CasaSugar

Inspired: Play Me I'm Yours

CasaSugar — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:00:23 -0700

I'm a fan of street art, especially when it involves music, so I'm especially inspired by the "Street Pianos" project, which placed 30 pianos on streets, public squares, parks, train stations, and markets around London. After July 13, the pianos will be donated to local schools and community groups.

Even if you don't have room to put a piano in your home, you can still add some musical notes. You can start with this Mondrian Broadway Boogie Woogie Poster ($129).

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Do You Have Musical Instruments in Your House?

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:14 -0700

Growing up, I diligently practiced Mozart on a spinet piano, which was compact enough to fit snugly in a corner in the living room. My mother-in-law practices Rachmaninoff on a gorgeous grand piano by a picture window that overlooks downtown Seattle. While we don't have a piano in our home, I'd love to get one. I settle for playing Tchaikovsky on an open-holed flute instead. Do you have musical instruments in your home? If so, are they a part of your interior design scheme?

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Coveted Crib: Kate Walsh's Lovely LA Home

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:00:17 -0800

Kate Walsh's 1920s Spanish-style Los Angeles home is featured in this month's issue of InStyle, and I'm blown away by how glamorously laid-back it is. While elements like a Steinway grand piano, lush fur throws, and a 1960s Lucite console offer that prim Old Hollywood look you see in many celebrity homes, there is something really layered and livable about it that I found unusual. Turns out, Walsh eschewed her usual interior designer route and hired the set decorator of Private Practice, Melissa Levander, to put the space together. Come take the tour!

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Coveted Crib: Black and White and Cool All Over

CasaSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 06:15:44 -0700

With a palette that is mostly black and white, the accents of color in this Stockholm home really pop. Beyond that, Dutch decorator André Schievink courageously mixed minimalism with kitsch, antiques with Ikea, in a way that makes each piece stand out. For instance, in the dining room an ancient dining table is surrounded by plastic Verner Panton S Chairs, and next door a slick modern table lamp sits curiously on a period grand piano. Like what you see? Take the full tour when you read more.

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Would You Read a Book About Hoarders?

CasaSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:00:08 -0700

The subject of hoarding seems to be enjoying a renaissance. There is, of course, the A&E series Hoarders, and now, novelist E.L. Doctorow's new book Homer & Langley tackles the story of New York's Collyer brothers. The brothers, who died in their apartment in 1947, had packed their apartment with over 100 tons of garbage and objects, including 14 pianos and a Model T. While Doctorow's novel takes liberties with the facts, it always remains respectful of the brothers' story. The book came out on Sept. 1, and you can read an excerpt here.

Casa Interview: Bryonie Porter

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Bryonie Porter creates beautiful, brilliantly patterned furniture for her clients. Using both antique and modern furniture, she customizes each piece with wallpaper. For durability, she uses a water-based, environmentally friendly, high-gloss lacquer, which makes these pieces perfect for the hard knocks of everyday living. I recently chatted with Bryonie about her work and background.

CasaSugar: How did you start your business? Can you tell me a little about it?

Bryonie Porter: I started my business by covering pieces for myself at home, and when I saw how impressive the results could be it started from there. I was dealing antiques for a while before I started wallpapering, so I had access to a lot of furniture, which made it very easy to find nice pieces to cover.

CasaSugar: What are some of your favorite wallpaper companies to work with?

Bryonie Porter: I have a few favorite papers. They are made by Cole & Son and by Osborne & Little. I also like a lot of Timorous Beasties' designs as they are so unusual. This Autumn I am hoping to bring out some hand-printed wallpapers of my own.

See what Bryonie has to say about using pattern in your home, and see more of her work when you read more.

CasaSugar: Why do you like to work with wallpaper?

Bryonie Porter: Wallpaper is great as the right designs work so well on furniture. Personally, I would rather have my walls plain and my furniture and accessories very decorative, and also if you move then you can take it with you, but if you put it on the walls then it's very final - you can't move it once it's up!

CasaSugar: What are some of your favorite projects that you’ve tackled?

Bryonie Porter: I am currently wallpapering a piano for someone - that's pretty cool. I did a chest of drawers for a client that had a map of the world on it and that was great. I've also just done a UK map bureau for Selfridges which looks fantastic. Both of these pieces were very educational as my geography is rubbish!

CasaSugar: Do you have any advice for people who are shy about using pattern? How can they test the waters?

Bryonie Porter: Using patterns can be daunting, but I think if you like something you just have to go for it. Personally I like large, bold prints and enjoy the dramatic effect they have. It's a great way to change the look of a room or a piece of furniture.

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Zooey Deschanel Shows Domino Her Digs

CasaSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:00:49 -0800

I love a woman who's serious about her creative spaces, and actress and musician Zooey Deschanel, who is featured in Domino’s upcoming February issue, is definitely after my decorating heart.

Deschanel, who graces the February issue's cover, shares one of her favorite rooms with Domino, a study that she's transformed into a creative space. The musician and actress's home style seems perfectly in line with her professional life: a combination of smart, quirky, and absolutely unique selections, much in keeping with her choices for acting roles and music collaborators. And who could be more perfect for the February issue than Deschanel, whose Valentine's Day sweetheart - fiancé Ben Gibbard, front man for Death Cab For Cutie - recently proposed to her.

Make sure to grab a copy of Domino next week, when the new issue hits stands on Jan. 13. To tide you over until then, see and hear about how the room is used when you read more.
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Zooey Deschanel transformed the study in her home into a soundproof studio, where she could write new music for her band with M. Ward, She and Him. I love the blue-upon-blue layering of fabric, paint, and pattern, and the pops of red lend an alertness and creative fire to the room. The blue-gingham piano bench reminds me of Dorothy's dress in the Wizard of Oz, which seems appropriate since Deschanel played an updated Dorothy in Tin Man. Everything about the room seems relaxed, inspirational, and feminine, from the two-toned piano to the soothing blue shades.

For more photos from the shoot, check out the outtakes on Domino.

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Midday Muse: I'm an Island (Fan)

CasaSugar — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 12:00:37 -0700

Growing up, I would always sit on our high stools at the kitchen island and watch my mother cook dinner as I did my homework. It was basically the only way for me to spend time with her alone at night, and it was also how I learned to cook. Sometimes, my sister would practice piano in the room, or spread her books out on the dining table to study. In the mornings, we'd all hop on the stools and eat cereal together as my mom made sandwiches on the other side. We had an open-plan living space (a kitchen and casual dining room combined), and it worked for us; I can't imagine growing up any other way. But, some chefs prefer the kitchen to themselves, far from where their family actually dines, and others simply prefer the privacy of a separate kitchen. Where do you fall?
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In the News: Modern Design Meets Farmhouse

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:45:19 -0700

Los Angeles Times' "Not a Scrap of Gingham" shares the story of Vanessa Choy and Andrew Wong, a couple from Hong Kong who closed their architecture practice and moved to LA. They bought a lot in Studio City, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley in LA that earned its name in the 1920s when a number of picture studios popped up there. Then, they drew up plans for an unmistakably modern farmhouse. The exterior seems a distant relative of the traditional barns we've come to know but its concrete wall, unusual lighting, and lack of ornamentation suggest that its interior deviates from the classic form as well. Inside though, the architect couple balanced unfinished wood and rustic ceiling beams with "Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs, a glossy grand piano, and the sleek Poggenpohl kitchen" for what I see as the best of both worlds. Furthermore, what I find interesting is that this melding of architectural types was not a renovation of one of America's veteran barns, but was built from the ground up. For a couple new to the wild, wild West, fresh off the commercial landscape of Hong Kong, this mélange seems impossibly ideal. To see an interior shot, read more.

To see more photos of the interior, check out the LA Times' photo gallery.
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