CasaSugar

This Just In: Halle Berry & Her Man Buy Canadian Country Crib

CasaSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 12:00:37 -0700

Rumor has it, according to Real Estalker, that Halle Berry and her Canadian native model man, Gabriel Aubry, have purchased a gorgeous lakefront 63-acre spread for $1.85 million in Saint-Hippolyte, Québec, a small town about 30 miles north of Montréal. Aubry's parents live not far in a suburb of Montréal, so it will be nice for the couple's daughter, Nahla Ariela Aubry, to be near her grandparents. Aubry is reportedly excited about moving back to his native neck of the woods, saying, "It feels great. Anything we can do in our own hometown is always a good feeling." It also can't hurt to move into this stunning cabin. With a clawfoot tub, platform bed, and a pair of Adirondack chairs overlooking the lake, it looks downright serene. What a wonderful escape from the bustle of Hollywood. To see additional photos, read more.

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Casa Interview: Grey Gardens Set Designer Kalina Ivanov

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 10:00:13 -0700

In a Love It or Hate It poll, I asked for your opinion on the sets of the HBO movie Grey Gardens. You overwhelmingly loved them, just as I did. The film, which focuses on "Big Edie" (played by Jessica Lange) and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale (played by Drew Barrymore), and their home, Grey Gardens, is currently playing on HBO, and the DVD will be available in July. The film's beautiful look is courtesy of designer Kalina Ivanov. Recently, I had the opportunity to chat with Kalina about how she crafted the set of Grey Gardens, and how the designs developed.

CasaSugar: You had to imagine much of the original look of Grey Gardens. What was the most challenging part of this re-imagining?

Kalina Ivanov: Grey Gardens is one of the most intriguing and challenging projects of my career. There is a large fan base of the original documentary and Little Edie is a true icon in the gay community. I had a huge responsibility of getting the look right. The house needed to be both authentic and poetic. The director, Michael Suscy, spent three years researching the project, and he had a treasure trove of images, articles, and architectural drawings. However, we didn’t have images of what the interiors looked like in the 1930s, only the exteriors. We did have a verbal description Little Edie wrote many years later, but . . . as you know she isn’t a very reliable source. That left Michael and I with much room for interpretation. My main goal was to create an environment that captured the Edies' spirit perfectly.

CasaSugar: The original pre-decrepit Grey Gardens set has a very bohemian feel to it; were you inspired by any art, movies, or cultural happenings from that time?

Kalina Ivanov: On my interview, I brought Michael an image of a purple French Art Deco room. He immediately fell in love with it and this image became the base for our design concept. I felt strongly that since Big Edie was a Bouvier by birth, her taste would be influenced by European design. American Art Deco style is much more masculine and geometric; European Art Deco is fluid and organic.

I also wanted to introduce the idea of a garden inside the house, which is why we painted Big Edie’s bedroom with trees and birds. An astute viewer would notice that the colors of that room are yellow and pale turquoise. These colors show up later as the famous yellow bedroom and turquoise staircase in the documentary.

For the rest of the interview, read more.

CasaSugar: I love the use of Chinoiserie in the set. Tell me about how you decided to use it.

Kalina Ivanov: Good question - it was the one element Michael and I kept from Little Edie’s description of her home. Chinoiserie was very popular in the 1930s, and according to Edie, they had many Chinese antiques around the house.

CasaSugar: On the set, there's a plant inside a bird cage; was this inspired by the light bulb inside the birdcage that was from the original house?

Kalina Ivanov: Actually, Michael and I wanted to do something unexpected to show the non-conformist spirit of Big Edie. We thought putting a plant inside the cage is whimsical and not exactly what a proper society woman would do.

CasaSugar: What furniture and décor sources did you use for the set?

Kalina Ivanov: Most of the furniture was antique; all the paintings were from the period or earlier. We did buy some Chinese pieces of furniture and aged them to look older. We used different vendors from Toronto (the film was shot here) and Montreal. For the wallpaper, we used sources like Second Hand Rose in New York. We also made some of the furniture - the beds in the yellow room are so well known from the documentary, they had to be re-created.

CasaSugar: What's your favorite room in the house?

Kalina Ivanov: Short answer - all of them. Long answer - Big Edie’s bedroom because I created it from scratch. There was no photographic evidence of what it had looked like or a verbal description. People seem to love the purple room too; I’ve received many calls and emails asking me what color we used. I guess we started a trend of purple rooms across America.

CasaSugar: What was the most challenging part about deconstructing/aging the house?

Kalina Ivanov: Making it look real and not too theatrical. I wanted the audience to feel the authenticity of the decay, to be able to smell the cat piss and the raccoon stench.

CasaSugar: What era do you consider your greatest inspiration or interest in terms of interior decorating?

Kalina Ivanov: It depends on the nature of the film. I love Art Deco and Art Nouveau. At the same time I also love minimalist design. I think of myself as a storyteller, so for each film, I choose a design style that tells the best story. That’s how I arrived at European Art Deco as the inspiration for Grey Gardens.

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Link Time!

CasaSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:00:16 -0800

Tour an art-filled Montreal loft.- AT:Chicago
Get some nursery inspiration.- Charles and Hudson
What climate-conscious vendors deserve your holiday dollars? - Forecast Earth
Make this economical gift idea.- PoppyTalk
Oh no! One of the beehives died.- Shelterrific
Visit 10 unique shops at 1,000 markets.- Simply Stated
Steal these ideas for throwing an eco-office party.- Danny Seo
Make this awesome branch chandelier.- AT:SF

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Ask Casa: Decorate My New Orleans Living Room!

CasaSugar — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 07:45:46 -0700

Hi CasaSugar,
I need your help! I just moved into a one-bedroom in New Orleans, and will be living on my own for the first time. My bedroom is furnished but in my living room, I have a television and TV stand, and that's it. So, I'm basically starting from scratch! Can you offer me some suggestions for my living room?
My style is classy, urban, girlie, and colorful, but not outrageously so. I want comfortable, welcoming furniture, not like "sleek" or anything. And, I want it to look mature! I like dark wood, and maybe dulled blues, greens, reds, or yellows for fabrics, so the space has color but isn't too bright. I also want to get cool New Orleans artwork for walls, so maybe if the color of some of my furniture can bring out some of those colors, that'd be nice. I'd also like a pull-out couch for guests. My budget: as cheap as I can get for good quality furniture; I am a recent grad, after all. Do you have any thoughts? Anything would help!
Thanks,
Brooke

To hear my thoughts and see my suggestions, read more.

Hi Brooke,
Thanks for thinking of me! I love starting from scratch: think of all the possibilities! It's hard for me to get a clear idea of your style, but I am going to try my best. I get the impression that you want a grown-up apartment. The best way to do that is to make conscious decisions about what you bring into your home, so everything looks composed. Beyond that, add original artwork, and invest in at least some good quality furniture.

I built a living room for you from the sofa up. I chose the Macy's Montreal Sofa in pear, which has plush cushions making it refreshingly casual, and warm but not overwhelming in color. It's also on sale, and available as a sleeper if you so choose. Next, an Ikea Ektorop Tullsta Chair is comfortable and classic but inexpensive. Try a Bemz slipcover with it to make it look more polished. Then, the Brocade Home Silhouette Side Table in Coffee is dark wood, as you like, and has nice feminine curves to give your apartment a bit of girliness.

A woven screen from World Market is inexpensive, and will add texture and an architectural element to your apartment. The Soho Bookcase, also from World Market, is also affordable and dark wood, and its clean lines will give your place a mature, urban feel. You can find a wing chair much like the Anthropologie Astrid Chair at a local flea market or antique shop (New Orleans has many) to add comfortable seating; have it reupholstered in a subtle botanical pattern with subdued colors, or a solid fabric with a nice texture. A low, round coffee table like the West Elm Angled Leg Coffee Table is welcoming and cozy.

Next, I chose a coordinating rug with other "dulled" but warm colors and a floral pattern for femininity, the Ballard Designs Calabria Rug. If it's out of your price range, a quick glance at ShopStyle will show you plenty more to coordinate (or check out these). Set a mother-of-pearl table lamp on a clean-lined Parsons side table in dark wood for a girl-y/urban mix. Long, silk or velvet drapes will finish everything off with sophistication. Then, add a mix of glass vases around the room (filled with fresh flowers, of course). Find a nice silver tray, wine bucket, corkscrew, and matching colors to create your very own bar; you do live in New Orleans, after all.

Then, pick up some original artwork. Check out some local antique print shops, and frame a lithograph of old New Orleans. Invest in a George Rodrigue or a James Michalopoulos (or his Jackson Square knock-offs), and a more affordable Simon Hardeveld. Restrain yourself from decorating with Mardi Gras beads and don't go overboard with the fleur-de-lys. For more accents, check out Hazelnut on Magazine Street.

Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Casa

Love Shack: Romancing Your Walls

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 09:00:58 -0800

Looking to add a final touch of romance to your home this month? Then don't forget your walls! By adding a new print to your home, you can easily change the mood of the entire room. If you're thinking about adding some romantic prints to your wall, Montreal-based photographer Irene Suchocki is an excellent choice. Irene's photos capture a sense of mystery and beauty in her subject, whether she's turned her lens to a flower or a common park bench. She says that she enjoys "creating little poems for the eyes."

Irene's work has appeared on numerous book covers, magazine spreads, and in exhibitions at festivals such as Sundance. Best of all, her prints are quite affordable, ranging in price from $25 to $185. Take a look at the gallery and see if anything catches your fancy.

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Montreal Sofa - $999.00	Calabria Rug - $79.00
Ektorp Tullsta Chair - $149.00	Silhouette Side Table - Coffee - $199.00
Mika Woven Screen - $129.99	Soho Bookcase - $269.99
Astrid Chair, Snapdragon - $1,498.00	Angled-Leg Coffee Table - $299.00
Adjustable Metal Floor Lamp - $149.00	Chiara Table Lamp - $69.99
Parsons Cube Side Table - $169.00	Tyler Velvet Queen Sleeper Sofa - $1,299.00
Chemistry Lab Vases - $18.00	Tall/Wide Flat Vases - $5.95
Maxfield Serving Tray - $69.00	Luxe Ruffled Serving Bowl - $49.95
Speckled Grouse Decoy Print - $220.00	Black Grouse Decoy Print - $220.00
Simrin Surya Coasters - $44.00	Screwpull by Le Creuset Lever Wine Opener Gift Set - $79.98
Monogrammed Wine Bucket - $62.00	Silk Dupioni Window Panel - $59.00