CasaSugar

Before and After: J Paige's Amazing Kitchen Transformation

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:00:02 PDT

Su Casa member and artist J Paige bought her house six years ago, and while it was, as she notes, "dirt cheap," it also hadn't been updated in over 40 years. "The bedrooms had shag carpet and the kitchen had indoor/outdoor carpet (eck!) and ugly cabinets and plain laminate counters and matching laminate backplashes," she reports.

Instead of lamenting over the ugly, outdated look of her new house, J Paige set about remaking it into her dream home. She writes, "First, I tiled the floor, since that was in our budget at the time. Then we had new cabinets, a new counter, a dishwasher, and new lights installed. After that, we put French doors out the back of our kitchen and actually put a fan over the stove! But it took me over a year to finally figure out what I wanted to do with the backsplash. I am a mosaic artist and sculptor but it is always hard to get to work on your own house."

Well, even if it took a little while for J Paige to ruminate on the perfect kitchen backsplash, I've got to say that it was time well spent. To see the magnificent results,

Wow! It's hard to believe this is the same space. I love J Paige's use of color and pattern in her mosaic backsplash. The whole kitchen is absolutely stunning. Want to see what else she's up to? Find out on her house blog.

Have you changed anything in your home? Post photos and stories in my Su Casa group!

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Before and After: A Tired Table Gets a Fiesta-Ready Look

CasaSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:00:31 PDT

Craftster member Princessnance recently posted photos of a table that she took from drab to fab with some DIY know-how and a lot of hard work. I love how this tile table, which many of us might have seen little potential in, has been completely transformed thanks to Princessnance's hard work.
She writes, "We had a tile table that was made with really good, solid wood...but I hated the way it looked (hello, 1996). I really love Fiestaware so I decided to rip the tile out and make a mosaic out of Fiestaware. My husband took the day off of work and went down to the infamous Fiestaware tent sale (all of the seconds are 1/2 off). He stood in line with about 600 other people just to get me the plates that I needed (I know, he's a great guy!)."

To see the fab results,

Princessnance and her mom took nearly all day tearing the original tile off of the table. Then, after her awesome hubby returned with the plates, they broke them into pieces, and laid them in the tile adhesive, making sure that there were no pieces that were the same color beside each other.

I love the finished result. As a fan of mosaics in general and Fiestaware in particular, this is such a cheery update to Princessnance's kitchen. And, to make things that much more festive, Princessnance reports, "I painted the dark dining room Fiesta Orange and sewed up curtains to match." Check out the gallery for a glimpse of the new kitchen color and curtains.

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Crave Worthy: Chandelier Mosaic

CasaSugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:00:41 PST

Minneapolis, MN, mosaic artist Sharra Frank has been creating custom mosaics for residential, commercial, and public spaces for the past seven years. Frank's work can be found in both private homes and exhibitions and galleries, as well as in the Gerard Cafesjian Museum of Art in Armenia. Her work is notable for its use of innovative materials, including pearls, tiny beads, and semiprecious stones. I was particularly taken with her Chandelier Mosaic ($5,350), which was created with Victorian textured mirror glass, freshwater pearls, filigree, Italian glass, mirror, vintage rhinestones, and Czech glass beads. At four feet tall, this amazing piece would make a gorgeous centerpiece for a formal dining room.

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Before and After: Amazing Mosaic (Out of Beans!)

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 07:45:54 PDT

I was blown away by this incredible mosaic that Craftster member Boogaloo made out of various types of dried beans. Curious as to whose portrait she's crafting? Then

Boogaloo writes, "I wanted to make a bean representation of the oh-so-cool poster by Shepard Fairey." She also went on to note that her copy of the 1966 Better Homes and Gardens Guide to Stitchery and Crafts notes that “Seeds, glue, and imagination are all you need to do seed mosaics.” However, adds Boogaloo, "They forgot to mention patience and a ridiculous amount of time."

Now, no matter what your thoughts are on the US presidential election, or your political affiliation, I think we can all agree that this portrait is an incredible work of art. Nice work, Boogaloo! (Oh, and I'd be more than happy to post a bean mosaic of John McCain, if anyone's made one!)

Read more about Boogaloo's project here.

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Love It or Hate It? One Morning They Woke Up Coffee Tables

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:30:55 PDT

If you've ever felt alone in the world, or wonder why you were always picked last in kickball, you can take comfort in the fact that Marcel Wanders is wackier than you are. His One Morning They Woke Up Coffee Tables (inquire for price) will turn your living room into a mad hatter's social club, and give your grandmother a heart attack when she finds out they're made with mosaics.

Arno Coenen's Video Game Mosaic

GeekSugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 07:00:46 PDT

I dare you to count how many intricate video game images you can see in these themed mosaic walls created by Dutch media artist Arno Coenen of Rock and Royal. Coenen’s work predominantly involves computers, 3-D animation, radio programs and video clips and he's gaining some serious cred in the geek and art worlds. He currently resides in Amsterdam. I can count at least five different video games intertwined in the mosaic. How many do you see?

To check out more images of this beautiful mosaic,

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Source: TechEBlog

DIY: Mosaic Bathtub

Elka Karl — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:00:40 PST

While all of us have likely dreamed about a romantic clawfoot bathtub at some point in our lives (I know I sure have), how about one that's a little more on the irreverent side? By using mosaic tiles, you can create a custom-look tub without paying for the professionals. Want to try this fun look at home? Try these tips from Glass Tiles founder and designer Eli Mechlovitz:

Choose a beautiful mosaic glass tile that fits your space.
Sand down the glaze from the original tub.
Glue the tiles to the rough unglazed tub surface.
Grout the tiles.

Have you tried something like this in your bathroom or on your clawfoot tub? Share your experience in the comments, or tell us about your fantasy tub!

Piece It Together: Mosaic Tile Designs

Diana Nguyen — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 06:00:08 PST

If renovations are in your near future, consider mosaic tiles. Not only are they easy to clean, but matte or shine, ceramic or glass, mosaic tiles will bring a cool unique factor to any room. When it comes to mosaics, you probably think of intricate, multicolored images and designs, but don't be intimidated; simplicity makes just as much of a statement. I've rounded up some relatively simple yet eye-catching designs sure to inspire.

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Mexico's Las Alamandas Resort Gets a New Look for Spring

Angela Swinderman Elias — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 06:00:00 PST

Nestled in a stretch of pristine coastal land in Mexico's Costalegre region, the revamped Las Alamandas Resort offers new perks including additional suites, an open air rooftop bar and lounge, art gallery, and updated tennis court. While the renovations include expansions, the resort still maintains a secluded and intimate setting, with seven villas and 16 suites to accommodate 42 guests at once.

Surrounded by tropical blooms, exotic birds, sculptural foliage, and a vibrant color palette, the resort is an ideal destination for nature and design lovers alike. Aside from enjoying the surrounding beauty, guests can indulge in contemporary Mexican cuisine prepared with freshly caught seafood and organic produce grown on-property, massages with the sound of the surf, and activities that take advantage of the landscape, like nature hikes, mountain biking, kayaking, tennis and surfing.

The villas are sprinkled among gardens decorated with stone mosaics. Each color-filled room features rattan sofas upholstered in electric hues like canary yellow and shocking pink, as well as embroidered pillows, Mexican folk art, and hand-painted Mexican tiles.

Keep reading for a peek inside one of the chic villas!

Prada Fall 2012

Marisa Tom — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:03:38 PST

From the moment we laid eyes on the purple geometric-designed carpet-cum-catwalk, we knew Miuccia Prada would imbue the Fall 2012 collection with her signature brand of retro quirk and clean lines. Indeed, it was a flurry of bright clashing prints (of all shapes and sizes), bejeweled wares, and ombre dip-dyed hair. The mosaic-like psychedelic prints came a dime a dozen, in bold burnt oranges, purples, and mustard yellows, and were transferred onto crisp suits, long coats (some even with coattails), button-downs, and dresses. When we weren't hypnotized by the plethora of colorful hexagonal patterns, we paid close attention to the intricate detailing given to each look. Long, luxe black coats were adorned with opulent jewel embellishments both on the collar and down the front lapel; similarly, the hems of cropped tailored pants received the same bedazzled treatment. As for the accessories? Models donned sky-high Mary Janes, complete with red rubber soles, carried slick tote bags that reminded us of old-school doctor bags, and wore futuristic aviator-meets-retro round sunglasses. Simply put, Miuccia's Fall lineup was a vibrant play on prints, sparkle, and tailored proportions.

Trends: Bejeweled hemlines and collars, dresses-over-pants, belted outerwear, and bold clashing prints.
Colors: Purple, blue, burnt orange, mustard yellow, and black.
Key Piece: The long, luxe, belted black coats, with rich embellishing both on the collar and down the front.
Accessories: Sky-high Mary Janes (complete with red rubber soles), oversized doctor-inspired totes, and futuristic aviator-meets-retro round sunglasses.
Who Would Wear It: The girl who loves color and a clean silhouette, like Michelle Williams, Zooey Deschanel, and Chloe Moretz.