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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Etsy Find: Red/Purple Quarter Whorl Suzani Pillow

CasaSugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:15:33 -0700

The Suzani trend doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon. But the trap with most trends is to buy into a big retailers' interpretation. For instance, Suzani is an intricate, beautiful, and colorful style of needlework that hails from Central Asia, but Natori sells a bedding set that is actually only printed, inspired by patterns often seen in Suzani work. These sorts of products are fleeting in fashion, so if you're going to go for a trend, get the real thing. The Red/Purple Quarter Whorl Suzani Pillow ($148) will do the trick. The pillow is made from a one-of-a-kind recycled antique Suzani textile, which was naturally dyed and embroidered with handspun silk on natural cotton ground. You can't get much more authentic than that.

Roundup: Floor Seating

CasaSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 07:00:43 -0700

Since Summer is often a time when you're hosting a lot of houseguests, as well as throwing many parties, extra seating is always a necessity. Instead of cluttering up your house with big, unwieldy pieces of furniture, go for something lower to the ground. Floor seating in the form of poufs, pillows, and floor cushions is a smart alternative. And it can also be incredibly inexpensive, as evidenced by this Suzani Floor Cushion ($39.99). I love the updated color palette on this traditional textile pattern, and it would look smashing next to a white, modern sofa.

Want to see some other great options? Then read more.

Crave Worthy: Suzani Chair

CasaSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 06:30:43 -0800

When a Central Asian textile is being replicated by an artist in Southern Vermont, you may start to wonder whether a trend has jumped the shark. But then, a discovery of an exquisite Suzani chair made by genuine Marrakechi artisans makes you believe once more. This exclusive Sheherazade Morroccan Chair ($950) is beautifully accented with nailhead trim and ultra suede armrests. It's a case in point for why some trends last, some designs are imitated, and others fall by the wayside. With this one-of-a-kind find, you can take comfort in the fact that it's all yours - and that your friends will be mighty envious of your find.

Nice and New: VivaTerra Suzani Bench

CasaSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:15:11 -0700

The suzani trend has been going on for probably a year now, and somehow I've yet to tire of it. VivaTerra has just introduced a Suzani Bench ($395-895) that is truly stunning and also eco-friendly. Made from 100 percent organic cotton and sustainable sheesham wood, and colored with eco-friendly dyes, it's one addition to your home that won't incite remorse. Available in two sizes, the elegant embroidered benches can serve as seating or a coffee table, used with a tray. At this point, I've seen the suzani trend played out in all sorts of products, often mimicking the textile's pattern rather than the embroidery itself, so it's refreshing to see such well-executed needlework.

Steal of the Day: Susan Sargent Suzani Blue Tufted Rug

CasaSugar — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 13:00:25 -0800

The Susan Sargent Suzani Blue Tufted Rug ($355 reduced from $710) is a major steal at 50 percent off. No, it's still not the least expensive rug you'll find, but it's unique and high quality, made of 100 percent hand-tufted wool with a canvas back. And despite its exotic and trendy Suzani pattern, it still manages to look shabby chic and even a bit Scandinavian. But I suppose that's to be expected from Susan Sargent, who runs her folky design company from a small, snowy town in southern Vermont, and earned her textile degree in Sweden.

Crave Worthy: Cloisonne Bowl

CasaSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:07:47 -0800

If you can afford it, this Jayson Home and Garden Cloisonne Bowl ($695) will bring a little bit of the suzani look to your table, but you don't have to go all the way to Uzbekistan to find it. I don't know about you, but I'm utterly bowled over by its unique design. It would make a great centerpiece for your favorite coffee table, or that dining table you never sit at . . .

Trend Alert: Suzani

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 07:00:24 -0800

In its most general sense, the Uzbek word "suzani" means needlework. However, most suzani lovers associate the word with the intricate, beautiful, and colorful embroidery work made by women in the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan.

To hear more about the history (and future) of suzani textiles, as well as to see some great suzani products, just read more

In the 19th century, Uzbek women made prayer mats, embroidered hangings, bed covers, and other household textiles for their homes and for dowries. Women continued to embroider these beautiful patterns during the Soviet era, and after Westerners became familiar with the beautiful textiles, the price went up dramatically. You can now find suzanis all over the Eastern and Western world, and even at stores as mainstream as Garnet Hill and Anthropologie.

Source , Source, and Source

Kate's Chic, Budget-Beautiful Sun Room

CasaSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:00:25 -0700

Kate Abney, an editor at Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles magazine, recently sent me a TwitPic of her fabulous sun room. I asked her if she'd send me a few more photos, and some background on her room and decorating style, and she graciously obliged.

Kate's apartment is on the second floor of a large, historic (1916) yellow-brick apartment building in the heart of midtown Atlanta. She notes, "We do have quite a lot of windows in the place (beautiful light!) but the interior is well-insulated and we are always more than cool enough - or toasty enough - in the summer or winter, respectively."

One of the rooms that really shows off this light beautifully is Kate's sun room. To see more photos of the room, and to find out all about how she decorated it, read more.

Since I know that readers are often curious as to where people sourced the objects and furniture in their homes, Kate was nice enough to let us in on the details. She notes that she picked up the printed cotton rug from Urban Outfitters for about $25, while the green upholstered chair was discovered at a vintage store for $50. "I'm still on the hunt for a cool Suzani lumbar pillow to toss on it," she notes.

Kate couldn't find the exact drinks table she was seeking, so she craftily created one using two Ikea planters, turning them on opposite ends and filling one with plaster-of-Paris.

"The Shaker-style blanket chest is an antique that's been in my family for years and once belonged to my great-grandfather. My uncle refinished it for me last year to the perfect matte warm brown finish. It's even gorgeous on the inside and perfect for stowing my laundry until I have a chance to take it to the laundry mat," Kate says. "The green botanical print cushion I actually made from a $10 CB2 table runner, just removing the seams, stuffing it and then sewing the end back up."

Kate ordered the mid-century upholstered footstool from an antiques store in Florida via eBay, while the arc lamp is a Bed Bath & Beyond knockoff, and the desk is from Target. Other room elements include a Jonathan Adler ceramic vase and a bent plywood chair shipped straight from France that she found through eBay.

What a great space, Kate! I wish I could visit and relax in your lovely sun room. I also admire your savvy sourcing of diverse accents and furniture. Nice work!

Do you have a well-decorated room to show off? Share it in my Su Casa group!

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Sale Alert: Wisteria Semi-Annual Sale

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:30:40 -0700

Wisteria's Semi-Annual Sale has kicked off with savings of up to 60 percent on accessories, lighting, and furniture. Aside from fantastic prices, there's a lot to love in the sale, be it little accents like this Suzani Pillow ($57, reduced from $89) or larger, swoonworthy investment pieces like this hand-cut inlaid camel bone Moorish Chest ($1,949, reduced from $2,999). To see my picks from the sale, read more.

Sheepskin Floor Cushion - $89.00	Flocks Pouf - $800.00
Missoni Home - garden 2 living collection by missoni home - $410.00	Felted Wool Stones - $298.00
Agadir Pouf, Small - $198.00	Stripe Rope Floor Cushion - $79.00
Square Tufted Jute Floor Cushion - $79.00	Henley 30\" Floor Pillow in Chocolate - $99.00
Blissliving Home Mia Floor Pillow - $65.00	Poufs - $179.00
Zanotta - globulo pouf by fabrizio bertero and andrea panto - $627.00	Black/Pink Suzani Floor Cushion - $39.99
Maize Floor Cushions - $12.48	Artifort mushroom pouffe - $633.00

Embossed Bone Flower Mirror - $349.00	Modernist Wooden Side Table - $249.00
Did Someone Say Drama Candleholder - $89.00	Art Deco Venetian Mirror - $329.00
Mercury Glass Bird - Large - $24.00	French Library Shelves Ladder - $279.00
Pom-Pom Accent Pillow - Blue Bolster - $59.00	Bistro Chair Cushions - Set of Four - $69.00
Swedish Secretary - $2,199.00	Moorish Chest - Pink Four Drawer - $2,999.00
Candlestick Floor Lamp - $329.00