CasaSugar

Crave Worthy: Lily.mgx Lamp

CasaSugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:00:17 -0700

Obviously embodying a form that's been inspired by nature, the Lily.mgx lamp ($502 for small table lamp shown here), is the type of small, precious object that could make an otherwise sparsely decorated room glow. Designed by Janne Kyttanen for Materialise, the lamps are said to resemble a lily-pad flower, though I think they look a lot more like an artichoke myself. While the lamps may look simple, apparently they were designed using a 3-D material printing process that sounds rather geeky and complicated. But hey, if you're going to geek out, you might as well make it as impossibly chic as this lamp.

Roundup: Artichokes Out of the Kitchen

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:00:42 -0700

Artichokes in the home — not dipped in hollandaise sauce — are not exactly trendy; John Henry Dearle designed his artichoke wallpaper for William Morris before 1900, as part of the Arts and Crafts movement. But I have spotted the healthy, in-season vegetable in a variety of fab forms as of late, which I would willing to welcome into my home. These faux-tichokes have made their way to classic finials, pillows, plates, wreaths, vases, and even an ultra-modern chandelier. To find one for your digs, check out my widget below, or just whip some up in the kitchen.

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The Card Shop: Hydrangea Letterpress Notecards

CasaSugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:00:39 -0700

Hydrangeas are my favorite flowering plant. They're so delicate, yet they have such a bold presence, and I love how their color changes based on the soil pH. So, how could I not swoon over this gorgeous set of Hydrangea Letterpress Notecards ($16 for eight)? Each card is printed in light and dark purple and pink inks on natural recycled paper and comes with a recycled envelope. The cards are made by a favorite of mine, Yeehaw Industries, and inspired by finds at their local farmers market - other floral and veggie cards like carrots, artichokes, zinnias, poppies, and more are also available.

How-To: Set a Gorgeous Thanksgiving Table

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:15:54 -0800

This Thanksgiving, take some advice from designer Marc Blackwell to set a gorgeous and personalized holiday table. Blackwell, who designed a table for Beringer Winery at San Francisco's annual benefit for Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, also designs very cool tableware, which you should check out after you read his tips.

Here are Marc's five tips:

Make a centerpiece from what's in your garden and refrigerator. For instance, arrange oranges among eucalyptus branches or set asparagus or artichokes in glass containers.
Mix family heirlooms and keepsakes with new things for a modern combination.

For the rest of the tips, read more.

Try mixing service styles as well. For example, have amuse-bouches waiting at the table when guests are seated, then serve the next course family style and the next plated.
Leave the wine and water on the table so guests can feel free to serve themselves.
Always have a light source on your table. Votives with individual aluminum holders are an inexpensive alternative to fancy candlesticks, and they can be arranged or scattered.

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Before and After: Don't Fence Me In

CasaSugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:15:42 -0700

These tired-looking redwood boards were left over after my friends replaced a section of their backyard fencing. While they were full of rusty screws and were only half an inch thick, I saw potential.

Curious about what I did with this old redwood fence? Find out what happened to it when you read more.

I made another garden box out of them! Because I was concerned about the relative thinness of the boards, I doubled them up for each side, and then added a single board halfway down the doubled sides. I also used four-by-four redwood posts for the corners, which were left over from another garden-box project.

The most time-intensive part of this project was turning the soil, which was really impacted from years of use as a lawn. Then, I had to sink the four-by-four corner posts into the soil, and level the entire box. After filling the box with some rich soil, I planted strawberries, artichoke, and other seedlings that I'd already started. I'm pretty pleased with the results, and also happy that I was able to reuse wood that might've ended up in a garbage dump somewhere.

Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:10:30 -0700

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Nice and New: Osborne & Little Clarendon Wallpaper

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 10:30:27 -0800

Since I've been on a silhouette kick lately (I recently bought six! from eBay), the new Osborne & Little Clarendon Wallpaper (inquire for price) turned my head — no pun intended. I'm envisioning it on the walls of a small powder room, with a smoky Murano Glass Chandelier, some cameo soaps, embellished, vintage guest linens, and a delicate, porcelain artichoke vase. Am I crazy, or would that be chic?

Gilded Artichoke Finials & Rod Gold Leaf - $17.00	Roost Porcelain Flower Vases - $20.00
Mariposa Recycled Artichoke Sauce Dish - $37.00	Antique-White Artichoke Dip Bowl Set - $24.95
Artichoke Dipping Plates, Set of 2 - $42.95	Embroidered Pillows & Patchwork Bench - $99.00
Olive & Artichoke Wreath - $79.00	Artichoke - $6.95
"Archie" Artichoke Box - $295.00	Artichoke Lamp - $7,312.00