CasaSugar

Open House: What Do You Bring to the Beach?

CasaSugar — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:30:52 -0700

Sometimes it seems as if getting ready to go to the beach takes up as much time as your beach excursion itself does. Whether you're spending time at a Summer beach house, or taking advantage of a sandy-beached lake, if you're going to be in the sun and surf all day, you don't want to forget anything essential. On the other hand, you also don't want to be too weighed down.

I know people who bring coolers, sports equipment, umbrellas, chairs, and more to the beach. Some of my audiophile friends always bring an iPod mini speaker system to the beach, but I prefer to listen to the sound of the waves. My essentials include a big, fluffy towel, sunscreen, a good book, lots of water, and a yummy lunch that won't wilt in the sun. Of course, since my dog is often tagging along, doggy snacks, plastic bags, and a water bowl are also needed. I tend not to bring chairs or umbrellas, since I'm in favor of traveling semi-light for a beach day. What do you need to bring to your beach day?
Source: Flickr User Fevi in Cayman

Steal of the Day: Lauria Beach Towel

CasaSugar — Tue, 26 May 2009 05:30:44 -0700

Beyond your average, solid, monogrammed towel, sophisticated beach towels are hard to come by, particularly if you'd like a patterned one. So take note: the Pottery Barn Lauria Beach Towel ($29, reduced from $39) is on sale and completely chic. Its artfully rendered botanical graphic is inspired by the vintage watercolor books that decoupage artist John Derian makes a living on. The towel has a thick cotton velour top, and is backed with cotton terry, making it the ideal thing to dry you off after a dip this Summer. And, you can also have it monogrammed to add a personal touch to your pool décor.

Casa Quickie: Decorate with Beach Towels

CasaSugar — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:45:53 -0700

If your bank account is suffering, your Summer Style needn't suffer too. One cheap way to decorate your home this month is with beach towels. A Domino reader did so in her '70s Venice, CA home, and you'd never guess that it cost her under $20 for the project. She bought two bold striped beach towels from Target for under $10, and wrapped an ugly cushion of an $8 yard sale bamboo chair with one, and staple-gunned the other to a blank 5' x 2' stretched canvas. The towels are not the same, but their orange color schemes and wide stripes tie them together. Using one vertically and the other horizontally brings an interesting visual element to the room, and the retro colors go nicely with her wood-paneled walls.
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Casa Quickie: Use a Beach Towel For Casual Summer Dining

CasaSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Leave it to Target to come up with yet another cool option for Summer dining. Partnering with event planner David Stark, a new collection of Americana-tinged outdoor tableware is ready to amp up your outdoor dining in the Spring and Summer months to come. I’m particularly fond of Stark’s idea for an on-the-fly outdoor dinner party. In House Beautiful he suggests using one of his Bandana Beach Towels ($12, available in June) for a tablecloth, saying, “Summer makes me think of spreading a towel on the ground for an impromptu picnic. So why not put one on the table?”

Find out how to get the complete look of this table at House Beautiful.

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Home Away from Home: Castles in the Sand

CasaSugar — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:30:54 -0800

Two hours from Marrakech in a town called Essaouira, where Orson Welles based his Othello and Jimi Hendrix found inspiration for "Castles in the Sand," English couple Emma Wilson and Graham Carter bought a pair of magical 200-year-old Moroccan houses and named them Castles in the Sand. The pair transformed "Dar Beida" and "Dar Emma" into exquisitely designed, playful, boutique guest houses full of flea market finds, Moroccan artifacts, antiques, and, most of all, charm. The houses, called riads, are available to rent throughout the year and make for a fantastic getaway, just a few minutes from the beach.

Dar Beida (the white house), shown here, is a four-bedroom villa and can be rented for about $488 per person for week, which includes lots of complimentary goodies like Moroccan slippers, use of beach towels, wireless Internet, etc. With white walls and floors throughout, ancient sandstone columns, and wood ceilings, it has gorgeous organic modern bones that create a calm base for the house's mix of eclectic lighting, art, and furnishings. It's built around a central courtyard (with a fountain!) with four stories, including a library, a lounge with a fireplace, an open plan fully-equipped kitchen, a large terrace, sun beds, and a hammock. All in all it looks, and sounds, like a dream. See more photos when you read more.

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Lilly Pulitzer to Debut Bedding Line For Garnet Hill

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 07:00:47 -0700

Palm Beach prep is coming home. Pink and green queen Lilly Pulitzer will debut a new home goods collection for Garnet Hill in January. The line will include bedding and bath accessories in her signature happy chic colors. Bedding designs will include "Truly Lilly, " "Classic Lilly," and "Trend Lilly" with sheets, quilts, comforter covers, shams, pillow covers, coverlets, and bedskirts. The bath designs will include a shower curtain in starfruit yellow; Chinoiserie towels in hibiscus pink, starfruit yellow and surf blue; a Chinoiserie tufted bath rug in hibiscus pink, starfruit yellow and surf blue, and a juice stand shower curtain in turquoise.

This isn't the first time Lilly has entered the interiors business. The company has had other bedding collections, but they've ceased production. From this sneak peek image of the collection, it seems to be much more contemporary. And the quilting is beautiful!

When my aunt was growing up, she bought a stack of quilting fabric squares from her local Lilly shop in Palm Beach and sewed her very own Lilly Pulitzer quilt. To this day, she still owns it and I've always been covetous. I guess now she won't be the only one with a Palm Beach princess bedroom.

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Casa Beta: A Tale of Two Towels

CasaSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:15:56 -0700

Christy, a top UK towel manufacturer, has recently brought its bath and beach towels to the US market, and I was lucky enough to test a couple of them.

The first towel I tried, which is shown above, was from the Embrace collection ($38 for one bath towel). Made from micro modal, silk, and cotton, this is, I can honestly say, the softest towel I've ever used. It feels incredibly good on your skin and is a treat to blot your face with after you've given it a good wash. I was pleased with this towel in nearly every way; however, it seemed to snag rather easily, perhaps because the silk and modal isn't as durable as cotton.

I also tried a towel from Christy's Organic line. To see how I liked this one, read more.

While I love to buy organic linens, I've been a bit skeptical of their softness and durability, based on some unhappy prior experiences, but since I'm always hoping to find another high quality organic textile, I gave this organic towel (not yet available online) a shot. Functionally, it impressed me — a quick absorber, it dried quickly, and was unbelievably softer than my set of regular cotton towels. Aesthetically, it's nothing to write home about it, but it fits the bill for the daily bath.

I would definitely recommend the organic towels, especially for daily use. If you're the kind of gal who's very careful with her bath towels, I'd recommend that you also try the silk towel - if you can avoid snagging it (I snagged it on an earring), then you're in for a treat. Check out more Christy towels here.

Roundup: Perfect Picnic Style

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:00:06 -0700

Summer is the season for picnics, warm weather, plants in full bloom, and plenty of ripe and juicy produce. But just because you're heading to the park doesn't mean you have to leave your sense of style at home.

In my opinion, the number of cheapo beach towels and Walgreens-variety nylon coolers are something of a design atrocity. So, take a second look, and consider picking up some picnic gear that meets your home's standards of chic. What's more, these durable, stylish pieces will take you through this Summer season and many more in years to come.

Casa Beta: Yumi & Lauri blanQuette

CasaSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:45:22 -0800

Interested in a throw that's a step above the ordinary? Then try the Y&L blanQuette, a lightweight blanket resembling an oversize plush Turkish towel. Made of 50 percent organic cotton and 50 percent bamboo, the blanQuette measures in at a generous six-and-a-half by almost five feet wide. It's available in five different collections: The St. Moritz, Nevis, Laguna, Milan, and Furano, which each feature varying colors and patterns. Each blanQuette sells for $195 to $235.

Yumi & Lauri was founded by mother and entrepreneur Laurie Suzuki, who was inspired to turn Turkish towels into something more luxurious and versatile - which led to the birth of the blanQuette. Her commitment to eco-friendly practices also contributed to the organic content of the blanQuette.

I recently had the opportunity to test out a blanQuette from the Laguna collection. To hear my thoughts on it, read more.

I loved the deep purple color of the Laguna blanQuette, as well as the paisley pattern (see photo) imprinted on the plush organic cotton and bamboo threads. The white piping outlining the blanQuette also nicely framed the throw. I was impressed by the plushness of this product.

While it is an unusual, unexpected choice as a throw, this makes it perfect for home decorators who are looking to add a punch of color and interest to a room. I definitely think this would be a great accessory for a beach cottage, ski chalet, or other vacation home. Its lively color and unusual texture makes it perfect for these destinations. My only concern about the product was the smell of the blanQuette when I first received it - even though this is an organic product, it had a strong chemical scent. I immediately washed the blanQuette with some Ecover, and the smell disappeared. I can also say that even with line drying, the blanQuette seemed soft, which is definitely impressive. Overall, I'd definitely recommend the blanQuette for home decorators interested in integrating an eco-friendly, unexpected element into their homes.

Find out more about the different types of blanQuette by browsing the collections.

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Sale Alert: The Company Store Summer White Sale

CasaSugar — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:35:01 -0700

In 1878, John Wanamaker, the first person to open a department store in Philly, decreed January to be the time for a white sale, which sold bed linens (traditionally white) at a discount to create business during a slow time of year, says Wikipedia. Considered the father of modern advertising, he also dreamed up a revolutionary principle, "One price and goods returnable." Nowadays, white sales can happen anytime of year, such as June. If it weren't for old Wanamaker, you wouldn't have the opportunity to enjoy the current discounts of 60 to 75 percent off sheets, comforters, towels, and mattress pads at The Company Store. So when you wrap yourself up in fresh new beach towel this Summer, be thankful!
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