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Guess Which President's Son Lived Here?

CasaSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0800

The only child to survive into adulthood of one of America's most prominent presidents built this Georgian Revival Summer home on 500 acres of land in Manchester, VT, at the turn of the 20th century. It was home to only his descendants until 1975, when it was purchased by a historical society; today, it lives on as a museum, preserving the family legacy. Can you tell me the name of his father, the former president?

What Would It Take?

CasaSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:00:53 -0700

. . . for you to cover your wood floors with this JFK Rug ($2,000 starting bid on eBay)?

Metropolitan Home Folds

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:56:46 -0800

Another one bites the dust. Hachette Filipacchi Media announced today that it will fold Metropolitan Home with its December issue. The company plans to focus its efforts on its other shelter glossy, Elle Decor. HFMUS President and CEO Alain Lemarchand said, "We believe the best strategy in the upscale shelter segment is to boldly focus our resources and investment on Elle Decor, which is the ad-page leader within the US market. Despite the downturn in ad pages that has affected all magazines, the Elle Decor brand has multiple opportunities for growth across all platforms.” Met's longtime Editor in Chief Donna Warner and her staff will leave the company.

This closure follows a long string of folds in the shelter world, including HFMUS's own Home, House & Garden, Blueprint, O at Home, Cottage Living, and, of course, Domino. So while it's not a shocker considering the economic climate, it is still sad news indeed. But at least this glossy went out with a bang, wowing us with the Metropolitan Home Showtime House and the exquisite Modern by Design Showhouse this year.

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Love It or Hate It? Excessive Plants on a Mantel

CasaSugar — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:36 -0700

Today, President Barack Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in the Oval Office of the White House. While I'm not a fan of gold frames in general (even when they're housing a lovely portrait of a founding father), I'm not sure what i think of the all-over ivy on the mantel behind the president and the prime minister. Would you ever coat a mantel with this much ivy?

Obama Buys $4,800 Recycled Chandelier For Daughters' White House Bedroom

CasaSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:00:56 -0700

In last night's episode of Man Shops Globe, Keith Johnson traveled to South Africa, where he was on the hunt for not-so-typical African crafts. After stumbling upon some unusual pottery and a handmade wooden dining chair straight out of a Van Gogh painting, he wandered into a magical art collective shop called Magpie , which sells knickknacks and décor made entirely from recycled objects. Be it a lid to a dog food can, a wine cork, or a Barbie, the eco-conscious craftsman turned the disposable into the extraordinary. Johnson was blown away by a tall, dramatic chandelier made from found objects, trinkets, and castoffs, and ordered one for Anthropologie.

As it turns out, President Obama bought the $4,800 recycled chandelier for Sasha and Malia's bedroom in the White House. We did learn back in January that the Obamas planned to decorate the girls' room with Pottery Barn and Anthropologie, and that they already have a large collection of African and Asian art, so it's quite fitting actually! While the purchase is certainly expensive for young girls, as is the family's celebrity decorator Michael Smith, Barack and Michelle did decide to pay for their White House renovations personally, and forgo the allotted $100,000 presidential decorating budget, so you can't blame them!

President Bush Buys a Post-White House House

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:00:53 -0800

As President-elect Barack Obama prepares to move into the White House, President Bush has picked up some new property for his life post-1600 Penn, when he leaves office in January. George and Laura have ponied up for a 8,501-square-foot, four-bedroom, ranch-style home in Preston Hollow, a wealthy North Dallas neighborhood where they lived before he became governor of Texas in 1995. I guess George is saying goodbye to the Georgian style.Preston Hollow counts some other prominent residents, including Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, former Dallas Cowboys Roger Staubach and Chuck Howley, and billionaire investors Harold Simmons and T. Boone Pickens, among others, so the Bush family should feel right at home, and perhaps their new neighbors won't be starstruck. The word on the sale price is that the property sold for "considerably more" than its $2.1 million appraisal price. There's also rumor that the couple is under contract to purchase an adjacent home, which they may tear down, use for an office, or for secret service. To see photos of that property, read more.

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Etsy Find: Presidents in Pink

CasaSugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:30:15 -0800

Didn't get enough of a patriotic fix yesterday on President's Day? Then celebrate the girlie way with this cool shot of our founding fathers against a bright pink sky. Pink Rushmore ($10), from Etsy seller Lucybirdphotos, is a fun twist on this most American of days. Explaining her love of this South Dakota monument, Lucybirdphotos writes

Why do I love Mt. Rushmore? I love the way it is in the middle of nowhere yet thousands of people from all over the world visit every year. It's the ultimate road trip destination. . . . It's also so American and so bizarre. I'm kind of obsessed.

(Note: Watermark doesn't show up on print.)

The New Yorker Profiles Kelly Wearstler

CasaSugar — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:00:06 -0700

The “presiding grande dame of West Coast interior design,” Kelly Wearstler, is featured in a six-page profile in the Sept. 14 issue of The New Yorker.

I've always considered Wearstler (pronounced "Worst-ler") an enigma - wife of a hotel mogul, author, Top Design judge, crimped-hair enthusiast, Southern belle, ex-Playboy model - but her design skill is irrefutable. So, it was interesting to read about how the girl who grew up in a cluttered Myrtle Beach home decorated in a "blowsy Provincial style" became the face of ornate, layered, over-the-top Hollywood Regency style.

"You don’t hire her for her subtlety, you hire her for what her critics call ‘muchness'," said a client. Her style, as it turns out, is governed more by instinct than intellect: "I don't have time to think things through a lot. I just do how it feels," she says. I was also intrigued to hear that she thinks of herself as having "a very European sensibility" that's "well travelled, collected." Pick up a copy to read the full text or read an abstract online.

Is Your Microwave Clean?

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 06:15:21 -0700

On an episode from this past season of 30 Rock, Jack Donaghy, Vice President of East Coast Television and Microwave Oven Programming at GE, announces the release of a new product: a pocket microwave oven. Luckily, that microwave is still the stuff of TV dreams. Since many of us are living with a dirty microwave oven in our homes, I can't imagine how dirty a "pocket" microwave oven might become. So, quick, no cheating! Is it clean or not?Source

8 Reasons to Tie the Knot at a National Park

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:00:39 -0700

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the "Organic Act," creating the National Park Service, the new federal bureau in the Department of the Interior protecting the 35 national parks and monuments then managed by the department. Now, the United States' national parks are made up of nearly 400 natural, cultural, and recreational sites across the country, including massive parks like Yellowstone, and historical sites like the Statue of Liberty. Besides showcasing national historic and environmental treasures, many of these parks are also available for wedding ceremonies. Check out my top reasons for getting hitched at a national park.
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