CasaSugar

Casa Quickie: Paint the Frame

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:30:24 -0700

Save the acres of tabletop and wall space we have indoors, there's only so much space to personalize on the exterior of our homes. Landscaping demands upkeep and time. Beyond that, there are limited places to use accessories and hardware outside. Painting, on the other hand, is a simple way to make your home stand out from its neighbors - especially now that you know how to paint your home's exterior. I recommend choosing a neutral color for your home's siding, and using color on your shutters. One way to make the most of this is to paint the frame of your window. That additional sliver of color anchors your shutters, making them a focal point rather than an accent. Have you tried this trick on your home?

Photo by Tara Donne

DIY: Shutter Earrings Display

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 06:15:59 -0700

If you liked my transformation of a shutter, then check out this DIY, where I show you how to make an earrings display out of some low-cost materials. This is a fun and fast DIY that will instantly transform an earring collection.

What You'll Need

One shutter (check out an architectural salvage store or a junkyard for cheap shutters)
Wallpaper samples, or heavy paper
Mod Podge or wallpaper paste
Scissors or a razor blade
Paintbrush
Flat edge tool, such as a credit card
Three screws: two short screws for the back of your shutter, and one longer screw for the wall
Screwdriver or power drill
Picture hanging wire

To hear the steps, read more.

Working on a flat surface, cover one edge of the shutter with the wallpaper. Run your finger firmly against the wallpaper where it meets the edges of the shutter. You'll be able to see raised marks on the edges of the paper if you press hard enough. Use these edges as your guides for cutting the paper.

Repeat these steps on all of the outside edges of the shutter. This will provide the "frame" for your earrings holder.
Now, use your wallpaper paste or Mod Podge to glue down the wallpaper. Use your flat edge tool to make sure that the wallpaper adheres smoothly to the wood.

After your wallpaper dries, turn over the shutter and screw two short screws onto each side of the shutter, near the top. Then, twine your picture hanging wire on each end.

Screw the longer screw into the wall of your bedroom or bathroom (or wherever you want to display your earrings).
Hang your earrings, and enjoy the display!

Cool Idea: A Shutter as a Memory Board

CasaSugar — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:00:55 -0700

The great thing about memory boards is that they don't require any magnets or pushpins to hang your mementos and notes as cork boards and refrigerators doors do. But, none of these options are very attractive or interesting looking. An alternative is to hang an old shutter from a flea market or your own house horizontally on the wall, and display your photographs, memos, and souvenirs by setting them between its slats. Some flimsy papers may require a bit of double-stick tape on their backsides, but most items will stay up on their own. And then you can say goodbye to those unsightly magnets from your local delivery pizza place.
Source

Before and After: A Humble Shutter Gets Its Due

CasaSugar — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 06:15:01 -0700

I found these cool, untreated, wood shutters at Urban Ore, an architectural salvage yard in Berkeley. While I didn't exactly know what I was going to do with them, I knew that I'd think of something, so I dragged a few of them home.

Curious as to what I came up with? Then read more.

I made an earrings display. Using Ferm Living's Family Tree pattern wallpaper, I covered the edges of the shutter, essentially making a piece of wall décor out of a humble shutter. Want to make your own? Stay tuned for the DIY directions.

Are You Preparing For Hurricane Season?

CasaSugar — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:00:20 -0700

If you live in an Atlantic coastal area, chances are your mind's on hurricane season. Today marks the official start of hurricane season, which runs from today through November. Gerry Bell, lead hurricane forecaster at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, says residents should "[p]repare for each and every season regardless of the seasonal outlook. Even a near- or below-normal season can produce landfalling hurricanes, and it only takes one landfalling storm to make it a bad season."

Residents can protect their homes and families by contacting companies such as Family Shutters. In this shot, an employee of Family Shutters places Plexiglas hurricane panels on a home to help protect it from high winds in Miami.

Source

Do You Display Your Jewelry?

CasaSugar — Mon, 18 May 2009 15:00:56 -0700

I've written before about how apparel as home decor is a growing trend, showed you how to make my shutter earrings display, as well as the DIY tree branch jewelry stand of a Su Casa member. In this photograph by Todd Selby, fashion designer and artist Natalie Wood displays her necklaces on the wall of her Sydney home like artwork. So, how about you? Do you subscribe to this trend?
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How-To: Secure Your Home For a Hurricane

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

With Tropical Storm Gustav making its way through the Caribbean, I've got hurricanes on the mind. When I lived in New Orleans, to prepare for a storm, I'd basically move my bed to the center of the room away from the windows, and move things off the floor onto my mattress: pretty amateur and useless preparations. I lived in a rental then, so I guess I didn't really care about protecting the property. If that weren't the case, the most important precaution I'd take to reduce damage would be to protect the areas where wind can enter. According to recent wind technology research, you should strengthen the exterior of your house so wind and debris don't tear large openings in it. There are five critical areas of your home to protect and reinforce. To hear about them, and the steps you should take, read more.

Here is a summary of tips from the National Hurricane Center.

Retrofit your roof.
If you have a gabled roof, you'll want to strengthen the gabled end walls, as they can take a tremendous beating during a storm. To do so, "fasten eight-foot-long braces to the bottom chord of the gable truss and the adjacent trusses with sixteen-penny (16d) nails." Make sure they are perpendicular to the truss, spaced four feet apart on center, max. "Tie back the gable truss with at least one eight-foot-long brace, along the ridge of the roof, to several of the interior trusses."

Shingles also aren't made or installed to be wind resistant, and furthermore, sometimes their adhesives haven't adhered properly. Have a professional check to see if this is the case. If so, "use a quick-setting asphalt cement to bond them together." To do so, "place two spots of quick-setting asphalt cement about the size of a quarter under each tab with a putty knife or caulking gun," and press the shingle's tab into the adhesive.

Install hurricane straps.
You should also install metal hurricane straps to ensure that your roof and walls are properly connected. To do so, "remove the roof sheathing around the perimeter of the roof to reveal the top of the wall [ and . . . ] the soffit and exterior cladding to reveal the top 12 to 18 inches of the wall." And, "If your roof has trusses, make sure you tie them to the wall by either anchoring to the top plate and then the top plate to the wall stud, or strapping the truss directly to the wall stud."

Install impact-resistant shutters.
To protect doors and windows from wind-borne objects, and reduce sudden pressure changes when a window or door is broken, you should install impact-resistant shutters to your windows and doors. A simple plywood panel will do, and manufactured shutters (or those already on your house) may work as well, but you should lean against it and see if it yields; this will tell you if it can resist the impact of debris. In either case, you must make sure the shutters are adequately fastened, or they'll just fly off. You can also invest in impact-resistant windows and doors, which won't require temporary shutters during a storm.

Secure entry doors.
Your home's entry doors can probably resist wind pressure and debris, but there are a few precautions you can take. "Install head and foot bolts on the inactive door of double-entry doors." Ensure you door has "at least three hinges and a deadbolt security lock, which has a minimum one-inch bolt throw length." And on a double entry door, check the connections at the header trim or threshold, making sure "the surface bolt extends into the door header and through the threshold into the subfloor."

Brace garage doors.
Double-wide garage doors are particularly susceptible to wind damage because of their width, and they can be forced out of their roller tracks. Your local building supplier or garage-door retailer may actually sell a retrofit kit to withstand hurricane winds, which will secure it. Otherwise, you should reinforce it at its weakest points, "installing horizontal and/or vertical bracing onto each panel, using wood or light gauge metal girds bolted to the door mullions, [using] heavier hinges and stronger end and vertical supports for your door."

To learn more, check out the National Hurricane Center's website.
Source

How-To: Spring Organize Your Bedroom

CasaSugar — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:00:39 -0700

Spring is the perfect time to get your home clean and organized. To help you get inspired, I've whipped up a Spring Cleaning Checklist, which you can download and print out. The PDF lists cleaning and organizing duties room by room, to keep things simple. Earlier today, I expanded on my PDF tips for cleaning your bedroom, so if you haven't read my post on cleaning, definitely do so.

To see my tips for organizing your living room, read more.

Relocate your computer station/laptop. Bedrooms should ideally be reserved for sleeping, relaxing, and getting romantic. If nothing else, invest in an under-the-bed storage container or basket that you can use to toss your laptop in and slide under the bed.
Donate any clothes and/or shoes you have not worn in the past year that are cluttering up your closet. Also add any extra bedding you do not use to that pile, as well as books you will never lend to friends or read again. Choose your favorite local charity, or go with one of the bigger, national charities that does great work, such as Goodwill or St. Vincent de Paul.
Recycle papers and magazines that have spent too long sitting on your bedside table.
Toss anything not in good enough condition to donate. If the objects are large, arrange a pick-up from your waste service, or take it to the dump, which will probably involve a fee.
Add shoe storage, closet storage, and under-bed storage. You might also try reorganizing your jewelry by making my earrings shutter. Check out my finds below.

Lt. Walnut Cut-out with Glass Armoire - $385.00	Degernes Bed Storage Box - $39.99
CLOSEOUT! Martha Stewart Collection "Closet Shop" Over-the-Door Hanging Shoe Pockets - $24.99	VÄnna Storage Unit - $249.00
Platinum elfa Easy Hang Shoe Rack - $8.99	Barn Wood & Chalkboard Bin - $38.00
John Louis Home Honey Maple Premier Closet Organizer - $359.99	10-Shelf Shoe Organizer - $15.00

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Did You Shop at Home Depot EXPO?

CasaSugar — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 15:00:17 -0800

Unfortunately, there's more bad news on the home furnishings front. Home Depot announced today that it was cutting 7,000 jobs and shuttering its 34 EXPO stores.

Home Depot CEO Frank Blake said, "Exiting our EXPO business is a difficult decision, particularly given the hard work and dedication of our associates in that business and the support of our loyal customers. . . . At the same time, it is a necessary decision that will strengthen our core Home Depot business." Source

Casa Quickie: New Uses For Old Buttons

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0800

The folks over at Wish have devised a cute and clever way to repurpose those bags of spare buttons sitting in your junk drawer. Use them to keep pairs of earrings together by slipping their posts or hooks through the button holes. If you sport pins or brooches, this will trick will work for them as well. I must say it's a pretty useful idea; my post earrings are always getting lost. Of course, I've got my hook earrings neatly hung on the shutter earring display I made. There's a reason why the expression "cute as a button," is what it is: buttons are darn cute, especially a collection as colorful as this one. So, to learn one more way to repurpose your remnant buttons, read more.

You can use a big ole collection of buttons to cover the back of a medallion chair. Though the project is simple but time consuming, it's worth it, as it can add personality to an otherwise prim and proper piece of furniture.
Source and Source