CasaSugar

Before and After: Grandma's Sideboard, Refreshed

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:30:35 -0700

Craftster member OpheliaITA recently refurbished her grandmother's sideboard. She writes, "I started this restoration two years ago, but the university, work, and, well, the lack of will stopped my good intentions! This Summer I finally had the time to bring back to life this old sideboard that was of my grandmother's and had stayed for years in the cellar with humidity, dust, mice, and other not so sociable little animals!"

With some hard work, OpheliaITA restored the sideboard to its former glory.

To see how her efforts paid off, read more.

The sideboard is now proudly displayed in OpheliaITA's parents' home. I'm especially impressed with the way she was able to salvage the rusted hardware on the sideboard. A beautiful job!

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Open House: Your Biggest Splurge

CasaSugar — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 12:27:47 -0800

For many homeowners, the largest cost of decorating their home is a renovation. For renters, it's often a large, portable piece of furniture such as a sofa or armoire that costs the big bucks. Others pull out the Mastercard for a stunning rug, an eye-catching painting, or an iconic light fixture. Of course, once you've splurged on a focal point for one room, it's on to the next. It's kind of like having children: You don't stop paying until retirement. My most extravagant purchase was a piece of artwork, but now we're making plans to throw down on building a small "getaway" behind our house.

Tell me what your biggest splurge was by commenting below!
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Casa Interview: The Good Wife's Stephen Hendrickson and Beth Kushnick

CasaSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:28 -0800

As I've mentioned in the past, I'm a huge fan of the new CBS series The Good Wife. In particular, I adore Alicia Florrick's (Julianna Margulies) apartment. With classic styling and great use of color, it's definitely a look I'm currently coveting. Luckily, I recently had the opportunity to chat with the two people responsible for the look of that very apartment. The Good Wife's production designer, Stephen Hendrickson, and set decorator, Beth Kushnick, answered my questions about the look of Alicia's home.

CasaSugar: How did the production designer and set decorator define Alicia (as a starting-over mom, lawyer, etc.), and how did this play into their concept of her new apartment?

Hendrickson and Kushnick: We defined Alicia as a working mom who wanted to make a comforting life for her kids as they had to downsize from a large house in the suburbs to a much smaller apartment which she purchased and had renovated. We kept some furniture from the old house like the kids' beds and the dining room furniture. In addition the show creators wanted to keep Alicia's king size bed as a visual - that it was too big for her new bedroom and show that one side of it was now empty. We also created a maid's room in the back of the apartment for all of her husband's belongings.

CasaSugar: How did Alicia’s style as a North Shore mom change when she moved into Chicago proper?

Hendrickson and Kushnick: Her new apartment had a sophisticated color palette . . . Alicia's apartment also has more contemporary living room furnishings and an upgraded kitchen.

Read the rest of the interview, and check out photos of the set.

Before and After: Renovating Family Furniture

CasaSugar — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:29 -0700

Su Casa member Melissa Kathleen recently updated a piece of furniture that had been in her family for decades. She writes, "When my family and I had to move my grandmother out of her apartment, we didn't know what to do with all of her furniture. When I saw her old chest she kept in her large bathroom, I loved the shape and wanted to re-finish it." Curious as to how Melissa Kathleen's chest looks after its makeover? Find out when you read more.

Melissa Kathleen gave the old chest a thorough sanding. Then, she primed it and covered it with a few coats of paint. Another great update she added was changing out the drawer pulls for something more contemporary. She says, "I love my new chest! And the best part is, it's been in my family for about 60 years!" From the looks of it, I bet this stylish chest could easily stand the test of time for another 60 years, don't you think?

Have you joined my Su Casa group? Showcase your home makeovers, or just ask for advice from other members about your latest home project.

How-To: Design Smart in Small Spaces

CasaSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:00:27 -0700

Recently, I gave you a glimpse of a Calgary apartment that interior deisign firm Corea Sotropa renovated. One of the firm's specialties is designing for small spaces. Corea Sotropa was kind enough to share some tips for designing for small spaces. Want to see all of the firm's great advice? Then read more.

Here are a few tips from Corea Sotropa on designing for small spaces:

Choose common materials, fabrics and colour palette throughout all the rooms to bring unity to a small condo or house.
Fresh flower arrangements are a quick and inexpensive way to add luxury to a small space.
Ensure there is a place for everything - if there is not appropriate storage for everyday necessities like magazines or CDs a small space will quickly look messy.
Place accessories sparingly - overloading a small space with accessories will look cluttered.
Choose furniture pieces to suit the scale of the space. When down-sizing from a house to condo it is unlikely that you will be able to re-use many of your existing upholstered pieces due to this change in scale.

Corea Sotropa’s Coral Suite Apartment

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:00:35 -0700

Canadian interior design firm Corea Sotropa recently renovated this Calgary apartment, imbuing it with a freshness that it had previously lacked. Inspired by a signature fabric embroidered with coral, the apartment now glows with color and energy.

Before Corea Sotropa stepped in, this apartment's open-concept kitchen and living room, hallway and bathroom were dreary and lacked architectural detail. Additionally, the apartment's flow was interrupted with room-defining walls. Removing the partitions between the kitchen and the living room flooded the suite with natural light and provided the ideal backdrop to the custom furniture, draperies, and mill work, which were all done in a fresh, crisp color scheme.

For additional photos, read more.

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This Just In: Dwell Launches New DIY Magazine

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:58 -0700

Dwell is one of my favorite shelter magazines, in part for providing informative, thoughtful, and succinct editorial and in part for showcasing coveted modern homes. But since I'm not on the house hunt or looking to make any architectural renovations, for me it's mostly a leisure read. When it comes to DIY projects, I tend to head to ReadyMade or read websites like Craftzine.

So, I'm delighted to announce that Dwell is making its foray into the DIY world. The mag has just unveiled its first special interest publication, Make It Yours, which expands on the topics of home décor and design with tips, tactics, and small- and large-scale projects to make the look of Dwell's coveted homes accessible and replicable for its readers. The publication will draw from Dwell's extensive image archive and divide them by zone - kitchens, bathrooms, etc. - and then dissect "each image for design ideas, sustainability, cost-efficiency, and style savvy," according to editor-in-chief Sam Grawe. Beyond that, it will act as a shopping guide, with the latest offerings in furniture, products, and materials needed to achieve Dwell's style. Look for Make It Yours on newsstands Sept. 22.
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Designer Spotlight: Rasmus Fenhann

CasaSugar — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 11:00:13 -0800

Danish furniture maker, antique renovator, and furniture designer Rasmus Fenhann is one of the rare designers who is happy both designing his own unique furniture while also lovingly restoring antiques from centuries past. This impressive young woodworker graduated from the furniture department at Denmark's Designskole in 2003.

As a renovator with over ten years of experience in renovating old furniture, he credits his skills in part to his grandfather, an experienced cabinetmaker.

Rasmus writes on his site that

I have a passion for the unique identity of the materials I use. I believe in innovative thinking and respect for all the knowhow and tradition we have in the Danish furniture design history.

To take a look at a gallery of his impressive lamps, furniture, and renovation projects, just read more

Rasmuss has recently started his own studio, where he designs one-off projects, exhibitions, and prototypes.

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Coveted Crib: Danny Seo's Green and Chic Home

CasaSugar — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 09:00:13 -0700

Green design guru Danny Seo's cool home is featured in the April issue of Philadelphia magazine, in the article "Seo Cool." The newly renovated Bucks County, PA, home is full of eco. Make sure to read the whole article to read more about his home, and to also check out his recommendations for area dining, shopping, and antique stores.

I've checked in with Danny Seo's home updates before (including this cool idea for mounting a flatscreen television), but it's great to get more peeks into his beautiful, green home. I admire Danny's talent at mixing antiqued furniture, DIY projects, and more modern elements into his home. The entire effect is one of a relaxed and casual elegance, and I'd just bet that Danny's a great host for out-of-town guests.

For additional photos of his home, read more.

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Midday Muse: Freestanding Kitchen Cabinets

CasaSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:00:57 -0800

In Europe, it's very common to use freestanding cabinets in the kitchen and armoires in the bedroom, but in the United States, built-in cabinetry and closets are the norm. In fact, a trend of open shelving is only just beginning to happen here. I definitely see the appeal of freestanding units, though. If your style happens to change, or your cabinets aren't in such great shape, it's much easier to replace a single piece of furniture than renovate your entire kitchen. There's also more of a feeling of openness with freestanding unites. Built-ins offer counter space, though, which is a plus.
If you went with an armoire or hutch, you'd naturally also have to purchase a table or island to do your cutting. Does your house have built-in or freestanding cabinets? If you had the opportunity and the funds to renovate, would you opt for freestanding furniture? Tell me by commenting below!
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