CasaSugar

On the Market: Melrose Place Apartments

CasaSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 08:00:36 -0700

If you ever dreamed of living in West Hollywood's most scandalous courtyard complex, now's your chance to make life at Melrose Place a real estate reality - sort of. To promote the new series of the '90s prime time drama, a fake real estate listing for Melrose Place Apartments has hit the web, complete with photos of an apartment in the complex and a panoramic tour. Features include "hardwood floors, an absolutely killer kitchen, vintage appliances, water pressure to-die-for, huge bedrooms, French doors, an original clawfoot tub, and closet space for two."

Sound appealing? A rental application is available for any of you interested parties. Be prepared to list your publicist, agent, mistress, and long-lost child as references, and answer questions like, "Do you consider yourself a strong swimmer/ skinny dipper?" to be accepted, though. If you're curious about the complex demographics, you can also check out links to the Twitter pages of some of the building's "satisfied residents." Want to take a peek? Take a video tour and see some photos of the digs when you read more.

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Chace Crawford Loves Philippe Starck

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:00:43 -0700

Now that Chace Crawford has moved out of the Chelsea apartment he shared with Gossip Girl costar Ed Westwick, he's on to bigger and better things. The place he now calls home is a penthouse rental in the hip and exclusive Financial District building Dwell95, which was outfitted head-to-toe by French superstar designer Philippe Starck. The urban sanctuary is part of the yoo by Starck international development project and houses studios, lofts, and one and two bedrooms in two styles: "classic" and "nature." The former is not your average traditional style but is quintessentially Starck, infused with his brand of chic modernity and bathed in rich wood cabinetry and limestone countertops. The latter takes a lighter note with earth tones, organic materials, and natural light oak. Want to take a peek at Chace's new home and hear about the design? Then read more.

As you might expect, the fully-furnished suites are dripping in Starck-designed fixtures and products, from his arachnid-like Juicy Salif Lemon Squeezer for Alessi to his Miss K Table Lamp. But Starck's also shown some love for his contemporaries, including realist accessories designer Harry Allen, as well as design innovators Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen. Nate Archibald might prefer the Upper East Side, but I think these digs are right up Crawford's alley. Think you could get used to this? Rates for the furnished suites start at $5,100/month.

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On the Market: Grey Gardens For Summer Rental

CasaSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:00:24 -0700

Grey Gardens, the once squalor-filled Hamptons mansion that was the home of "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, aunt and first cousin of Jackie O., and the subject of HBO's recent flick of the same name, can be yours for $30,000 this Summer. Current owners journalist Sally Quinn and husband Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee are renting out their East Hampton mansion from August 28 to Labor Day. Thirty thousand for 11 days in a former garbage-strewn home? Well, the turn-of-the-century house has since undergone an intensive renovation, and Long Island is nice in the Summer. See postrestoration photos of the home from a 1984 issue of Architectural Digest when you read more.

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Are You in the Market For a New Crib?

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 11:00:27 -0700

If you're looking to buy a new home right now, this sour economy is probably working in your favor, as prices have been driven down. If you're trying to rent, your hand doesn't look as good, as rental costs have risen. Are you content in your pad or looking to move?
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Five Paint Alternatives For Renters

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:00:00 -0800

Painting is the easiest and most affordable way to transform a room, but unfortunately it's not an option for all of us. A lot of landlords forbid painting rentals, leaving many to put up with impersonal, depressing, plain vanilla walls. If this is the case for you, I urge you to think outside of the paint can and consider an alternative that will give your pad some pep without upsetting the management. Check out this slideshow to see my five alternatives to painting! Source

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Lauren Conrad's Pad Is Up For Rent

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 09:53:36 -0800

I'm sure all of you Hills fans would kill to replace Audrina in Lauren Conrad's Spanish villa in the Hollywood flats. Well, something tells me that reality is not so far off. Conrad is renting out her 3,009-square-foot, four-bedroom, 3.5-bath home for $11,000 per month. Conrad and her BFF Lo Bosworth moved into a high-rise condo in the Westwood area of LA in favor of more security and privacy. I'm also guessing that Lauren's feud with her neighbors over the commotion of paparazzi and MTV crews at her digs might have motivated her to move elsewhere. To see interior photos of LC's pad, read more.

Would you like to rent out Conrad's pad? I certainly would! I actually think it's sad that she's decided to move; it's such a cute house. To each her own, right?

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How-To: Snag Yourself an Apartment

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:00:17 -0800

Now that you know how to find an apartment on Craigslist, I'd like to give you some tips on how to snag the apartment you want. If you found a listing you like in the newspaper or on a sign, no need to put on the earmuffs: these tips apply to you, too.

First of all, if you see a listing that's even of vague interest to you, email or call the contact with all of your information, and do it fast. Some digs will go within a couple hours or a day.
You should have all of your credentials and references ready to show a potential landlord in case something pops up.

To hear the rest of my tips, read more.

When you've made an appointment to see an apartment, get there early! If you're first, the landlord will show it to you first, and if you like the place (assuming you have good credit), it's yours. If you come after it's been shown, you may lose out.
People can be flaky, and there are a lot of scams on Craigslist, so don't hold out for anything thinking you've found "the one." Keep sending out emails and visiting apartments until you've signed a lease.
On that note, don't be a flake yourself. If you've said you're going to visit an apartment, go! And, come prepared with anything the landlord has asked for, in addition to extra credentials and references. Also very important, bring a checkbook when you visit an apartment. Be prepared to put a deposit down, or even the first/last months' rent (if you want it) when you visit the place: it's pretty standard to ask for either of them.
Also, take photos. You'll be looking at a lot of apartments, and you'll want something to look back at if you end up deciding between places.
Finally, keep at it. Don't get bummed or frustrated. Don't panic if you need to leave work early. Apartment hunting is practically a rite of passage, and your bosses will understand.

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Have You Ever Been Fooled Into Renting a Bad Apartment?

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:00:47 -0700

Last night, in the first episode of this season's Ugly Betty, Betty moves into an apartment of her own in Manhattan. Unfortunately, she gives in to the realtor's pressure and signs a lease for the apartment sight unseen. When the Realtor assures her that the other apartment is just as charming as the one Betty doesn't get, Betty innocently believes her.

And as you can plainly see, Betty was duped. While I've never had anything this extreme happen, I've had my share of bad rental experiences. Before I bought my house, I did have to deal with everything from dirty apartments to bizarre landlords (one actually stole some of my furniture while I was living in the house). Have you had any bad rental experiences?

Have You Ever Been Evicted?

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:00:16 -0700

You can be evicted for a number of reasons, including failing to pay rent, damaging property, violating your lease agreement in some way, or simply because the property owner wants to move in. If you're at fault (not if the owner wants to occupy the space), an eviction will be recorded on your credit report, making it an obstacle for future applications to be accepted. I myself was evicted a few years ago when my owner said he planned to move into my apartment, and regardless of whether it would affect my credit, I must say having to move unwillingly is far from a desirable situation. How about you?
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Su Casa: Bedroom Bliss With a Rental

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 04:15:16 -0800

We all know that designing a space to your heart's desire is a difficult prospect in a rental home. While Tmenotte wanted to paint this room, she knew that she and her husband would probably be moving within a year, which meant repainting the walls back to a bland beige to ensure the return of their deposit. So instead of painting, she used textiles-from very affordable sources-to dress her walls.

Tmenotte says, "I wanted to do some things and stick to a budget since this is not going to be a long-term room, so I went to Ikea and got the fun and funky yellow circle duvet cover and the cool poster print that I framed to make it pop. I love the colors of the duvet because it contrasts nicely against my teal sheets from Tuesday Morning. For the windows I wanted to cover up an awkwardly placed window that was off center. Since my husband and I do not have a headboard yet, I decided to give the illusion of one by using the curtains that I picked up from Target. It helps to define the bed and still get some balance."

I'm certainly impressed by how luxe Tmenotte was able to make this room look for such a low price. Want to share your photos? Here's how to post in the Su Casa group. And don't forget to let Tmenotte know what you think of her great room!