CasaSugar

Before and After: A Warm and Toasty Living Room

CasaSugar — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0700

CasaSugar Community member mrb929 asked us for some paint suggestions for her living room a while back. Well she's back with an update in the Su Casa group and I'm loving what she did with the place. She wrote:

Although linens, tans and grays were all I could think about, I found inspiration in a magazine to test out chocolate brown in my living room. Some of you guys suggested I try a rust color to bring out the hues in my rug under my ottoman but I couldn't handle hanging in a room begging for longhorn décor. My light blue lamps and curtains had me thinking about blue or gray but I thought the room needed some punch instead of more calm colors. I tested out five different shades of tans and beiges but it was the deep brown chip titled "Barista" that got me excited to start painting. Two days later, it was up on the walls and I just can't get enough. To make it pop, I touched up the trim and made the whole place look brand new! Now it's time to add some punchy pillows - coral?

To see her before and after shots, which include day and night comparisons, just read more.

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Found It! The Office's Hospital Room Painting

CasaSugar — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:00:00 -0800

Catching up on The Office's delivery episodes last night, I couldn't help but notice the painting hanging in Pam's hospital room. Not only is the floral artwork feminine and fun, but I've definitely seen it before. In fact, you can have your own! Want to know who the artist is?

Casa Quickie: Cut It Out

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:00:00 -0800

I love the transparent colors watercolor paints can create and the way different hues instantly blend on the page. But the trouble with watercolors is that mistakes can be much harder to remedy than with acrylic paints. If your brushstrokes don't turn out as intended with acrylics, you can just let your canvas dry, and you're ready to paint over it as intended. With water-soluble watercolor paints, you kind of have to work with what you've got.

I painted this tropical plant with watercolors and accidentally smudged my crisp white background. Instead of trying to fill in a background, or worse, starting from scratch, I decided just to cut out my painterly plant with an X-acto knife. Then, I placed it on a white mat in a frame, and voilà, it turned out to be a happy mistake! Now the painterly plant has depth, and its stems, leaves, and blossoms cast pretty shadows on the paper below it. Since then, I've painted a few other pieces, purposely cutting out the imagery to give them more texture and dimension with this technique. Give it a try!

DIY: Sculptural Rose Tape Artwork

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:00:00 -0800

On an Italian trip long ago, I fell in love with our hotel lobby's massive artwork. It was an eight-by-five-foot canvas with rows and columns of raised roses. After staring it down, I decided I could craft my own version at home. It may not be showcased in a museum, but I saved a pretty penny by doing this on my own. To see how I whipped up my own budding canvas, read more.

Supplies you will need:

Any size canvas
A roll(s) of wide (two-inch or so) painting tape
Paint of your choice
Sponge paint brush

Steps:

To start, measure your canvas and make marks for the center of each rose.
Pull off a long piece of tape (about four feet) and fold it so that you have about 1/2 an inch of sticky side still showing.
Place one end of the tape on the rose's center on the canvas. Start creating a spiral and sticking it to the canvas along the way. You can add to it if you need more length.
Keep making the roses until all the spaces are full.
When you are pleased with the buds, it's time to paint!
Use your brush to slather on the paint. Sponge brushes are great at covering all the spots. Don't forget to color the outer edges of the "petals" as well as the insides of the flower.
To complete the look, paint the edges of the canvas if you're planning to hang it unframed.

You don't have to paint a large canvas to make this work. Do a single rose or a pair of any shape for a simple statement. If you decide to make one, be sure to share photos in our Su Casa group!

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Artist of the Day: Russ Wagner

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:00:00 -0800

It's easy to love a local artist, especially when the subject is the San Francisco hills. On a walk by the water last weekend, I happened upon a random art fair and met a charming painter by the name of Russ Wagner. Both he and his artwork were matches for the gorgeous afternoon sunshine.

Wagner showcased large canvases that depict street scenes of the city by the bay, complete with cable cars and iconic buildings, but he also does personalized pieces for commission. In addition to the scenery, I love the bold choice of color and the likeness to Van Gogh with his thick layers of paint. To top it off, he was the kindest gentleman - humble, friendly, and not pushy in the least. Take a minute to browse through some of his dreamy works and tell me which one you like most.

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Looking for artwork showcasing your own hometown? Check out some more city-centric art.

Assisted Living: Help Me Pick a Color!

Casa Community — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0800

CasaSugar Community member mrb929 of the Assisted Living group is looking for some paint advice:

Help a sister out! When it comes to paint colors, I am pretty clueless. I had to repaint my two childrens' rooms after I paid someone to do it. I'm having to do the same thing with my own bedroom. Thankfully, I never painted the living room because I am pretty confident I would have messed it up, too. Now that I've got my furniture in place - a tan ultrasuede couch, three dark brown chairs, a white ottoman, accented with light blue curtains and lamps - I'm ready to paint. The problem is I don't know what color to choose. Since I have zero faith in my pantone selection, I'm hoping you guys can offer me some good advice.

To see what I'd suggest and to give your own two cents, read more.

I love the earth tones in this room so I'd try to keep it simple with a light linen color. Be careful when picking your hues as beige colors can sometimes look pinkish or more purple than tan. Another option would be testing a light gray to gently draw out the blues in the room.

Does anyone else have any suggestions for paint colors? Please comment below! And be sure to join the Assisted Living group!

Casa Quickie: Seal Your Stripes

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:00:00 -0800

If you were inspired by my black and white stripe powder room makeover or my painted stripes roundup, I have another tip for you before you bite the bullet. First of all, I'd recommend picking up Frog Tape for your project. As you can see, Frog Tape was a godsend when it came to leaving my walls free of bleeding paint. But since it wasn't 100 percent foolproof, check out this tip from CasaSugar Community member steen: "Once you tape off your sections, paint around the edges of the tape using paint that matches your base wall color; it seals the tape and ensures that your new color won't leak." I haven't tested this one out myself, but it makes sense! And, the trick should work any time you're taping, not just for stripes. Let us know if you try it!

Before and After: From Trashy Trunk to Très Chic

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:30:00 -0800

While much of the country has been digging their way out of heaps of snow, we've been spoiled by gorgeous pink cherry blossoms covering the San Francisco hills. Feeling inspired by the Spring blooms, I decided to paint a time-warped trunk with a bird and branch motif, turning it into something cheery for a little girl's boudoir.

To see what I did with the fatigued furniture, just read more.

Click through the photos below to hear about each step in the transformation!

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Tada! Next up? Painting and hanging the bird cages!

Lovely Little Vignettes: I Love This Painting!

Casa Community — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 05:00:40 -0800

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member 2ndFloorLiving from the Lovely Little Vignettes group:

My boyfriend and I found this velvet painting at a beach surf shop called the Gay Dolphin in Myrtle Beach, SC, a few years ago. I don't think I will ever get rid of this thing. It is just too amazingly bad and awesome at the same time. I think we got it for $8. The Gay Dolphin is a really old store that was opened back when gay just meant happy. I don't think they have ever cleared out old inventory. Who knows how long this was sitting there . . . I guess it was destiny.

What's your favorite piece of décor in your home? Be sure to share photos and captions in our Lovely Little Vignettes group!

Before and After: An In-Progress Studio

Casa Community — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:43:28 -0800

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member ChicConservator from the Su Casa group:

One of the main projects in my house is to go through and paint all the rooms. With all the snow days I've had this winter, I've had plenty of time to re-paint the room I am calling my studio. The paint color I chose is "Environmental" by Behr. We went with the Behr premium plus paint and it is so nice to work with! I also bought the fabric and made these simple curtains myself. Now that it is looking more like a finished room, I am having trouble deciding what furniture to put in this room. I would like to use it as an artist studio and workspace. An absolute must is a large worktable with a smooth, flat surface. Probably some sort of flat drawers, or storage would also be useful. Any ideas?

To see the after photo and suggest furniture for her room, read more.

Have you been doing any redecorating or painting in your home? Be sure to post photos and tales in our Su Casa group! Do you have any furniture ideas for ChicConservator? Post them below!