CasaSugar

What Type of Green Technology Is This?

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:00:18 -0700

Today, President Obama toured a facility in Arcadia, FL, that specializes in a green technology. Can you tell me what type of technology it is? (Hint: Just look at the photo.)

Love It or Hate It? Excessive Plants on a Mantel

CasaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:36 -0700

Today, President Barack Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in the Oval Office of the White House. While I'm not a fan of gold frames in general (even when they're housing a lovely portrait of a founding father), I'm not sure what i think of the all-over ivy on the mantel behind the president and the prime minister. Would you ever coat a mantel with this much ivy?

Obama Buys $4,800 Recycled Chandelier For Daughters' White House Bedroom

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:56 -0700

In last night's episode of Man Shops Globe, Keith Johnson traveled to South Africa, where he was on the hunt for not-so-typical African crafts. After stumbling upon some unusual pottery and a handmade wooden dining chair straight out of a Van Gogh painting, he wandered into a magical art collective shop called Magpie , which sells knickknacks and décor made entirely from recycled objects. Be it a lid to a dog food can, a wine cork, or a Barbie, the eco-conscious craftsman turned the disposable into the extraordinary. Johnson was blown away by a tall, dramatic chandelier made from found objects, trinkets, and castoffs, and ordered one for Anthropologie.

As it turns out, President Obama bought the $4,800 recycled chandelier for Sasha and Malia's bedroom in the White House. We did learn back in January that the Obamas planned to decorate the girls' room with Pottery Barn and Anthropologie, and that they already have a large collection of African and Asian art, so it's quite fitting actually! While the purchase is certainly expensive for young girls, as is the family's celebrity decorator Michael Smith, Barack and Michelle did decide to pay for their White House renovations personally, and forgo the allotted $100,000 presidential decorating budget, so you can't blame them!

Kellan Flexes at LAX, Cam Gets Steamy With Xtina, and Garner Scrubs Toilets!

Molly — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Kellan Lutz jokes around with the paparazzi on his way back to Vancouver to film Eclipse, plus the latest role for Twilight star Cam Gigandet and some updates from New Moon. Late night included Jennifer Garner talking about her preschool duties and President Obama on Letterman. All that and more so watch PopSugar Rush now!

Do You Know Anyone With an Elevator in Their Home?

CasaSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 07:00:11 -0700

The White House is an unusual home, but it's not the only home that features an elevator. Growing up I had a classmate whose ranch-style home had an elevator running from the main floor to the basement. I always suspected it was an escape route because her father was possibly a Mafioso. You needn't be a world leader or a criminal to own an elevator, though. Remember photographer Jay Maisel's 72-room bohemian dream house with its ornate copper elevator cage? Tell me: do you know anyone with an elevator in their home? Apartment buildings don't count.
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Calvin Klein and Artist Jonathan Horowitz Make Pillow Talk

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 06:15:57 -0700

The folks over at Calvin Klein Collection’s Madison Avenue flagship store have been telling some bedtime stories - in the shop's window. CK has teamed up with artist Jonathan Horowitz to turn out "Pillow Talk Cases," white pillowcases silk-screened with the names of our president and first lady, and some notable pop culture pairs like Sam and Lindsay, John and Yoko, and Bert and Ernie. Proceeds from the sale of the cases will go to the Art Production Fund, and the limited edition cases can be purchased in-store, at the P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center (where Horowitz's work is currently on display), or online at the Fund's website.
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Decorating Dos and Don'ts For Obama White House

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 15:00:41 -0800

In the New York Times article "Free the Blue Room," writer and Domino magazine editor Deborah Needleman argues for a more modern aesthetic for the White House. Unfortunately, this is no simple task. Why? Because so many previous generations of White House first ladies have shown little imagination in decorating the capital home, since the initial redecoration in 1962 by Jackie Kennedy.

In order to revive the cringe-worthy decor of the White House, reports Needleman, Jackie Kennedy cleverly framed her dramatic makeover as an historical renovation, and had Congress designate the White House as a museum. Unfortunately, since this time, following first ladies have interpreted the preservationist mandate as something not to be tampered with. Thus, the White House's style has languished under a style that, while under Jackie's eye and stylish guidance, looked lovely, but in subsequent interpretations, has gone slightly sour.

To read more about Needleman's recommendations, and to see a video of Jackie Kennedy giving a tour of the White House, read more.

In the article, Needleman recounts,

As [Jackie Kennedy] understood, the White House, in order to truly be “the people’s house,” should reflect its living character as much as its history. Mrs. Obama’s appointment of Michael Smith, a Los Angeles-based decorator, is a promising start. He is well versed in the art of Gilbert Stuart and the craftsmanship of Duncan Phyfe, but is unlikely to shy from adding, say, modern paintings by Mark Rothko or furniture by Samuel Marx.

Needleman concludes that, "The White House ought to reflect the truth that people live surrounded by many historic periods at once - in our art, music, and literature as well as in the decor of the rooms we inhabit. To revive the spirit of Camelot, the Obamas need to show reverence for the past without living in it."

How would you like to see the White House decorated under the Obama administration? Are you a modernist who hopes decorator Michael Smith injects a sense of 21st-century life into the surroundings? Or do you think it's best to leave well enough alone?

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Designer Profile: Michael S. Smith

CasaSugar — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:00:53 -0800

Last week, I told you that Michael S. Smith had been chosen as the Obamas' White House designer. I can't tell you how thrilled I am by their choice. Smith blends modern comfort with a timeless elegance, and I'm excited that a Californian will be decorating the capital residence.
Smith, who divides his time between Los Angeles and New York, honed his designing chops at the Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles and The Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Although just 44 years old, Smith has already received many prestigious awards, including Architectural Digest’s The AD 100 in 2002 and 2004 and 2003 Designer of the Year from Elle Decor. Smith's work has also graced the pages of Elle Decor Magazine, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Town and Country, Domino, Metropolitan Home, Interior Design, and W. Smith's new book, Houses, offers advice on decorating your own home through the example of 20 projects, including Smith's own Bel Air residence.

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Do You Hang Political Figure Art in Your Home?

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 12:00:39 -0800

In today's LA Times, the article "Obama Memorabilia Displayed in Homes" notes that "Baby-boomer Catholics may remember a time when their parents removed the Jesus portrait from the mantel and replaced it with an 8-x-10 of John F. Kennedy. But in the intervening 48 years, until Obama won the office, has any president motivated so many Americans of all ages and races to put up his portrait in living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms?" Do you have artwork of Barack Obama, or other political leaders, in your home?

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This Just In: Domino Magazine Announces White House Decorator

CasaSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 15:36:32 -0800

My favorite interior decorating magazine, Domino, has just announced the news that Los Angeles-based decorator Michael Smith has been given the nod for designing President-elect Barack Obama and family's private White House quarters. Although a formal announcement should come later in the week, a spokesperson from President-elect Obama’s transition team confirmed the selection with Domino.

Smith, whose clients include Steven Spielberg, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Cindy Crawford, is notable for his elegant mixing of both old and new world styles to create sophisticated yet comfortable interiors. His new book, Houses, offers advice on decorating your own home through the example of 20 projects, including Smith's own Bel Air residence.

To get a peek at Smith's style, read more.

Deborah Needleman, Domino’s editor in chief, said of the Obamas’ choice of Smith, “It will be exciting to see Michael Smith’s great talent for making grand spaces intimate and livable at work in the White House. Smith’s interiors mix furniture and art from a broad range of periods and styles in a way that is harmonious and modern. Smith has the right amount of reverence for the past and faith in the future that will hopefully allow the rooms to reflect both the history of our nation and the executive mansion and the change and progress that the Obamas want to bring to America.”

Head over to Domino's site to check out in-depth slideshows about Michael and his work.

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