CasaSugar

Win the Barbie of Your Dreams

Sponsor — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 05:45:00 -0700

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the world’s most popular fashion doll, Pottery Barn Kids has created an exclusive bedroom collection that every Barbie™ fan would love to call her own. From ruffled toss pillows featuring the Barbie™ profile to luxurious sheets and duvet covers starring the glamour girl throughout the years, the collection is made with the very best materials and an eye on style. Cast in coordinating shades of pink – Barbie™ signature color – the collection includes sketches by principal Barbie designer Robert Best – these exclusive designs make it easy to create a room that’s stylish and fun.

Check out our slideshow to see the bedding and accessories only Barbie™ could inspire. While you're at it, enter for a chance to win one of five exclusive Barbie dolls made especially for this anniversary collection by Pottery Barn Kids. Simply leave a comment below on your favorite Barbie memory and you will be automatically entered to win. Remember you must be logged in to enter. Click here for more details and rules.

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Casa Quickie: Shop the Kids' Section

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:00:45 -0800

Chain stores and catalogs are a great place to scout out affordable homewares, but like shopping for clothes at Gap and H&M, you can run into the problem of having the same cool stuff as everyone else. So take a page from petite women who buy kids' clothes and shop the kiddie offerings at your favorite home stores.

Retailers such as Pottery Barn's PBTeen and Ikea carry some surprisingly hip items that, taken out of context, don't look childish. I like to look for lighting rugs and accessories like this the Pottery Barn Kids Primary Countertop Accessories ($9-39) from the Dr. Seuss collection.

It may not be as cheap as getting your clothes in the kids' section, but at least it's unexpected.

Steal of the Day: Pottery Barn Kids Thanksgiving Leaf Garland

CasaSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 14:00:11 -0800

I think garlands are totally underrated. They only seem to make an appearance on Christmas fireplace mantels or at the birthday parties of five-year-old girls. It's totally discrimination. I think we should welcome cute garlands like the Pottery Barn Kids Thanksgiving Leaf Garland ($39.99, reduced from $59) into our homes whenever possible. The festive garland is made of felt leaves on a grosgrain ribbon. So much easier and safer than pricking your fingers sewing hundreds of pieces of stale popcorn together for hours on end, don't you think?

Steal of the Day: Pottery Barn Kids Rattan Chandelier

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 05:30:13 -0700

I can't help but see the similarities between the Pottery Barn Kids Rattan Chandelier ($69.99) and the Moooi Random Light ($610), and notably, the vast difference between their prices. The PB version looks a little less polished, but also has a more natural vibe, made of rattan twisted around an iron frame. I think it's a really versatile piece that needn't be reserved for kids, and could work in a variety of settings. I'd love to see a pair framing a bed, or even a single chandelier hanging above a reading nook. What do you think?

Steal of the Day: Pottery Barn Kids Modern Plaid Rug

CasaSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 04:30:00 -0700

I don't know why I've never checked out Pottery Barn Kids before, considering that I look at PBteen fairly regularly. But I'm not surprised to find adult-worthy designs, like this Pottery Barn Kids Modern Plaid Rug ($89-$399). I'm envisioning it in the traditional living room of a Colonial, with a crave worthy blue velvet chair and some modern Delftware. It would also fit seamlessly into this ravishing red kitchen below the farmhouse table and red Eames Eiffel chairs. Of course, I know at least one of you will say it would be cute for a little boys room . . . but how about in a child-free space? Can you see it now?

Nine Nice and New Things From Urban Outfitters

CasaSugar — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:00:46 -0700

Urban Outfitters may be the go-to fashion and décor shop for high school and college kids, but the retailer's inventory is looking a little more grown-up these days. For instance, the Carnival Slipper Chair ($325) cues in on the ikat trend in a sophisticated, Pottery Barn-like palette. Like this ripe find? Then, read more.

The butterfly chair has always been a favorite of youngsters, but the Leather Butterfly Chair Cover and Frame ($248) leather update makes it much more mature.

The Medallion Cut Lantern ($12) has a chic Moroccan vibe that would light up any indoor or outdoor space.

Here's a few more:

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Casa Interview: Interior Designer Leslie Bamburg

CasaSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 09:00:30 -0700

Two years ago, Leslie Bamburg formed her company Labexperiment, an interior design business that offers an affordable professional decorator option to the design fiend who lacks mad cash. Labexperiment works on the premise that beautiful design can be affordable, individualized, and integrated to meet the resident's needs. Leslie notes that she doesn't believe that there should be separation between people's fashion, media, tech needs, music, and interiors. With this philosophy in mind, she makes diagnoses of clients' homes, notes what they need to add, subtract, or rearrange, and then prescribes the elements needed to improve a room or home.

I recently sat down to chat with Leslie about her business, design sensibility, and advice for readers.

CasaSugar: Tell me about your initial home visit with a new client. What are you looking for? And what kinds of things do you want to know about them?

Leslie Bamburg: Besides taking all the necessary photos and measurements, I just try to get to know the client, to figure out their style and functional needs for the house. Some things are obvious - if they have little kids and a dog I will want to make sure things are easy to clean. But some things come out only after a good conversation. Inability to keep plants alive (like me), or a childhood trauma involving the color fuchsia, for example. I always bring an inspiration book of magazine cut-outs, so we can look at pictures instead of using vague words like “modern” to figure out what they like.

For the rest of the interview, read more.

CasaSugar: How do you determine where furniture and décor will be purchased from? Does it depend on budget? Do you ever use antique/flea market finds along with retail shops?

Leslie Bamburg: The best thing about a prescription is that with every shopping list item, I explain why I chose it. So if the client wants to look for something similar at another store, or even an antique or flea market, they know what they are looking for and what is important about it. My selections definitely depend on budget, as well as style, timeline, and location of the client. Though I have an ever-expanding list of stores and websites I look at, I like to make sure I personally know the quality of all the major pieces I am recommending. I’m not going to recommend that someone buy a sofa, for example, that they can’t test out beforehand. Comfort is such a personal thing.

CasaSugar: What are your go-to stores for purchasing furniture and décor for clients?

Leslie Bamburg: I do shop at all the major retailers, like CB2, Pottery Barn, and Williams-Sonoma Home, but I don’t want a finished room to look like a page from a store catalog, so I try to mix things in from different sources, as well as the client’s existing furniture and personal items. I like rooms to look like they came together over time, even if everything was purchased on the same day. I also try to take advantage of stores where I get a designer discount, since who doesn’t like to save money?

CasaSugar: How has your fine arts background informed your interior design work?

Leslie Bamburg: I learned a lot about composition, proportion, and color, which I use every day, but I think the most important thing is the ability to edit, and stop when something is done. Also, my focus was on mixed-media art, which meant that I was rarely shopping in the art supply store, but looking for my supplies everywhere - the hardware store, grocery store, thrift stores, and electronics supply stores. This really taught me to think creatively about where good things can come from.

CasaSugar: Do you recommend art for clients as well? If so, how do you go about this?

Leslie Bamburg: Yes, though everyone has a different preference for the type, quality, and price of artwork they want on their walls. I’ve recommended everything from Ikea frames on old family photos to expensive paintings, to DIY artwork like stretching cool fabric on a canvas. From my first meeting with a client I usually have an idea of what they are up for.

CasaSugar: What are some of the most common mistakes or decorating sins you’ve seen with clients?

Leslie Bamburg: When people don’t like to shop, I often see them getting a set of furniture from a store, so they can get it over with quickly. Putting together a well-designed room takes time and effort, so I can see why people sometimes take the easy way out. I also see people who like to shop and have a great sense of their own style, but their rooms are a mishmash of unrelated items, because they don’t have an overall vision and goal for the room.

Thanks Leslie! Check back soon for the rest of the interview. If you want to see what an online prescription looks like, check out the gallery.

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Source and Source

Desire/Acquire: Butterfly Chandelier

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:15:29 -0800

I've oohed and ahed about this gorgeous chandelier in the past, but that's no reason to not sigh over its beauty one more time. The Bodo Sperlein Niagra Chandelier ($45,000) features porcelain butterflies lit up by fiber optics. It is, indeed, an object of immense beauty. However, since I wouldn't pay over 45K for a car (unless it's an electric Tesla Roadster), I'm probably not going to drop major bank on a single chandelier.

Luckily, there's a much, much more affordable option that shares the butterfly motif. To see where to get it, read more.

The Pottery Barn Kids Butterfly Chandelier ($79) is a fraction of the cost of the Niagra Chandelier, and that cost is reflected in the materials: The butterflies are constructed from heavyweight paper. However, I think that with the right accessories, and placed in a corner where it won't be touched or jostled too much, this kid-marketed butterfly chandelier could shine in a feminine home.

Roundup: Eyecatching Desks

CasaSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:00:33 -0700

I've been on the lookout for a desk for a while now, and while I'll probably choose something in a natural wood finish, I am attracted to some of the brighter colors I've seen out there. While the Janie Desk ($699) from Pottery Barn Kids is intended for a children's room, I think it would look fantastic in an all-white office, don't you? I love its hot pink shade, which is a fun addition to its traditional shape and spindle legs.

For a complete selection of brightly colored desks for your home office, read more.

If you're not in the market for a new desk, but want to try a DIY project, you can get this look with the use of lacquer paint.

Steal of the Day: Pottery Barn Classic Rattan Bed

CasaSugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:00:46 -0700

If you can't deal with the price tag on the Rune Bed, then this amazing sale may tempt you. The Pottery Barn Classic Rattan Bed (regularly $1,499.00 for a full, on sale for $499.99) is an insane deal, at over 60% off. Make sure you're certain you love it before ordering though, since this final sale item can't be returned. However, I see very little not to love about this mahogony-stained beauty. With its sturdy frame and eye-catching rattan panels, it's sure to survive decades of use and design fickleness. This classic is truly built to last, from new marriage to kids to retirement, it's one smart - and smartly priced - piece.

Blu Dot Strut Medium Table - $699.00	Janie Desk - $49.00
Blu Dot Modulicious Power Desk - $1,399.00	Herman Miller® nelson swag leg desk - $1,849.00
Vitra baobab desk - $6,290.00	Blu Dot Desk 51 - $699.00
Eames® Left Hand File Drawer Desk Unit in Multicolor by Herman Miller® - $1,249.00	InModern Surfin Desk / Table - $350.00
Surfin Studio Desk by Inmodern - $420.00	Eames® Right Hand File Drawer Desk Unit in Multicolor by Herman Miller® - $1,249.00
Blu Dot Modulicious Power Deskette - $899.00	Desk 51 - $699.00