CasaSugar

Etsy Finds: Gorgeous Custom Furniture

CasaSugar — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:00:02 -0700

While I've shown you a lot of home accents from Etsy, I've neglected to share the gorgeous, custom-made furniture that the site also showcases. From dining tables made from salvaged barn boards to '60s-era chairs reupholstered in Thomas Paul fabric, Etsy really does have nearly everything you need to furnish and outfit your home. Check out my favorites.

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Guess What This Ceiling Was Made From?

CasaSugar — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 05:30:38 -0700

Texas-based self-taught carpenter, electrician, and plumber Dan Phillips builds low-income houses out of salvaged items, in an effort to prove that attractive, affordable housing is possible. Here, he's used thousands of small wooden pieces to create the ceiling for one of his projects. Can you guess what they are?

Nice and New: The Sulis Table

CasaSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:30:15 -0700

If you love the look of rustic furnishings, then you'll be excited to hear that San Francisco-based design atelier Varian Designs has just added a new piece to its Timber Collection. The new Sulis table ($3,500) is the perfect occasional table for the green-minded set. Using a wedged tenon design and laser-cut steel brackets, this beautifully crafted table is actually built from fallen trees. Utilizing fallen ash trees in San Diego, CA, and a fallen walnut tree in Seattle, WA, for the table's top, and salvaged red oak from Wisconsin barns for the legs, this table proves that beauty often emerges from the most unexpected of places.

Before and After: A Serious Fixer-Upper

CasaSugar — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:00:00 -0800

When the Atlanta, Georgia-based renovation firm Laughing Sun purchased this home, it was in absolute disrepair. Once a gorgeous folk Victorian home, it was missing its original roof, and the once-soaring 12-foot-high ceilings had been pared back to only seven feet. It also was so leaky that the renovators were able to push the back wall of the house with one hand!

To see how this mess was turned into a masterpiece, read more.

Laughing Sun replaced the original steep Victorian roof and extended the footprint of the home to accommodate five bedrooms, a roomy kitchen, a center hall, and two and a half bathrooms. Check out the gallery to see the extensive, beautiful renovations that the firm put into place, returning this home to its 19th century glory.

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Before and After: Salvaged Shelves Get an Upgrade

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 10:00:43 -0800

While some people might take a look at these drawers and decide they were destined for the dump, Monica of Craftynest had a different vision. The drawers, which were salvaged from a 1940s kitchen, were found on the website Freecycle. Monica knew she wanted to transform them into something stellar, and originally thought they'd make great storage drawers by simply adding some wheels to the bottom. Ultimately, though, she decided to go in another direction.

To see how she transformed these salvaged drawers, read more.

She turned them into a modular bookcase! Monica writes, "I tried stacking them vertically instead. You could also hang these drawers on the wall as individual shadowboxes. You could even add shelves inside each drawer."

To learn how to do this in your own home, check out Monica's full post for the how-to.

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Coveted Crib: An Aspen Cabin Goes For the Old

CasaSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:00:51 -0800

When Aspen, CO, residents Cynthia and Frank Goldsmith decided their dream home should look like a 110-year-old Colorado homestead, they went to work, hiring an architect to recreate that iconic look. At the same time, the couple traveled to flea markets, antique stores, and salvage yards to find turn-of-the-century hardware, lighting, beams, doorknobs, and even hinges! The only items in this home that are new are the appliances, plumbing, and windows. Take a tour of this home, which was featured in Country Living, to step back in time. Source

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Guess What This Chandelier Is Made From

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:00:48 -0700

I love the jagged lines of this moody, beautiful chandelier. Can you guess what it's made from? (Hint: it was auto inspired.)

Coveted Crib: Lone Star Home

CasaSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:00:23 -0700

Austin resident Blake Dollahite didn't enter the rat race when he finished college. Instead, he rebuilt a crumbling bungalow with the help of his dad and friends. Using a variety of salvaged materials, as well as furniture he built himself, the results are absolutely fantastic. For the whole story, pick up this month's copy of Dwell. Source

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In the News: Recycling Salvaged Materials Poses a Problem

CasaSugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:30:23 -0700

So far during Eco-Chic month, I've given you tons of easy and stylish ways to create an environmentally-friendly home. But sometimes, even when you try, it's not as simple as you'd expect. An SFGate article recently tinkered with an issue we hear little about in these days of "Green is easy! Green is cheap!" Apparently, building codes in some of America's most environmentally progressive cities are preventing architects, builders, and homeowners from reusing building materials that already exist. Durable, salvaged building materials like glass doors, light fixtures, doors, and cabinets clash with safety codes, and restrictions against using materials that may contain lead or asbestos. To top it off, some state energy conservation codes are preventing these homeowners in these eco-conscious cities from reusing traditional incandescent bulbs, which pile high in salvage stock. As the article's author Arrol Gellner writes, this conundrum is "leaving well-intentioned green builders caught in a classic Catch-22[.]" One alternative I see is to find a use for salvaged materials as furnishings, not subject to building codes, like recycled light bulb vases and coffee tables made from salvaged doors.
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In the News: An Inspiring Outdoor Space

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:15:28 -0700

Since Summer is soon on its way, it's natural to think about creating functional, beautiful outdoor spaces where you can entertain and relax. In a recent LA Times article by Debra Prinzing, a family does just this, using repurposed, recycled, and found objects. Greta and Mike Jarvis, along with their daughter Annika, were tired of the awkward, unused backyard at their Manhattan Beach home, so Greta, an adept flea marketer, decided to transform their 30-x-40-foot backyard into something more family friendly. They started by getting rid of a small, underused grassy area, as well as their unused hot tub. By expanding the doors that led to the backyard, they also made the space more accessible.

To see what materials they used, read more.

Bougainvillea and a trumpet vine were planted on salvaged trellises, and handmade Mexican chairs were upholstered in weather-resistant, colorful fabric. Antique planters and hanging containers hold geraniums and other plants. A horse trough was repurposed as a fountain, with antique spigots spilling water into the trough. The family also built a wood-burning fireplace from stucco and a rusted grain bin that became a chimney. The backyard also features an outdoor dining room - perfect for the balmy climate.

I find the Jarvis's outdoor space inspiring, and it makes me think about some of the small changes I want to make in my own yard. Do you admire it as well? Find out more of their easy-to-copy ideas over at the LA Times.

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