CasaSugar

Crave Worthy: The Conran Shop Napoleone Cabinet

CasaSugar — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:00:34 -0800

Antiques are beautiful, but sometimes I can't resist a modern interpretation of an old classic, like the the Conran Shop Napoleone Cabinet ($4,950). Lacquered with glossy green, the timeless form of this seven-drawer chest takes on a lively and witty attitude. Sadly this cabinet is astronomically out of reach for me, but a girl can dream, can't she? If I were the proud owner of this royal French piece, I'd fill it with Hermes scarves, vintage leather gloves, buckets of baubles, and some extortionate lace. How about you?

Etsy Find: Chroma Lab Fruit Stripe Dresser

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0800

I love people who aren't afraid of color. Take, for example, Laurel's Rainbow Bright Home. Thanks to her fearlessness of color, her home shouts personality . . . the kind of style that simply can't be replicated. But, given that I like my color in small doses, I'd be more likely to fill my house with items like the Chroma Lab Fruit Stripe Dresser ($480). Its turquoise acrylic satin polyurethane topcoat is certainly bold, but its slivers of watermelon and lemon color are hidden until you open the drawers. The colors aren't always competing for attention, but you know they're there.

Crave Worthy: Pink Mother of Pearl Inlay Chest

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 07:45:26 -0700

When I see the Graham and Green Pink Mother of Pearl Inlay Chest ($2,726), I think I revert to the part of me that used to play with Barbies for hours on end, that spontaneously drops $100 on facial scrub and nail polish in Walgreens, that wears stilettos to an occasional Sunday diner breakfast. Regardless of the fact that I might fill this mother of pearl inlaid dresser with gym shorts and ratty T-shirts, there's a romantic, feminine quality about it that simply makes me love being a girl. Unfortunately, there's little place for delicate, estrogen-loaded furnishings in my bedroom, but it pays to dream right? Maybe one day I'll have my very own walk-in closet, and my man will concede to letting me order it from the other side of the pond.

Love It or Hate It? Chest of Drawers

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:00:12 -0700

Dutch born Tejo Remy's 'You Can't Lay Down Your Memory' Chest of Drawers, designed in 1991, is part of the MOMA's permanent collection. It's a group of found drawers strapped together to create a single cluster of drawers, made of metal, paper, plastic, burlap, contact paper, and paint. You can purchase a unique, made-to-order set, one of only 200, for $51,616 at Retro Modern. What do you think?

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Crave Worthy: Williams-Sonoma Home St. Helena Dresser

CasaSugar — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:00:50 -0800

For all the hours you spend earmarking glossy pages, window-shopping, and curating your wardrobe, your garb deserves the finest dwelling the shelter world has to offer. Enter the Williams-Sonoma Home St. Helena Dresser ($2,250). This timeless Shaker design has a restrained regal glamour and enough storage in its four stacked drawers for your day-to-day foldable apparel, and its unassuming pulls draw attention to its interesting shape. The two compact top-tier drawers are the perfect habitat for your precious underthings and some stacking jewelry trays. Use the lower shelf for decorative accents and a valet for the odds and ends that collect with the daily grind. I can't resist this dresser's crisp white feminine finish, but it's also up for grabs in a mahogany finish for a more masculine mien.

Casa Interview: Bryonie Porter

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Bryonie Porter creates beautiful, brilliantly patterned furniture for her clients. Using both antique and modern furniture, she customizes each piece with wallpaper. For durability, she uses a water-based, environmentally friendly, high-gloss lacquer, which makes these pieces perfect for the hard knocks of everyday living. I recently chatted with Bryonie about her work and background.

CasaSugar: How did you start your business? Can you tell me a little about it?

Bryonie Porter: I started my business by covering pieces for myself at home, and when I saw how impressive the results could be it started from there. I was dealing antiques for a while before I started wallpapering, so I had access to a lot of furniture, which made it very easy to find nice pieces to cover.

CasaSugar: What are some of your favorite wallpaper companies to work with?

Bryonie Porter: I have a few favorite papers. They are made by Cole & Son and by Osborne & Little. I also like a lot of Timorous Beasties' designs as they are so unusual. This Autumn I am hoping to bring out some hand-printed wallpapers of my own.

See what Bryonie has to say about using pattern in your home, and see more of her work when you read more.

CasaSugar: Why do you like to work with wallpaper?

Bryonie Porter: Wallpaper is great as the right designs work so well on furniture. Personally, I would rather have my walls plain and my furniture and accessories very decorative, and also if you move then you can take it with you, but if you put it on the walls then it's very final - you can't move it once it's up!

CasaSugar: What are some of your favorite projects that you’ve tackled?

Bryonie Porter: I am currently wallpapering a piano for someone - that's pretty cool. I did a chest of drawers for a client that had a map of the world on it and that was great. I've also just done a UK map bureau for Selfridges which looks fantastic. Both of these pieces were very educational as my geography is rubbish!

CasaSugar: Do you have any advice for people who are shy about using pattern? How can they test the waters?

Bryonie Porter: Using patterns can be daunting, but I think if you like something you just have to go for it. Personally I like large, bold prints and enjoy the dramatic effect they have. It's a great way to change the look of a room or a piece of furniture.

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8 Reasons to Tie the Knot at a National Park

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:00:39 -0700

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the "Organic Act," creating the National Park Service, the new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department. Now, the United States' national parks are made up of nearly 400 natural, cultural, and recreational sites across the country, including massive parks like Yellowstone, and historical sites like the Statue of Liberty. Besides showcasing national historic and environmental treasures, many of these parks are also available for wedding ceremonies. Check out my top reasons for getting hitched at a national park.
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Roundup: 10 Antique Desks For Modern Feminine Bedrooms

CasaSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 08:00:40 -0800

I'm loving this colorful, girly bedroom, whose Louis XV French bureau desk looks perfectly at home in the lively, modern space. Inspired, I wanted to see what other antique or antique-look desks might complement a modern, feminine bedroom.

While I tend to think that bedrooms should be limited to sleeping space, it's often impossible to pare down furniture in small spaces. But no worries - a desk can find a perfect place in your boudoir. To integrate an antique desk into your bedroom, try mixing and matching styles. Pair a Hans Wegner Wishbone Chair with your 19th-century desk, and don't be afraid to mix textile patterns as well. There's no reason a French desk can't be in the same room as a Kuba cloth duvet cover or an Amy Butler ottoman. Be creative, and trust your instincts!

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Casa Quickie: Sticky Drawers

CasaSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:30:24 -0800

Aging isn't an easy thing to do. For antiques, the phrase "things get better with age" is nearly always true when it comes to aesthetics and market value. But sometimes they do need a little love to get their groove back. When it comes to a chest or bureau with sticky drawers that no longer slide open and closed easily, did you know that the antiaging remedy is as simple and household-ready as a candlestick? Just pull out the chest drawers and grab a piece of wax or an old candlestick that's down to its last legs. Rub the wax along the tracks where the grooves of the drawers will run. Now, put each drawer back, and they should slide in smoothly.

Nice and New: Kate Spade Holly Heights Tidbit Plates

CasaSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:00:07 -0800

You can count on Kate Spade to infuse full-on girliness into her holiday décor. Spade's candy-colored Holly Heights Tidbit Plates ($50) are good enough to eat! The set of two green/yellow and two red/pink plates has ample festivity for holiday entertaining, but the central starry snowflake pattern is subtle enough that you can pull off the plates all year long. I adore the little dove border and repeated diamond pattern. I think they'd make great jewelry catch-alls for your bureau or coasters even!

"Blue Wash" Writing Desk - $899.00	Wonderscape Desk - $998.00
Petite Secretary Desk & Jennifer Arm Chair - $699.00	"Cynthia" Writing Desk - $1,250.00
Phillipe Desk - $1,195.00	Writing Desk & Chair - $1,499.00
Kidney-Shaped Writing Desk - $1,699.00	Empress Writing Desk - $7,500.00
Louis XV Desk - $999.00	New! Carved Demilune Desk - $699.00