CasaSugar

Three Busts Under $250

CasaSugar — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:00:33 -0700

Judging from this photo of Elle Decor’s Women in Design feature, it's clear that Kelly Wearstler is an advocate of busts. She's not alone; I've been wanting one for ages. But from the looks of it, hers are antiques. Antique busts at 1st Dibs - a collective of antique dealers nationwide - range from $2,000 to over $25,000. Sure it's nice to have an original, and art is always an investment. But if like me you want one just for aesthetics, you've come to right place. I know three places you can buy one from as low as $40 to up to $250.

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Home Library: Style and Substance

CasaSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 09:00:59 -0700

For 20 years, Elle Decor's chic issues have offered readers ideas and inspiration for their homes. I've been collecting a giant stack of dog-eared Elle Decor issues for the last 10 years, so I'm excited to announce that the best of the magazine can now be found in Style and Substance ($45) by Margaret Russell and the editors of Elle Decor. I was thrilled to receive a (personally autographed!) copy of Style and Substance in my mailbox, and couldn't wait to review the book.
To hear what I think, and to get a sneak peek at some of the chic interiors featured in the book, read more.

The book's 240 pages are an embarrassment of interior decorating riches. Featuring inside peeks of the homes of everyone from Miles Redd and Sarah Jessica Parker to Yves Saint Laurent and Monique Lhuillier, there's plenty of inspiration to be found. Hundreds of spaces are featured, and each chapter is relegated to a different room, including living rooms; libraries and home offices; dining rooms; kitchens; bedrooms and boudoirs; bathrooms; children’s rooms; and terraces, gardens, and pools. Besides gorgeous images, the book also offers smart decorating tips as well as a source book that features Elle Decor editors' favorite shopping websites and stores. Style and Substance is a wonderful resource for armchair decorators of any style. With homes that range in style from bohemian to classic, there's something for everyone here. Margaret Russell writes in the introduction that

[Elle Decor's] most beloved design characteristics? Personality, passion, joie de vivre, and flair. It's true, our most dazzling stories feature people with fearless style who don't care what others think - and those who are curious, confident, and cosmopolitan will always find a place in our pages. We believe that luxury needn’t be expensive, and there’s no reason affordable furnishings shouldn’t be chic. And when offered a choice, we’ll take a bit of patina and wear and tear over brand-spanking-new decor every time.

I think that this is a timely decorating philosophy, and while we may not all be able to afford a marble-clad master bath or a custom-designed bejeweled chandelier, we can all aspire to create a more beautiful, confident, and chic home, and with Russell's tips, now it's a lot easier to do just that.

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ELLE Decor Gears Up For the Launch of Style and Substance

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:15:37 -0700

It's a big month for ELLE Decor. Not only is it the magazine's 20th anniversary, but Oct. 28 marks the official launch of the new book Style and Substance: The Best of Elle Decor, written by editor-in-chief Margaret Russell (below). So on Tuesday the magazine held a special event for 600 of the design elite on the third floor of Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan. The guest list included amazing designers from interiors to art to fashion, including Bunny Williams, Michael Smith (Obama's decorator), Alexa Hampton, Jeffrey Bilhuber, and Mario Buatta. And Bergdorf's also created a special commemorative window for the event, which you can see below if you're not in the Big Apple to pass by it.

I've been collecting a giant stack of dog-eared ELLE Decor issues for the last 10 years, so I cannot wait to get my hands on this book, which condenses the best of the magazine's timeless interiors into one much more manageable volume! The book (which you can pre-order) is already number one in the interior design category on Amazon, and 240 pages overall, so I suspect it'll be worth the hype! See some more photos from the event below.

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Guess Who Dreamt of Building a Grandiose Tree House?

CasaSugar — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 08:30:23 -0700

A celebrated American interior designer, and regular on Oprah, recently told ELLE Decor of his dreams to build a tree house as a kid, saying, "At 11 I was sort of a mad Virgo with grandiose plans for a Palladio-Calatrava-Sawyer/Berson masterpiece. We never made it past attempting to hammer the two-by-fours into the trunk, but we had so much fun trying." It sounds like he started honing his design talent at a young age!

Ask Casa: Elle Decor Black and White Striped Rug

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 07:00:26 -0700

Dear Casa, I was thumbing through the July/Aug 09 issue of Elle Decor last night and fell in love with Monelle Totah's striped black and white rug on page 71. Any ideas on where I can find that rug or a similar one? I love the triple-stripe look. The Ikea rug is an off-white, and looks too busy, so I've already ruled that one out. Thanks for your help!! Pookie17To hear my suggestions for Pookie17, read more.

Hi there, Thanks for thinking of me! That's a beautiful rug; I can see why you asked. My first thought was that the rug is from Williams-Sonoma Home, seeing as Tonah is the company's VP of design and owns many other W-S Home furnishings. But, I checked out the shop and it's not in their current selection of inventory - although it very well may be an older design. She also takes regular scouting trips to Europe and points beyond, so it may be an antique. Nevertheless, here are some similar rugs which you might like:

Customized St. Tropez Indoor/Outdoor Rugs -Stripe - $119.95	Nautical Stripe Rug - $160.00
Striped Braided Indoor/Outdoor Rug - $65.00	Nantucket Jute Rug - $19.00

The Nate Berkus Kilim Stripe Rug ($23-159) has varying width stripes, but it's not available in black. Otherwise, Dash and Albert is my go-to place for cotton striped rugs, and you might also want to check eBay and your local antiques dealers and flea markets, as it's certainly a classic design.

Decorati and PointClickHome Team Up to Sell Décor

CasaSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:00:03 -0700

Decorati, the online interior design community featuring luxury home furnishings and services, has teamed up with PointClickHome, web portal for the shelter magazines Elle Decor and Metropolitan Home, to launch a new showroom product finder on the magazines' sites in July. Design Finder, as it will be called, essentially will allow visitors to PointClickHome to search and shop Decorati's collection of home furnishings and browse photos of real rooms with those products, as well as read articles uploaded by top interior designers. There's clearly a lot of synergy between the two properties in terms of luxury interior design, so it makes sense that they'd partner up.

Although Decorati's products may not be in all of our budgets, it will be convenient to find our design inspiration and shopping all in one place. Will you use this resource?
Source

May Must Haves

CasaSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:00:59 -0700

Happy May Day! This month, get into the full swing of Spring with fun interior design events, cool hotel openings, and new ways to have fun in your casa. Stay tuned this May for great ideas for celebrating at home. Want to throw a craft party? Start a movie night for friends? Check back for my suggestions for making the most of entertaining at home. In the meantime, see what other great events, products, and openings are happening around the country.

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Nice and New: CASA Carlos Mota Hydrangea Flower Bouquet

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 07:00:55 -0700

In general, artificial flowers are sacrilegious to me - the beauty of fresh flowers lies not only in their form, but in their transiency. So, I wouldn't normally recommend bringing fakes into your home, but I will make an exception. Independent stylist and special projects editor for Elle Decor Carlos Mota has released a new collection of silk floral arrangements for HSN that are seriously chic and quite deceiving to the eye. My favorite is this CASA Carlos Mota Hydrangea Flower Bouquet ($49.95), with its sultry blues and Spring greens. Each arrangement comes in a modern, rippled, white ceramic vase. In the case that you do pick one of these up, please do not use it as a centerpiece; instead, use them to brighten a corner, where they can fit into your home in a more subtle manner.

Designer Spotlight: Kristen Buckingham

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 07:00:24 -0700

Blending family-friendly coziness, rocker chic, and Bohemian sensibilities seems only fitting for designer Kristen Buckingham. She is, after all, married to Lindsey Buckingham, guitarist for Fleetwood Mac. The Buckinghams' home is featured in the current issue of Elle Decor, and showcases Kristen's unique decorating style.

Kristen started off her professional life as a portrait photographer, and now has channeled her energies into interior and product design. Their Los Angeles home, which they share with their three children and multiple pets, serves as a design lab of sorts for Kristen's ideas.

To see more of her home, as well as other interiors she's worked on, read more.

Kristen's designs draw from numerous sources, and I admire her bold use of pattern, such as pairing striped wallpaper with a striped upholstered chair. These are personal, fun, and fresh interiors, which provide chic alternatives for family living. After you're through perusing these interiors, make sure to check out her line of products as well.

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Source and Source

Ask Casa: Petrified Wood and Ceramic White Stools?

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 08:00:37 -0800

Hi CasaSugar!
I am working on wrapping up my living room and would love to get a petrified wood stool and a ceramic white stool similar to those in Monique Lhuillier's house (that I am totally in love with), which was featured on an Elle Decor cover a year ago.

I've talked to Hudson Furniture in New York - they have the petrified wood but they sell at $1,200-2,000 each. I'm looking for something in the $800 range. As far as the ceramic stool, I've seen one from West Elm, but I'm not sure about the quality. I'm willing to spend up to $500 on something nicer.

Thanks in advance for your suggestion!

Pookie17

To see my suggestions, read more.

Hi Pookie17,

Monique Lhuillier's house is indeed gorgeous, and the accents that caught your eye are particularly beautiful. Unfortunately, one of the other sources for petrified wood stools I found came in above the Hudson Furniture quote - Jayson Home and Garden carries a variety of petrified wood stools for around $1,500 each. The Chicago-based store Primitive also sells petrified wood stools, and you may have better luck securing a lower price through them. One suggestion I have, in lieu of the petrified wood stool, is the Roost Enchanted Forest Stool ($385), which is made of ceramic instead of petrified wood, but whose matte gunmetal finish gives it a rather realistic appearance.

As for the white ceramic stool, I'm a fan of (again!) Jayson Home and Garden's White Lattice Stool ($275). Instead of a geometric design, as employed in Lhullier's ceramic stools, this one uses an open lattice pattern to create visual interest. I also think that the west elm stool would be a good choice, though I welcome other readers' opinions on the durability of this particular piece.

Definitely check out the widget below to see if there are any pieces that strike your fancy as well.

Good luck!
CasaSugar

Source

Thorsten van Elten - van amburgh stool by thorsten van elten - $150.00	Zig Zag Stool - White - $375.00
Roost Spool Stool - $250.00	Convex Drum Table - $159.00
Roost Ribbon Stool - $290.00	White Garden Stool - $195.00
Lattice Stool - $275.00	Petrified Wood Q - $1,495.00
Roost Eyelet Stool - $310.00	Petrified Wood K - $1,495.00
Gus* Modern - Pawn Stool - $365.00	Grove Stool - $225.00
Helix Stool - $114.00	Roost Enchanted Forest Stool - $385.00
Petrified Wood O - $1,495.00