CasaSugar

Welcome Warmth This Winter With Copper Tones

Elka Karl — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 05:00:25 PST

Brass is undeniably beautiful, but this Winter season I'm attracted to the burnished warm color of copper as it adorns chandeliers, napkin rings, chairs, and much more.

There are plenty of gorgeous copper decor pieces to choose from, but I do have my favorites. Right now, I have a serious love affair developing with the Modernist Copper and Clear Crystal Prism Chandelier by Camer ($3,000, top row, left). This '60s-era modern crystal-prism chandelier is made from hand-blown three-sided prisms in alternating clear and copper crystals. It would add a spectacular focal point to a hallway, dining room, or living room. So chic!

On the more humble end of things, the Sur La Table Honeycomb Votive ($3, middle row, middle left) is perfect for decorating a holiday tablescape. Pair it with black tableware and copper-toned flatware for a truly dramatic table, or opt for rich purples for a warmer effect.

Finally, I'd be remiss not to mention another favorite - the Redsmith Dining Chair in Copper ($200, middle row, left). Commonly fabricated in cool silvers, the copper patina creates an entirely new look for the classic bistro chair.

Have your eye on other favorite finds? Shop each look by clicking on the image.

Get the Look: Robin's Egg Blue + Copper Cool

Julia Millay Walsh — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:00:00 PDT

I fell absolutely in love with this bedroom shot by French photographer Jean-Marc Wullschleger, which I spotted on Desire to Inspire. My initial attraction was the color pairing of the robin's egg blue walls and the copper pendant; it's a palette I rarely see, and one I'm hoping we'll see more often! A second look, and I fell for the cozy, modern minimalism of the room. A faux fur throw and a hide rug add textural quality, while a teak stool and wooden bed bring rustic masculinity, and the butterfly chair, an affordable classic, is an understated touch.

It's a look we can all easily replicate in our homes . . . and I'm hoping you do! As you can see, there are no flashy architectural details to covet. The bedroom's success is its flawless color palette and its beautifully formed furnishings. Beginning with the eye-catching and timeless Globo di Luce Pendant ($468-$936), click each of the product images above to shop this look!

Roundup: A Feel For Copper

CasaSugar — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 09:00:00 PDT

Though I've told you time and again that I won't be redecorating my home for Fall, I can't seem to keep autumnal palettes off of my mind. First it was these colorful Fall wallpapers and now I'm dreaming about the warm color of copper. The peachy metal plays well with silver and gold (the two other elements in its family in the periodic table), so it's quite a versatile finish for your home.

I love copper against deep eggplant and midnight blues. In fact, I think these Roost Copper Clad Mirrors ($212) would look smashing against this plum-colored chrysanthemum wallpaper. But if you're not sold on integrating so much of the dapper metal into your décor, there are plenty of smaller accessories and furniture items to choose from. Check out my picks below.

Casa Quickie: Cleaning Copper Pots the Natural Way

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 May 2010 09:00:00 PDT

I finally found a benefit to procrastination. After making some enchiladas the other night, I left my dishes in the sink overnight. While the mess wasn't a pleasant morning reception, I did come across an exciting unintentional cleaning quickie for copper lovers.

There are copper cleaners that can take the grime off in relatively no time but they often require some elbow grease. My solution requires minimal scrubbing and best of all? It's au natural! The secret is in a small can that can be found in any grocery store. To see how it works,

Almost every time I open a can of tomato sauce, I have leftovers. Instead of tossing it out, I put it to use on my copper pans. The tomato sauce contains both salt and acid, which together remove copper oxides, leaving bright copper metal behind. All you need is a dirty pot and a can of the red stuff:

Take a pan just a bit larger than your dirty pan and fill it with tomato sauce - just enough to cover the dirty pan.
Let it sit for about an hour (or longer if you want) and make sure all the copper is covered by the tomato sauce.
When the brown has turned back to a pretty pinkish tint, rinse off the sauce.
Give the pot a good wipe down and put it away until suppertime!

View 7 Photos ›

Flickr user JonesGGallery

Burning Question: What Exactly Is a Nonreactive Saucepan?

YumSugar — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 11:40:11 PDT

The other day, I found myself making a cake that called for a nonreactive saucepan, and I wondered: What exactly does that mean, anyway? Nonreactive cookware is made from ceramic, anodized stainless steel, glass, or nonstick materials.

Often metals can chemically react to heat or various ingredients, altering a food's flavor. For instance, cast iron cookware reacts negatively with high-acid foods like citrus, wine, or tomato sauce. Copper, which is ideal for even heating but very reactive, is often lined with tin to minimize chemical reactions.Even uncoated aluminum pans may oxidize with food, imparting a darker color or metallic taste - although most modern-day aluminum cookware has been covered with a corrosion-resistant oxide coating.

Copper cookware is coated in tin, but tin is a soft metal and scratches off easily, so be cautious when cooking anything acidic or light in color. Do you take precautions when cooking with copper or cast iron cookware?

Got a burning question? Join the Burning Question group in the YumSugar Community! It's your place to post the most pressing questions about the culinary world.

Name This Patina!

CasaSugar — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:00:00 PDT

This Hollywood Regency Vintage Metal Stool ($450) from Bond & Bowery has a turquoise-y green patina that's appropriate for its age, seeing as it was built in the 1940s. There's a common name for this sort of coating that forms when copper, brass, or bronze are exposed to air or seawater over a period of time. Do you know the word that describes this patina?

Reaper's Missy Peregrym Joins New Cop Drama

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:30:43 PDT

Canadian actress Missy Peregrym - last seen as Andi on Reaper - is showing her home country some love: she's just taken the lead in the cop drama Copper, a Canadian production that will air in the US on ABC.

Copper is described as a Grey's Anatomy-type journey through the world of rookie cops. Amusingly, this character has the same name as Peregrym's Reaper role - though this one's Andy, not Andi. As The Hollywood Reporter puts it:

[Andy McNally is] a newly minted cop fresh from the academy and the daughter of a homicide detective. She is anxious about her first day on the job, which doesn't go as well as she had wished.

I wonder if she has a one-night stand with her soon-to-be boss, all Grey's-style?

Copper will start production soon in Toronto, and there's no word yet on when it will air on ABC. But does it sound like a show you'd check out? Will the world of rookie cops make a good primetime soap?

Desire/Acquire: Copper Pendant Light

CasaSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 14:00:19 PDT

Designed in 1968 by Italian architect and designer Roberto Menghi, the Globo di Luce Pendant ($813-$1,170) is as captivating as it was 40 years ago. Blown glass defines the globe's shape, a transparent cable gives it the appearance of floating mid air, and its copper finish gives off a rich, warm light. It's practically solar. Unfortunately, its price tag is out of this world (for most) as well. Luckily, there's a more affordable alternative that's equally spellbinding. To see it,

The Copper Shade Pendant ($495) by Tom Dixon, which received its share of fanfare when it hit stores in 2007, is the spitting image of the Globo - but it sells for half the price of the original. Yes, it's still a splurge. On the other hand, it hasn't gone out of style in 40 years, so that helps to justify the expense.

Found It! Copper Pendant Light

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 10:00:49 PST

I spotted this photo in the portfolio of Swedish interior stylist Jakob Solgren and couldn't help but think the central copper pendant light looked quite familiar. It makes a very bold, masculine statement in the nearly all-white, very Scandinavian room, so it was hard to ignore. But where had I seen it before? To find out,

It's the Tom Dixon Copper Shade Pendant ($495), which I featured as a must have way back in August 2007. A year and a half later, it's still a crave-worthy piece. Do you approve?
Source

Casa Quickie: Shiny Copper

CasaSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:00:05 PST

Copper verdigris is beautiful on rooftops, but the corroded metal doesn't look so good on your pots and pans. So it's important to keep them polished and in shipshape. As it turns out, it's not so difficult to do so. First, cut a lemon in half. Then, make like you're whipping up a margarita and dip the exposed face of the lemon into a plate of course grind salt (like sea salt). Take the salted lemon and apply it to your copper, giving it a good, hard grooming. Your pots and pans should shine like the top of the Chrysler building in no time! If you happen to make yourself a margarita while you're at it, don't worry: I won't tell anyone.