CasaSugar

Before and After: An Airy Attic Office

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:00:39 -0700

The owner of a Queen Anne home in Florida decided that a home office might be the best choice for her small business. Her 700-square-foot attic space, which was recently featured in This Old House, seemed like the perfect fit, but it would require a lot of renovations. Her husband volunteered his services to realize her vision.

Here's how it looked prior to renovation.

To see how this attic was transformed, read more.
The attic was gutted, and three new windows were added. Heart-pine floors picked up the light, and exposed rafters, which were painted white, gave the space an open, airy feel. The attic was rewired to accommodate seven work stations and high-tech equipment, and AC ducts were also installed - a necessity in steamy Florida. I also love the airplane propeller, which adds visual interest to the space.

For more details, check out This Old House.
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Before and After: An Inviting Attic

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:30:15 -0700

An underused attic space was recently given new life as a cheerful, teen-friendly hangout space. Beforehand, its beige walls and brown carpeting were definitely less than inspiring.

To see the results, read more.

To make the room functional, it was divided into smaller spaces based on the activities that would be done in each area, such as a computer area for doing homework and a comfy sofa area for hanging out with friends. Bright colors on the walls and furniture updated the space, and an eco-friendly cork floor is both a durable and unusual choice for this space. I think it looks great. What about you?

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Gift Guide: Modern Mobiles

CasaSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:15:12 -0800

Like decorating your first apartment, decorating your baby's nursery is a really exciting task. But many new moms tend to forget that their $59 polyester pony mobile will end up in the attic within a few months. So if you're shopping for a holiday gift for an infant or a nursery-decorating friend, I recommend wrapping up a mobile that can act as décor long after a baby moves out of the crib.

One of my favorites is this CB2 Abstract Mobile ($19.95), which is very clearly inspired by the work of acclaimed American sculptor Alexander Calder, who invented the mobile in 1931. I have a few more modern mobiles up my sleeve, so read more.

Before and After: A Cape Cod Makes Way For Baby

CasaSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:00:45 -0700

When a family expands, often a just-right-sized home becomes too cramped. This was the case with a family that approached Bowers Design Build, an award-winning firm located in Northern VA, whose work has been featured on HGTV.

The client in this particular case loved the location of their 1920s Cape Cod home, but felt that it was too small. The entire living space was contained on one floor and consisted of cramped rooms, including two bedrooms, a dining and living room, one small bath, and a galley kitchen. While there was an attic space, it was unconditioned and only used for storage.

The firm decided to build the addition so the entire first floor only was used for living space, with a small rear addition to expand the kitchen. Meanwhile, by building up, the lot's yard size could be preserved, and a second story could be used for bedrooms.

To take a complete before and after tour of the home, inside and out, read more.

The new design's facade preserves the look of the Cape Cod from the front, while expanding the home's size in the back. Additions such as a mudroom allow for tidiness, even in the face of a child's dirty boots. Additional storage was added, and the laundry facility was added to the second story, to make this task much easier, given their new baby.

Find out more about Bowers Design Build here.

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Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 10:30:00 -0700

Debi Mazar's colorful crib is on the market.
Are you a clothes horse? Then check out this renovated attic!
Find out how to save money on a vacation house this Summer.
Flip for these chandeliers made from everyday objects.
Tour a gorgeous Georgian Colonial home.
Learn how to prettify your open shelving.
This chandelier makes a barn look elegant.

A Suite For the Sartorially Savvy

CasaSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:00:25 -0700

For those of us who are making do with overstuffed, poorly designed closets, this remodel project is the stuff that dreams are made of . . . or a serious case of room envy! What was once an attic in a Victorian was, thanks to the work of Lundberg Design, transformed into a bath and dressing suite. The new space eschews standard walls in favor of translucent glass panels, which separate the bath from the dressing area.

The panels' frosty tones are offset by an ebony-stained oak floor. Fiber optic lighting casts beautiful shadows, turning dresses into works of art. For a full tour of the space, read more.

View 14 Photos ›

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Cool Idea: Pink Walls and a Patterned Floor

CasaSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:00:28 -0700

Creative lady extraordinaire Medley recently turned a forgotten attic at a Craftsman home into a patterned and pink wonderland. She explains, "I have a degree in Architecture, and when I work full time, that's my main profession. I think that makes me a little bolder in my color selections than is typical. I also design jewelry, but that's mostly for fun. The inspiration for my room started with a similar shade of pink in an old article in Domino magazine. I went to the craft store with that in mind, and went through scrapbook paper, picking out a pallette with 2 shades of pink, robin's egg blue, and a dark purple. I planned all along to accent with black & white. The original plan was to have all black and white furniture and a robin's egg blue chenille or matalesse bedspread. At this point it's a work in progress. The scroll pattern for the floor was inspired by this floor in the Lena Corwin contest, though mine is more geometric and precise."

For more pictures of the attic room and to find out what paint colors medley used, read more.
For the walls, Medley used Behr paint matched to Ralph Lauren's Belmont Pink. For the floor, Medley used Behr Evening Violet for the scroll designs and Black Orchid for the background. The trim is Behr Swan Wing, and the radiator is Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch in Berry Pink.

I love the contrast between the pink and the patterned, darker floor. And as a lover of bold color myself, I appreciate Medley's choice of pinks. Beautiful work!

View 5 Photos ›

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:00:04 -0700

Check out some coverage from Art Basel.- Swiss Miss
Learn what to do if you're short on rent.- AT:LA
Be inspired by this beautiful attic workspace.- AT:SF
Here's what's important in home appraisal.- Charles & Hudson
Make seed tapes for fast planting of all kinds of seeds.- Craftzine
I love this slim shelving.- Decor8
Here's a tea towel that pines for Ikea.- Grassroots Modern
Bring some pretty labels into your pantry.- Poppytalk

Casa Verde: Greening Old Homes

CasaSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:00:55 -0700

Richard Moe, the president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, recently wrote an article for The New York Times, This Old Wasteful House, outlining the benefits of greening old homes instead of building newer homes.

In the article, he asserts:

Never before has America had so many compelling reasons to preserve the homes in its older residential neighborhoods. We need to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. We want to create jobs, and revitalize the neighborhoods where millions of Americans live. All of this could be accomplished by making older homes more energy-efficient.

To hear more of Moe's recommendations and facts concerning preserving these homes, read more.

Homes built before or by 1939 use approximately 50 percent more energy per square foot than homes constructed in 2000. However, by improving the energy efficiency of these older homes, they can perform just as well as new homes.
Homeowners should request an energy audit by a local utility. These audits are either free or low-cost.
Home energy audits will help homeowners learn where their home needs to be retrofitted, and will make these decisions cost-effective.
Energy loss is usually due to a lack of insulation in attics and basements. Insulate these areas first.
Seal other air leaks. Try installing dryer vent seals, fireplace draft stoppers, and attic door covers.

Source

Etsy Find: Recycled Album Jacket Coasters

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 08:00:03 -0700

If you're decorating a masculine bedroom or a hipster dude haven, or if you just want to show off your taste for rock 'n roll, add a set of Recycled Album Jacket Coasters and a Vinyl LP Bowl ($29) to your home.

Etsy seller Inoudid's Attic is repurposing her husband's vintage vinyl record album collection into these one-of-a-kind coaster and bowl sets (side note: my husband would never forgive me if I started deconstructing his vinyl collection). Each set has nine coasters, made by laminating the album jacket to a piece of Baltic birch plywood. They're then protected with a clear, moisture-resistant finish, and have felt pads underneath to protect your tabletops. Are these your style?

Flensted Mobiles Horse Mobile - $28.00	Flensted Mobiles The 4 Viking Ships Mobile - $35.00
Flensted Mobiles Futura Mobile - $64.00	Flensted Mobiles Balloon Mobile 5 - $43.00
Wallter Palm Mobile in Red - $120.00	Wallter Hex Mobile in White - $80.00
Flensted Mobiles Shoal of Fish - $47.00	Flensted Mobiles Viking Mobile - 5 Ships - $45.00
Wallter Butterfly Mobile in Blue - $70.00	Flensted Mobiles Life and Thread Large Mobile - $439.00
Sheesham Iron Strands - $24.00	Flensted Mobiles Jonas and the Whale Mobile - $28.00
Flensted Mobiles Tango Mobile - $124.00