CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Ikea Bookcase Turned Bar

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:00:06 -0800

AT:NY recently featured a house tour of readers Tyler & Jules's NYC home, whose digs have been featured twice before on AT and once on HGTV. The latest reincarnation of their home boasts gray and blue walls, colorful accents, and trendy patterns and furnishings; all in all, it's fun! But the one thing that stood out to me as really clever was their bar, which they crafted from an Ikea Lack Shelving Unit ($80) by turning it on its side and adding legs. Not only does the DIY piece look great, but it has a quite functional wide surface for mixing cocktails and four compartments for storing glasses and other supplies. The width of the bar makes it a real focal point and a destination, and they've made it even hipper looking with a modern wine rack.

How-To: Create a Bar at Home

CasaSugar — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 10:30:16 -0800

Thanks to Mad Men, bar carts and at-home bars are becoming increasingly popular these days. For those of you looking to create a bar in your home that's sophisticated and not fit for a frat boy, I have a few tips for you.

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Roundup: Cocktail Trays

CasaSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 07:00:53 -0700

Every entertaining household should have a stocked bar with an ice bucket, glassware, cocktail shakers, mixers, and a few choices of poison. I recommend keeping these bar essentials out in the open on a console table of sorts, so guests feel they can serve themselves. Sometimes a closet or cabinet is the only option, though. Regardless, a cocktail tray is crucial for keeping all these items in a cohesive, orderly arrangement. I recommend a rectangular tray with a raised edge and handles so you can carry the tray around to guests if you want to serve a special cocktail. See a few of my tray picks when you read more.

Photo courtesy of AMC

Do You Have a Bar Cart?

CasaSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:00:06 -0700

I've been on the hunt for a retro bar cart lately, and was recently tempted by a Lucite one on Craigslist. To be honest, I don't even drink liquor - I prefer vino and Hefeweizen - but I just love the way they look. Admittedly, I also dream about having groovy cocktail parties, serving up spirits to my pals in my growing collection of highball glasses, while doing the twist. I wish I were that cool. Do you have one?

Inspired: Bloodhound Bar

CasaSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:00:09 -0700

7x7, San Francisco's city magazine, recently wrote about a new bar in the SoMa neighborhood called Bloodhound. My life isn't short on watering holes, and I rarely find myself in that 'hood, but I was impressed by the design of the space. The coolest thing, as the mag points out, is the flock of black birds painted on the ceiling. Beyond that, reclaimed wood paneling and rustic accents like an antler chandelier and wildlife artwork give the space a spooky, lost-in-the-woods aura. I came across the CB2 Flock Rug ($249), which would be ideal for re-creating the look of this bar. Using it as a jumping off point, I decided to round up a few more items inspired by this San Francisco spot. To see them, read more.

A dining room, I thought, would be the natural room to design with Bloodhound as inspiration, seeing as we don't all have bars in our homes. See more photos of the space here.

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Crave Worthy: Victoria Cocktail Cabinet

CasaSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:30:00 -0800

You can't get away with serving two-buck Chuck and Popov from this magnificent Pedro Sousa Cocktail Cabinet ($22,750). Well, maybe you could, since your guests might be so distracted by the fabulousness of this cabinet they'd miss out on the bottles altogether.

The first of a collection of limited edition cabinets by the young Portuguese designer Pedro Sousa, who graduated from design school in 2002, this case piece is not only a sleekly luxurious and unusual confection, but an investment in fine art. Its base may look like cast iron, but it's actually hand-carved and lacquered wood, and its drawers are made of high quality leather. The exterior of the cabinet is akin to the Batmobile - multi-faceted, slick, and intimidating - but its sunshine-yellow interior pours a spoonful of fun into your domestic mixology.

How Would You . . .

CasaSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:15:15 -0700

Would you like a little horsing around with your gin and tonic? This Fredrick Weinberg Horse Shaped Drink Trolley ($950) will definitely add some eccentricity to your home bar.

For this challenge, I'd like you to tell me how you'd use this cart in your home. Would you up its kitsch factor with more equine-themed accents? Would you repaint it? What room would it look best in? Would it work for a children's playroom? What would you store on it? Tell me in the comments below!
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Guess Who Designed This Bar?

CasaSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:15:55 -0700

The walls of this bar are covered in large-scale images of Versailles's interiors, table lamps hang upside down from the ceiling as pendants, and mismatched tables and chairs make up the cozy bohemian lounge setting. It was designed by a well-known Frenchman who designs interiors as well as mass-produced consumer goods. Do you know who it is?

Steal of the Day: Ballard Designs Nicobar Folding Tray Table

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:00:04 -0800

Even if you don't have time to turn a TV cabinet into a bar, you can still be a hotshot bartender with the Ballard Designs Nicobar Folding Tray Table ($149, reduced from $249). Wait, did I just say hotshot and Ballard Designs in the same sentence? Yes, this tray table is actually pretty darn cool. It unfolds easily, and has a removable tray top with a designated locale for your bottles and glassware. Whip out your mixology skills when your friends are over, and then store it when it's not in use. That way, when your parents stop by unexpectedly, they won't know you're such a booze hound. Perfect for studio living, too.

Before and After: A TV Cabinet Turned Bar

CasaSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:00:13 -0800

When a friend offered up artist Alpine Butterfly a vintage TV cabinet, she put on her DIY face and turned it into a swanky cocktail bar with a sound system. It was the first time she'd grouted, cut glass, or sewn curtains, so she used mostly recycled materials, and it turned out marvelously! She used some old pieces of MDF board for the shelves, a cigar box for the mp3 player drawer, speakers from her attic, a bathroom mirror for ornamentation, and a household wine bucket. It's really inspiring to see how much someone can do with all the junk sitting around the house. To see the transformation, read more

Care for a drink, anyone?

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