CasaSugar

Ask Casa: Rugs For My New Cork Floors

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:00:50 -0700

Hi Casa,
My husband and I just finished installing Algonquin Cork Flooring in our foyer, living room, and dining room on the first floor of our house. When he first brought it home, I didn't like the style, but now that it's down, it's so great! The problem is our rugs. We have one for each room, and I'm not concerned about the dining room rug because it's one neutral color. But the living room rug is a multicolor block that doesn't look right over the pattern of the cork. Can you recommend something that is modern but not plain?
Thanks for your help,
Lynne

To hear my suggestions for Lynne, read more.

Hi Lynne,
Congrats on choosing cork flooring! As you know, I'm a huge fan of cork, because it's a sustainable and easily recyclable product. It's hard for me to suggest a rug without seeing your other furnishings and knowing your palette. But I will suggest a few modern rugs that should work with the pattern of the cork. If the colors or patterns don't work, use these as a jumping off point to find one tailored to your living room. Several of these are available in a range of colors, so be sure to look closely if you like the pattern.

Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Casa

Casa Quickie: Steady Your Wobbly Table

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:00:36 -0800

Are you guilty of tossing wine corks when you open a bottle? Instead of adding them to the waste stream, save those corks for something that won't give you dark circles under your eyes, deathly hangovers, or liver problems. Slice your wine corks into thin circles and use them to steady any wobbly legs of your dinner table. You can use a little wood glue to secure them to the leg itself. Make sure you're adhering it to the correct leg; sometimes that's tricky. If the table is still a little wobbly, try and try again until your cork slice is the correct height. Interested in another easy reuse for your corks? Check out this Casa Quickie.

Source

Casa Quickie: Wine Cork Place Card Holder

CasaSugar — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 07:00:00 -0800

If you're anything like me, there are already a plethora of wine corks laying around your home this season. So, if you'll be hosting a holiday dinner party this week, why not put them to good use and turn them into place card holders? Use a standard dinner knife to slice a shallow slit into the length of a wine cork or the width (top) of a champagne cork. Then, write your guests' names on pieces of decorative paper or place cards, and slide them paper into the slot. Voilà! A festive, recycled place card holder that you can reuse at your next dinner party!

Casa Verde: From Bottle to Building

CasaSugar — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:00:08 -0700

I like my Sancerre, my Sauvignon Blanc, and my Beaujolais Nouveau, and I have been known to drink wine from a box. Heck, I'll try any kind of wine you pour. When all of these bottles are finished, and I toss them into my recycling bin, their corks don't land in the trash; I've been saving my corks for a few months now to make a wine cork mirror. But if cork décor isn't your style, you can still recycle natural cork, thanks to ReCork America.ReCork America takes already used and overstock corks from the wine business, and then recycles them into flooring tiles, insulation, and other products. There are several locations in California and the Pacific Northwest that are collecting used cork in their day-to-day business operations, and hopefully in the future there will be locations for public collection. Do you know of any cork collection programs in your neighborhood?
Source

DIY: Wine Cork Placecard Holders

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:36:07 -0700

I spotted these Wine Cork Placecard Holders ($23.95) at Bright and Bold, which are actually made of resin, and thought they'd make a fabulous and simple DIY for a bridal shower brunch (or any other event). It's kind of a sad fact that these are being mass produced, but we won't get into that. I'm sure most guests would get a kick out of them, especially my girlfriends who are staunch wine fans. If you can handle drinking a few bottles of wine to save up for this DIY, then I think you'll be in the clear, supply-wise. But, you can also have cork stoppers special ordered from an industrial retailer and personalized with "Mrs. X" or "Angie & Brad" etc.

Supplies:

1 wine cork per place setting
Razor blade or X-acto (craft) knife
Cardstock
Calligraphy pen
Optional: Hot glue gun and magnet strip

To hear the steps, read more.

Here's how:

Using the razor blade or craft knife, slice off one side of the cork lengthwise, so it can lay flat on the table. Make sure to use a fresh (sharp) blade, otherwise the cork may crumble.
Then, with the cork set flat on the table, make a slice down the middle lengthwise, but not all the way through.
Cut the cardstock to a rectangular shape (or a fun shape) a bit larger than the width of the cork.
Scribe your guests names using a calligraphy pen.
If you like, you can hot glue a magnet strip to the bottom of the cork placecard holder. If your table happens to be metal, this will keep it in place and weighted down. If not, you can slip an adhesive magnet under your table cloth to make sure it stays in place.

You can also use this cork placecard holder to display photographs or your bridal shower invites at the center of each table. I love the recycling factor of this DIY, but if you'd like to have your corks personalized, some retailers include Manton, Widget, and Amorim.

Cool Idea: Shoe Closet Bulletin Board

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:00:33 -0700

Apartment Therapy Small Cool 2008 contestant Stephanie lined the back of her shoe closet shelves with cork to make use of the space as a bulletin board in her small Chicago apartment. Not only is this an efficient use of her space, but it makes the daily rush to get dressed just a bit more interesting, and can be used as a reminder to get certain activities done that day, like go to the post office, pick up dry cleaning, etc. It also keeps the sort of papers, business cards, and souvenirs that you want to keep, but not necessarily display, private and out of your guests' eyes. Otherwise, a bulletin board in the kitchen or at your desk might look cluttered, or reveal unpaid bills, etc. that you don't quite want to share with the world. Are there any nooks in your home where you can recreate this idea?
Source

Less or More: Cork Ottoman

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 12:00:18 -0700

For the next installment of this game, take a look at each of these cork ottomans, and then see if you can answer my questions about them.

Take the quiz

Cool Idea: A Shutter as a Memory Board

CasaSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:00:55 -0700

The great thing about memory boards is that they don't require any magnets or pushpins to hang your mementos and notes as cork boards and refrigerators doors do. But, none of these options are very attractive or interesting looking. An alternative is to hang an old shutter from a flea market or your own house horizontally on the wall, and display your photographs, memos, and souvenirs by setting them between its slats. Some flimsy papers may require a bit of double-stick tape on their backsides, but most items will stay up on their own. And then you can say goodbye to those unsightly magnets from your local delivery pizza place.
Source

Obama Buys $4,800 Recycled Chandelier For Daughters' White House Bedroom

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:56 -0700

In last night's episode of Man Shops Globe, Keith Johnson traveled to South Africa, where he was on the hunt for not-so-typical African crafts. After stumbling upon some unusual pottery and a handmade wooden dining chair straight out of a Van Gogh painting, he wandered into a magical art collective shop called Magpie , which sells knickknacks and décor made entirely from recycled objects. Be it a lid to a dog food can, a wine cork, or a Barbie, the eco-conscious craftsman turned the disposable into the extraordinary. Johnson was blown away by a tall, dramatic chandelier made from found objects, trinkets, and castoffs, and ordered one for Anthropologie.

As it turns out, President Obama bought the $4,800 recycled chandelier for Sasha and Malia's bedroom in the White House. We did learn back in January that the Obamas planned to decorate the girls' room with Pottery Barn and Anthropologie, and that they already have a large collection of African and Asian art, so it's quite fitting actually! While the purchase is certainly expensive for young girls, as is the family's celebrity decorator Michael Smith, Barack and Michelle did decide to pay for their White House renovations personally, and forgo the allotted $100,000 presidential decorating budget, so you can't blame them!

Cool Idea: Good Grips MagTacks

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:00:49 -0700

Corkboards are helpful for displaying things that aren't "keepers," but using pushpins on your child's artwork or a memorable invitation can really ding it up. The obvious solution would be to use a magnet, but what if you don't have a magnetic refrigerator or other surface? If that's the case, then Good Grips MagTacks ($3.49, reduced from $6.99) are for you. These helpful objects are a pushpin and a magnet in one, which allow you to slip your precious photos or artwork between the top magnet and its pushpin base to avoid ruining them with holes. You can also store the tack head in the magnet base, if you are using a refrigerator or some type of steel message board. Pretty clever, eh?

Zigzag Rug - $39.00	Thomaspaul - Zinnia Wool Pile Rug - $270.00
Alhambra Rug - $109.00	Warp & Weft - Bars Slate Wool Rug - $9,200.00
"Au Courant" Rug - $69.00	"Mum Falls" Rug - $99.00
"Monoco" Rug - $59.00	Madeira Rug - $129.00
Bama Rugs - $229.00	Petal Rug - $89.00
Cowhide Rug - $369.00	"Maplewood" Rug - $269.00
"Monocco" Rug - $399.00	Andalusia Rug - $39.00
"Jewelynn Scribble" Rug - $129.00	Ikea Stockholm Rand Rug, Flatwoven - $179.00
Stella Smith Gray Accent Rugs - $190.99	"Santa Fe Damask" Rug - $829.00
Bridget Rug - Blue - $99.00	Iron Gate Rug in Rust - $2,450.00
Judy Ross - Asparagus/Sand Vines Runner - $900.00	Stella Rug - $199.00
Random Stripe Natural Rug - $79.00	Cane Crewel Rug - $295.00
Twinkle Living Shadowlands Rug - $1,344.00