CasaSugar

Roundup: Map Skills

CasaSugar — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:00:51 -0700

Even if you served your time in geography class years (or decades!) ago, there's no reason to let your map skills get rusty. While I'm a big fan of the Ork Neighborhood Posters, there are plenty of other ways to get your map on around the house. Take for instance this cool Uganda Painting from Etsy seller noahwoods. Created for National Geographic Traveler magazine, this piece will add vibrant color to any wall in your home.

To see how you can add map skills to your bathroom, living room, or kitchen, read more.

DIY: Découpaged Walls

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 09:00:33 -0700

Découpaging your walls with pages from an old book, antique maps, or magazine covers can instantly transform a boring wall into a conversation piece. Your wallcovering will be one of a kind, a quality that even the most glam wallpaper can't give you. Some of you might think that tearing up a book for any project is sacrilegious. If you fall into this category, use a book that's already falling apart, or that has a damaged cover. To learn the steps for this project, read more.

First things first. Carefully pull the individual pages out of your book or magazine. Running an X-acto knife across the inside of the spine helps to make this step swift.
Now, neaten up the edges with a ruler and a craft knife, making sure they're relatively straight. Do the same if you're using old maps, or even use a paper cutter if you have one. You can leave the edges as is if you're going for raw look, though.
Lay down a drop cloth or newspaper on the floor below the wall you're covering.
Open up your windows, and make sure the room is well-ventilated.
Using a sponge brush, apply wheat paste to a small portion of the wall.
Now, line up one page flush with the wall, and apply it, burnishing out any bubbles with your hands as you press it onto the wall.
Continue to apply wheat paste and press your pages onto the wall, lining them up neatly until the wall is covered. If you want a more raw look, you can overlap the pages and even stagger them a bit.
Make sure you've burnished out any bubbles. Sometimes using a credit card here will help.
Now, allow the wall to dry.
Using a synthetic bristle brush, apply a coat of Polycrylic Protective Finish, which will protect the pages from peeling, scuffing, and other damage.
If your adjacent walls get messy from applying the Polycrylic, you can easily clean it up with a sponge and some warm, soapy water.

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Do You Decorate With Maps?

CasaSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:15:07 -0700

Growing up, I always enjoyed gazing at the map in my father's office and dreaming of all the places I'd one day visit. Like in this home, he also had a habit of pinpointing the locations he'd traveled to. While it certainly served as a logbook of sorts, it also had a beautiful visual effect - and also an ever-changing one. Do you decorate with maps?
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DIY: Map Coasters

CasaSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 04:30:45 -0800

I've shown you a map lamp, so now's the time to match up that luminary with something for your tabletop: coasters, to be exact.

What You'll Need

Coasters
Map or other decorative paper
File folder or cardboard for template
Scissors
Mod Podge
Foam brush

To find out how to make them, read more.

Here's how, from The San Francisco Chronicle:

Turn coaster upside down on file folder and trace. Cut out template.
Trace template onto decorative paper and cut out.
Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to coaster and back of paper. Adhere paper to coaster and press out bubbles, starting at the center and working outward.
Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to top of papered coaster. Let dry.
Serve your new coasters with your favorite drink!

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DIY: Map Lamp

CasaSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:00:47 -0800

If you have an armchair explorer in your house (you know the type, they have a whole drawer in a cabinet stuffed with maps and atlases), then I have a perfect project for that special wanderer. Chez Larsson came up with this easy and fun lampshade project that will add some topography to your living room, without putting a dent in your pocketbook.

What You'll Need

White lampshade
Map
Cutting surface, such as cutting board
Spray adhesive
Scissors or Exacto knife

To find out how to make it, read more.

Here's how to do it, from Chez Larsson:

Measure between the edges of the lampshade and cut a long strip that covers the shade and then some.
Spray permanent spray adhesive onto the back of the map in a well-ventilated area and affix to the outside of the shade, smoothing out any air bubbles with your hands.
Let dry, and enjoy!

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Cool Idea: Maps Krieg

CasaSugar — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 13:00:28 -0800

In big cities, Craigslist is the master when it comes to looking for apartments. But, unfortunately people tend to fudge about what neighborhood their listings are in. Google Mapping dozens of listings a day can really cut into your day job - and who wants to be homeless and jobless?
So, along came MapsKrieg, a website that has mashed together Craigslist and Google Maps, so you can view apartment listings, photos, and details geographically on a map. Just type in the location you'd like to search by address and city or zip code, and it'll reveal clickable pushpins for each listing. Or, you can just navigate a listings table that lists the headline, rent, listing date, and says whether or not photos are available. Obviously, the site only supports cities that already have listings on CL, so you might be out of luck if you live in rural areas. The drawback is that as it stands, in beta, you can only search by location, not keywords like "studio," "furnished," "cat-friendly," etc. But, it's a start. I've got my own digs now, but I sure do wish I'd known about this handy site in my renting days.

Wrap Star! Map Wrap

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:17:40 -0800

Forest Saver Designs Map Wrap ($3) are reclaimed New York City subway and USA topographical maps turned into wrapping paper. It would look great wrapped with a big red bow, but then again—doesn't everything? I appreciate the intention of giving new use to old maps. But I can't shake the feeling that it's more wasteful to purchase this Map Wrap instead of using your own old, unused maps lying around. What do you think? Would you buy it?

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 13:00:13 -0700

I'm swooning over this dreamy retreat. - AT:SF
This radio rug is geeky cool. - Craft
A cheap kitchen makeover with open shelving. - PoppyTalk
Tour Amy and Bret's apartment. - The Nest
Emily Fischer's soft maps are too darn cool. - Re-Nest
More reuses for glass bottles! - Shelterrific
Nine small-space solutions. - This Old House

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 13:00:00 -0700

This rug is like living in Google Maps. - Making It Lovely
Here's a trick for getting the most product out of a container. - AT:NY
Chairs with drawers are a bedside table alternative. - AT:SF
Learn the ins and outs of a candle factory. - Eddie Ross
Give the gift of household peace of mind. - SwissMiss
Turn a dinged up wooden plate into wall art. - Craftzine

Casa Interview: Bryonie Porter

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Bryonie Porter creates beautiful, brilliantly patterned furniture for her clients. Using both antique and modern furniture, she customizes each piece with wallpaper. For durability, she uses a water-based, environmentally friendly, high-gloss lacquer, which makes these pieces perfect for the hard knocks of everyday living. I recently chatted with Bryonie about her work and background.

CasaSugar: How did you start your business? Can you tell me a little about it?

Bryonie Porter: I started my business by covering pieces for myself at home, and when I saw how impressive the results could be it started from there. I was dealing antiques for a while before I started wallpapering, so I had access to a lot of furniture, which made it very easy to find nice pieces to cover.

CasaSugar: What are some of your favorite wallpaper companies to work with?

Bryonie Porter: I have a few favorite papers. They are made by Cole & Son and by Osborne & Little. I also like a lot of Timorous Beasties' designs as they are so unusual. This Autumn I am hoping to bring out some hand-printed wallpapers of my own.

See what Bryonie has to say about using pattern in your home, and see more of her work when you read more.

CasaSugar: Why do you like to work with wallpaper?

Bryonie Porter: Wallpaper is great as the right designs work so well on furniture. Personally, I would rather have my walls plain and my furniture and accessories very decorative, and also if you move then you can take it with you, but if you put it on the walls then it's very final - you can't move it once it's up!

CasaSugar: What are some of your favorite projects that you’ve tackled?

Bryonie Porter: I am currently wallpapering a piano for someone - that's pretty cool. I did a chest of drawers for a client that had a map of the world on it and that was great. I've also just done a UK map bureau for Selfridges which looks fantastic. Both of these pieces were very educational as my geography is rubbish!

CasaSugar: Do you have any advice for people who are shy about using pattern? How can they test the waters?

Bryonie Porter: Using patterns can be daunting, but I think if you like something you just have to go for it. Personally I like large, bold prints and enjoy the dramatic effect they have. It's a great way to change the look of a room or a piece of furniture.

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official New York City subway map shower curtain - $35.00	Midtown Rug - $299.00
Exploration Placemats - $31.50	Pillow World Map - $110.00
San Francisco Travel Map Towel Set of 2 - $15.98	City of Venice Triptych - $349.00
New York City Map Print - $695.00	Aaron Foster Wall Art - License Plate Map - $129.99
Wisconsin State Map - $249.00	Paris Maps - $275.00
Mint Table Globe - $295.00	Map Drum Lamp Shade - $29.00