CasaSugar

Love It or Hate It? Wood Trays With Swarovski Crystals

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:24 -0700

OK, I like wood trays. And I like Swarovski. But together? I'm just not sold. These Wood Trays With Swarovski Crystals ($175 on sale) will add some bling to your tray needs.

Desire/Acquire: DWR's Cellula Chandelier

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 07:00:05 -0700

While the Cellula Chandelier ($2,210) may be on sale for nearly $400 off the original price, over $2K is more than most of us are willing to spend on a light fixture. Still, since the Cellula chandelier is studded with Swarovski crystal pendants, it's a definite head-turner. It's a great upgrade on the traditional chandelier, and is sleek enough to fit the most cutting-edge home.

To find out where to get a lookalike for nearly a tenth of the price, read more.

The Linear Bar Pendant ($306.99) may not feature Swarovski crystals, but at this price, who cares? They're a close enough match to forgive the lack of Swarovski crystals on the cheaper pendant, in my opinion, especially when there's a $2,000 price difference.

Nice and New: Tord Boontje Crystal Ice Furniture

CasaSugar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 07:00:49 -0800

Renowned tech-meets-folk product designer Tord Boontje debuted his new Crystal Ice furniture collection for Swarovski at the Maison et Objet trade show in Paris last month. The range includes three designs (a bench, table, and stool) which use densely wrapped crystals to create an illusion of floating icicles. If the words "winter wonderland" could ever translate to interior furnishings, he's pulled it off. The collection is completely stunning - almost (almost) too precious to own.Boontje wasn't alone in creating the Swarovski Crystal Palace; among others, Tom Dixon created a suspended virtual sphere out of crystals and Belgian architect Vincent van Duysen took home an award for his opulent 10-foot chandelier made from cascading crystals. It's not even Valentine's Day yet, but I'm definitely in love.
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Top Design, Episode Eight: "Light It Up"

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:45:24 -0700

Three men (Preston, Eddie, and Nathan) and two women (Ondine and Andrea) remain on Top Design. Right off the bat, we are treated to more homesickness from Andrea (in case you forgot, which it is literally impossible to do if you watch the show regularly, she's Ricky Schroder's wife). As the episode begins, Andrea receives flowers and a love poem from her hubz, which she says makes her even more homesick. Many of you have been anti-Andrea, but I was actually starting to warm up to her. However, this display of adorableness has made me change my mind yet again. (And was it just me, or did Ondine seem a little sarcastic when she said she was thrilled to have met her?)

But on to the design challenge! Things started with a switcheroo, as the designers were asked to complete a pop design challenge before moving on to the main challenge. Using Jonathan Adler accessories, the designers styled the same sets of beige sofas. Eddie won immunity for the challenge (I did love his fern and floral table arrangement). Still, he continues to be a cheeky and, dare I say, rude, dude.

To see who won, and who had to leave, read more.

This week, the designers were challenged to create a room around one focal point: Swarovski crystal lighting. The fixtures were absolutely stunning, and the designers had $22,000 to spend on their rooms. I was in love with Nathan's super-funky rich girl's bedroom - I admired his bold use of the wooden horse and the Keith Haring-esque pop art colors and designs on the wall.

And yay! Jonathan Adler's hubby Simon Doonan was the guest judge for this episode. Though, sadly, this meant that we were denied the opportunity to observe more of Kelly Wearstler's wacky style. Luckily, Nathan helped us out with his bling-bling silver leather jacket, which he wore at judging.

The judges hated Eddie's use of his Swarovski chandelier, which they said looked cheap, but they loved Nathan's room, as well as Preston's, and Preston's sleek living room was declared the winner of the challenge. Before they could declare a loser, though, Andrea offered to leave, since she was homesick for her kids and husband. Did they let her go? Absolutely.

What struck you about this episode? Were you more annoyed by Eddie's attitude, or his obsession with Martha Stewart? Do you get the impression that Preston is a sweet shy nerd who's being ostracized by the cool kids? Tell me in the comments.

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Photos courtesy of Bravo

If Money Weren't an Issue . . .

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 11:00:17 -0700

. . . would you buy Crystal Edition Swarovski-studded furniture (inquire for price)?

Love It or Hate It: Tricked-Out Toilet

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:45:10 -0800

Um, wow. This commode, meticulously covered with 50,000 hand-set Swarovski crystals, sold for a reported $75,000. It's part of the bling-covered Isis Collection, designed by Jemal Wright of Hollywood, Florida. The artist also has a matching sink available, and should finish a Swarovski-covered double slipper tub by spring of 2008.

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Do You Own a Hand Mirror?

CasaSugar — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 08:30:32 -0700

There's something about a hand mirror that makes me feel as if I'm in a Victorian novel. Of course, most of us would never splurge on this Caprice Arabesque Hand Mirror ($1,295), which is inset with Swarovski crystals, but many of us have owned hand mirrors in the past. Do you have one?

Casa Verde: Upcycled Chandeliers

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 08:00:01 -0700

Two years ago, artists Laurel Roth and Andy Diaz Hope collaborated on the chandelier project "Trinity," which is currently being exhibited in the Second Lives exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design in New York City.

While the chandeliers are shockingly gorgeous, what they're made from is even more surprising. To find out the materials in these chandeliers, read more.

This series of chandelier sculptures are adorned with dangerous-looking hypodermic needles, Swarovski crystal, and gelatin capsules. At first glance, you'd never guess that these gorgeous sculptures were constructed from medical waste.

The artists created the chandeliers, in part, as a reflection on our relationship with pharmaceuticals. In Hope's words, "The beauty of the object from a distance and the repulsion of the individual elements upon closer inspection create the tension of our culture's schizophrenic relationship to drugs."

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Home Away From Home: The G Hotel

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:00:00 -0700

St. Patrick's Day may be over, but that's no reason not to cast an eye toward Ireland, especially when the view is this fantastic. If you're headed to Ireland for a honeymoon or an adventure, consider booking a night at the g hotel in Galway, which evokes old Hollywood glamour on the Emerald Isle.

The luxury hotel features 18,000 square feet of public areas, including three separately styled and themed lounges and a restaurant, which are linked by a deeply pink carpeted corridor. The hotel's ESPA spa also provides everything from holistic hand massages to Ayurvedic body treatments. No expense seems to have been spared - one bar features a carpet of thousands of Red Swarovski crystals adorning the bar, while the restaurant offers European dining with an Irish influence, which can be eaten from the comfort of banquettes in purple velvet and jewel-colored Andrew Martin chairs.

To find out about the designer behind the hotel, as well as how much a night at the g will cost you, read more.

Designer Philip Treacy, who's perhaps better known for his millinery skills, is responsible for the g's glam look. He writes,

I am from Ahascragh in County Galway and Galway City is a place I am always telling my friends they should visit. It has a bohemian and artistic character that has long embraced its "worldliness," rather than just its Irishness, and it is different from almost anywhere else in Ireland. For this reason, it is the right location for a totally new kind of hotel experience.

Working in conjunction with Irish architects and designers Douglas Wallace on the g hotel I have brought together an eclectic mix of styles - from baroque to contemporary, and many places in between - to create an overall effect that seeks to surprise as well as to delight. But it is the impression of glamour that I most want to convey.

Rooms start at 140 euros a night, and given the luxurious and generous public spaces available in the hotel, this seems like a reasonable splurge, especially when other "luxury" hotels are often less interesting in terms of interior design.

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Would You Use Black Toilet Paper?

CasaSugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 16:00:32 -0700

The concept of "designer toilet paper" is a kind of akin to a Swarovski-encrusted nose hair trimmer; you just can't make nasal weed-wacking look glamorous. So, I would never venture to kid myself by buying Black Toilet Paper ($12). But, I do think if you were going to go all out hosting a Halloween party, it might then be acceptable.