CasaSugar

Coveted Crib: Light and Visual in San Francisco

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:00:06 -0700

I was lucky enough to meet San Francisco-based interior designer Jiun Ho at the Metropolitan Home Modern by Design Showhouse in June. The dining room he created for the space was the most elegant room in the house by far; it could make even delivery pizza seem gourmet. So, it's no surprise that his residential client projects are equally impressive.

I came across a condo design he did for an international businessman who is an avid art collector and was blown away. Some designers make every room all about them - their signature style, their go-to fabrics, their furniture designs (ahem, Jonathan Adler). But Ho created a perfect background for all of the masterpieces on display using light colors, simple shapes, and modest proportions. The result is a space that's visually exciting in an understated way. And a gorgeous grand piano tops it all off. To take the full tour, read more.

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Fall Style: Dress Up Simple Votives

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:30:43 -0700

Want to add some easy Fall style to your next table setting? Then take this tip from event designer extraordinaire Preston Bailey. Glue Fall leaves (especially desiccated ones, like these) to the exterior of plain glass votives. The candlelight will add a beautiful glow to the table, and illuminate the shape and details of the leaves.

Corea Sotropa’s Coral Suite Apartment

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:00:35 -0700

Canadian interior design firm Corea Sotropa recently renovated this Calgary apartment, imbuing it with a freshness that it had previously lacked. Inspired by a signature fabric embroidered with coral, the apartment now glows with color and energy.

Before Corea Sotropa stepped in, this apartment's open-concept kitchen and living room, hallway and bathroom were dreary and lacked architectural detail. Additionally, the apartment's flow was interrupted with room-defining walls. Removing the partitions between the kitchen and the living room flooded the suite with natural light and provided the ideal backdrop to the custom furniture, draperies, and mill work, which were all done in a fresh, crisp color scheme.

For additional photos, read more.

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The New Yorker Profiles Kelly Wearstler

CasaSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:00:06 -0700

The “presiding grande dame of West Coast interior design,” Kelly Wearstler, is featured in a six-page profile in the Sept. 14 issue of The New Yorker.

I've always considered Wearstler (pronounced "Worst-ler") an enigma - wife of a hotel mogul, author, Top Design judge, crimped-hair enthusiast, Southern belle, ex-Playboy model - but her design skill is irrefutable. So, it was interesting to read about how the girl who grew up in a cluttered Myrtle Beach home decorated in a "blowsy Provincial style" became the face of ornate, layered, over-the-top Hollywood Regency style.

"You don’t hire her for her subtlety, you hire her for what her critics call ‘muchness'," said a client. Her style, as it turns out, is governed more by instinct than intellect: "I don't have time to think things through a lot. I just do how it feels," she says. I was also intrigued to hear that she thinks of herself as having "a very European sensibility" that's "well travelled, collected." Pick up a copy to read the full text or read an abstract online.

Guess Who Designed This Chest?

CasaSugar — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:30:00 -0700

I recently watched Sex and the City: The Movie again (still love it!), and noticed this chest of drawers in the office of Carrie Bradshaw's editor at Vogue. The dresser was designed by a very influential American interior designer of the early-to-mid '20s. She wrote an inspiring, and quite popular, decorating book in 1939, called Decorating Is Fun! Can you name her?

Guess Who Designed This Print?

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:00:45 -0700

A Los Angeles-based interior designer created this classic design, available as both a wallpaper and a fabric, for Schumacher. It has since become one of the company's best-selling products. Can you name her?

Before and After: Vicente Wolf's Living Room Design

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:00:26 -0700

If you've ever hired an interior designer, you probably received renderings, floor plans, and fabric and surface swatches before your designer made orders and had everything installed. A good designer will give you a very thorough sketch of the space, and all the swatches to help you get a feeling for the colors and textiles. New York-based interior designer Vicente Wolf recently shared a rendering and photo of this space he designed, which I thought might be interesting for you to see if you've never hired a designer. It really removes the guesswork from the process and makes hiring a designer much less daunting. To see a photo of the final installation, read more

I love how the room came out, and I think I'd be very pleased with the rendering as a client. It's quite true to form. Check out Wolf's post on what makes a good presentation here.

How-To: Be Your Own Decorator

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:00:41 -0700

As talented as our favorite interior designers are, unfortunately, we can't all afford them. But, that doesn't mean all hope is lost for those of us without a decorator budget. We can still take inspiration from them, and then by thinking analytically, create utterly chic homes for ourselves, which will inspire our friends. You're only a few easy steps away from becoming your own decorator!
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7 Steps to Becoming Your Own Decorator, Step 7: Build Your Room

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:34 -0700

You're almost there! I've got one more step for you to send you on your way to becoming your own decorator. It's the fun part: building your room! Now that you've created a budget, done some research, found your style, drawn up a floor plan, and found a theme for your room, it's time to shop. Using the colors, patterns, and other qualities from your inspiration board as a jumping off point, find furnishings for your home, all the while sticking to your budget.Choose a few options for everything on your list and play around with combinations until you've hatched a plot that works. If the sofa you love has a bold pattern, you might want to reupholster your side chairs in a solid fabric. If your "keeper" coffee table is low to the ground, you might look for a high-pile rug to continue that cozy vibe. Try creating a look on ShopStyle to help you visualize how it will all come together.

7 Steps to Becoming Your Own Decorator, Step 6: Budget Your Shopping List

CasaSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:04 -0700

You're well on your way to becoming your own decorator, but you've still got a few more things to learn. The next step is to budget your shopping list.
See my advice for budgeting when you read more.

To get started, look at your floor plan and figure out where the negative space lies and what you need to shop for. Now, do your research and figure out a price range for each item on your list. For example, you might be able to find a side table on Craigslist for $40 and give it a paint job, buy an affordably priced one new for $130, or buy a high-end one for $400. Prioritize each item on your list. I recommend investing in larger pieces like sofas, coffee tables, and secretaries, and cutting back on smaller furnishings. But, you might also want to invest in a piece of artwork, which you can use as a jumping off point for the design of your room. Figure out how much you can afford to spend, and how much you expect to spend on each item.
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