CasaSugar

This Just In: John Derian Coming to Target

CasaSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:30:19 -0700

On Sept. 14, home accessories dynamo John Derian will introduce a collection for Target based on the découpage pieces that made him rise to shelter world fame. The collection will feature antique print imagery like the fruit, flower, and animal prints that Derian typically layers and pieces together under his glass accessories, but instead they will be printed on melamine. "All my designs tell a story. And the prices allow you to live happily ever after," says Derian. To give you an idea of the fairytale prices, a 12-by-12-inch tray will go for $16.99; a set of coasters, $12.99; and a 5.5-inch plate, $5.99. I always love it when Target gets designers involved, and I'm a big fan of Derian's work. But, knowing how easy and inexpensive it is to DIY your own découpage on glass, I think I'd prefer to create the real thing on my own.
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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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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.

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!

Cool Idea: Everything in One Hue

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:42 -0700

Melanie, of the fabulous Etsy shop Plum Cushion, lives in a seriously stylish 1941 Cape Cod in Seattle. The bones of her home are nice, but it's her cool palette and ability to modernize vintage pieces that really make it hip. One of my favorite elements was how she painted her Rococo sconces and mirror and her Chinoiserie console table to match the blue of her walls. Obviously, each piece has an ornate shape that could really stand out if painted in a contrasting color. But they're all so shapely, it would be too busy and competitive if that were the case. Painted to match the walls, her accessories pop and make you give the quaint corner a second look.

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? 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?

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!