CasaSugar

Get the Look: Serena van der Woodsen's Office

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:00:17 -0700

In this week's episode of Gossip Girl, "How to Succeed in Bassness," we got a look at Serena's new blue office. Aside from feeling total envy of the 19-year-old character for even having an office, I'm yearning to re-create the room for myself! It's a pretty uncomplicated space with simple, clean-lined furnishings but the cheerful blue paint and oceanic artwork make it really delightful.

Photos courtesy of The CW

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Casa Quickie: Lean and Layer Your Artwork

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:34 -0700

In last night's episode of The City, Olivia Palermo accepts an editorial job from the creative director of Elle. I love how he's staged his artwork in his office. Leaning and layering framed artwork on a shelf or table is more casual than hanging it, which is ideal for the workplace. It also allows you to rearrange your artwork easily, swapping new pieces in or changing the order of your current ones so you don't tire of them. This style of art display is a bit eclectic, but also quite appropriate for a creative director. If you want to try this in your home, use different frames for each art piece - see how both white and black were used, as well as varying widths? This technique will make each piece stand out from its neighbors. Also, try mixing different mediums of art, such as photography, textiles, and paintings.

Photo courtesy of MTV

Get the Look: Schoolhouse Style

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:00:00 -0700

My lecture hall days may be over, but I'm still loving the industrial schoolhouse aesthetic of this office styled by Canadian magazine editor, stylist, and decorator Margot Austin. From the galvanized metal file cabinet to the linen grain sack pillow, every item seems to have a history. The black/metal desk and sunburst mirrors are a bit more contemporary, which keeps the room from looking too much like a dusty old library. Add some messy piles of paperwork and a MacBook and this room would work for any college student or work-from-home professional. To get the look, read more.

Photograph by Daniel Harrison

How-To: Decorate a Dual-Purpose Space

CasaSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:00:55 -0700

Having lived in a studio in the past, I've experienced first-hand the trials and tribulations of trying to make one room play two roles. I have many friends living tiny apartments who try to cram the furniture meant for both a living room and a bedroom into the same room, and let me tell you, none have succeeded. It's not only studio dwellers that encounter these issues, though. Sometimes a home office needs to double as a living room, or a bedroom as a workout room. If you're in the same boat, I have a few tips for you.

Guess Which Actor From The Office Lives Here?

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:00:12 -0700

The DIY Network's Man Caves show recently designed this home office for an actor from The Office. Can you guess who it is? There's a pretty obvious hint in the photo.

Do You Work From Home?

CasaSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Working from home has its benefits and drawbacks. On one hand, you can stay in your pajamas all day and put your feet up on a coffee table while you surf away on the Internet. On the other, the mess of paperwork and utilitarian staplers, paperclips, and such may begin to invade your otherwise well-designed home. If you can find a way to make your home office look more like a home than a workspace, such as with rugs, curtains, and artwork, you may be able to combat the drawbacks. Do you work from home?

Advice For Creating a Pretty and Practical Work Space in Your Home

CasaSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:34 -0700

Have you ever considered working from home? Whether you want to create a home office or a home business space, there are a lot of things to consider, not the least of which is creating a space that's both attractive and productive. Jennifer Nelson of Home Sweet has done just that by transforming a bedroom in her Craftsman home into a workspace for her business. She writes, "I love that I have my own space to work. Block printing takes up a lot of room and makes a lot of mess, so having this space is essential!"

Her space accommodates a lot of tools, including a sewing desk trimmed with yardsticks, filing crates, task lighting, miscellaneous tools and books, a large printing table, and a fabric roll, among other things. Jennifer also has a television and DVD player in her studio, where she watches movies such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Norma Ray.

Interested in hearing Jennifer's advice for working out of your home, and seeing more pictures of her space? Then read more.

Jennifer offers this advice for working out of your home:

On distractions: There are a few things that help with that, but were never really conscious decisions. For one, fabric printing isn't very tolerant of interruptions - ink dries out quickly and becomes unusable. So as much as I may be tempted to float off into blog-land, I don't want to come back to a pot full of gummy ink! This way, breaks are automatically kept short. Also, the studio is as far as you can get from the living areas in our house, so family members have to make a special trip to interrupt me. That makes a big difference, I think.
On prioritizing tasks: I do find myself wanting to work when I have household things to do, and for that I just try not to procrastinate - knock those chores out and then get to work! Plus, it means a lot to my husband when I don't leave him with everything to do while I'm printing away in my little studio, and a happy partner is a supportive partner!
On balance: I'm still working on the concept of balance. Somewhere in there must be some time to relax, reconnect with family, and work on things unrelated to chores and printing . . . but in the meantime at least I have a lovely place to work and a craft that I'm passionate about.

Check out more photos of Jennifer's home studio, and many products, when you visit her site and blog.

Do you work out of a home studio space? How do you create balance while keeping productive?

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Crave Worthy: MASH Studios LAX Wall-Mounted Desk

CasaSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 05:30:36 -0700

While I do think the Crate & Barrel Sloane Leaning Desk I recently showed you is ideal for small spaces like studios, another option is a wall-mounted desk, which frees up floor space. I'm salivating over this MASH Studios LAX Wall-Mounted Desk ($720), in particular. Its English walnut frame is luxurious but relaxed at the same time. Another great feature is its sliding, white, powder-coated aluminum doors which run across a grooved track, allowing you to keep some of your office gear on display and your messy paperwork smartly hidden. But make no mistake, this desk would look sharp in a home of any size, and considering the price, it may not be affordable for those starving recent grads living in compact studios.

Steal of the Day: Crate & Barrel Sloane Leaning Desk

CasaSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Back in the days of my clunky Macintosh 128K, a light and slender desk like the Crate & Barrel Sloane Leaning Desk ($99, reduced from $199) would simply not fly. But, seeing as so many of us are equipped with oh-so petite MacBooks these days, it's an ideal desk for a home office - especially if you live in a studio. Granted, with only two fixed shelves, it offers little in the way of storage. But, isn't that what our external hard drives are for? I'd also like to give C&B a pat on the back for the renewable solid bamboo and bamboo veneer construction of this design. What do you think?

Ask Casa: A Home Office for Two

CasaSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 -0700

Hi CasaSugar,
My boyfriend and I are moving into a small one bedroom, but luckily the living room is quite spacious. As children of the digital age, we always have our laptops out for work or school. Is there some sort of space-saving desk that allows for two workstations at a time? It would be easy to just get a long folding table, but I was hoping there was something more stylish. Thanks! SaranoemiTo hear my suggestion for Saranoemi, read more.

Hello!
Funny you should ask. A home office for two that was featured in the now-defunct Blueprint magazine is one of my favorites. Two simple Parsons-style desks were pressed up back-to-back with a sheet of colorful Plexiglass in the middle.The arrangement offers a bit of privacy for each person, and the Plexiglass can be use to hang paperwork and stick Post-its, etc. You'll essentially have two work zones, but you won't break up the room physically or visually, since the sheet is transparent. And, it doesn't require as much wall space as a long table or two desks set length-wise against the wall.

Depending on how much space you have to work with, you can re-create this with either the West Elm Parsons Desk or Parsons Mini Desk. Contact your local plastics supplier for the sheet of Plexiglass.

Parsons Desk with Drawers - $329.00

Parsons Mini Desk - $249.00

Hope that helps!
Casa

Source and Source

Bradford Mirror - $249.00	Galvanized Office Tower with Casters - $199.98
Acanthus Message Boards - $379.00	French Grain Sack Square Classic Stripe Pillow Cover - $52.00
Turner Barstool - $199.00	Linnarp Desk - $119.00
Globe Pendant - $129.00	Glass Cloche - Bell - $79.00
Montparnasse Grain Sack Tote - $65.00	FLOS Archimoon Classic Table Lamp - $365.00
Galvanized Metal Chalkboard Cabinet - $99.00	Red Rim Metal Wire Basket - $79.00
Chrome Storage Basket - $29.95