CasaSugar

Midday Muse: An Ikea Interview Exam

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:00:53 -0700

Somehow, this manages to belittle all my memories of interview angst . . .
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Would You Want These Sculptures in Your City?

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 06:15:09 -0800

I'm a big fan of public art in general, and I'm digging the childlike whimsy contained in these aluminum sculptures, entitled "Moonrise Sculptures: March, October, and December." Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone, who often adapts pop culture phrases into unique art pieces, is responsible for these cartoon-like busts, which sit outside a plaza in downtown San Francisco. Would you want similar sculptures in your city or town?

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Top Design, Episode 2: "Archie Bunker"

CasaSugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:00:58 -0700

So, I'm not sure if anyone else had this issue with Top Design this week, but on my cable package, The Rachel Zoe Project was actual rerunning in the normal Top Design slot, and TD wasn't on until midnight. I love me some fashion, but you all know I love my design shows a lot more.

In this latest episode, the designers were responsible for working in a 12-by-14-foot space with a partner. To find out about their challenge, the designers watched a vintage beta tape brought in by Todd Oldham, with a cartoon explaining the importance of a bomb shelter.

Yes, the designers are building a bomb shelter; I'm not sure if this was supposed to have resonance with the show's air date's close proximity to 9-11, but either way, it was an interesting concept. Given a budget of $6,000 per team, the teams planned for 30 minutes in their bomb shelters, which were gray, concrete, and definitely depressing canvasses for the designers to work with. Many of the designers leaned toward bright, airy, and nature-based colors and designs

Oh my. And some designers revealed their absolute lack of knowledge on issues outside the interior design world. Natalie hypothesized that if the world ended, it would be because, "Like, the Chinese have built the transformers to bomb us back, because they were pissed about the Hiroshima bomb." I hate to be a stickler for details, but Hiroshima was a town in Japan, not China, and transformers deal with voltage, not with bomb making. Maybe she meant these transformers? They do seem dangerous.

To find out who I loved, who won, and who was kicked off, read more.

Not that I'm disappointed in all of the contestants, by any means. I'm actually sort of in love with opera-singing Wisit, who utters such adorable phrases as, "All of my dreams are coming true with this bunker." So cute! I also have a soft spot for Kerry, who described the personal effect of the heat output of 50 candles in a small space as there's "going to be a fat boy on a rotisserie." Jennifer and Robert, who were teamed up for this challenge, and who seemed to have issues with working as team players in the first challenge showed that this was perhaps their modus operandi. Their dysfunction was reflected in feedback from Todd, who was concerned about their bunker becoming "a sad dorm room."

Eddie and Andrea won for their sophisticated, nature-based design, and Wisit and Nathan were a close second. Jennifer was sent home, and in a surprise move (though equally well-deserved), Robert was also thrown off the show.

Who do you think deserved to go? Did you agree with the judges' decisions? And did anyone else notice that the Pop Design challenge seemed to be missing in this episode?

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Photos courtesy of Bravo

The Card Shop: Yee-Haw Industries Spring Tree Cards

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:15:56 -0700

If you're not going to send a card you can plant, the next best thing is to pick up a set of Spring Trees Cards ($20) by Norwegian illustrator Bjorn Rune Lie. The eight unique stylized trees letterpress printed on recycled cardstock can be sent to an octet of your favorite pals, or framed and hung in your home. There's a Charlie Brown quality to some of these trees that gives off a childish charm. But a gander at Lie's portfolio will reveal a maturity that surpasses even that highly sophisticated, pathos-ridden cartoon series.

Weird Furniture: Straight Line Designs

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 15:00:22 -0800

This furniture is the antithesis of Straight Line Designs' handle, and may actually be, believe it or not, more reserved than the other works you'll find in their portfolio. The Canadian company designs whimsical custom furniture that takes on a life of its own. More often than not, it's built for child's play, but they're often commissioned for trade show booths, movie and TV props, and retail environments.
Shown above (clockwise from top left) are the "Bad Table," "Daddy Long Legs," "Melting," "Accordian," and "Burnt Leg Table." Not surprisingly, designer Judson Beaumont cites his influences as Walt Disney, Dr. Seuss, Warner Brothers, Pee Wee Herman, Philippe Starck, and Frank Gehry, as well as Saturday morning cartoons. He also does not like green eggs and ham.

Room Therapy: A Successful Cohabitation?

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:00:45 -0800

Dear Casa (and Casa Readers),

My boyfriend of two years and I have been talking about moving in with each other. However, I'm the homeowner, and he would be moving into my space. We've talked about how this would work, treating it as "our" space. But he is still worried about feeling like it would be more my space. I've suggested moving my items out of one room, so he can have a space completely his own, and that we can incorporate his other items into the rest of the house.

Any suggestions on how to make this transition more welcoming to someone moving into a space?

Thanks much,
HelloKittyMini

To see my suggestion for HelloKittyMini, and to leave a suggestion for her, just read more.

Dear HelloKittyMini,

I know that DearSugar is answering the more relationship-oriented part of this query, so I'll stick to the interior design portion.

First of all, it's always more difficult to move into a partner's house than for both parties to move into a new house together. I just went through the same experience when I moved into my fiancé's house, which he owns. As this sounds like you're in a serious relationship, it could very well be possible that the house will belong to both of you in the future, in a legal sense. But for now, to make both you and your boyfriend feel good about the situation, you should definitely integrate your boyfriend's ideas, furniture, and sentimental belongings into your home-décor scheme.

One thing that really helped my move in was to switch the rooms around, which helped to make the house feel "new" to both of us. My fiancé and I moved the bedroom and the office around, repainted, and also rearranged the dining room, kitchen, and living room. Projects like this will help your boyfriend feel as if he's invested in his living situation, and not just a tenant living under your roof.

Depending on the size of your house, giving your boyfriend a room of his own may be overly accommodating. Instead, try to make a workspace that both of you can use, but at different times. This way you'll each have a "getaway" if you need it.

One thing that you should definitely be open to is potentially minimizing the girliness of your pad, now that your man will be living there. You're going to have to introduce a more masculine aesthetic into the house. This may mean getting rid of floral bedding (it certainly did for me) or investing in artwork that has bold, primary colors and more man-friendly subject matter (note: cute cartoon creatures rarely cut it).

I know that a lot of other Casa readers who've shacked up also have some great advice for HelloMiniKitty, so leave your comment below!

Thanks,
Casa
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Casa Quickie: Cheap and Easy Energy Tip

CasaSugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:00:18 -0800

Want to know how to save money on your electricity bill this winter? I have a rather amusing cartoon telling you how when you read more.

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Deck the Haus: Urban Outfitters Charlie Brown Tree

CasaSugar — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 05:00:22 -0800

I've had a love/hate relationship with Charlie Brown ever since I was a kid. In fact, if truth be told, I probably relate more to Lucy and her football than Chuck and his constant anxieties. Still, I can't resist this Charlie Brown Christmas tree $24. An exact replica of the tree from the cartoon, made of bendable wire branches and plastic needles with a criss-cross wooden base, the set comes with one red Christmas ball ornament, because that's how Chuck would want it. Granted it's a bit of a high price to pay for some plastic and wood bits, but the true Charlie Brown fan will love you for this gift.

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Great Art Online: Yee-Haw Industries

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 05:00:00 -0700

Yee-Haw Industries was established by partners Kevin Bradley & Julie Belcher, who opened up shop from a back-40 barn in Corbin, Kentucky, with salvaged, antique equipment. Their vibrant, folk art, wood cut prints of country music's classic stars, such as Hank Williams, Sr. and Loretta Lynn, caught eyes and told stories. Soon, modern music acts, including Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, and Southern Culture on the Skids began commissioning promotional posters and album art. In 1998, having outgrown the bluegrass barn, Yee-Haw moved to Knoxville, where they offer tours of the Yee-Haw studio in action and maintain a store to sell their wares.

To see more of Yee-Haw's beautiful work, and to find out how to win some of it, just read more

Yee-Haw's work has been honored by selection to PRINT Magazine's Regional Design Annual for seven years running and has been reviewed and featured by The Washington Post, AIGA Journal, Fortune Small Business, Southern Living, Esquire, American Illustration 21, and was recently published in The Art of Modern Rock, the Poster Explosion. Yee-Haw has done fine illustration, as well as design and letterpress, for clients such as RRL-Ralph Lauren, The American Visionary Art Museum, MTV2, and the Cartoon Network. The studio has recently collaborated with the National Gallery of Art to design & produce a unique line of Dada merchandise, available exclusively at the National Gallery for the duration of the 2006 Dada exhibition.

Check back later today when we'll be giving away some gorgeous Yee-Haw Industries products to one lucky winner!

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