CasaSugar

Do You Decorate With Letters?

CasaSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:00:11 -0700

While the typography trend continues to truck along, a new trend of decorating with letters, often consonants and syllables from vintage signs, has arisen. Personally, I find it kind of cheesy to decorate with initials - a big "C.S." on my wall is just not my style. But I'd happily put a less self-referential letter in my home if it were eye-catching like this vibrant red T. Putting a letter in your home, even if it doesn't mean anything to you, is a great way to celebrate all of the serifs, shapes, and ligatures that make typography such an interesting art. Do you decorate with letters?

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Open House: What's on Your Coffee Table?

CasaSugar — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 05:30:42 -0700

A coffee table in some ways is a window to your soul. On my coffee table you'll find a plentiful stock of shelter magazines; DIY, design, and art books; expensive candles (a guilty pleasure); matches; coasters (for my wine habit); a silver dish to catch odds and ends; the workings of my latest craft project; and a deck of I ♥ NY cards. My mother's coffee table is much more formal, with flowers, decorative (useless) accents, and a big Taschen coffee table book opened to her favorite botanical illustration. Tell me, what's on your coffee table and what do you think it says about you?

Love It or Hate It? Empty Frames

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:12:48 -0700

I think the beautiful styling of these photographs taken by Trine Thorsen makes this use of empty frames as decor work. But, I'm not sure how great they'd look if the mantel weren't arranged just so, and the dining table weren't unusually dressed with vases and a lamp. I think it might look the homeowner hadn't finished a framing project. What do you think?Source

Roundup: St. Patrick's Day Decor

CasaSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:00:48 -0700

Happy St. Patrick's Day! In an effort to forgo your grocery-store variety of St. Patty's Day decor, I thought I'd round up some more luxurious furnishings that will give your digs a touch of holiday festivity without making it look like an elementary school. If you want to be just a tad kitschy and pick up a pack of leprechaun paper plates, I won't blame you. I'm loving this Judy Ross Green and Cream Clover Runner ($900); both its palette and design have shamrock style, but it would work year-round in your home. To see more St. Patrick's Day decor, read more.

Open House: Your Thanksgiving Décor

CasaSugar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 05:30:54 -0800

Now that the turkey has been stuffed, slow-cooked, and sliced into nice, juicy pieces, and the pumpkin pies are long gone, perhaps along with your guests, I thought I'd get the intel on your Thanksgiving décor. If you were a host this holiday, how did you decorate? Did you simply dress the dinner tables, or did other areas of your home undergo a festive facelift as well? Were you inspired by anything you read on Casa when decorating? What was your style: traditional, modern, eclectic, Pilgrim-esque? If you were a Thanksgiving day guest at the home of a friend or family member, did you pick up any décor inspiration at the feast? Or, have you been inspired by any window displays? Tell me by commenting below!
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How Sharp Is Your French Décor Vocabulary (A-D)?

CasaSugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:15:18 -0700

The French have been significant purveyors of style in the world of fashion as well as interior design. And, just as we've incorporated their furnishings into our homes and corsets onto our figures, we've also welcomed les mots français into our vocabulary. Take this quiz to test your French décor vocabulary!

Question 1 of 10

An armoire is a _________ cabinet.

Chicken or the Egg? Décor or Color?

CasaSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:45:09 -0700

I chose the color of my bedroom to match my bedding, which I couldn't bear to part with, and then the furnishings followed suit. Some of you may have had a colorful furnishing that you loved and painted your walls to complement it. Or, you've done both in various rooms in your home. Take this poll to let me know which came first: the décor or wall color?Source

Autumn Decor: Party Pumpkins

CasaSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:33:02 -0700

I recently came across this crafty take on decorating with ornamental pumpkins over on Sunset.
Tiny pumpkins-or any small gourds-can be colored in minutes with acrylic paints or permanent markers. The secret to their jewel-like sparkle is a finishing glaze applied after the paint or ink has thoroughly dried.

To find out how to make these, just read more

Supplies:

Miniature pumpkins in varying sizes and shapes
Foam brush
Acrylic paint
Rubber comb (available from craft stores)
Broad-tip permanent markers
Polyurethane glaze

Here are the steps:

Use a foam brush to apply acrylic paint evenly over pumpkin.
While paint is still wet, run a rubber comb around the pumpkin. Start from the stem and work from top to bottom. As an alternative to painting and combing, use a broad-tip marker to draw spirals or dots on the pumpkins, or go a little wild by drawing random lines in contrasting colors.
When paint or ink is dry, spray with a polyurethane glaze as a protective finish.
Display these in your home or give them away as a party favor if you have an autumn or halloween party.

Flowers 101: Hydrangeas

partysugar — Wed, 02 May 2007 09:57:32 -0700

I'm a huge fan of Barefoot Contessa and this week I thought I would feature her favorite flower - one she grows in her garden and uses frequently in her simple centerpieces and awesome arrangements - hydrangeas. There are over 70 species of hydrangeas and the flowers bloom from early spring to late autumn. They grow on shrubs in light shade/filtered sun and in moist soil. Hydrangeas have rounded heads and large, coarse, glossy dark green leaves. Similar to broccoli, the flowers grow in bunches at the end of stems. The majority of hydrangea species grow white although some bloom in blue, red, pink, or purple with the color depending on the acidity level (pH level) of the soil. Blue hydrangeas get their color from the aluminum in the soil. If growing hydrangeas remember that they need lots of water and a large hole approximately two feet across and one foot deep. Hydrangeas name is derived from two Greek words: meaning vessel and water due to the fact that their seed-pods resemble that of a water vessel. In bouquets, hydrangeas combine well with lilacs and they are great for drying.

Floral Centerpieces

partysugar — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 02:59:13 -0700

In terms of style and sophistication, a beautiful floral centerpiece can take a wedding to the next level. This year the trends in floral arrangements have shifted from modern to more traditional. One color of one flower in a cascading and flowing grouping is breathtaking and very now. Flowers paired and accented with fruit are another popular way to create a centerpiece. Keep flowers clean and paired down as over baring fluff and frill doesn't look contemporary. In a large space, centerpieces add drama and a sense of intimacy and in a small space they add personality. Centerpieces set the tone and mood of a wedding or party with blooming yellow sunflowers creating a warm welcoming feeling at a winery wedding and billowing white roses adding elegance to a winter wonderland wedding. The most important thing you need to remember is to think outside the box and don't limit yourself. Get creative and use your imagination to achieve a look that represents you, your fiance, and the style of your wedding. For more fresh ideas on creating the best floral centerpieces, read more

Combine multiple elements (the aforementioned flower and fruit, flowers and branches, various kinds of fruit in the same color, etc.)
For a less expensive option, fill large vases with fruit and simply top with branches and flowers.
Fill long cylindrical vases with flowers and water, anchor the flowers with pebbles, and place a floating candle on top.
Incorporate pieces of nature into the centerpiece by using wheat, feathers, vegetables, herbs, moss, etc.

For lush, luxurious settings arrange only flower buds (like lilly buds) in vases with no stems.
Substitute vases with over sized martini, wine, or margarita glasses. Pitchers and watering cans work well at outdoor garden weddings. Mason jars add a rustic feel to a country wedding. Cube and angular vases are sleek for the cosmopolitan wedding.
Classic flowers cool down with unique greens.
In a space that has soaring ceilings, make the room feel less intimidating with tall, full arrangements.
Pick colors and shades that reflect the season of your wedding: whites and dark greens for winter, peaches and lavenders for spring, oranges and hot pinks for summer, and yellows and burnt reds for fall.

Place a display of flowers on a cake tier or small cupcake tins.
Single bloom bouquets look graceful in old fashioned containers.
Flowers look artistic when immersed in water. Put a small glass bowl inside a larger one and fill both with water. Gently press de-stemmed flowers into the space between the inner and outer bowls.

Flowers that look like packages and tied with ribbons add a festive mood to the table. As do topiary style arrangements.
Long tables with centerpieces in a row down the middle are a great way to make guests feel equally important.

What did the floral arrangements look like at your wedding or last party? Share with us below!

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Bells of Ireland - $9.95	Emma Ireland 3 Wick Candle by Fringe - $55.00
Giralda by William Yeoward - $155.00	Irish Coffee Mugs Set of 6 - $11.94
Creed Green Irish Tweed - $90.00	Versailles Velvet Chair - $899.00
Chloe Chair - $1,750.00	Balerma Rug - $119.00
Gaia & Gino - lucky collection by andree putman for gaia & gino - $68.00	John Derian Clover Leaves Cake Stand - $340.00
Monique Lhuillier by Royal Doulton "Charms" Accent Plate Charms, 9" - $80.00	Luck: The Essential Guide - $19.95
Driade - clover armchair by ron arad for driade of italy - $886.00	Limited Edition Lucky Clover Tote - $24.00
Clover Mirror - $79.99	Gianna Rose Atelier - lucky tiny soaps by gianna rose - $10.50
Shamrock 5" x 7" Frame by Belleek - $69.99	D. L. & Co. Rotten Luck Dice - $195.00