CasaSugar

Before and After: J Paige's Amazing Kitchen Transformation

CasaSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:00:02 -0700

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Instead of lamenting over the ugly, outdated look of her new house, J Paige set about remaking it into her dream home.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, read more.

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 -0700

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, read more.

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 -0800

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 -0700

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 read more.

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 -0700

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.

Crave Worthy: Mizzonk Workshop Mosaic Table and Stools

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:30:54 -0700

British Columbia-based Mizzonk crafts beautifully handcrafted furniture, accents, and artwork out of a studio in rural Maple Ridge, BC. The brainchild of Wan-Yi Lin and Roger Chen, Mizzonk's art and furniture attempts to convey a contemplative purity of form and material. One piece that caught my eye immediately is the Mosaic Table and Stools ($7,420), which is built from American Black Walnut and Eastern Maple, whose alternating colors create a stunning pattern. I love how the diminutive stools tuck beneath the table - perfect for a small space.

Want to find out more about the couple behind Mizzonk and the sustainability of their work? Check out a video when you read more.

Steal of the Day: Mosaic Jeweled Pillow

CasaSugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:30:00 -0700

This Mosaic Jeweled Pillow (on sale for $9.99) from West Elm would add a touch of boho flair to your home's Summer style. Although the pillows are only available in two of the four colors (verdure and espresso), I think that their unique beadwork and pretty mandala pattern would make them a great addition, no matter what the hue. On a related note, I wouldn't mind owning that Bertoia side chair either.

DIY: Hang Plates on a Wall

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:00:46 -0700

If you read my slideshow on how to decorate on the cheap with pretty plates, you might be feeling inspired to hang some in your own home. Before you get started, there are a few steps you should learn, so you don't wind up with shattered materials for a mosaic instead. While you can just hang a trio evenly spaced on a wall, you'll make more of a statement if you group them in a more unique arrangement. To learn how to hang plates, read more.

Lay a large piece of craft paper (or even tape a few pieces together) on the floor, the size of the space where you'd like to hang them.
Place around with the arrangement of the plates on the paper before you begin hanging them. Once you've settled on design, trace the plates onto the paper. If you want a more traditional look, go with a symmetrical arrangement. For something more eclectic, arrange them asymmetrically, in a flowing pattern or a cluster as shown here.
Leave a half a foot or so between the arrangement and the ceiling to give it visual balance.
Use your traced paper as a guide to mark the placement of each plate on the wall with a pencil.
Then, hang away! For a free-floating look, you can use these heavy-duty, peel-and-stick Disc Hangers, which are available in range of sizes. Or, you can use a traditional wire plate hanger, readily available at your local hardware store. In either case, you'll need to hammer a nail into the wall to hang it from, and remember to adjust your marks on the wall according to where the plate hanger's hook is.

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Chandelier Mosaic

CasaSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 14:20:32 -0800

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Open House: Can You Turn Trends Into Classics?

CasaSugar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:00:06 -0800

Hawley McLean Haleblian, whose home earned an Honorable Mention in the Met Home of the Year Awards, has re-envisioned last year's zebra trend, employing a technique that makes it much more permanent.

Instead of cautiously experimenting with a zebra print pillow, Hawley went all out. She tore out an 18-square-foot section of tile, and then drew in the outline of a zebra hide. She filled in the outline with smashed black and white tiles and fixed it permanently in the floor.

I love this unexpected touch, and think it could arguably stand the test of time. Can you think of any other home trends that you'd be willing to add to your home in a more permanent manner? Whether with a mosaic tiling effect or an expensive piece of heirloom-quality furniture, what trend would you turn into a classic at your abode?

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