CasaSugar

Love It or Hate It? Teen Girl's Bathroom

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0800

Interior designer Nancy Van Natta created a Plexiglas and glass panel of a teenage girl for a bathroom featured at the 2009 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. It's definitely a fun touch for a teen's bathroom, but I can't see this element having staying power beyond a year or two.

Before and After: An Inviting Attic

CasaSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:30:15 -0700

An underused attic space was recently given new life as a cheerful, teen-friendly hangout space. Beforehand, its beige walls and brown carpeting were definitely less than inspiring.

To see the results, read more.

To make the room functional, it was divided into smaller spaces based on the activities that would be done in each area, such as a computer area for doing homework and a comfy sofa area for hanging out with friends. Bright colors on the walls and furniture updated the space, and an eco-friendly cork floor is both a durable and unusual choice for this space. I think it looks great. What about you?

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Casa Interview: The Good Wife's Stephen Hendrickson and Beth Kushnick

CasaSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:00:28 -0800

As I've mentioned in the past, I'm a huge fan of the new CBS series The Good Wife. In particular, I adore Alicia Florrick's (Julianna Margulies) apartment. With classic styling and great use of color, it's definitely a look I'm currently coveting. Luckily, I recently had the opportunity to chat with the two people responsible for the look of that very apartment. The Good Wife's production designer, Stephen Hendrickson, and set decorator, Beth Kushnick, answered my questions about the look of Alicia's home.

CasaSugar: How did the production designer and set decorator define Alicia (as a starting-over mom, lawyer, etc.), and how did this play into their concept of her new apartment?

Hendrickson and Kushnick: We defined Alicia as a working mom who wanted to make a comforting life for her kids as they had to downsize from a large house in the suburbs to a much smaller apartment which she purchased and had renovated. We kept some furniture from the old house like the kids' beds and the dining room furniture. In addition the show creators wanted to keep Alicia's king size bed as a visual - that it was too big for her new bedroom and show that one side of it was now empty. We also created a maid's room in the back of the apartment for all of her husband's belongings.

CasaSugar: How did Alicia’s style as a North Shore mom change when she moved into Chicago proper?

Hendrickson and Kushnick: Her new apartment had a sophisticated color palette . . . Alicia's apartment also has more contemporary living room furnishings and an upgraded kitchen.

Read the rest of the interview, and check out photos of the set.

Get the Look: An Education's Fab Frocks

CasaSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:00:55 -0700

Writer Nick Hornby's movie An Education chronicles the coming-of-age story of a teenage girl in 1960s suburban London, whose life is affected by the arrival of a playboy nearly twice her age. With a great cast including Carey Mulligan, Peter Sarsgaard, Emma Thompson, Alfred Molina, and Rosamund Pike, the movie features fab set design and gorgeous dresses. Check it out in theaters this Friday, but for now, see how you can translate Mulligan's gorgeous dresses to your home.
Source: IMDB

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Over-the-Top Decorating Ideas From But I'm a Cheerleader

CasaSugar — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:00:32 -0700

My sister and I recently caught But I'm a Cheerleader on HBO the other night, and my jaw dropped at the awesome, over-the-top set design of the film. It's been years since I've seen the 1999 satirical romantic comedy, whose plot follows the "re-education" of a group of gay teenagers at a therapy camp meant to make the teens heterosexual (spoiler alert: it doesn't work). Fittingly for a movie that borrows a John Waters-esque vibe, the set design embraces a vivid, surreal look, including lots of pink, pink, pink for the girls.

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Have You Ever Painted a Mural on Your Walls?

CasaSugar — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Whether it was an experiment in your teenage bedroom of yore or a more professional endeavor, tell me: have your walls ever showcased more than simply color?
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Alan Jackson Lists His Sprawling Sweetbriar Estate

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:00:22 -0700

Country Billboard chart-topper Alan Jackson has put his 19,000-square-foot, six-bedroom, seven-and-two-half bath "Sweetbriar Estate" in Franklin, TN, on the market for $38 million. The 135-acre property is the most expansive, indulgent celebrity home I have seen to date. It is bordered by the Harpeth River, one of the largest streams in the area and surrounded by equestrian estates. The property also boasts a "stocked and aerated" 10-acre lake, boat house, and three ponds. As for the buildings, Jackson is the proud owner of a 20-car (!) garage, gymnasium, swimming pool, jacuzzi, two-bedroom log cabin overlooking the river, barn with a two-bedroom apartment above, a pole barn, and more. As for the indoor amenities, it's got the works: granite countertops, central a/c, stainless steel appliances, walk-in closets, etc., etc.

Why on earth would the singer-songwriter want to leave such a magnificent spread? Find out and see dozens and dozens of photos when you read more.

Well, Jackson told the Nashville Scene, "It's just like a Disney World out here. But we realized, as our girls got older, that they don't really use the property much. Once they get to be teenagers, they're mostly hanging out with their friends and on the iPod and cell phones in their rooms. If I'd had three boys instead of girls, they might be out here fishing and riding four-wheelers or something." So, instead, the family plans to rebuild on a smaller lot nearby. While Franklin does have a long list of notable (i.e. wealthy) residents, including Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, I have a feeling that Jackson is going to have a tough time getting the $38 million digs off of his hands.

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Casa Interview: Destination Wedding Planner Alison Hotchkiss

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Alison Hotchkiss, the creative director of Alison Events and the author of Destination Wedding Planner, took some time out of her busy wedding planning schedule to offer CasaSugar readers some words of advice on planning their weddings. If you, or a couple you know, are planning a destination wedding, I highly recommend Alison's new book to help lend a guiding hand in your planning process.

CasaSugar: Congratulations on the book! I love the tone and the fun look of this planner.

Alison Hotchkiss: Oh thank you! I thought that the imagery and the lighthearted tone would encourage people to enjoy planning their weddings.

CasaSugar: What was your experience with working with Chronicle Books [the publisher of Alison’s book]?

Alison Hotchkiss: It was fun to work with Chronicle. They were really open to all of my suggestions and it felt like a very collaborative project. It felt really good, and they treated me like family. Chronicle is very supportive. They’re very cool people over there. I feel very happy to have them as my publishing company.

CasaSugar: How did you get started as a destination wedding planner?

Alison Hotchkiss: I’ve been an avid traveler since childhood, and my initial goal was to be a meeting planner, since my understanding was that they could travel all over the world. So a couple years after doing that I fell into the right situation helping with someone doing day-of event wedding planning. I realized there was a need for destination wedding planners; there were only a small number of us. The cover of my book shows the first wedding I planned. The bride on the cover is Emily Nathan, who got married in Kauai. I gave that wedding 150 percent of my energy, and I realized how much I loved it. That was seven years ago. So now, I’ll travel pretty much anywhere, but my specialty is tropical locations or mountainous locations. I love going somewhere new and learning about the place, the culture, and making new friends. It’s a blast.

To hear about some things a couple should consider when planning a destination wedding, read more.

CasaSugar: What would you say are some of the most important points of advice for a bride who’s starting to make decisions about her destination wedding?

Alison Hotchkiss: I think it’s important to narrow it down to one specific area if possible. Often couples will come in and say, “Somewhere in the tropics.” We try to help couples to determine what they really want for their destination wedding, whether they want their weddings to be activity-based, culture-based, etc. We ask couples to sit down and make a list of what the most important things in the wedding are, and then offer help in narrowing it down even further. Oftentimes weather is a consideration; the time of year will narrow the choice by determining what month is best for the location.

If people are on a budget, that cusping month (such as in May/June in Mexico), can save hundreds of dollars on your room rates in June, and the likelihood of a tropical hurricane is much less, though the weather may be sweltering hot. You have to just be flexible.

CasaSugar: What are some of the most fun weddings you’ve planned? What would you say the elements are that are universal?

Alison Hotchkiss: I think the idea of a destination is making it about a long weekend or a holiday for people and less about it being one day. We often find that we turn it into a four-day weekend starting with a fun cocktail reception, and then plan activities for the next day. Instead of rehearsal dinners we’ve had rehearsal barbecues down on the beach, and we’ve done the wedding brunch the morning of the wedding instead of the day after the wedding.

You don’t want to overwhelm your guests and feel as if they have to do everything, but it’s great to have options and have lots of fun things to do and experience and the culture and the local community.

I would say Costa Rica was one of my favorite weddings, and we also did a wedding in Sundance, UT, and those were both really fun. One was centered around surfing, the beach, and the tropics . . . it was a really laid-back group. The other wedding, in Sundance, consisted of people skiing, drinking hot toddies after skiing, and sitting around the fire.

People also have to consider, “Who are your guests?” Be mindful of who your guests are. Are they elderly? Are there kids coming? Do you have teenagers? Have babysitters services available if you need to, and if there are teenagers, find cool teenager things to do, have a movie night. If there are elderly guests, make sure there’s always a chair for them, and have a waiter dedicated to making sure they’re comfortable. I think that people get a little caught up in the planning and forget about all of the people who are attending. You have to remember your audience.

Alison has a lot more advice for brides, so make sure to check back on Monday for the second half of this interview!

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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.

This Just In: Hayden Panettiere Buys a House to Cheer About

CasaSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:00:00 -0800

Hayden Panettiere, better known as Claire Bennet the cheerleader who cannot die on NBC's Heroes, has taken time out from saving the whales to drop $2.635 million on a house in Los Angeles, according to Real Estalker.

The teenage Panettiere, who'll turn 20 next year, has room to grow in the 3,120-square-foot, three-bedroom, thee-bath house, which was constructed in 1962. The house, which is definitely modern in look and feel, features floor-to-ceiling windows, an open, loft-style layout, a newly renovated kitchen, a swimming pool, a stone fireplace, and a large deck, perfect for entertaining (or throwing huge parties).

To see interior photos of the house, read more.

I think that this house is a nice choice, and while it's bigger than most noncelebs' homes, it's less than half the size of many celeb mansions, such as Tori Spelling's new pad. I think this could be a really stunning house if Panettiere gets the right designer in there. Perhaps Top Design's Preston Lee is available?

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