yard extra to allow for shrinkage and seams
Sewing machine
Matching thread
Iron and ironing board
Pins
Scissors
Curtain rods

How to Do It

The first time-saving technique begins before you even step into the fabric store. Measure the length of the window/wall you want your panel to cover. Add 1/3 of a yard to this number. (For instance, if your window/wall is six feet, you want seven feet of fabric cut, and would ask for 2 and 1/3 yards cut.) Now, decide how many panels you need. Two? Four?
At the fabric store, ask (nicely!) the fabric store employee to cut your fabric out in panels, instead of in one long piece. This will save you a lot of time measuring and cutting at home. Just remember to measure very carefully before jotting down your needed lengths.
At home, toss the fabric in the laundry, as it will definitely shrink.
Iron your fabric panels. Look at the long sides of the fabric. The edges are already semi-finished (no raw edges), but the name of the fabric designer, as well as the color stamp, are visible. Iron this edge over, and then sew the sides first with a straight stitch. You won't have to double the edges over, since the edge is semi-finished to start with.
Next, fold over about half an inch of fabric for the bottom hem. Iron this hem over, onto the wrong side (the side with the lighter fabric pattern). Now, fold that hem over and iron it again. This will hide the raw edges. Sew this bottom hem with a straight stitch.
Now, start on the top of the curtain. Fold over about half an inch of fabric onto the wrong side. Iron, then sew. Then, fold the top of the curtain over so there is enough room to slide the curtain rod through. Iron, then sew with a straight stitch.
Your first panel is done! Now, repeat these techniques with the remaining panels. If you're using a pattern like I did, you may want to check to make sure your patterns match on each panel. You can easily do this by pinning the unfinished panel next to the finished (hung) panel, and then adjusting to line up the patterns.

View 5 Photos ›

Casa Verde: MetroShip

CasaSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:27 -0700

Do you want to get away for a weekend, but don't have the land or Summer cabin to flee to? Consider taking to the seas instead. The MetroShip, a new houseboat design that favors modern aesthetics and high-efficiency materials, makes it possible.

MetroShed and MetroShip founder, David Ballinger, writes, “ I wanted [the MetroShip] to be like an updated Frank Lloyd Wright home but with an open New York-loft-condo style mixed with a midcentury Eichler home post and beam style. Using structurally sound lightweight aluminum panels was important. Using a single piece roof was important. Using the very best doors and windows available was important. Design, as they say, is in the details.”

To find out all of the details, and to take a complete photo tour, read more.

The spacious design is 48 feet in length by 12 feet beam and 7 feet interior height, though custom sizes are available. The kitchens feature islands, top of the line Viking appliances, and Iin the open-living area, entertainment is provided for with an HD-TV projector for TV, movies, gaming, and Internet access, while sound is piped in through in-wall Jamo speakers by one of the best Danish speaker manufacturers. The bathroom features a Kohler corner full-size shower, imported Italian vanity with a Sloan touch-free water-conserving faucet, full-size touch-flush toilet an LG Steam Fresh Washer Dryer.

You'll keep cozy in your MetroShip no matter what the season with remote-controlled heat and AC, air conditioning units. Rest assured your heat or AC won't disappear out of the boat's doors or windows, etiher, since the MetroShip is constructed with double-glazed low-E door and windows. The entire boat is built out of UV-coated aluminum grid opaque walls, which are opaque, and cause the MetroShip to glow at night like a lantern. MetroShips start at $239,000.

Are you interested in boating away down the nearest river, lake, or bay? Check out all the photos if you need convincing.

View 30 Photos ›

Source

How-To: Paint Your Exterior Trim

CasaSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:00:07 -0700

Hello painters! So far, I've told you how to prep your home's exterior for painting and how to paint your home's exterior. When it comes to painting the exterior trim, you'll need to devote a little extra attention, using more delicate brush strokes with less paint on your brush. To learn the steps to paint your home's siding trim, doors, and windows, read more.

For the siding trim, paint from the top down with the widest brush that will fit the trim. Make sure not to leave drips of paint in the crevices of the door.
For the doors, paint the raised inset panels, if there are any. Then, paint the main surface of the door around those panels.
For the windows, you'll need to mask off the glass first. Then, paint the dividing trim, top to bottom, with a small brush. If they are removable, remove them to paint and let dry, then reinstall. Then, paint the area surrounding the window, and then the trim surrounding the glass with an angled brush.

Coveted Crib: A Modern Wilderness Hideaway

CasaSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:00:46 -0700

Longing to get back to nature, but hate the idea of roughing it? Then check out this home, designed by Heliotrope Architects. Located outside of Missoula, MT, the home was built into a hillside on a seven-acre parcel of land, and is framed by tall evergreens and the surrounding mountains. But there will be no roughing it in this Montana wilderness home. Indeed, if weather permits, you can take a break by the pool, or perhaps lounge in a spa-style bathtub while taking in the gorgeous scenery.

For the complete tour, read more.
The home's hillside location helps to reduce the effects of inclement weather from the north, while the south side of the home boasts extensive fenestration, which makes it easier to gaze upon Grant Creek. The main floor houses common spaces, while the lower level, which is partially built into the hillside, holds the cozy bedrooms.

Inside, the home boasts luxurious finishes, including concrete, bamboo, and leather (!) floors; walnut paneling; and walnut, bamboo, and mahogany cabinets. A slab table anchors the dining room, while modern furniture throughout gives the house a cosmopolitan feel, even as the views from the massive windows prove that you're anywhere but city-bound.

View 11 Photos ›

Source

Open House: Historic Preservation vs. Energy Efficiency

CasaSugar — Sat, 30 May 2009 05:30:00 -0700

There is something - much - to be said for historical accuracy. Architects of the past have left a legacy for us, so we should respect their work. But sometimes this conflicts with efforts toward energy efficiency and renewables. A recent post in the New York Times blog Green Inc. talks about this incongruence, citing failed efforts to double-glaze the windows of a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed cottage (in order to keep it warmer and use less energy) as an example of this conflict. Al Gore's attempt to install solar panels on his over-70-year-old Nashville home passed, but only on the condition that the panels were out of sight of neighbors. Personally, I think the merits of installing clean energy features and energy-efficiency upgrades on historic homes should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Until we're all running graywater systems in our homes and using wind turbines and solar panels to channel energy, it shouldn't be assumed that historic buildings should make the change. On the other hand, if Frank Lloyd Wright were alive today, he might be a leader in the green building movement.

Do you think historic homes should be exempt from integrating energy-efficient and green energy technologies? Do you think the two can meet halfway? Do you think all buildings should make the move to clean energy?
Source

Cool Idea: Old Windows as a Room Divider

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:30:56 -0700

I recently showed you a few ways to decorate with old windows, and I've seen another instance that I just had to share. I stumbled across the Le Créme Spa in San Francisco, and was charmed by its shabby chic interior design. Here, the salon hung an arrangement of five white windows from the ceiling to separate the front desk from a bench used for pedicures. It instantly divides the room into two separate spaces visually, but the glass panels still allow the beautiful natural light to shine through. You can easily and affordably replicate this trick in your home, by simply repurposing old windows from your house or tracking some down at a salvage shop.

Cool Idea: Curtains to Improve the View

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 05:30:56 -0700

Missing pretty foliage outside your window? Just because you live in a city flat with a window facing a next-door brick wall doesn't mean you have to suffer. You can let these Chair Couture Green Collection Curtains (inquire for price) compensate for your landscape loss. These unique, opaque drapery panels are made to order, and all feature the "sunlight through the leaves" look of the fabric shown in the photo.

Need some other leafy curtain options? Take your pick when you read more.

Cordelia Curtain - $78.00	Mantadia Curtain - $228.00
Jungle View Curtain - $108.00	Jungle Curtain Panel - $169.00
Botanist Curtain - $48.00	Antique Floral Curtain Panel - $29.99
Medallion Panel - $69.00	Brightbranch Curtain - $278.00

Ask Casa: Furnishings For My New Sofa

CasaSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 12:00:40 -0700

Hi Casa,
I read your post about your new favorite color - that slate color with the blue/purple undertones - and I have to say that I totally agree. In fact, I just moved to a new apartment and bought a couch from West Elm in that color. I love the couch! It's called light charcoal, but I saw the fabric in the store and it has wonderful blue undertones. Anyway, I bought the couch and don't know what else to do in my living area! I thought decorating it would be so much fun, but I don't know where to go with chairs and the coffee table. I want to make the space have a light feeling, so obviously I need to start incorporating some lighter pieces. Do you have any suggestions? I have tons of space, so size isn't too much of an issue.
Thanks!
Aflower

To hear my suggestions for Aflower, read more.

Hi Aflower,
Great question! I'm glad I'm not alone in my love for this color! While I think the blueish slate color looks great with dark elements, I know what you mean about wanting to keep your space light. I'm not sure what your aesthetic is or exactly which sofa you chose, so I'll do my best to help you.

I think something like this West Elm Bridge Coffee Table ($299), which has a beautifully grained natural sungkai wood veneer, would look fantastic with a blueish gray and keep things light.

You can also lighten the room by choosing an upholstered chair or ottoman with a white pattern on it. For example, I think this Urban Outfitters Lulu Chair ($425) with its smokey background would look great with charcoal, but the white design really brightens things up. Head to your local fabric store to find a textile with a light or white pattern that works with your tastes and have a chair reupholstered in it.

If you go with drapery with a bit of shimmer to them, like these West Elm Silk Dupioni Window Panels ($69-$109), you'll instantly lighten things up. Or, you can go nearly transparent with simple Sheer Linen Window Panels ($24-$44).

You should definitely also hang mirrors on your walls to reflect your natural light. As I've mentioned before, mirrors do a fantastic job of opening a room up. You can even try using mirrored furniture to really reflect light around the room!

Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Casa