CasaSugar

Inspired: Where the Wild Things Are

CasaSugar — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:00:02 -0700

Home is where the wild things are - just ask Urban Outfitters, which recently debuted a line of home accessories based on the movie coming out Oct. 16. I've found even more inspiration looking through the stills from director Spike Jonze's interpretation of the classic children's book. You'd be surprised how often the motifs of Max and his monster pals show up in decor. Take a walk on the wild side.
Source: IMDB

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Su Casa: Amers230's Closet Solution

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 04:30:57 -0700

Su Casa member Amers230 recently shared an inventive solution to her overcrowded closet. She writes, "I recently switched rooms with my sister, and while the room itself is bigger, I lost some closet space in the deal. My bags were literally falling out of my closet and hanging off of my bookcase. I had no idea what I was going to do with them until I got the new Ikea catalog in the mail. Page 202 was my answer. It showed a girl's room with some pan racks hanging on the wall, holding various accessories."

"I also have a small entrance hallway to my room which was just dead space at the moment. I decided to go with three of the Grundtal dish racks because the silver matched other items in my room and it was a bit smaller than the other options. I also ended up buying five five-packs of the matching hooks (which I'm not exactly in love with because the hook portion is actually quite small. I may switch to regular S hooks at some point)."

To hear how Amers230's using her new closet solution, read more.

Amers230 goes on to write, "The angle on the picture is kind of weird, but the racks are centered between my open door and my dresser. I've played around with it for a few weeks now and while I had originally intended for it to hold more accessories (I've had my belts, headbands, and scarves there at various points), I think it looks best just with my purses and tote bags. It's by no means a perfect solution, but it really works for me. My closet is now more bearable and I've even been switching up my purses more now that I can see what I have (and don't have, I never realized I owned mostly black bags!). It also added a lot of color to my plain white wall, which I love. And it only cost about $40, which in my opinion is a big bang for my buck!"

Do you have a cool storage solution or home improvement to share? Join Su Casa!

Steal of the Day: Signals Three Rose Vases

CasaSugar — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

I would never call Signals a go-to retailer for home décor products, but every once in a while they sweep me off my feet with a great steal. This time, it's Signals Three Rose Vases ($32, reduced from $59), three vases adorned with rose blooms in cream, chartreuse, and mint. Not only is a set of three vases for 30 bucks an incredible deal, but the vases share a remarkable similarity with the Roost Porcelain Flower Vase ($68-$96), a design I've been fawning over for some time. Each leaf and petal on the vases is hand-shaped and applied, making them very delicate and feminine, but their fresh colors keep them contemporary. What do you think?

Roundup: Your Kitchen's For the Birds

CasaSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 06:00:49 -0700

While birds have been alighting all over home accessories for a good time now, I'm not showing any signs of tiring of this flighty creature feature. One place where I think it's been underutilized is in the kitchen. Take a look at my widget below for everything from napkins to magnets to mugs that will ensure that your kitchen really is for the birds.

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Love It or Hate It? Vintage Playboy Sign

CasaSugar — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 05:30:46 -0800

I can see giving this vintage painted wood sign (inquire for price) as a tongue-in-cheek housewarming gift to some of my most fabulous male friends, but they'd have to be pretty fabulous indeed to pull it off. In the right environs, it might fit perfectly, but you'd have to work hard to make sure that this midcentury sign doesn't become a frat-tastic accessory.

Etsy Find: White Notes 3-D Flower Vase

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 06:12:30 -0800

This White Notes 3-D Flower Vase ($19) is a much cheaper version of the Porcleain Flower Vase ($98) I've been seeing in all the design shops lately. It's handmade of fine bone china, and reinterprets vase shapes of the 1790's by using a white finish to create a modern look. I think the tulip design is so beautiful on its own that it really doesn't even need fresh flowers. Although...who can argue with fresh flowers?

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Love It or Hate It? Life in the 21st Matchbook Pillows

CasaSugar — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:41:46 -0700

Urban Outfitters just released a slew of new home accessories, including these throw pillows adorned with vintage matchbook designs. Choices include the Life in the 21st Tiger Matchbox Pillow and the Elephant Matchbook Pillow ($28 each). Would you buy these?

Coveted Crib: Slaughterhouse Fine

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:00:35 -0800

A former slaughterhouse in Ulricehamn, Sweden, was transformed into this fabulous coveted crib. Outfitted with furniture and accessories from around the world, the space feels much more metropolitan than you'd expect from a rural Swedish home. An extensive collection of artwork is mixed with both vintage and modern furniture. Antique Corinthian columns mingle with an Arne Jacobsen Swan chair, worn wood surfaces with plush velvet, and IKEA with Philippe Starck, creating endless serendipitous juxtapositions. Take the full tour when you read more.

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Ask Casa: Framing Fine Photography

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:00:13 -0800

Hi Casa,

I am adding, for the first time ever, fine photography to my apartment. However I am at a loss when it comes to framing styles and arrangement.

One set of four photographs is horizontally-oriented and black-and-white. I'd like this set in my bedroom but don't know how to arrange them so they look more interesting seeing that they're all horizontal. Tips? Regarding framing them, I'd like to know which types of frames (color, matting, etc.) you recommend for my room seeing that the walls are white but most of the accessory pieces in my room are either antique brown wood or a few wood pieces I've painted bright coral and Yves Klein blue. Are white frames my best bet? Can you frame b&w photographs in brown wood?

The other set of photographs are two color photographs, also horizontally-oriented, that will be nearly facing each other on opposite walls. Tips on framing, matting, and color? They need not match, do they?

I appreciate any tips you might be able to offer me!

Best,
Daniela

To see my suggestions for Daniela, read more.

Hi Daniela,

How exciting! First of all, I wouldn't worry too much about making them "look more interesting" - adding fine art to your home will instantly give it a face-lift regardless of how it's arranged! But, I'll give you a few tips.

As for color, I do think white frames are your best bet. They won't compete with the artwork, and they go with everything. But, you can also go with silver or stainless steel for a more contemporary look. And yes, you can definitely frame black and white photography in brown wood. Another option is to use frameless glass clip frames, which have a more contemporary, minimal look.

I'd say for the set of four photographs, keep the frames cohesive. If you want to choose two different mat colors for the set, you can do that to give it a little edge. But don't get too crazy, maybe go with a gray mat.

For the set of two color photographs, go with a white or off-white mat. For the frames themselves, you can do two different colors or finishes if you like seeing as they'll be on different walls. Select colors that will make the images pop. But make sure the two colors don't clash.

As for arrangements, one option is to use picture ledges. This style allows you to easily move around your photography when it's feeling stale. You can also add a smaller piece of artwork, or even a knickknack, to play with scale. A layering effect (setting one frame slightly in front of the other) is nice, too.

You can't go wrong with a box-shaped arrangement. Just make sure you keep them evenly spaced.

You can also hang two rows of frames a bit off-kilter from one another. It should be enough that the arrangement doesn't look like a mistake, but not too much that the bottom frame is hung between the top two. If you choose an off-kilter arrangement, make sure the distance between the top two frames and between the bottom two frames is the same.

Or, if you happen to have a really long wall, you can hang the four of them side by side. This will give you more of an art gallery effect.

Hope that helps!
Cheers, Casa

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Hazelnut's Bryan Batt Opens Up to House Beautiful

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:54 -0700

If you're a design enthusiast and a New Orleans fanatic like me, you know Bryan Batt as a co-owner (with his partner Tom Cianfichi) of one of NOLA's finest décor boutiques, Hazelnut. I featured the boutique back in February of '08, and now Batt is set to ink his own home décor book. If you're just mad for Mad Men, you know him as Sterling-Cooper's in-the-closet, recently fired art director Salvatore Romano.

This month, House Beautiful is getting to know him, too. The shelter glossy has the lowdown on Batt's bedroom behavior, from his no-TV rule to his underbed storage, and of course, his bedroom décor resources.

I'm always interested to see where people get their design inspiration. So it was fun to hear about the jumping off point for his bedroom design:

The painting is the whole point of the room. It's by a friend of mine. Suzie Allain, who's a local artist and designer here in New Orleans. She showed some things at Hazelnut, my store here, and I fell in love with this series of bamboo stalks. She did this for me custom and then the room evolved around it.

See more excerpts from the issue.