CasaSugar

Nice and New: Lace Shopping Basket at the Container Store

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 14:00:45 -0700

You might have seen the Design House Stockholm Carrie Shopping Basket when I featured it in my Not Your Grandma's Lace Trend Alert, or even snuck a peek of it used as a magazine holder in my very own house. I must admit, I shelled out $44 for the basket from Zinc Details - kind of a lot for my shelter mag storage, but I couldn't resist! When I caught it selling for $37 at Unica Home, I felt a little cheated. Now that I've seen it selling at the Container Store for $29.99 (what a steal!), I really just feel as dumb as a rock. But, perhaps this means I can snatch one up to use as an actual shopping basket. : )

This Just In: Vipp and Helena Christensen Team Up For Charity

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 08:30:37 -0700

Danish design company VIPP and supermodel Helena Christensen have teamed up to hold a charity auction of Vipp pedal bins that have been given a fashionable makeover by fashion, design, art, and entertainment leaders. The bins have been made over by the likes of Bono, Michael Stipe, Mario Batali, Michael Bastian, Simon Doonan, Frederic Fekkai, Karim Rashid, Jason Miller, Todd Oldham, Alice Temperley, Mena Suvari, and more, and will be sold in a silent auction benefiting the Food Bank For New York City and Chernobyl Children’s Project International. An installation of the bins will be on display for public viewing and pre-bidding at The Conran Shop in New York through Thursday, Sept. 18, when an evening auction event will be held at the Winston Wächter Fine Art Gallery. Bidding for the bins begins at either $500 or $750, and you can learn more details by calling a bidding specialist at The Conran Shop at (866) 755-9079. To see more of the designs, read more.

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Decorating Ideas to Steal From Andrew's Vegetable Stand

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:00:19 -0700

Readymade recently posted photos and an interview with recent grad Andrew Milauckus, whose aesthetically pleasing Michigan produce stand is beyond adorable. While the exterior of his stand, Summertime, has a '50s vibe, the eclectic interior is a mix of styles. Check out my favorite ideas from his shop.

Embrace a rustic look by painting exposed beamwork.
To create a focal wall, use stencils to create a pattern. This chevron wall is one of my favorites.

Check out more ideas when you read more.

Hang bare bulbs from the ceiling in multiples for an unexpected and cool look. Try these E27 Pendants for a fun, colorful take on the bare bulb.
Use apple boxes and baskets for rustic storage in your kitchen or entryway.
Repurpose a gilt frame as a chalkboard. The bigger the better!

Ask Casa: Plastic Lace Basket

CasaSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:00:28 -0700

Hi Casasugar,
I was recently browsing your site (very nice!) and saw something I hope you can help me get more info on. I saw a DIY on making your own cereal box magazine holder, and there's a pierced plastic lace basket that I love. If you have or can get any information on this, you'd be my best friend forever. Or, how about I would be so very much grateful to you? Thanks in advance!
Your new fan,
Sweetonu

To hear my response, read more.

Hi sweetonu,
Good question; I love my lace basket! The basket is the Design House Stockholm Carrie Shopping Basket. I recently wrote about how the basket is selling at the Container Store for $29.99. It's also available as a bicycle basket with hardware. Hope that helps!
Casa

Casa Holiday Gift Ideas That You Can't Beat

CasaSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0800

If you are still looking for a fabulous gift to perk up your family and friends' digs, take a gander at these CasaSugar-approved gift guides. You're sure to find the perfect present in one of these guides. You might even find an item or two to add to your own wish list.

Handmade Gifts For Indie Girls	Last Minute Gift-Baskets	Stocking Stuffers
Gift Cards for Picky Giftees	10 No-Fail Last-Minute Gifts	Gifting for Charity

No matter how hard I try, I always have some last-minute shopping to do. If you are in a pinch too, check out these gift guides from all the Sugar sites. Happy shopping!

Gift Guide: $5 and Under

CasaSugar — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 09:15:33 -0800

Whatever the income bracket, we're all on a budget these days. Not simply because of the struggling economy, but due to all of the gifts on our shopping lists. So, why not cut back where we can? If great gifts exist at low prices, why not snatch them up? I've rounded up a handful of fab gifts for the home that'll cost you only five bucks or less. Pick up a few to make a little gift basket, give just one as a Secret Santa gift or a small token for a co-worker, or buy a bundle to use as stocking stuffers. You choose! I just do the work. To see my finds, read more.

If none of these strike your fancy, or if you're looking to spend a little more cash, check back tomorrow for my next gift guide, where I'll feature home items that are all $10 or less!

Check out all of our holiday content on HolidaySugar!

This Just In: Cost Plus World Market Celebrates 50 Years

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 05:30:22 -0700

Cost Plus World Market is kicking off ">a weekend of in-store events and shopping today at its flagship San Francisco store (2552 Taylor Street) to benefit local schools, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, running through Sunday, Oct, 26. Those of you in the Bay Area who stop by will enjoy live entertainment, product giveaways, food and drink samplings, winemaker bottle signings, henna painting, and more. There will also be a live broadcast of KGO-AM’s Gene Burns of “Dining Around With Gene Burns” from the store from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Chef Ryan Scott of Top Chef Season Four will host a cooking demonstration. While it sounds like a great weekend, and I certainly want to attend, I was actually more intrigued to learn about the history of the store. To hear how Cost Plus World Market came to be, read more.

In 1958, SF businessman William Amthor began selling rattan baskets and furniture he'd picked up during his regular travels to Asia and Europe along San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, a popular tourist destination and still-functioning wharf. The locals loved his imports and their affordable prices, and he soon opened the first Cost Plus World Market store (today still the flagship store) in San Francisco, naming it after his affordable pricing strategy: cost plus 10 percent. By the '60s and '70s, the store had become an eclectic mix of international products like Spanish pottery, African mosquito netting, Indonesian collectibles, and French coffee presses. And, in the 1960s, Cost Plus was the first to introduce the Papasan Chair, an iconic furniture design which is still popular with students 40 years later. Today, the retailer has a chain of nearly 300 stores, with inventory from well over 70 countries.
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Get the Look: Timber Land

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 07:45:15 -0700

The wall of random planks of reclaimed timber makes a unique, eco-chic focal point for this workspace and dining area. You can re-create this look by scouring your home, friends' homes, demolition sites, and architectural salvage shops for used wooden planks and nailing them in a random fashion to one wall.

Furniture: Combine a simple white Parsons-style table, like the Poliform Trevi Table (inquire for price) shown here, and an assortment of different styles of chairs, like an oak Hans Wegner Wishbone Chair ($835) and modern white plastic dining chairs, like the Habitat Zucco Chair ($193) shown here.

Accents: For lighting, get yourself a table lamp with a traditional base shape in glass or ceramic with a glossy finish, in a fun but not overwhelming color, like hunter green. Or, paint a table lamp you already own with high-gloss paint. Pick up some of the tones in your timber wall with red project storage boxes and a Pantone coffee mug to coordinate perfectly. Keep a basket or box with a graphic cut-out pattern nearby to get finished and future projects out of the way, and toss a soft, gray, cabled throw on the back of your Wishbone chair to shield you from the occasional Summer breeze.

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This Just In: Pamela Anderson's Estate Sale

CasaSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:16:39 -0700

Think that holding estate and garage sales are just for regular folks like you and me? Think again! Blond bombshell Pamela Anderson is setting up shop, too, and if you're lucky enough to live in Malibu, you could snap up some of her goods. As you can see from the sign, the sale starts today, so if you're reading this and you're in Malibu, you better get in your car and get over there - oh wait, that's not quite right. You must get in your car, drive to the shuttle, and then take the shuttle to the sale. No walk ups or parking at the sale is allowed!
To see what Pamela is selling, read more.

It seems like she's selling everything. The list includes

5,000 square feet of beautiful vintage country French furniture, decorative items, chandeliers, lamps of all sorts. China, silver, crystal and depression glass. Beautiful old linens. Designer bedding and window treatments. Jewelry, loads of designer clothing, jeans, shoes and accessories. Pool side and garden furniture, clay and iron pots, antique and recent baskets. Old and collectible toys. Bicycles, scooters, skateboards, fishing and snow equipment. Off-road equipment, tools and electronics, full kitchen, new jacuzzi tub and bathroom fixtures. Architectural pieces. Six passenger Gem Global Electric Motor Car by Chrysler.

While I don't know why Ms. Anderson's selling everything (including the kitchen sink apparently), I've heard that the former Baywatch babe has stunning taste, so if you're in the area, get down to the sale, take some photos, and then send them back to me. I'd love to see what this sale looks like. To find out how to get there check out these directions.

Secrets for Moving In: The List

CasaSugar — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:30:00 -0700

You all gave me loads of great advice for the latest Open House, Secrets for Moving In, to pass along to my closest confidant. There was a lot to work with here, so I took the liberty of paraphrasing a bit, and adding some tips of my own. I've divided your thoughts into several different categories: pre-moving, cleaning, moving, painting, decorating, befriending neighbors, and studio-related tips.

Pre-move:

Stay organized during your packing phase. Mark your boxes well, and label them with what room they're going in ahead of time. - Queen Lizzy
Check out your new place thoroughly. Look for bad paint jobs, missing items, scuffs and other marks. Take an extra look at the kitchen and bathroom, and other high traffic places. Make sure all your light fixtures and appliances work properly.- sweetpeabrina

For more tips, read more

Cleaning

If you can afford it, hire a cleaning company. It will save you a lot of time and effort. - QueenLizzy
If your wood floors are trashed from previous tenants, get them to sparkle with a straight razor, a bowl of water, and some elbow grease. - lemonfizz
Clean BEFORE you unpack, not after you move your precious items in. - JessNess
Install some air freshener plugs (try Method) when you first get in, so it'll start smelling like home, not someone's else musty pad. - sweetpeabrina
Check out all of Method's products. They have something for everything and will make your place smell fresh, clean, and green. - littlemiss

Moving:

Put your boxes where they belong and where they'll be unpacked (i.e. glasses and dishes in kitchen). - sweetpeabrina
If you have a pet, unpack he/she first! Get their litterbox and/or food and water bowls in place, and give him/her the house tour. - sweetpeabrina
Set up your bed and important bathroom accessories first. That way, if you get sick of unpacking, you'll at least be able to shower and sleep. - sweetpeabrina
Make sure that everything has a place before you start putting it away. If you need a certain type of storage container, buy it before your temporary storage spot becomes long-term. - ella1978

Painting:

Give your new place some time before picking colors and painting. Live with the rooms for a bit, and see how you are using them, what the lighting is like at different times of the day, and what the room temperatures are like. Let the paint colors come to you naturally. - QueenLizzy, JaimeLeah526
Make your bathroom feel like a spa by choosing calming colors, and nothing too bright. Get crisp linens, oversized bath towels, and great baskets for storage. - ella1978
Hit the hardware store. Have palettes in mind and pick up all the color cards you can get away with. Cut apart your favorite colors and make a board of compatible colors. Make sure the colors in each room goes with those of the other rooms. - ella1978
Choose an underlying set of colors that you want to carry through all rooms (i.e. in trim, details, décor, etc.). - ella1978

Decorating:

Take photos and measurements of every room from every angle. - kdupps, tdamji
Look at your existing home furnishings and decide if they will be moved to the same room in your new place (bedside lamp to bedroom or living room?). - kdupps
Don't buy everything at once. Live with the space for a while and see what you might actually need. - tdamji
Bring your photos shopping with you and try to visualize the new items in your home. - tdamji
Decorate and clean one room at a time so at least you have one room to retreat to while you are working on the others. - tdamji
If you live in a small space, you have to be organized. Make sure you have good storage containers with doors, so your clutter isn't visible. - sweetpeabrina
If you have friends or family that sew, paint, or craft, ask them to make something for your new place. - sweetpeabrina
If you have a lot of things in your closets that don't go on hangers, add a second shelf to make room for more folded clothing, boxes, etc. - ella1978

Befriending Neighbors:

Give a gift to your neighbors as a way to get acquainted. - The City Girl
Everyone loves baked goods. If it's the holidays, make sure they are kosher.
If you're a talented crafter, make your neighbors a one-of-a-kind gift. Don't make anything that appeals to only certain tastes. - The City Girl

Studio-related Tips:

If your kitchen has minimal counter space, buy a kitchen island on wheels to store your kitchen essentials and use as an additional surface. - JessNess
Get a pull-out couch or armchair. It will be a life-saver when you have guests. - JessNess
Get a partition, or folding screen to separate your living from your sleeping area. - JessNess
The number one appliance to buy initially is a toaster/convection oven. You can cook a surprising amount of meals in such a small appliance. - tdamji

If you've got anything to add, feel free to comment below!

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