CasaSugar

Do You Have a View of Nature?

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:00:58 -0800

At my house, I can see a lot of trees, but my main view is of the San Francisco skyline. Sometimes I miss the more idyllic views that I grew up with in a rural community. Do you have a nature view at your home?

Source: Flickr User AMy Loves Yah

Midday Muse: At Home on the Edge of the World

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 13:00:37 -0800

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I spent some time in Joshua Tree, CA, with friends who've built an eco-friendly house there. These friends love their peaceful home and amazing view (which goes on for miles with nary a house in site), but they also miss the comforts of city life. While I sometimes daydream about living in a place as remote as my friends' home, I doubt that I would be able to hack the extremely rural reality of this life for very long. Do you ever long for a home at the edge of the civilized world, or are you a city gal at heart?

Cool Idea: Rural Studio's Student-Built Homes

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 08:00:00 -0800

If you're searching for examples of modern, affordable, green architecture, look no further. The Rural Studio project of Alabama's Auburn University College of Architecture does just that. Through this program, architecture students are provided with the opportunity to design and build homes and other projects that benefit rural, impoverished Alabama communities and families. Started by architect and professor Samuel Mockbee in 1991, the program has been a positive force in Alabama since that time, creating homes for people who would otherwise be unable to afford them.

The program requires that architecture students spend some of their semesters in rural Hale County, Alabama, to design and build a charity home or community project for members of that community. The homes are built in a modern style using inexpensive and innovative materials, and the project has built a number of homes for $20,000, using green and locally sourced materials.

The architecture school notes that, "To most, the measure of success of the Rural Studio is in its built projects; in reality, its success is measured by its effect upon the lives of the faculty, students, families, and communities it touches. It is not only the buildings that make the Rural Studio what it is, but also the education the students receive about architecture and about society."

To check out some of the homes designed and built through the Rural Studio, check out the gallery.

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Coveted Crib: Slaughterhouse Fine

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:00:35 -0800

A former slaughterhouse in Ulricehamn, Sweden, was transformed into this fabulous coveted crib. Outfitted with furniture and accessories from around the world, the space feels much more metropolitan than you'd expect from a rural Swedish home. An extensive collection of artwork is mixed with both vintage and modern furniture. Antique Corinthian columns mingle with an Arne Jacobsen Swan chair, worn wood surfaces with plush velvet, and IKEA with Philippe Starck, creating endless serendipitous juxtapositions. Take the full tour when you read more.

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Midday Muse: Blending the Urban and the Rural

CasaSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 12:00:32 -0700

This photo, from the portfolio of Martyn Thompson, exemplifies an urban-meets-rural aesthetic that is often attempted, but rarely successfully implemented. Not so with the owner of this masculine (and luxurious) bathroom. The tufted chair, industrial fixtures, and salvaged sign are a surprising complement to the rough-hewn wide-wood floors and elk antlers. I wouldn't doubt that the owner of this abode is someone whom I might have a little something in common, given our shared taste in décor.

The Rural Studio

CasaSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:19:43 -0800

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Home Away From Home: A Wigwam Holiday

CasaSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:00:38 -0700

Want a cheap vacation? Well, if you're a Brit, you can take your family on a wigwam holiday. Apparently, in-country vacations are increasingly popular on that side of the pond, due to the economic recession. Wigwam vacations, such as the Strathfillan Wigwams in Tyndrum, Scotland, shown here, are a great low-key, low-expense destination for frugal vacationers.

On this side of the Atlantic I know that many of my friends and family are economizing their holidays by vacationing in-state or staying with family or friends. And yes, many of them are camping, though I can't say that any of the campsite photos I've perused from their vacations are anywhere as adorable as the Strathfillian Wigwams.

To find out more about this holiday destination, and to tell me about your low-cost vacation plans, read more.

The wigwams are constructed from Sitka spruce or Norway spruce logs, which are homegrown in Scottish forests. Small logs or poles are bent into a curved shape to form its unique (and may I add adorable) whalebone" frame.

You can choose a wigwam holiday from one of 30 seaside, farmland, and woodland sites in beautiful settings across Scotland, northern England, and the Welsh Border Counties. All of the 30 wigwam holiday sites are rural, with many based at farms or camping parks. You won't be roughing it too much, since most sites include a central shower and bathroom facility as well as a cookhouse. The wigwams are fully insulated, and available for use year-round, and feature wooden floors and painted walls.

Are you tempted to embark on a wigwam holiday? Or have you been on one (or something similar) in the past? Tell me all about your experience!

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10 Great Urban Farms Across the United States

CasaSugar — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 09:00:42 -0700

Who says that farming has to happen exclusively in rural areas? These 10 farms prove that you can grow veggies in any city in the country. Better yet, many of these farms also run substantial education programs, providing city kids with great information about where their food comes from. Check to see if your city's urban farm made it in my slideshow, and then go volunteer!
Source

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Coveted Crib: Echo Park Modern

CasaSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 21:08:00 -0700

When a writer and an artist couple bought property in Los Angeles's happening Echo Park neighborhood, they wanted a home that would serve as an urban oasis in Los Angeles. Instead of constructing a home that jutted out from the Los Angeles hillside, they wanted something more discrete and comforting, and envisioned a home that nestled into the landscape.

After hiring architect Rachel Allen, they planned a home that would update the classic California ranch house, emphasizing indoor-outdoor living. The three-bedroom, two-bathroom house is a modest size, at 1700 square feet, and features ample outdoor space, including a bridge entrance, an outdoor deck, and outdoor seating spaces. Eco features include the home's small size, sustainably harvested walnut flooring, a radiant heating systems, and low-flow toilets and shower heads. A recent LA Times article about the home fawned over the outdoor spaces:

The terraced property is a symphony of citrus trees, yucca, bougainvillea, pine trees, and eucalyptus. The couple added a rock garden, organic vegetable beds and native plants and wildflowers. A potting area with a fire pit is not far from where the couple were married. Cozy wooden sitting areas, hand built by previous owners who lived here for more than 60 years, remain throughout the backyard like rustic diner booths.

Finches, doves, woodpeckers, skunks, squirrels, and other animals add to the rural feeling. Goats and chickens will be next, says the couple, who are aspiring urban farmers.

For a complete tour, read more.

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Crave Worthy: Mizzonk Workshop Mosaic Table and Stools

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 05:30:54 -0700

British Columbia-based Mizzonk crafts beautifully handcrafted furniture, accents, and artwork out of a studio in rural Maple Ridge, BC. The brainchild of Wan-Yi Lin and Roger Chen, Mizzonk's art and furniture attempts to convey a contemplative purity of form and material. One piece that caught my eye immediately is the Mosaic Table and Stools ($7,420), which is built from American Black Walnut and Eastern Maple, whose alternating colors create a stunning pattern. I love how the diminutive stools tuck beneath the table - perfect for a small space.

Want to find out more about the couple behind Mizzonk and the sustainability of their work? Check out a video when you read more.