CasaSugar

How-To: Share a Closet With Your Main Squeeze

CasaSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:45:11 -0700

If you've grown accustomed to the relative luxury of a closet space that belongs to you and you alone, it's often a reality check when you move in with a new spouse. Many times, your former sanctuary of neatly hung dresses and perfectly aligned heels is interrupted by the need to share that closet space with your honey's stinky sneakers and college sweatshirt collection. If closet space is at a premium at your home, and you're suddenly splitting one closet's space between two people, there are still ways to get around the possibly distressing mess that this closet can become.

To see my tips, read more.

No matter what, try to keep things neat. Don't let clothes collect on the floor of the closet. If one of you is the repeat offender, start fining a quarter per messy item, or better yet, create a system of rewards related to keeping your joint closet clean.
Invest in some organizing systems. Ikea has some simple and effective closet systems, and I also love this one.
Matching hangers really make a difference, as does organizing them!
Figure out what you really wear! Donate all of the clothes you haven't worn in the past year to a charity of your choice. This will free up needed space in your closet, while also benefiting your community.
Rotate seasonal clothing. Put Winter clothes in storage, along with some cedar balls to keep away the moths.
For some inspiration, check out Haze's closet remodel.
Keep stinky shoes (such as you or your honey's running sneakers) in another area, where they won't overwhelm your closet.
Consider using a multipurpose piece of furniture for additional storage, such as a Brighton bed, which has coordinating storage drawers that slide underneath.

Source

Designer Couples: Robin and Lucienne Day

CasaSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:00:57 -0700

Today, I'm continuing wedding season with another designer couple, Robin and Lucienne Day. You might say the pair are the Eameses of the UK. Like the Eameses, they're most celebrated designer couple of the post-war era, although the Days designed in different fields. Robin Day is a furniture designer, while his wife Lucienne is a textile designer. They met at the Royal College of Art in 1940 and married two years later. Check out this slideshow to see some of their iconic designs.

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Designer Couples: Charles and Ray Eames

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:00:27 -0700

In honor of wedding season here at Sugar, I thought I'd take a look at some marriages that have made major contributions to the world of design. You've heard of "designer babies," but I'm talking about designer couples - be it architects, interior designers, or product designers, there are plenty of wedded duos who prove that "the couple that designs together, stays together."

It's only natural to start with Charles and Ray Eames, arguably some of the most influential designers, who made their mark in the fields of industrial design, furniture design, art, graphic design, film, and architecture. Charles and Ray met in 1940 when Ray enrolled at Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI, where Charles was teaching and later became the head of the industrial design department. They married in 1941, just a few years after Charles had divorced his first wife. Check out this slideshow to see some of their iconic designs.
Source

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Ask Casa: Help Me Choose Paint Colors

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:00:19 -0800

Hi Casa,

My boyfriend and I are about to move into our first house and I couldn't be happier! I can't wait to get in there and start putting our touch on things! The only problem is that I am having a tough time picking a paint color for the living room.

A few years ago, I bought a set of three prints that I absolutely love. I want to hang them above the sofa in our new place, but I'm having a tough time finding the right paint color to highlight them. When we first bought the prints, our living room was white and they popped beautifully. But now I'm a little sick of white and want to add some color, but I'm not sure what direction to go. The living room in our new place opens onto the dining room, so whatever color we choose will have to continue into the dining room too.

Any suggestions?

Thanks for the help,
KatieMise

To see my suggestion for KatieMise, read more.

Hi Katie,

Great prints! I love them. This isn't a tough one. When choosing a wall color for a wall with artwork, my rule of thumb is always to choose a hue that's an accent in the art piece, but not the primary color. You should choose a complementary color, too. In this case, the background colors of two of your prints are a greenish-blue and a true blue, and in all three prints there is reddish detailing. So, I think a red or watermelon hue would really make your prints pop. Not only are they on the opposite side of the color wheel from those greens and blues, but reddish walls will make the red detailing in your prints pop!

I made a couple of mock-ups to give you an idea. But the best thing to do is head to your paint shop and grab a few samples in these colors, and then bring them home to see what works with your prints. Then, test the paint on your walls before you paint the whole thing. If a whole room in a red color is too much for you, you can always just paint an accent wall and then leave the rest of the walls white. I think it works with the artwork, too, because red is a really important color in Asian culture.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,

Casa

Get the Look: Demetri and Zoey's Apartment in FlashForward

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:39 -0800

Newly engaged couple Demetri and Zoey, from ABC's new series Flash Forward, share a totally covetable LA loft. The style, which is decidedly modern, is tempered by accents that reflect their heritage - African and Asian elements are seen throughout the space. Overall, though, the space is eclectic, modern, and gorgeous. Take a tour, and see how you, too, can get the look.

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Get the Look: That '70s Style of The Box

CasaSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:45 -0700

The Box, the new thriller from Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly, tells the story of a financially troubled married couple who receive a box containing a button. The next morning, a creepy mysterious stranger tells them that they will receive $1 million if they push the button, but someone in the world will die. The movie, which is based on a short story by Richard Matheson, is set in Richmond, VA, in the year 1976, so there's plenty of fun, funky styling to the set. See my favorite ideas for getting the look.

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Casa Quickie: Plywood Pleasure

CasaSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 06:15:37 -0700

Can't afford to wallpaper your whole room? Not allowed to wallpaper your rental? Instead, cover a cheap sheet of plywood or even cardboard with a patterned wallpaper. This trick still makes an artistic statement, but it's not permanent and it's also portable. Take it with you when you move! You can make more of an impact by papering a couple of panels, or several, and placing them around your room to give it cohesion. Check out House & Home for more budget-saving tips.

Home Library: Downtown Chic

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:47 -0700

No academic course will teach you how to give a derelict house a gut renovation and turn it into a fantastically unique, high-style home. That skill comes with experience and serious design savvy, something which Robert and Cortney Novogratz accidentally learned they had.

After renovating their first home in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood 10 years ago, which then was a neglected, not-so-fashionable area, they realized they had a knack for building and decorating, together. Since then, they've renovated and designed numerous buildings in and around NYC, including an entire block in SoHo and a house in the country, and founded their own design powerhouse, Sixx Design. As a memoir of sorts chronicling seven of the couple's projects, the Novogratz clan - did I mention they have seven children? - published Downtown Chic: Designing Your Dream Home, From Wreck to Ravishing. Hear my thoughts on the volume when you read more.

The first seven chapters of the book each cover a house the Novogratz couple have renovated, including lots of before and after shots. The duo offer advice learned from each experience, such as how to handle contractors, tips for buying a wreck, how to make your house renter-friendly, and how to mix high- and low-cost furnishings.

While the book jacket says each project proves "time and again you can bring charm to any four walls - and do so affordably," it actually just left me with a sense of envy, and with the reminder that the word "affordable" is all relative. The pair do have a knack for flea marketing and using vintage artifacts and architectural treasures in a unique way, but having the time to do so is a luxury in itself.

The book is full of tips like taming bold colors with neutral furnishings and mixing modern pieces with regional furnishings that in theory are helpful and affordable. But in reality it's the Cappellini coffee table, the luxuriously upholstered bed frame, and the couple's extensive collection of artwork that make me want to "get the Downtown Chic look."

This book is definitely a treat to read. It offers a sneak peek into one family's wonderful life as well as lots of inspiration, but in all likelihood, it won't solve the everyman's design woes. But then again, I guess you can hire Sixx to do that for you.

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:57 -0700

See how one couple makes Ikea their own. - Decor8
Wow! Check out this hot-pink bedroom. - AT:Boston
Festive flowers for the Day of the Dead. - Craft
I adore these arty book jackets. - Shelterrific
Minimize chaos with a room divider. - Simply Stated
Decorate with branches this Autumn. - Re-Nest

5 Chair Before and Afters From the Archives

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 06:15:23 -0700

Over the last couple of years I've showcased dozens of inspiring redux projects in my Before and After posts. I came across an oldie recently and soon found myself poring over the archives. So, here are five chair makeovers that will wow you, courtesy of the CasaSugar archives. Enjoy!

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