CasaSugar

Coveted Crib: A Very Modern Development

CasaSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:30:00 -0700

Can traditional and modern elements successfully mix in a home reno? The answer, according to Saunders Architecture, is a resounding yes. When a family wanted to expand their traditional home, the firm proposed an approximately 100-square-foot extension that would starkly contrast the original home's architecture. Even though this addition was relatively tiny, the space is highly functional and efficient. An open kitchen with glass overlooking the stunning Bergen, Norway, port takes advantage of the views and expands the visual space.
A roof terrace almost doubles the space, while bicycle storage beneath ensures that the family has a safe place to store their two-wheelers. Thanks to a cohesive color palette, which is in one of the traditional colors used in this city's residential district, as well as matched cladding, it's hard to even tell, from a distance, that anything modern has been added at all. To see what I mean, read more.

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How-To: Renovate an Apartment For $10,000 or Less

CasaSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:00:22 -0700

Over the course of the past two years, graphic designer Russell Lewis and his girlfriend, design assistant Gemma Ahern, renovated their 1200-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment. Located in Leigh-on-Sea, a village an hour outside of London, the apartment was overhauled for £6,500, or $10,300. You can check out their entire apartment in this New York Times slideshow. The couple beautifully mixed high and low accents and objects, which definitely helped to keep costs down, but they used some other smart ideas as well. To get the secrets of their cheap decorating success, read on.
Jonathan Player for The New York Times

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Ask Casa: Kitchen Renovation Suggestions

CasaSugar — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 10:00:06 -0800

Su Casa member Hihowareya is looking for suggestions on updating her kitchen. She is taking down the wallpaper and trying to decide on paint colors. The cabinets, she says, will have to stay, but she is considering new hardware. New flooring is also an option, but she needs something pet-friendly; she's considering cork. And, she's putting in a new island with a stainless steel bar sink and a butcher block countertop. I have a few suggestions for Hihowareya, and I'm sure she'd love to hear yours, so read more.

Hi hihowareya,
It looks you have a big project on your hands! First of all, I'm glad we're on the same page about the wallpaper. It has to go.

Since you can't replace the cabinets, I recommend painting them. Remove all the doors and the hardware. Then paint the frame and the doors in a semi-gloss white; you can't go wrong with something like Benjamin Moore's Decorator's White. This will brighten and update the room at the same time. And, kitchen messes wipe clean quite easily on semi-gloss.

I do suggest that you replace the hardware; the brass is pretty dated. Something like the Rock Candy handles used by Su Casa member Citygal would look fantastic. But I understand that the cost of new hardware can add up quickly, especially with so many cabinets. So, hunt for hardware in bulk, on eBay, and at architectural salvage shops first. You might even ask a local contractor if he can salvage any hardware for you. Also head to your local hardware store and check out the prices on basic handles in a more contemporary finish like stainless steel. If all else fails, spray paint or have your handles powdercoated.

Your blue countertops are definitely dated as well. I'd recommend replacing them with granite or quartz. It's an investment, but it's a change (unlike paint) that will increase the value of your house. So, it's worth it. Butcher block or concrete countertops are also great options that are more affordable but also contemporary.

Installing cork flooring is a wonderful idea because it's a sustainable material. You might also try bamboo flooring. You can save big bucks by doing all the installation work yourself. You can also install hardwood floors and take extra steps to protect them with additional layers of varnish and/or an area rug.

With all of this said and done, you'll have a lot of flexibility with your paint colors. White cabinets in particular go with anything. I recommend choosing your paint color to complement the colors in the adjoining rooms, or if you're stuck, you can't go wrong with an all-white kitchen! Or, you might try some contemporary wallpaper in the kitchen. Just don't worry about trying to match the colors to your appliances, because once they're on their last legs (which they may be) you'll have to replace them anyway.

Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Casa

Coveted Crib: A Sleek Hamptons Home

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 11:00:00 -0800

When it comes to coveted cribs, beach views, sleek modern architecture, and poolside lounging are definitely enviable features. This gorgeous vacation home in East Hampton comes complete with three different water sources: a pond, a solar-heated pool, and views to nearby Barrier Beach.

The home, which was recently renovated, admirably merges the structure with the surrounding landscape. The house is low-slung and nestled into the hillside. Guest rooms are located on one wing that is separated from the main space by a courtyard, which looks out onto the solar-heated pool. The pond is landscaped with native grasses that are drought tolerant, and the home's beautiful nature views are easily seen through its huge expanses of glass doors and windows.

To see more images of this home, including interior shots, and to hear about its green design features, read more.

The house takes advantage of passive solar principles, with its northern side occupied by very few window, which reduces heating needs. A 10 KW solar panel array offsets the home's energy needs, and a ground source heat pump provides efficient heating and cooling.

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Coveted Crib: A Glen Park Reno

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:00:28 -0800

Architecture firm Apparatus specializes in modern California style that blends the natural and built environment. In the firm's update of a Glen Park, CA, home, the firm added a second story to the home that updated and opened the space. Check out the slideshow to see the lovely interior of this home.
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Coveted Crib: The Crater Lake House

CasaSugar — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:00:32 -0800

When the owners of this New Zealand home asked architecture firm Pacific Environments to renovate it, the firm created a stunning, minimalist vision for the 40-year-old house. Taking advantage of shipping rigging, stainless steel tubing, metallic finishes, and diagonal lines, the house has been transformed from its prior incarnation. To get the tour, check out the slideshow. Source

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Before and After: Mexican Gone Modern

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 07:00:59 -0800

Summer, an entrant into Grassroots Modern's affordable modern kitchen contest, began with a dark, low-ceiling kitchen with Mexican floor tiles, a faux wall treatment, and a zarape blanket tossed over the sofa. In other words, it was like cooking in Cancún. Originally, there was a wall dividing the kitchen and living space, with a window looking through to the living and dining area. Summer knocked down the wall, transforming it into a beautiful open plan living space, and ripped up the tiles, replacing them with gorgeous hardwood. She shopped around at Ikea, eBay, and local retailers for affordable cabinetry and appliances. She installed high gloss white cabinets which brightened up the space. And she even gave the staircase a modern transformation. To see the after photo, read more.

It's pretty drastic, right? The entire cost of the renovation was $10,000. I love it! The space feels so healthy, open, and bright; it's like a boost of vitamins. To see more photos of this renovation and to hear more about the project, head over to Grassroots Modern.
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Before and After: Halsig's Bathroom Makeover

CasaSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:00:53 -0700

If you saw TeamSugar member Halsig's brilliant lighting design and her impressive kitchen remodel, I'm sure you have no doubt that she's taken that design goodness to other areas of her San Francisco loft as well.

In fact, her remodel of her oh-so-basic bathroom, which she called "a gas station bathroom," might just be what impresses me the most. She installed a Thassos white marble vanity, a Thassos marble white floor, a sleek partition for the toilet area, lights that turn on when the door closes, and a six-foot-long Boffi Makro Cherry Red Glass bath tub with inset marble cubbies. The result is something so high design, it looks straight out of a W Hotel - a far cry from an Exxon bathroom. To see for yourself, read more.

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Before and After: Halsig's Kitchen Makeover

CasaSugar — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 08:30:35 -0700

TeamSugar member Halsig, who recently installed a brilliant bathroom door, has been working on remodeling her loft - which began as, in her words, "a big empty cement box" - into exactly what she wants for about five months. Thanks to her keen design sense, she now can cook in style in a warm, industrial-looking modern space with all the essentials for a great chef. She installed stainless countertops, Bulthaup open shelving, beautiful Swiss pear Bulthaup cabinetry, a Gaggenau convection oven, Dacor convection microwave, Dacor refrigerator, and an appliance storage room, which serves as a pantry, too. She also designed and installed an anodized aluminum and glass backsplash on her very own! In addition to all of these wonderful amenities, a warm gray/beige (in her words, "greige") paint color kicked the sterile feeling of the loft before, and a round glass table in the middle of the room keeps the space cohesive. To see this impressive transformation, read more.

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Before and After: A Modern Bungalow Kitchen

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:00:42 -0700

One Grassroots Modern reader moved into a 1946 bungalow with a kitchen that was desperately begging for a makeover (see avocado green stove, gloomy cabinets, and dingy tiling). The homeowners whipped it into shape in record time with only $4,000 by ripping up old carpet, refinishing the hardwood floors, installing Ikea cabinets, and hunting down a great deal on a Sub-Zero refrigerator. The difference is truly unbelievable. The space is bright, airy, and modern, not cramped or somber. To see the transformation for yourself, read more.

Beautiful, right? Be sure to head over to Grassroots Modern to hear more about the project and see more photos!
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