CasaSugar

Bettany and Connelly Are No Longer Brooklynites

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:00:14 -0800

Actors Paul Bettany and Jennifer Connelly have finally sold their 9-bedroom, 3.5-bath Victorian townhouse in Brooklyn, which they put on the market in May. The Bettany-Connelly Prospect Park pad still stands in my mind as the one of the most impressive celebrity digs I've yet to take a gander at. Not only are the prewar architectural elements absolutely stunning and nonpareil, but also the couple made simply tasteful interior design choices that create bold, uncompetitive statements throughout the house. My theory is that the combination of the Brooklyn home's overwhelmingly good looks and the couple's joint hotness was just too much to handle. So, they've purchased a nice and modern, but not-so-awesome penthouse in TriBeCa for $6.92 million. The new digs do have a roof deck overlooking the Hudson River and all of the luxe amenities you'd expect a celeb to have, but nothing exciting beyond that. Is Brooklyn over for the Hollywood elite? Will Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard be next? To see more photos of the Bettany-Connelly's new digs, read more.

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Before and After: Real Simple Meets P.S. 346

CasaSugar — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:00:44 -0700

The folks over at Real Simple (70 of them, to be exact) recently took part in New York Cares Day, and volunteered at the P.S. 346 elementary school in Brooklyn. In just five hours, they assembled 37 pieces of new Ikea furniture and applied their design expertise to an uninspired multi-purpose room. At the end of the day, the room had been transformed into a stimulating space that looks contemplated and composed. To see the after photo, read more.

Be sure to head over to Simply Stated to hear more about the project and see another photo. Wanna read about more deserving design makeovers? Be sure to check out this slideshow, post, and interview with Vern Yip about his facelift of two Bay Area community centers.
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This Just In: Jennifer Connelly & Paul Bettany Put Dream House on Market

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 08:30:21 -0700

According to Brownstoner, Jennifer Connolly and Paul Bettany have put their historic, prewar 9-bedroom, 3.5-bath Prospect Park (Brooklyn) Victorian townhouse on the market for $8.5 million. The handsome couple is ditching their park-front manse in favor of a TriBeCa loft, just as Scarlett Johansson and Kevin Spacey are leaving the neighborhood. To hear about the stunning property and see drool-worthy interior photos, read more.
The listing for the property, which is said to be "one of the all time great houses of New York built at the turn of the century," reads:

All of the original wood carving surrounding the windows and mantels as well as the elaborate plaster work on the ceilings remains in tact and in perfect condition. There are fireplaces in all of the public rooms (living, dining, and kitchen) as well as in 3 of the 4 master bedrooms. There is a full servant's quarters on the top floor consisting of 4 small bedrooms, a full bath, and a large storage room. The original stained and leaded windows exist in the baths and in the large skylight at the top of the grand staircase. Central air-conditioning has been added and there is a large, fully landscaped garden at the rear of the house which is gated and private.

If the original architectural elements (including parquet flooring throughout) weren't enough to make you swoon, the décor of the townhouse is stunning and simply tasteful, as to be expected from the classy couple. I'm particularly drooling over how they've subtly integrated modern furnishings with a soft color palette into the Victorian; it reminds me a bit of Mark Homewood's Mod Victorian, albeit much more understated. Check out the gallery and let me know what you think. Bonus points if you can spot the pink-neon lamp in the living room!

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Nice and New: Flavor Paper's Fresh Wall Flavors

CasaSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:00:00 -0700

This past weekend, New Orleans-based wallpaper company Flavor Paper debuted its Spring 2009 line at BKLYN Designs featuring fresh new designs from Brooklyn-based Dan Funderburgh. While the designs vary widely in subject matter and look, they're all eyecatching and provocative, especially Sharp Descent ($150 per roll), which features a deluge of knives, syringes, and scissors raining down one's wall. I'm more of a fan of the Fruits of Design ($150 per roll, shown here), which provides a modern twist on classic damask.

Want to see all the new designs? Then read more.

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Are You Attending BKLYN Designs?

CasaSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 10:00:20 -0700

From today through May 10, BKLYN DESIGNS will again feature New York’s hottest designers and manufacturers of contemporary furnishings, lighting, and accessories made and/or designed in Brooklyn. Have you ever been to BKLYN Designs? Will you be attending this year?

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All the Beckhams Want For Xmas Is a $50K Treetent

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 07:30:34 -0800

Victoria and David Beckham stopped by Neiman Marcus recently to pick up this Treetent ($50,000) designed by Dutch sculptor and designer Dré Wapenaar, as a gift for their sons, Romeo, Brooklyn, and Cruz. The 13-ft.-tall tent nestles in the branches of your favorite tree, and is outfitted with a nine-foot-diameter hardwood floor and round mattress inside. It sleeps two comfortably, and also has adjustable landing steps. If it wasn't the price of a down payment on a house, I would have included it in our holiday gift guides because it is a pretty sweet gift. Ahhh, to be a celebrity baby . . .

Cool Idea: A Storage Box Spring

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:56 -0800

The New York Times recently featured the 178-square-foot Brooklyn studio of Zach Motl, a junior designer for design firm Robert Couturier & Associates, who also worked for Miles Redd. The amount of stylish, sophisticated furnishings packed into Motl's one-room apartment is nearly impossible, but somehow it looks polished. One of the things that helps his digs look less cluttered is his Ikea Sultan Alsarp Box Spring ($220 and up). The clever design has a slatted base that can be lifted, allowing you to use the space underneath for storage. Of course, if you're smart, you'll have a bed frame and maybe even bed risers, too, so you can store things underneath your bed as well. If only I'd known about this when I lived in a studio! I wonder if it's comfortable?

Coveted Crib: Jenna Lyons's Brooklyn Town House

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:00:57 -0700

The September cover story for my favorite home decorating magazine, Livingetc, features J. Crew creative director Jenna Lyons's relaxed, elegant Brooklyn town house. Lyons and her husband, artist Vincent Mazeu, spent two years turning the run-down house into a dream home for themselves and their son, Beckett. In the article, Jenna explains, "My trick has been to approach each area like putting together an outfit. You might start with an old pair of jeans, a cashmere cardigan, or a floral belt, and work around that central fashion statement." Take a mini tour of the space with me, and then pick up the September copy of Livingetc to get the full experience.

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Sex and the City: Miranda's Brooklyn Home

CasaSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 06:15:21 -0700

By now, I bet the majority of you have seen the Sex and the City movie, right? And if not, you've gotten a taste for the movie's fashion, as well as some of the interiors already. I recently got my hands on some stills from Miranda's Brooklyn house, and had to share them with all of you.
I honestly have to say that Miranda's home is probably my favorite in the entire movie, simply because it is the most real. Even though Miranda and Steve's house has great bones, as well as some lovely home accessories, it is a bit jumbled. And that's okay, because obviously Miranda's life is jumbled, too, what with a child, a full-time job, and other, um, complications that I won't share because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't yet seen the film.

To see another photo, as well as to hear more about why I love Miranda's apartment, read more.

For instance, take a look at the handprints to the left of the fireplace in the first photo. Those prints tell a story that we, the audience, isn't privy to - it could represent a mischievous painting addition by Brady, or perhaps even a little midpainting make-out session between Steve and Miranda. I also love that many of Miranda's more reserved and uptight UWS apartment accessories can be spotted in the Brooklyn home, though now they are overwhelmed by Brady's gigantic stuffed animals.

I'm curious - did you like Miranda and Steve's Brooklyn home, or did you find it too "real" for the fantasy that is Sex and the City?

Love It or Hate It? The Humphreys' Brooklyn Pad

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:00:07 -0700

If you follow Gossip Girl, you may have noticed that the Humphreys, the token "pauvre" family, live in a killer converted Brooklyn loft that by the standards of most (perhaps not Park Avenue ladies who lunch) would be considered a Coveted Crib. Though it may not come complete with a doorman and an elevator (to get stuck in!), it's a massive space with gorgeous colored window panes, loads of rad midcentury furniture and artwork (thanks to Rufus's keen gallerist eye), and a garage door wall! How funky is that? I'd take it over Madison Avenue any day. Maybe you'd prefer life on the Upper East Side though - to each his own.