CasaSugar

Inspired: Vibrant Stripes

CasaSugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:00:48 -0700

I've been a fan of Jill Scott's music for years, and now I'm happy to see her every week playing detective Precious Ramotswe on HBO's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. While I love watching Jill onscreen, I'm also equally enamored with the beauty of Botswana's wildlife and savannas. Interspersed with shots of the natural landscape are the vibrant colors of the Kgale Hill Shopping Center, Gabarone, and its residents. One of my favorite examples of this mix of color is this shot of a striped wall, which is contrasted with Precious's patterned dress.

Inspired, I decided to look for some equally vibrant striped home goods that could add an oomph of color and pattern to your Spring home. I love these felted wool plant cozies ($54) from Papaver Vert. Want to see my other favorite vibrant stripes? Then read more.

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Love It or Hate It? HBO's Grey Gardens Interiors

CasaSugar — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 14:33:00 -0700

Over the weekend, I watched the HBO movie Grey Gardens, which dovetails with the 1975 documentary by Albert and David Maysles of the same name. The film focuses on "Big Edie" (played by Jessica Lange) and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale (played by Drew Barrymore), who live out their later years in a decrepit, squalor-filled Hamptons mansion. While the set and costume design was amazing throughout the film, I found the decaying, garbage-strewn mansion of the Beales' later years as compelling to look at as the intact, perfectly put-together mansion of the past. Were you equally interested in the interiors of this film?

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The Authentic Look of HBO's True Blood

CasaSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:30:42 -0800

Although True Blood has had an uneven first season (the finale was last night), I'll still be tuning in next year. I have to find out what happens with my favorite characters, and I can't wait to see how the plot develops. One element of the show that I really enjoy is its authentic look, which is crafted by the nimble art and set direction of Bill Law and Catherine Smith. Filmed in Los Angeles and Shreveport, LA, the show's set design embraces small-town Southern style that is imbued with a creepy dread. Source

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Over-the-Top Decorating Ideas From But I'm a Cheerleader

CasaSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:32 -0700

My sister and I recently caught But I'm a Cheerleader on HBO the other night, and my jaw dropped at the awesome, over-the-top set design of the film. It's been years since I've seen the 1999 satirical romantic comedy, whose plot follows the "re-education" of a group of gay teenagers at a therapy camp meant to make the teens heterosexual (spoiler alert: it doesn't work). Fittingly for a movie that borrows a John Waters-esque vibe, the set design embraces a vivid, surreal look, including lots of pink, pink, pink for the girls.

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Found It! Aleksandr Petrovsky's Dining Room Chairs

CasaSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:00:11 -0700

I recently saw a few re-runs from season six of Sex and the City, and I was blown away, yet again, by Aleksandr Petrovsky's chic Manhattan loft apartment. From the to-die-for views to the sheer size of the place, it's utterly crave worthy.

In this scene, from episode 92, "Splat!" Aleksandr and Carrie's dinner party isn't going very smoothly, to say the least. SATC fans will recall that talk of vibrators and Billy Joel do not impress Aleksandr, and Carrie's pals all write him off as a snob. However, one element of the dinner party that everyone can agree on (in my humble opinion) is the fabulousness of the dining room chairs.

Want to know where to find them? Then read more.

They're the Cherner Side Chairs ($679) in walnut. Reproductions of the 1958 original, which was designed by Norman Cherner, the side chair features a molded plywood seat constructed from laminated plywood in graduated thickness. The chair is a true classic of modern design, and absolutely beautiful. See? Petrovsky might be a snob, but he's a snob with great taste.

Photo courtesy of HBO

Roundup: Hurricane Lamps

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 15:00:23 -0700

Last night, I was disappointed to see that HBO ran a previously aired episode of True Blood. Watching this show, from Alan Ball, who also created Six Feet Under, is definitely a guilty pleasure. Tara Thornton, played by actress Rutina Wesley, is one of my favorite characters on the show. She's been taken under the wing of Maryann (Michelle Forbes), who's been adding some Greek mythology to the already fantastical set.

While I have my suspicions about Maryann's intentions, I must admit that her house is totally crave worthy, as are her fabulous breakfast spreads. I love the casually elegant al fresco breakfast setting here. Hurricane lamps are a must-have item for outdoor meals, as the tall glass cylinders will protect candles from flickering out. While a light source isn't needed for an outdoor breakfast, the hurricanes add to the elegance of the setting.

Want some hurricanes of your own? See my favorites when you read more.

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Casa Interview: Grey Gardens Set Designer Kalina Ivanov

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:00:13 -0700

In a Love It or Hate It poll, I asked for your opinion on the sets of the HBO movie Grey Gardens. You overwhelmingly loved them, just as I did. The film, which focuses on "Big Edie" (played by Jessica Lange) and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale (played by Drew Barrymore), and their home, Grey Gardens, is currently playing on HBO, and the DVD will be available in July. The film's beautiful look is courtesy of designer Kalina Ivanov. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Kalina about how she crafted the set of Grey Gardens, and how the designs developed.

CasaSugar: You had to imagine much of the original look of Grey Gardens. What was the most challenging part of this re-imagining?

Kalina Ivanov: Grey Gardens is one of the most intriguing and challenging projects of my career. There is a large fan base of the original documentary and Little Edie is a true icon in the gay community. I had a huge responsibility of getting the look right. The house needed to be both authentic and poetic. The director, Michael Suscy, spent three years researching the project, and he had a treasure trove of images, articles, and architectural drawings. However, we didn’t have images of what the interiors looked like in the 1930s, only the exteriors. We did have a verbal description Little Edie wrote many years later, but . . . as you know she isn’t a very reliable source. That left Michael and I with much room for interpretation. My main goal was to create an environment that captured the Edies' spirit perfectly.

CasaSugar: The original pre-decrepit Grey Gardens set has a very bohemian feel to it; were you inspired by any art, movies, or cultural happenings from that time?

Kalina Ivanov: On my interview, I brought Michael an image of a purple French Art Deco room. He immediately fell in love with it and this image became the base for our design concept. I felt strongly that since Big Edie was a Bouvier by birth, her taste would be influenced by European design. American Art Deco style is much more masculine and geometric; European Art Deco is fluid and organic.

I also wanted to introduce the idea of a garden inside the house, which is why we painted Big Edie’s bedroom with trees and birds. An astute viewer would notice that the colors of that room are yellow and pale turquoise. These colors show up later as the famous yellow bedroom and turquoise staircase in the documentary.

For the rest of the interview, read more.

CasaSugar: I love the use of Chinoiserie in the set. Tell me about how you decided to use it.

Kalina Ivanov: Good question - it was the one element Michael and I kept from Little Edie’s description of her home. Chinoiserie was very popular in the 1930s, and according to Edie, they had many Chinese antiques around the house.

CasaSugar: On the set, there's a plant inside a bird cage; was this inspired by the light bulb inside the birdcage that was from the original house?

Kalina Ivanov: Actually, Michael and I wanted to do something unexpected to show the non-conformist spirit of Big Edie. We thought putting a plant inside the cage is whimsical and not exactly what a proper society woman would do.

CasaSugar: What furniture and décor sources did you use for the set?

Kalina Ivanov: Most of the furniture was antique; all the paintings were from the period or earlier. We did buy some Chinese pieces of furniture and aged them to look older. We used different vendors from Toronto (the film was shot here) and Montreal. For the wallpaper, we used sources like Second Hand Rose in New York. We also made some of the furniture - the beds in the yellow room are so well known from the documentary, they had to be re-created.

CasaSugar: What's your favorite room in the house?

Kalina Ivanov: Short answer - all of them. Long answer - Big Edie’s bedroom because I created it from scratch. There was no photographic evidence of what it had looked like or a verbal description. People seem to love the purple room too; I’ve received many calls and emails asking me what color we used. I guess we started a trend of purple rooms across America.

CasaSugar: What was the most challenging part about deconstructing/aging the house?

Kalina Ivanov: Making it look real and not too theatrical. I wanted the audience to feel the authenticity of the decay, to be able to smell the cat piss and the raccoon stench.

CasaSugar: What era do you consider your greatest inspiration or interest in terms of interior decorating?

Kalina Ivanov: It depends on the nature of the film. I love Art Deco and Art Nouveau. At the same time I also love minimalist design. I think of myself as a storyteller, so for each film, I choose a design style that tells the best story. That’s how I arrived at European Art Deco as the inspiration for Grey Gardens.

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On the Market: Grey Gardens For Summer Rental

CasaSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:00:24 -0700

Grey Gardens, the once squalor-filled Hamptons mansion that was the home of "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, aunt and first cousin of Jackie O., and the subject of HBO's recent flick of the same name, can be yours for $30,000 this Summer. Current owners journalist Sally Quinn and husband Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee are renting out their East Hampton mansion from August 28 to Labor Day. Thirty thousand for 11 days in a former garbage-strewn home? Well, the turn-of-the-century house has since undergone an intensive renovation, and Long Island is nice in the Summer. See postrestoration photos of the home from a 1984 issue of Architectural Digest when you read more.

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Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 02 May 2009 10:30:36 -0700

Find out the story behind HBO's Grey Gardens' beautiful sets.
Invest in a luxe mirror for under $150.
Get the look of SF Mayor Gavin Newsom's chic penthouse.
Can you guess what this chandelier is made from?
Check out these fun ideas for decorating with old windows.
Go green without spending a penny.
Are you a fan of my 10 favorite celeb rooms?

Casa Capsule: The Week That Was

CasaSugar — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 10:30:51 -0800

Protect yourself with nine steps for keeping your home safe during the holidays.
Be sure to take my quiz to enter to win a $1,000 perfect holiday table from west elm!
Make your shopping a cinch with my gift guides.
Check out the authentic look of HBO's True Blood.
Cameron Diaz and Cameron Sinclair are Iconoclasts who talk and walk green.
Leonardo DiCaprio is going green by trading his Malibu pad for this NYC one.
Top Design's Ondine Karady is my latest Designer Spotlight.

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Plum Tonal Stripe Tufted Loop Rug - $299.00	Painterly Stripe Lamp Base + Shade - $89.00
Magis - striped outdoor seating system by ronan & erwan bouroullec for magis of italy - $120.00	Emma Gardner - eclipse rugs by emma gardner - $2,400.00
Terai Folding Chair, Floral Stripe - $198.00	Rwanda "Sweet Slice" Large Bowl, 16" - $80.00
Fauna Balsa Wall Hangings - Scrubjay 2 - $175.00	Balanced Design - Flannel/Felt Morris Pillow - $60.00
Striped Quilted Hammock - $259.00	Cabo Stripe Rug - $29.95
Art Insert, Multicolored Stripe - $19.00	Modern Basics Racer pillows - $72.00

Mirrored Hurricane Lantern - $128.00	Pixie Candleholder - $9.95
Woven Hurricanes - $12.00	Jaipur Hurricanes by Michael Aram for Waterford - $165.00
Smoke Circle Mosaic Hurricane - $79.95	Williams-Sonoma Classic Glass Hurricane - $68.00
Recycled Glass Hurricanes - $78.00	Blissliving Home Mini Hurricanes - $10.00
Mikasa® Hurricane - $39.99	Alhambra Hurricane, Ivory - $49.00
Recycled Glass Hurricanes - $49.00	notNeutral NotNeutral Season Hurricanes - in white - set of 2 - $28.00