CasaSugar

Roundup: Hidden Living Room Storage

CasaSugar — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:15:19 -0800

The living room is one room that always seems to accumulate random items, from library books and DVDs to stacks of magazines and kids' toys. Instead of immediately purging excess from the room, which can get tedious, you can cleverly conceal it within furniture items that have storage built in.

Ottomans and benches are a wonderful way to both rest your weary bones as well as hide messy items you'd rather not deal with at the moment. Check out some of my favorite recent finds that will provide for your living-room storage needs.

Source

How Much Would You Pay for This?

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 05:01:22 -0800

Normally I'm totally on board with Anthropologie's home items. I love its upholstery fabric, fanciful chandeliers, and elegantly shaped furniture. But, I cannot abide by these Fairy Tale Ottomans. Each retails at $298, and Anthropologie claims that they're a "wildly imaginative take on the traditional footstool....Its petal top calls to mind make-believe flowers." Hmmm...in my opinion they call to mind tatty preschool furniture from the '70s. Am I off base here, Casa readers? Let me know by telling me how much you'd pay for these odd little ottomans.

Source

Good, Better, Best: Ottoman Storage Cubes

CasaSugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 11:30:49 -0700

It's hard to underestimate the utility of a good storage ottoman: You can put up your feet, use it as an extra seat, and store your junk inside when guests appear. I particularly like the cute cube-shaped varieties, since they also don't take up much room. Here are three great storage ottomans to suit your budget.

Good: The hip, mod pattern on this Urban Outfitters Teardrop Storage Ottoman (on sale for $39.99) distracts from its utilitarian double-life. The padded lid slides off for storage.

Two even better storage ottomans, so read more

Better: This very versatile Crate and Barrel Nomad Storage Cube ($379) goes a step further, with a lid that flips over to serve as a drink tray. As if that weren't enough, the microfiber footstool also has wheels.

Best: Add a tray on top, and this edgy, metal-studded Each Leather Storage Cube ($619) is sturdy enough to serve as a table, too. Available in four colors; I particularly love the bright begonia shade.

DIY: Slipcovered Crate Ottoman

CasaSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 06:00:55 -0700

I love ottomans for their many functions: They serve as footrests, extra seats, and, in some cases, hidden storage. But pretty, plush ottomans aren't exactly cheap, so I love this idea for making your own slipcovered crate ottoman from iVillage.

Though this DIY project has a lot of steps, don't let that deter you. It's actually really easy, and you don't even need to know how to sew. Plus, by making an ottoman instead of buying one, you can choose the utterly ideal fabric for your house. For everything you'll need and step-by-step instructions, read more

Slipcovered Crate Ottoman
via iVillage

What you'll need

At least 8 square feet of 1-inch-thick foam
Long ruler
Marker
Scissors
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
14 x 7 x 10 1/2-inch plastic crate
Cake of 4-inch-thick foam at least 16 x 19 inches
Long serrated knife
1 1/2 yards upholstery-weight fabric
Pencil
4 yards coordinating piping
Straight pins
Office-type stapler and staples

How to make it

Draw the following dimensions on the 1-inch foam using the ruler and marker: two rectangles at 10 1/2 x 16 inches and two at 10 1/2 x 17. Cut out the foam with scissors.
Hot glue the 17-inch-long foam pieces to the crate sides of that length. Glue the 16-inch-long pieces to the 14-inch-long sides (they will overlap the foam on the adjacent side). If your crate has protrusions for stacking, apply the glue to these.
Draw a 16-x-19-inch rectangle on the 4-inch foam and cut it out with the serrated knife. Hot glue the foam to the crate bottom (which henceforth will be called the top, since it's the ottoman's seat).
On the wrong side of the fabric, use the pencil to mark the dimensions of the slipcover. For the ottoman's sides, two panels at 17 1/2 x 17 inches and two at 17 1/2 x 20 inches. For the top, 17 x 20 inches. Cut out the fabric panels and separate them by size.
Cut four 17 1/2-inch lengths of piping and set aside the remainder.
Join the side panels like this: Lay down a 17 1/2 x 17-inch panel, pattern side up, with the 17 1/2-inch edge near you. Lay a piece of cut piping, with its flat part facing you, 1/2 inch in from the fabric's near edge. Pin it in place. Lay down a 17 1/2 x 20-inch panel, pattern side down, with its 17 1/2-inch edge in line with the near edge of the bottom fabric and pin it in place. With the stapler in one hand, feel for the round part of the piping with your free hand and apply staples through the three layers, about 1/2 inch apart, as close as possible to the round part of the piping. Remove the pins. Continue to attach the remaining side panels by alternating the sizes and lining up the 17 1/2-inch edges.
Lay down the top fabric panel, pattern side up, and pin the remaining piping along all four edges, beginning and ending at the same corner. The flat part of the piping should be 1/2 inch from the edge and facing outward. Cut off any excess piping.
To join the top panel to the side panels, slip the sides onto the ottoman inside out. Center the top panel over the top of the ottoman, pattern side down, and pin its edges to the side panels' edges. All around the perimeter, staple through the two fabrics and the flat part of the piping as in step 6. Remove the pins.
Turn the slipcover right side out and put it back on the ottoman. Pull down the fabric firmly. Flip over the ottoman, turn under the loose edges and hot glue them to the inside of the crate.

5 Unexpected Armchair and Ottoman Pairs

CasaSugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 10:00:44 -0800

Anyone with cash to spend can walk into Design Within Reach, Room and Board, or some other fabulous store and buy a matching armchair and ottoman. But where's the fun in that? Like mix-and-match fashion, you can create far more surprises when you pair unlikely pieces. Even more daring: matching modern design with traditional styles.

For instance, rather than buy the footstool that goes with this Room and Board Astoria Chair ($500), why not put your feet up on the Anthropology Noctua Ottoman ($600) instead? Or, pair a Crate and Barrel lounger with a flea market ottoman. I've got plenty of modern/traditional chair and ottoman pairings, so to see them, read more.

Steal of the Day: Hourglass Ottoman

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0700

Unless you're rolling in dough, spare seating is not something to spend a fortune on. The everyday gear should be your investment. So, it's a treat that the Gaiam Hourglass Ottoman ($60, reduced from $129) is on sale. Its sturdy metal frame makes it ideal seating for guests around your coffee table. The rest of the time, you can use it as a side table or a place to stack books. Better yet, lift up its removable lid and use it as storage year-round. Made from bacbac leaf, "a fast-growing, bark-like fiber used in thatched roofs," you can be reassured that your home is as organic as your grocery list.

Love It or Hate It? Target Couch with Ottomans

CasaSugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:50:16 -0700

Need to save space but still want to put your feet up? This Target Couch with Ottomans ($199) offers a solution, with foot rests you can slide out when you're sitting. Available in four colors, this seat would be great for a dorm room, but I'm not loving the style. What do you think?

via Stylehive

Love It or Hate It? Miss Rio Ottoman

CasaSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:37:04 -0700

I love the sentiment behind the Miss Rio Ottoman ($350), designed by Karin Wittmann Wilsmann and available at Design Within Reach. The wild rubber footstool is made from unworn surplus flip-flops and manufactured by social organizations that employ otherwise unemployed workers in Brazil. But I'm just not really loving the look.

Roundup: 10 Fresh Spring Ottomans

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 05:30:38 -0700

Whether padded and upholstered or minimal and sleek, an ottoman can serve your needs. It can serve as a temporary coffee table or just a place to put your feet up and relax.

An ottoman has many monikers: footstool, tuffet, hassock, or pouf, are all various identities for the ottoman. Some ottomans are hollow, and can be used for blanket boxes, adding valuable storage to your home. Since the changing season is inspiring me to put some fresh color in my home, the ottoman is a perfect way to add a color infusion. It's small enough to easily change rooms, but large enough to make a visual impact wherever you place it.

Ask Casa: a Teen Vogue Ottoman

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 08:15:09 -0800

Hi Casa,
There is a lime-green ottoman in the photo shoot of Jessica Yorkin in the current issue of Teen Vogue (with Blake Lively on the cover). Any idea where it's from? They only credit the clothes. Can you help me find out where I can buy it? Thanks!
TheMollyDolly

To hear my response, read more

Hi Molly,
I've searched high and low for your beloved ottoman, to no avail. I even tried emailing Style Blogger Kimball Hastings, but word is that he's moved on to a post at Ralph Lauren. No dice. I suspect it is custom-made, though. I'm not sure whether it's the round shape, the button tufting, the velvet fabric, the bright color, the turned wood legs, or the storage capacity that caught your eye, or all of the above. So, I've rounded up a few items with similar qualities which might help you achieve the look of this lime tufted storage ottoman.
Cheers,
Casa