CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Lighten Up Dark Furniture Without Paint

CasaSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 07:45:28 -0700

Recently, I've been really impressed by More Ways to Waste Time's inspiring dining room re-vamp. There was one seemingly small change to an heirloom piece of furniture that really caught my attention. Since the oak sideboard in the living room is a family heirloom, she couldn't paint it, but she did want to make the sideboard feel less imposing.

How did she lighten the sideboard? First, she covered the back of the shelves with Orla Kiely's Blossom wallpaper (which she taped to the sideboard, to avoid damage). Then with a collection of light-colored ceramics and light prints, she nicely updates and modernizes this antique piece.

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Before and After: Grandma's Sideboard, Refreshed

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:30:35 -0700

Craftster member OpheliaITA recently refurbished her grandmother's sideboard. She writes, "I started this restoration two years ago, but the university, work, and, well, the lack of will stopped my good intentions! This Summer I finally had the time to bring back to life this old sideboard that was of my grandmother's and had stayed for years in the cellar with humidity, dust, mice, and other not so sociable little animals!"

With some hard work, OpheliaITA restored the sideboard to its former glory.

To see how her efforts paid off, read more.

The sideboard is now proudly displayed in OpheliaITA's parents' home. I'm especially impressed with the way she was able to salvage the rusted hardware on the sideboard. A beautiful job!

View 3 Photos ›

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Old Furniture Given Inspired New Life

CasaSugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:30:16 -0800

The Chair Couture line features singular furniture re-imagined by designer Margaret Elman. The inspired Ms. Elman remakes French vintage pieces by reupholstering them in nature-inspired modern prints, often taken directly from photographs.

Each piece is individually matched to individual fabrics, and as you might imagine, this makes for an expensive repurposed chair or bed indeed. Still, if I had the extra money, I'd certainly throw down for one of these lovely, unique pieces. And if you by chance have extra money to spend, you can find out more information about your own custom Chair Couture heirloom here.
For a look at another piece, just read more.

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How Would You . . .

CasaSugar — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:03:02 -0800

This stunning eighteenth-century Spanish double door ($12,808), available on 1st Dibs, is meant for, yes, a doorway. But if you'll remember the last How Would You, that's not how this Casa post works. Instead, I'm asking you to think outside the home-decorating box and find alternate uses for traditional home accents and furniture pieces.

How would you rework this antique Spanish door so it serves a different decorating or practical function in your home? Leave a comment below and let me know where you'd put this gorgeous door in your home.

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Do You Own Any Antique Furniture?

CasaSugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:00:00 -0700

Assisted Living: Incorporating a Bold New Antique

CasaSugar — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 13:00:00 -0800

CasaSugar Community member LynniePop posted this design dilemma in the Assisted Living group:

We just purchased this new antique cabinet for our dining room. The problem is it's not really our style and really doesn't match any of the sleek, clean lined, contemporary furniture we have in our house. For some reason we fell in love with it in the antique store and decided to put it in our dining room, but I need help incorporating it with our other furniture. Are there other accents or decorations I could add to the room to make our contemporary dining room table and chairs mesh better with this new piece?

To see her dining room table and offer your ideas, read more.

Here's LynniePop's dining room table, the Round Dining Table with Cutout Legs ($449-$599) from West Elm.

First of all, LynniePop, I would definitely recommend painting your dining room walls. This will instantly give the space a more cohesive look. Mixing styles and eras of furniture is a smart move; it gives the room depth and shows that you have cultivated your own personal aesthetic.

Your antique cabinet has beautiful Chinoiserie motifs and hardware, so I'd celebrate that artistic style and bring more Chinoiserie elements to your tabletop and around the room. Here are a few products that might do the trick:

Does anyone else have suggestions and ideas for LynniePop? Please share below! Do you have any of your own decorating dilemmas to deal with? Be sure to post photos and tales in the Assisted Living group!

Do You Own Any Vintage Furniture?

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:00:11 -0800

Community member Deemurph started to collect vintage furniture about eight months ago. She's now so hooked on bringing beautiful old pieces into her home that she created a group called Vintage Delight, as a place for you all to share your vintage finds. This amazing raspberry velvet tufted armchair is just one of several bygone chairs she owns. Do you own any vintage or antique furniture? If so, add photos to the group!

This Just In: Jayson Home & Garden European Flea Market Launches Online

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Today marks the launch of the Jayson Home & Garden European Flea Market online. Thanks to the keen eyes over at Jayson, these rare finds - a mix of timeless European furniture and lighting, antique prints and oil paintings, gilded mirrors, hotel silverware, and more -have made their way from Europe and beyond to Chicago’s Lincoln Park. The market has been running locally there since April 18^th, but that's no fun for non-Illinois folk, so I’m ecstatic to see it all just a click away in my browser. Abbe over at Jayson Home & Garden was nice enough to share photos of the market, which you can get a peek at below.

View 14 Photos ›

To see the rare finds I’m craving the most, read more.
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Cool Idea: Flatpack Antiques

CasaSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:30:26 -0700

When you think flatpack, the first thing to come to mind is Ikea, right? Well, StudioBility is trying to change that with its unbelievably cool flatpack antiques. With lines that mimic turned wood mixed with modern silhouettes, this furniture seems to successfully blend the best of both worlds. I can see one of these pieces fitting into a number of interiors seamlessly. It also reminds me quite a bit of the Stanislav Katz bookshelf, yes?

Cool Idea: Drum as a Coffee Table

CasaSugar — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 08:00:00 -0800

Add a little boom boom pow to your living space with a piece of "furniture" that is sure to drum up lots of conversation. On a recent antiquing adventure, I came across an old-fashioned turquoise-and-green-trimmed drum that was being cleverly displayed as a coffee table. Turned on its belly with a glass top, voila - an unconventional coffee table is created!

While some folks may be displeased with the inability to use the instrument for musical purposes, it certainly brings an eccentric flair to a room while serving a practical purpose. There will be no denying that the owner of this piece marches to the beat of a different drummer.