CasaSugar

Before and After: From Scary to Shabby Chic

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:00:23 -0700

Côté Maison reader Serge purchased a dilapidated retirement home in the Bordeaux region of France after leaving a duplex in Paris. The exterior had already been partially restored but the house still needed a lot of work. Two years and thousands of euros later, he and his wife had redone the roofing, floors, bathrooms, bedrooms, electricity, tiles, garden, pool, and even planted 360 saplings! They also converted an old barn into a photo studio, a small house into a guest room, and a garage and shed into spare apartments.

As you can see, the room above was a scary sight that needed a lot of work, but it did have beautiful, rustic ceiling beams. So, they transformed the space into a calm, shabby chic living room that I'd kill to own. See it when you read more.

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Coveted Crib: An Art Collector's Curated Minimalism

CasaSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:00:02 -0700

When you are an art collector, you don't need an interior designer or even color on your walls to have a painfully coveted crib. In the town of Lille in northern France, a French art collector turned a former textile factory into a 557-square-foot loft with a patio. He kept the mill's original crisscross shaped trusses and painted everything white, including beautiful features like cast-iron columns. Meanwhile, the floor is simple gray cement, creating a neutral background for his collection. Paintings and sculptures dominate the loft, with the exception of one wall near the entrance which was painted a spectacular orange, cued to the color of an Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair in the room. Want to continue the tour? Then read more.

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Home Away From Home: Hôtel Duc du St. Simon

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 08:00:13 -0700

You can stay in a modern, white-walled, Kartell'd hotel in any city in the world. But if Paris is your getaway, why not surround yourself with quintessential French style? Hôtel Duc du St. Simon, a favorite of Domino founding editor Deborah Needleman, is a quaint, sophisticated home away from home where understated elegance rules the roost. Guest rooms are bathed in romantic florals, jacquards, and toiles, and filled with fine antiques and original art. So even if a trip to Dordogne isn't on your itinerary, you can still experience the French-country style. Overall, the space is cozy and homey, almost like you're visiting a chic grand-mère of a friend a train ride away. In reality, it's located in the fashionable St. Germain-des-Prés district, just a few blocks from La Seine river and an extensive collection of Impressionist art in the Musée d'Orsay, so there's much to see and explore nearby. And after a long day of sightseeing and eating crêpes, you can kick back in the hotel's stone-walled lounge, gaze at antique artwork and mirrors in ornate gold frames, and sip on un kir. Rates start at $356 per night. See photos when you read more.

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Roundup: Joyeux Bastille Day!

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:40 -0700

Happy Bastille Day! While we can be grateful to the French for many things, including croques monsieur, Audrey Tatou, margarine, carbaret, etc., I'd like to applaud la France for pumping out decades of innovative and influential design. Yes, this would include la Tour Eiffel and Impressionism, but today I'm going to focus on furniture and interior accessories. You'll be surprised by how many of your favorite pieces were nés en France. But before we go there, I couldn't resist sharing The Famed and Framed Roosters ($381), a trio of hand-painted roosters, a national emblem of France.

Vitra vegetal chair - $555.00	Vitra algues - $35.00
Tank U Vases By La Tete Au Cube - $71.00	Artifort - oyster chair by pierre paulin for artifort - $1,152.00
Artifort - ribbon chair by pierre paulin for artifort - $3,115.00	Cassina le corbusier lc4 - $2,850.00
Cassina le corbusier lc2 - $3,500.00	philippe starck Louis Ghost Armchair - Set of 2 - $820.00
Fleurs Gourmandes Raspberry by Le Jacquard Francais - $30.00	FLOS Cicatrices De Luxe 3 Pendant Light - $3,575.00
Silver Recamier - $3,249.00	Kartell Mademoiselle Chair Missoni Fabric - $950.00
French Industrial Coffee Table - $579.00	Vintage Gilt Chair - $2,495.00
Cooper's Small Draftsman Stool - $159.00	Vintage Petite Armchair - $695.00
Marais Stool 18 - $180.00	Diptyque Baies (Black Currant & Rose) Candle - $60.00
Kartell bubble club armchair - $680.00	Vitra - cite armchair by jean prouve for vitra - $3,775.00
Vitra - trapeze tables by jean prouve for vitra - $5,560.00	Jean Nouvel Complete Works by Taschen - $700.00

Colette Commissions Lisa Fontanarosa Collection Wire Art

CasaSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:11 -0700

You may not know your Left Bank from your Right Bank, or have ever stepped foot on French soil, but you've probably heard of Colette, the fashion and design temple of Paris. The preeminent concept boutique hails art-loving hipsters from near and far, and regularly organizes exhibitions with both up-and-coming and established artists - including my beloved interiors photographer Todd Selby. Colette's latest exposition is MeWeCycle, a project curated by Karta Healy featuring a collection of designers’ work, based on their love of the bicycle and creative recycling. Some of the most innovative designers around have created furnishings, lighting, clothing, accessories, and design objects for the shop all from recycled materials.

To hear about the artist behind the bicycle pictured here, read more.

Always on the hunt for international talent, Colette called upon Lisa Fontanarosa to tap her stable of European and American designers to create bespoke pieces for the show. Lisa asked Marie Christophe, known for her exquisite, whimsical, wirework light fixtures and sculptures, to create a life-size bicycle in wire with a transparent crystal seat and a crystal bell. The bicycle, shown above, hangs in the window of Colette. Another wire artist from Fontanarosa's collection, Barbara Gilhooly, made industrial hearts from vintage erector sets exclusively for Colette. Both are magnificent proof that "recycled" and "refined" can be one and the same.

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Get the Look: Amelie's Bedroom

CasaSugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:00:05 -0700

Amélie Poulain took not only France but the world by storm. We were all swept away by her quirky French je ne sais quoi, awkward naïveté, and childlike demeanor. Of course, the movie Amélie also made an impression from an artistic standpoint. From the scenery and the tunes to the coloring and the editing, I was encapsulated in Amélie's fantastical world in every sense. The sets, particularly her apartment, were as captivating as the innocent girl, and I've always been intrigued by her bedroom. So, when a Su Casa member inquired about her comforter, I decided I'd attempt to show you how to get the look of the room. To hear my thoughts, read more.

To begin, you must set the stage with a metallic rouge wallpaper like Amelie's, and paint your wainscoting to match. The Graham & Brown Serenity Wallpaper ($60/bolt) shares a gold-on-red pattern with Oriental charm and a delicate, starry design.

You can find her prints by Michael Sowa, the Fowl With Pearls ($14.99) and Filmhound ($14.99), at Art.com, and have them hung in unmatching frames for the same peculiar, offbeat look.

As for the comforter, which Su Casa member eunyee9 asked about, I couldn't track the exact design. But, I think the Dream Silk Comforter ($349), with its peachy champagne color, interesting quilting pattern, and plush heft is a good match. To see more Amélie-esque bedroom furnishings, check out this widget:

Veneer Profile Frames - $19.00	Eccolo Red Heart Journal - $9.99
Swing Motif Frame 5x7" - $39.95	Linden Street® 5" Round Metal Clock - $40.00
Sealy Best Fit!® 330TC Sheet Set - $34.99	310TC Easy Care Standard Pillowcases - $30.00
Tribecca Bed - $699.00	"Dream" Silk Bed Linens - $124.90

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Love It or Hate It? Martin the Mule Secretary Desk

CasaSugar — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:00:12 -0800

French company Ibride recently gave a sneak preview of this new design, Martin, a contemporary mule-shaped secretary, at the Maison & Objet trade show in Paris. Not only does Martin's body serve as convenient storage for books and papers, but it incorporates lighting and Ethernet cords into the design, using them as a "reins" for the mule. I find it hilarious and whimsical, but obviously it's not for everyone, or every home.
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Love It or Hate It? Post-It Art

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:00:15 -0800

This pixel-esque Post-It wall art, See You, was designed by Bénédicte Bailly and is currently on exhibition at the Maison & Objet design trade show in Paris. I love this innovative use of an affordable, everyday item; it's not only creative, but visually striking and cheerful. What do you think?
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Christian Lacroix Says Adieu to His Painfully Chic Paris Pad

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:00:58 -0800

I have died and gone to real estate heaven. Haute couturier Christian Lacroix has put his 2,150-square-foot apartment in the tragically hip and fashion-centric Marais district of Paris on the market for nearly $2.6 million. I couldn't help but snoop around for photos, and I almost wish I hadn't: the pad has the unrivaled style of a Carrie Bradshaw ensemble and is plush with original Parisian details such as gilded moldings and French doors opening onto petite balconies. It's also steps from the Picasso Museum and Place des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris. Apparently Monsieur Lacroix has already moved to another apartment in the 'hood; why he'd want to, I don't know. But, I'm sure Lacroix will carry his theatrical style - and fabulous furnishings - wherever he goes. Check out photos of la maison when you read more.

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Coveted Crib: An Unconventional French Cottage

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 11:00:37 -0800

From the exterior, Gary and Samantha Peterson's Chamonix cottage, which was featured in Marie Claire Maison, is resolutely a traditional Alpine house. But push open its front door, and you'll be confronted with cheerfully decorated interiors bursting with acid colors, massively proportioned spaces, and walls dressed in white, throwing you into a ski vacation universe turned upside down. Despite the fact that all conventions have been thrown to the wind, and your average cottage kitsch is notably missing, the Petersons' cottage is a welcoming mountain escape, and certainly what I'd call a coveted crib. To take the full tour, check out this slideshow. Source

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