CasaSugar

Have You Ever Had a Custom Closet Built?

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 06:15:06 -0700

First, Fab got one. Now, another woman I know just sent out pics of her new custom closet. Closets systems are all the rage these days, and I'm definitely coveting these shoe shelves and cute blue boxes. Have you ever had a custom closet built? Source

Hazelnut's Bryan Batt Opens Up to House Beautiful

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:54 -0700

If you're a design enthusiast and a New Orleans fanatic like me, you know Bryan Batt as a co-owner (with his partner Tom Cianfichi) of one of NOLA's finest décor boutiques, Hazelnut. I featured the boutique back in February of '08, and now Batt is set to ink his own home décor book. If you're just mad for Mad Men, you know him as Sterling-Cooper's in-the-closet, recently fired art director Salvatore Romano.

This month, House Beautiful is getting to know him, too. The shelter glossy has the lowdown on Batt's bedroom behavior, from his no-TV rule to his underbed storage, and of course, his bedroom décor resources.

I'm always interested to see where people get their design inspiration. So it was fun to hear about the jumping off point for his bedroom design:

The painting is the whole point of the room. It's by a friend of mine. Suzie Allain, who's a local artist and designer here in New Orleans. She showed some things at Hazelnut, my store here, and I fell in love with this series of bamboo stalks. She did this for me custom and then the room evolved around it.

See more excerpts from the issue.

Casa Quickie: Roll With It

CasaSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:00:47 -0700

There's only so much we can do to make our storage look pretty without calling in California Closets for a pricey custom mahogany masterpiece - like Debi Mazar's shoe paradise. But just because you gotta work with what you got doesn't mean you're at a loss. When it comes to storing towels, roll them and stack them instead of folding them. This is not only the tightest way to store them, but the prettiest. And if, like me, you care about things like wrinkles, you'll be happy to know that "rolling with it" prevents those pesky creases and folds.

Source: Flickr User the_amanda

Debi Mazar Is Movin' Her Entourage

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 09:00:23 -0700

Although Entourage is back for another season, in real life, Vince's publicist Debi Mazar and her own entourage are on the move. The actress has listed her family's 2,096-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath 1930s Spanish-style hacienda in Los Angeles for $1.4 million. The property has a lush, gated front garden and a grassy back garden that make an ideal place for her 3- and 7-year-old daughters. Architecturally, it boasts original wood floor inlays and tiles, beautiful ornate moldings and ceiling beams. Mazar's indulgent custom shoe closet, which stores over 100 shoes, is a woman's dream come true.

As for the décor, I'm impressed. She's curated a funky mix of mid-century and Art Deco that shows a lot of personality. She could have used some help piecing it all together, but I'd say she's made great investments in furniture. I've got no word on where Mazar and her family are headed next, but she does balance her time in LA with time spent in her 14-century house outside of Florence. So, you can rest assured that she's got another nice place to sleep when this beauty sells. See interior and exterior photos when you read more.

View 27 Photos ›

Source

Cool Idea: Spiral Wine Cellars

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:00:19 -0700

I've always wanted a wine cellar, but they're hard to come by when you're house hunting, and it's not so easy to build a cellar for a house that's already built! That is, unless you call up Spiral Cellars. The design firm will essentially dig a hole in whatever room you want a cellar, with a trap door to match your flooring if you want, and install a wine cellar that you access via a spiral staircase beneath the floor. Depending on the size of your collection, you can choose from four depth options, allowing you to store up to 1,600 bottles. The cellar is insulated by the surrounding earth and has an air-flow system so that it requires no power to maintain its temperature. Essentially, it's similar to having a custom closet installed. It's a one-time cost, and then it's up to you to stock the cellar with your favorite wines!

Cool Idea: Mona Chair

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:00:17 -0800

There's nothing sexy about folding chairs. Spare seating is almost inherently an eyesore, relegated to dark closets and dusty garages, sleeping with monsters under your bed. So, when I saw a folding chair that doubles as art - iconic art - I took notice. Korean designer Kwang Hoo Lee's Mona Chair is designed to hang on the wall when not in use, mimicking the Mona Lisa in an ornate frame. When it's time to party, the face of the "painting" serves as a seat and the frame becomes the legs and backrest of the chair. I think there's something sacred about da Vinci's masterpiece, and I'd almost feel sacrilegious sitting on it. But I like the idea, and would certainly buy one if a range of prints - or even customization - were offered. What do you think?
Source

How Do You Store Your Shoes?

CasaSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 05:30:38 -0700

If you're sitting pretty like Blair Waldorf, your designer stilettos are neatly stacked in your custom closet. But, if you're more like Yours Truly, your ballet flats are piled up like Legos and plastic trucks in a kid's toy box.Source

This Just In: Robbie Williams Buys a Beverly Hills Mega Manse

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 08:30:32 -0700

Real estate slump? What real estate slump? Seems like musician Robbie Williams might be immune to bad property values news, as he has paid a whopping $23.9 million for a 13,638-square-foot, seven-bedroom, seven-bath mansion in Beverly Hills, according to Real Estalker.The listing for the sprawling property reads:

Magnificent Estate in guard-gated Beverly Pk w/TC & views. Gated & private. Spectacular main house, 2-story 3br GH, separate staff quarters, expansive lawns, gorgeous landscaping, terraces, fountains, pl & spa. Timeless elegance & extraordinary charm. Main house w/grand entry, marvelous living rm w/sunken bar, library, FDR w/butler's pantry, family rm w/attached bth & sauna, master w/dual baths & huge custom walk-in closets, & 2 add'l bdrm suites.

Looks and sounds pretty luxe to me; I guess his ego has landed! To see additional photos, read more.

View 29 Photos ›

Source

Get the Look: Hipster Dude Haven

CasaSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 05:30:35 -0700

Is your man a hipster dude? Do his digs need to be decorated? This Get the Look will show you how to create a dude-worthy pad for your main squeeze, for which he will be forever grateful. If you get it right, maybe he'll take you out for green tea gelato and a Godard film!

The Palette: In one word, jumbled. No hipster dude haven should actually have a palette. That would be against the rules — anything goes for an apathetic decorator. Most of his furnishings and decorative accents can be described as found, hand-me-down, vintage, flea market, old, or belonging to his old roommate, Knoll (yes, named after the furniture designer). If by coincidence they match, it had nothing to do with him.

To find out about his furniture, lighting, and accents, read more.

The Furniture: Furniture will be mostly street finds, or pieces left over from roommates past. That's not to say that your man doesn't have an eye for design - he does, but he'd never pay full price for original pieces. He might, though, find a Wassily Chair on the street with a broken seat and fix it by placing a task chair from his art studio class in the center of it. And he has hobbies, too - like pinball (a non-contact sport). So, he might buy a custom-built pinball coffee table from Craigslist. If you have to ask about the bed, then you should probably remember who you're dating. Mattress, no box spring, on the floor (sheets could use a wash).

The Lighting: Hipster dudes aren't really into lamps, unless you're talking about the Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story. But they do like conserving energy, so be sure to pick up some CFLs.

The Accents: Accents are key for an HD.

Walls. To start, the Lit major will definitely want a book poster featuring a title by his favorite author (Urban Outfitters Book Posters, $29.99). And he probably picked up a poster at the benefit event for the radio he DJ'd for in college (try Aesthetic Apparatus). To get his dose of rebellion, he might also go for a Che wall hanging ($15).
Bedding. For sheets, what could be more rad than a Pabst Blue Ribbon pillowcase ($12)? To keep himself warm, he'll use an afghan blanket he found in the basement closet of his mom's house — Grams crocheted it.
Tableware. If he's a smoker, he will likely ash in the vinyl record bowl that you DIY'd for him. Glassware will consist of odds and ends, including but not limited to plastic cups from Mardi Gras parades, Solo cups (which also make great ashtrays), and beer glasses stolen from his favorite watering hole.
Muzik. HD is into tunes, too, so he's got to have a vintage turntable to play his vast collection of records (he's been a collector since he was 5). But don't be fooled; he probably has a fancy new iMac hidden under his pile of clothes somewhere to play — gasp! — mp3s downloaded from Soulseek. He'll also need a vintage projector for aesthetics, and to throw a Wes Anderson-appreciation movie night in the park.
Bathroom. Every man loves the toilet throne, and yours also loves his bike, so a 10 Speed Vinyl Toilet Graphic is only appropriate. While he's in the bathroom, he might also like to lather up with a Poor Boy Beer Vegan-Friendly Soap Bar ($4.75) made from PBRs.

Source, Source, Source, Source, and Source

This Just In: Tom Brady Likes to Lose

CasaSugar — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:45:28 -0800

In light of Sunday's Super Bowl results, I'd have to say that Tom Brady is making a habit of losing these days. In addition to his team's Sunday loss, Brady has unloaded his 3,412-square-foot, three bedroom, three-and-a-half bath Boston condo for $5,285,000, according to Real Estalker. Property records show that he paid $4,125,000 for the 10 room condo four years ago, so I guess he's gained a million or so. The property's real estate listing calls the Burrage Mansion the "Back Bay's crowning jewel," so you might say the quarterback king has been dethroned.

The residence features "gorgeous museum quality lobby, elevator access to elegant foyer, [a] fabulous kitchen opening to [a] fireplaced family room, separate dining room, [and a] fireplaced living room," in addition to a "beautiful master bedroom suite with marble bath and custom closets." No pigskin off his back, though: I think his girlfriend Gisele prefers NYC better. To see floor plans of the Victorian manse, read more

Source