CasaSugar

Coveted Crib: Abbijane Schifrin's Technicolor Townhouse

CasaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:00:33 -0700

The Gramercy Park townhouse of the late fashion designer Abbijane Schifrin is on the market for $8.75 million, and it's truly a dream. The five-story 1855 building sits on a delightful, tree-lined street and looks quite prim from the exterior, with a pair of 21 Club-esque jockeys and a cast-iron gate. But inside the house is dressed with glitzy gilt walls, bright turquoise and pink paint, and Mediterranean-style arts and crafts tilework - a drastic deviation from what passersby see. Dramatic art-deco furniture, animal-print upholstery make the zany space a treat to tour. The style is not for everyone but definitely fun! See more photos when you read more.

View 13 Photos ›

Before and After: A Change in Chelsea

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:00:21 -0700

Camila of High-Heeled Foot in the Door is at it again! This time the DIY expert and interior designer conquered her young sister's apartment in Chelsea, NYC, which is shared with two roommates. Communal living spaces often pose a problem, as each roommate has her own tastes, and recent grads often can't afford to be spending their hard-earned mula on décor. So with a budget of only $350, Camila made over her sister's living/kitchen/dining area. As you can see, this wall with cupboards was a bit of wreck before. She says, "I swear the busted chair was just like that. I did not stage it!" Want to see the after photo? Then read more.

A few punches of color face off with plain vanilla walls - and win. She painted the cabinets with chalkboard paint, which is ideal for notes between roomies. And the stools flanking the cabinets were a curbside find, which she upholstered in chic gray stripes. Accessories and some cute embroideries add girlish flair. This project is an inspiring one; it's not complicated, but it's certainly happy! See more before and after photos of the apartment at High-Heeled Foot in the Door!

Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne's Sculptures to Graze on Park Avenue

CasaSugar — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:30:19 -0700

In conjunction with the Paul Kasmin Gallery, the New York City Parks Public Art Program will debut the first ever, large-scale outdoor exhibition in the US of Claude & François-Xavier
Lalanne’s sculptures along Park Avenue from Sept. 13 to Nov. 20.

The exhibit, on multiple sites along Park, will include more than eight monumental works by the influential couple, including François-Xavier’s famed "Moutons," which I've featured on CasaSugar before. The epoxy and bronze woolly animals will be featured in a life-size flock of 12 sheep and lambs.

Hear about other works in the exhibit when you read more.

Some of the exhibit's other best-known works will be featured, including Claude's "Pomme de New York," a large-scale bronze sculpture of an apple, epitomizing the city’s iconic image; François-Xavier’s "Singe Avisé," a pensive, cross-legged monkey; and Claude's "Choupatte," an anthropomorphized cabbage with bird’s feet.

If you happen to be in Manhattan during the exhibition, you simply must stop by. Not only is it the first major outdoor show of the Lalannes’ work, but it's also a very rare treat to see the pieces in person. That is, unless you are Marc Jacobs, who owns his very own Lalanne sheep.

Photo courtesy of Paul Kasmin Gallery

Metropolitan Home's Showtime House Returns For Season Two

CasaSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 05:30:00 -0700

The popularity of Showtime's original series is no secret - just ask BuzzSugar. But the opportunity for pulling design inspiration from the network's hot shows is something only Metropolitan Home has jumped on. Do you remember this morbidly chic Coveted Crib inspired by Dexter in last year's showhouse?Well, the modern decorating mag is at it again, teaming up with Showtime and a stable of over a dozen notable designers to give new meaning to the word "showhouse" with Metropolitan Home's Showtime House. This year, they've upped the ante with twice as much space in twin TriBeCa penthouses, allowing two rooms for each show. The featured shows will include Dexter, Californication, Nurse Jackie, The United States of Tara, The Tudors, and Weeds.

I've covered set design often in the past, and you'll note that many sets are influenced by the work of prominent interior designers. So what's interesting to me about this event is that the roles have flip-flopped, with designers finding inspiration in television instead. Better yet, we can all visit the home, which is open to the public on weekends between Sept. 19 and Oct. 18 in New York. Find more details here, and stay tuned for photos!

Coveted Crib: Julianne Moore's West Village Townhouse

CasaSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 06:15:00 -0700

You may remember Julianne Moore's living room, which was featured in Domino, and which she actually designed herself. That's right: the girl's got talent that extends beyond the silver screen and into her silver sitting room! Proof of that design skill set is Moore's very own West Village townhouse, which is on the market for $12 million.

The late 1800s home has been meticulously renovated, retaining original architectural details like crown moldings and wide plank floors, but was updated with the latest modern amenities. Moore chose my favorite color as of late - gray - as a base for several rooms. Overall, the rooms look well-traveled (heavy on the Japanese designs), a bit rustic, and comfortably polished. Who knows where she's moving, but suspicion tells me she's looking for another design project. Prepare to salivate when you see photos . . .

Design Ideas From My Tour of the Ace Hotel New York! Part II: The Lobby

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 07:00:00 -0700

If you saw Part I of this slideshow (The Loft Suite), you know I was recently invited to tour the new Ace Hotel in New York. I've always been a fan of the boutique hotel chain's vintage industrial aesthetic, but I particularly loved the prep school/university library feel of Ace NY's lobby. Tall ceilings, original floor tiling, old wooden tables, giant columns, cozy, quiet seating, and a well-bound collection of dusty books made me feel like I'd stepped into a scene from School Ties - although Matt Damon was nowhere to be found. There are plenty of clever design ideas for you take from this lobby, even if a trip to the Big Apple isn't in your plans.

View Slideshow ›

Design Ideas From My Tour of the Ace Hotel New York! Part 1: The Loft Suite

CasaSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:00:00 -0700

During a recent East Coast getaway, I was invited to tour the new Ace Hotel in New York, and I've got photos to prove it! My love for Ace is no secret, but until now I haven't had the chance to visit one. I hoped the hotel would live up to its good press and photos, and let me tell you, I was not disappointed. As with the boutique hotel chain's other outposts, a campy, vintage-industrial aesthetic rang true here, and inspiration was also drawn from the history of the building and city. First, take a peek at the loft suite and get some clever design ideas for your home. Each floor boasts only one of these 825-square-foot corner rooms, so you're in for a treat!

View Slideshow ›

Cool Idea: A Driftwood Buffer

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 07:00:04 -0700

What do you do when your terrace backs up to Manhattan's most popular public space? Well, if you're a person with a normal desire for privacy, you build a fence, or at the very least plant some tall bushes. If you're gallerist Marianne Boesky, you have your landscape designer construct a 16-foot-wide buffer out of organic, dynamic driftwood. The L-shaped terrace of Boesky's coveted Chelsea apartment (which I featured way back in 2007) sits five feet from the High Line, a planted pedestrian walkway along the former elevated freight railroad of the West Side Line, which reopened as a park in June. I imagine many homeowners might head straight to the picket line upon learning that their private space would become public. Boesky, on the other hand, headed straight for design. Her solution is beautiful, don't you think?

Crave Worthy: Bennett Bean Rugs For Museum of Art & Design

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:00:13 -0700

New York's Museum of Art and Design has commissioned American ceramic artist Bennett Bean to transfer the same breathtaking design and color sensibility found in his vessels to 100-knot Tibetan silk and wool. Obligingly, he has designed “9 for ‘09," a limited-edition rug series, which is available exclusively in the museum's store and online shop. The inventory online includes three 5-x-7 rugs available in several colorways, but I'm partial to Feldspar ($5,200), with its decorative design motifs and moody reds and pinks. Want something larger? Custom sizes are available - that is, if you can afford it. See other designs below.

View 5 Photos ›

Chace Crawford Loves Philippe Starck

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:00:43 -0700

Now that Chace Crawford has moved out of the Chelsea apartment he shared with Gossip Girl costar Ed Westwick, he's on to bigger and better things. The place he now calls home is a penthouse rental in the hip and exclusive Financial District building Dwell95, which was outfitted head-to-toe by French superstar designer Philippe Starck. The urban sanctuary is part of the yoo by Starck international development project and houses studios, lofts, and one and two bedrooms in two styles: "classic" and "nature." The former is not your average traditional style but is quintessentially Starck, infused with his brand of chic modernity and bathed in rich wood cabinetry and limestone countertops. The latter takes a lighter note with earth tones, organic materials, and natural light oak. Want to take a peek at Chace's new home and hear about the design? Then read more.

As you might expect, the fully-furnished suites are dripping in Starck-designed fixtures and products, from his arachnid-like Juicy Salif Lemon Squeezer for Alessi to his Miss K Table Lamp. But Starck's also shown some love for his contemporaries, including realist accessories designer Harry Allen, as well as design innovators Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen. Nate Archibald might prefer the Upper East Side, but I think these digs are right up Crawford's alley. Think you could get used to this? Rates for the furnished suites start at $5,100/month.

View 24 Photos ›