CasaSugar

Love It or Hate It? Painted Stair Railing

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:15:46 -0800

I love it when homeowners get creative with their staircases, and this design is no exception. While it's a little more traditional in pattern and color, I find it utterly charming. The only problem that I can see is that it is potentially difficult to decorate around.

Source: Flickr User Allie_Caulfield

Before and After: A Dull Bath Blossoms

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:00:29 -0700

When faced with a dull and drab half bathroom, it's easy to ignore it, since the work to transform the space often seems daunting. However, crafty lady Singalala took her dull and drab bathroom from an eyesore to a standout in one weekend! She writes, "I have been living in my rental house for two and a half years now. I live in the Netherlands and for small, rental houses it is customary to have only one toilet, in the hallway. The shower or bath is usually separate. My toilet is under my staircase and is very, very small. Besides this, my toilet was old, the grout of the floor was loose and it had a big hole where the ventilation pipe was. The lightbulb was attached to the wall with a weird construction. The tap was full of limescale and was missing most of its chrome. The pipe for the water was exposed and painted in a bad shade of beige. The summary: not very pretty."

To see how Singalala turned it around, read more.

Using stencils and a bright shade of paint, Singalala completely transformed this bathroom into something beautiful. She raves, "I love my toilet now! It turned out much better than I imagined, and on a budget. I only paid for the accessories, tap, mural transfers and the metal paint. The rest was free or were leftovers from other projects around the house. And it only took me a weekend! My boyfriend was on holiday and was very pleasantly surprised when he returned."

Read more about this project on Craftster.

View 9 Photos ›

Cool Idea: Stenciled Shelving

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 10:00:32 -0700

I recently stumbled upon Craftster member Retroeva's post on her kitchen makeover. While I love the new look, my absolute favorite part of the kitchen is Retroeva's stenciled open shelving.

As you know, I'm a big fan of open shelving. I especially love it when a homeowner paints the back wall of the shelving with a contrasting color, or adds wallpaper to the wall. However, until now, I'd never realized the potential oomph that a well-chosen stencil could give this kitchen feature.

Want to see the reset of Retreva's fabulous kitchen? Then read more.

Retroeva writes, "After much debate I decided to paint my kitchen red, so I stalked the paint sections at the hardware store and pillaged the paint chips to tape on the wall to gawk at as the sun made its way through the sky and decided on Eddie Bauer's 'Crimson' which is part of his bungalow collection at Lowes. This is the second color of that line that I've worked with and I'm pleased."

I'd be pleased as well! The kitchen looks fabulous. Nice work, Retroeva!

Source

Before and After: Stenciling the Entry

CasaSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:15:39 -0800

In a recent Home Library post, I reviewed Ed Roth's book Stencil101, which gave simple instructions for adding stencil fun to your home. I decided to try out his swallow stencil in my entry. First, I used painter's tape to tape down the stencil flat against the wall. Then I carefully blotted white paint over the stencil with a nearly dry brush.

To see how it came out, read more.

Do you like it? This little bird has become the focus of the entry, especially since the coat rack spells out the word "Flock." Pretty appropriate, I'd say!

How-To: Frosted Glass Stenciling

CasaSugar — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Craftynest recently gave a makeover to her antique wooden bookcase, and the topping on the cake was a frosted stencil on its glass doors. If you've got a glass cabinet, vase, or even a mirror in need of a little facelift, you can easily recreate this look with a few supplies. All you'll need to repeat this project is glass cleaner, paper towels, a craft knife, a wet erase marker, contact paper, a large stencil, and Krylon Frosted Glass Finish in white. To learn the steps, read more.

Clean the glass well with your glass cleaner, and wipe it down with a paper towel or rag.
Peel a few inches off of the contact paper and stick it to the edge of the glass, and smooth it down. Unroll a few more inches at a time, and continue to peel. Make sure you burnish out any bubbles.
Make sure there are no open spaces on the edge of the frame.
After you've chosen your stencil, trace the pattern onto the contact paper with the wet erase marker. Repeat, if desired.
Use your craft knife (try an X-acto knife), cut the outline of the stencil on the contact paper.
Then, use the tip of the knife to lift the pieces of the cut pattern.
Wipe off the excess marker with a paper towel. Use the glass cleaner if necessary.
Shake the can of the glass finish. Spray it on the stenciled (i.e. no contact paper) portions of the glass from 10 to 12 inches away in a side-to-side motion. Let dry and spray another coat.
Let dry, and then peel off the contact paper. Fini!

For photos and more details, check out Craftynest.
Source

Home Library: Stencil101

CasaSugar — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:30:31 -0800

Growing up, I remember visiting many homes whose walls were stenciled with cabbage roses and ivy. These shabby chic delights were never my preference, even as a kid, but I did admire the technique of stenciling. Years later, stenciling became an integral part of graffiti culture, and Shepherd Fairey's Obey stencil, which he created nearly 20 years ago, launched an army of Obey stencils graffitied across the country.

Now, graphic designer Ed Roth is bringing stencils back to the home front. Roth, who founded Stencil1 in Brooklyn in 2005, makes reusable stencils that look perfectly at home on a kitchen wall or a pillowcase. His designs have been covered by ReadyMade, The New York Times, and featured on The Martha Stewart Show.

To hear about Roth's new book, read more.

With Stencil101: Make Your Mark With 25 Reusable Stencils and Step-by-Step Instructions ($24.95), Roth has made his iconic stencils available to the general public. The book contains 25 reusable card-stock laminated stencils, and directions simple enough for even the extreme novice to master. While some of the stencils are more suited for a teenager's room (think: cassette tapes, gorilla heads), others are very design-savvy, and would look lovely in any number of rooms of your home. If you're a home DIYer looking to add some simple, cheap style to your home, I highly recommend this book.

Casa Quickie: Pattern With Ease

CasaSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:00:33 -0700

A rug is a wonderful thing, but it also comes with the hassle of spot-cleaning when you spill. And unless you choose a low-pile rug, you may be faced the headaches of shedding. Instead, go with parquet flooring or try stenciling your wood or concrete floors. This will give you the pattern of a rug, but you can mop your floors clean in a jiffy. Beyond that, if you have radiant floor heating, you can also have the warmth of a rug. Plus, if your floors are worn-in and have seen better days, sometimes a paint job and some stenciling is just the camouflage they need.
Source

Meg Ryan Reduces the Price of Her Bel-Air Mansion

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:00:11 -0700

Nearly a year ago to date, I let you know that Meg Ryan had listed her six-bedroom, seven-bath Bel-Air home for the tune of $19.5 million. With no bites, she took it off the market in February. Now, she's relisted the property with a new real estate agent, knocking the price down to $14.2 million. Even though Meg's been reeling in the big-screen bucks since the '80s, I suspect that even for her, a $5 million loss makes a difference. Think of all the Joe Versus the Volcano-style vacations she could take with that moola!

The listing for the Holmby Hills-area Spanish-style compound reads:

Museum quality restoration of a classic Spanish estate sited on promontory with wide open city and ocean views across layers of greenery. Wonderful arches, resort-like grounds and complete privacy. Stenciled and painted wood ceilings, tiles, ironwork, rich wood floors, doors and windows, arches, etc. French doors throughout open to loggia, dining pavilion, expansive lawn and pool. Stunning kitchen, generous living room and dining room, separate bar room, two family rooms and screening room.

To see interior and exterior photos of the property, read more.

View 15 Photos ›

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!

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 13:00:08 -0700

What do you think of flowers that don't peep out vases? Decor8
Bernie Madoff's Montauk beach house sold! - ShelterPop
I'm loving this beach-house renovation. - AT:NY
Learn to cope with frustrating home fixes. - Charles & Hudson
Arrange a beautiful, Summer picnic bouquet. - Design*Sponge
Watch a vid to learn how to stencil a wall pattern. - Craftzine