CasaSugar

Coveted Crib: Skylit and Vibrant in London

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 -0800

If I see a skylight, I'm sold. But this London home has a skylight that runs the length of its roof, in addition to full glass siding on its rear entrance, so my bags are packed. The rear doors open to a gorgeous modern patio, with neon seating, a fountain with a bridge, and a mysterious shed. Inside, the house is equally stylish, with bold, vibrant, accent walls ruling the rooms, and sharp but not statement-making furniture throughout. It's a truly a lesson in the power of color. And you thought Brits only decorated with "English rose." Want to take the full tour?

Anthropologie to Open First London Outpost Oct. 23

CasaSugar — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:00:26 -0700

Anthropologie will open its first European outpost, and the first outside of North America, in the heart of London's West End on Oct. 23. Anthropologie has made a habit of seeking out architecturally distinct spaces for its stores, and this one will be no exception. The store will occupy a historically renowned, three-story building at 158 Regent Street, which was once home to Waterford Wedgwood, a prominent English china retailer since the 18th century.
The new store will sell Anthropologie's signature mix of fashion, accessories, home décor, decorative antiques, and found objects - many discovered around the world by antiques buyer Keith Johnson. As with all of the brand's stores, Regent Street will also incorporate reclaimed materials from nearby and feature work by local artists. Another shop will open early next year on London's King's Road. Londoners, get your wallets ready! And a night job while you're at it!

Love It or Hate It? Heather Mills's One-Hue Home

CasaSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:15:09 -0700

Heather Mills's three-bedroom London home is on the market for nearly $6.2 million, less than one year after she purchased the property for nearly $3.9 million. She's what we'd call a flipper. In most cases houses that have been flipped are designed with the buyer in mind, but I don't know how many people would find this shiny beige spread appealing. Tell me, is this one-hue home your champagne dream or champagne nightmare?

Home Away From Home: London's Haymarket Hotel

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 12:00:53 -0700

I have died and gone to hospitality heaven. London's Haymarket Hotel, designed by Kit Kemp, is a stunning example of the sort of marriage between contemporary and traditional design I have been searching for. In this case, it's classic English style that gets a modern lift, as traditional furniture shapes, including many antiques, are updated with bold patterns, playful scale, and thoughtful palettes. Each suite has an individual look, though many share similar furnishings upholstered in their own colors and fabrics. So for frequent travelers, each visit to the Haymarket will be a new experience. From the black, white and yellow lobby with its captivating Tony Cragg sculpture to the "Soholistic" gym with its sleek 60-foot pool lit by ever-changing colored lights, you feel a bit as if you're sightseeing without stepping out onto the streets of London. Take a tour when you read more.

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Coveted Crib: Lovely and Light Near London

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:00:32 -0700

Sometimes we get so caught up with trendy accessories and of-the-moment palettes that we forget to consider the feel of the homes we're creating. It's no secret that all-white rooms have a relaxing effect. But throw natural materials, well-loved hardwood floors, worn upholstery, and a collection of vintage and antique accessories and furnishings into the mix, and what you have is a home that's not concerned with the latest and greatest, but is simply content as is. No shopping list, nothing dated, everything is timeless. This lovely and light Victorian home near London is a wonderful example of that. You'll breathe a sigh of relief when you see it. To take the full tour, read more.

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Coveted Crib: Abigail Ahern's Tongue-in-Cheek London Home

CasaSugar — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:00:29 -0700

Of course, I would expect nothing less than fabulous from the home of British stylist, interior designer, and shop owner Abigail Ahern - especially after seeing how she helped redesign her sister's apartment - but I'm blown away. Dousing her walls and hardwood floors in a cool gray paint as a simple base, she's allowed herself to go wild with the furnishings. She flawlessly mixes colors, styles, eras, materials, and finishes in a way that is both inspiring, calming, and livable. My favorite element is how she's played with scale, using a supersized lampshade on a petite base, and a King Kong-sized floor lamp beside a small kitchen table. I first thought, "It's almost as if she lives in Alice's Wonderland," but then I saw the fantastical tale referenced on her website. There may not be any mad-hatter parties here, but you're certainly in for a topsy-turvy adventure

Madonna Wants to Re-Create Her Former English Manor in NYC

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:00:03 -0700

Since her split with Guy Ritchie, Madonna has parked herself in an Upper East Side apartment, moving on from their shared historic estate in Wiltshire, UK, the Ashcombe House. But, according to the Mirror, she misses the English countryside so much that she's asked her architects to re-create her country home room by room in her NYC digs. Let me add that the Mirror is not always the most reliable source, so this news bit still has rumor status.Apparently, she's hired people "to go out and troll the Upper East Side boutiques for candelabras, side tables, and period chaises" and even had the wood floors of her new Georgian-style townhouse "ripped up and replaced with terracotta tiles, similar to Ashcombe." There's even talk of bringing chickens into the Manhattan pad to make her kids feel at home - I'm going to go out on a limb and say that might be stretching the truth. Nevertheless, do you understand where she is coming from? Would you do (or have you done) the same thing? Or do you think she's nuts and should decorate like she lives in Gotham City, not the English countryside?

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Sienna Miller Lists Her London Home For Less

CasaSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:01:18 -0700

Sienna Miller has put her 2,095-square-feet, two-bedroom, three-bath home in St. John's Wood, London, on the market for $1.6 million - about $750,000 less than she paid for it in 2007. The digs are as bohemian as her wardrobe, with a mix of furnishings both traditional and modern, industrial and rustic. Architecturally, it's an unusual space, with a striking, curved staircase running between the ground floor reception room and kitchen and the first floor, which holds a bedroom, mezzanine, and office area. In the basement, or lower ground floor, there's a beautiful tiled lounge/entertaining area with a Turkish bath and sauna à la my beloved Moroccan style. And you'll see Moroccan lanterns elsewhere in her home as well. It seems like a great house, and I don't have any major complaints about the décor, but I would have expected more from this purveyor of cool. Take a look at photos and tell me what you think when you read more.

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Home Away From Home: The Langham in London Reopens

CasaSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 07:00:20 -0700

One of the largest, oldest, and best-known "grand hotels" in London, The Langham, reopened yesterday after a $130 million refurbishment. Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the hotel's managing director Katie Benson officially reopened the hotel yesterday with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. The historic hotel was built in 1865, and over the years, has been frequented by the likes of Mark Twain, Napoleon III, and Oscar Wilde, and even became the set of several of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories. You'll find it in London's West End neighborhood, steps away from some of the city's best shopping on Regent Street, Bond Street, and Oxford Street, as well as Regent's Park.

Take a peek at the new digs when you read more.

London-based architect David Collins was pegged to redesign the hotel's Landau restaurant, its private dining room, Postillion, and Artesian, its glamorous cocktail bar. The resulting designs are chic and romantic, with a rich sense of heritage as well as a fresh, avant-garde quality. Meanwhile, Richmond International created five new design schemes for the guest rooms and suites, as well as redesigned the renowned Palm Court, which has been serving afternoon tea since the hotel was founded. Richmond chimed in on the hotel's heavy sense of "Englishness," but used contemporary finishes and other decorative details to give it character. For instance, you'll see traditional artistry methods like glass-blowing and metalwork used to create modern light fixtures and hardware.

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Coveted Crib: Black and White and Modern All Over

CasaSugar — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:00:03 -0700

I love too many colors and styles to ever go only black, white, and modern, but I applaud he who has the restraint (and the balls) to do it. I spotted this large Georgian house in Tetbury, a small town in - believe it or not - the Cotswolds, and was blown away. Short of a dab of yellow paint in some artwork and its plush green lawn, the house is all black, white, and gray, and each room is essentially either entirely black or white. This makes matching oh so easy! Is that a cop-out? Beyond that, low-slung, stream-lined furnishings rule, and some modern classics like cowhide rugs and Arne Jacobsen Egg Chairs and glitzy elements like crystal chandeliers and tufted furniture are spattered throughout. It's a very powerful space that's not necessarily what I would personally create for my own home, but I'd kill to stay over a few nights. See more photos and chime in when you read more.

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