CasaSugar

Coveted Crib: The Floating House

CasaSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 12:00:44 -0700

Living on the water is nothing new; it's been a tradition in many cultures for ages. And, of course, societies have developed by the water for logistical reasons. Naturally, many people also want to live near the water to take advantage of all the activities it has to offer, and for the view. In areas surrounded by water and in densely populated urban centers with high real-estate costs, permanently living literally on the water in a houseboat just makes sense. Unfortunately, though, traditional houseboat designs have left much to be desired. So, design label Confused Direction, based in Oldenburg, Germany (which features the most important noncoastal harbor in Lower Saxony), teamed up with carpentry company Schreinermeisterei to develop a residential boat that balances both good design and maritime romance. "Das Schwimmhaus" has the same fresh and elegant look of Confused Direction's furniture and interior designs, but departs from nature-inspired curves and waves towards a more angular look.
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10 Haunted Houses in New Orleans

CasaSugar — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:00:46 -0700

Are you ready to see more haunted houses? If my slideshow on California haunted houses wasn't spooky enough, I've just got the thing. New Orleans is perhaps America's most haunted city, so it's no surprise the place is full of ghosts and floating entities. Come take a look.

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Would You Want a Floating Staircase?

CasaSugar — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:00:14 -0700

I've seen a few floating staircases in the past and they certainly look cool. But I think I'm too much of a wimp not to have a banister. And they're definitely not very safe for children or the elderly. Would you want one in your house?

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Ask Casa: Best Ways to Store Vinyl?

CasaSugar — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:39 -0700

Hi Casa,

I recently had the idea to start a record collection because I found some old vinyl albums that belonged to my parents and I live near a record store, and I also have a few CDs as well.

I was keeping one of my favorite vinyls in my bedroom but for some reason when I took it out of the cover it had cracked, now I'm wondering what is the best way to store vinyl records so this does not happen again as well as possible ways to store my CDs.

Do you have any design or organization tips? I've checked out Ikea or the Container Store but I don't want a bunch of separate containers scattered all over my room and I live with my parents so I can't just put a music collection in another room. Any ideas?

Thank you,
Peachy

To hear my suggestions for Peachy, read more.

Hi Peachy,

Between my husband and me, we probably have around 1,000 vinyl records at our house (at a minimum), so I understand your concerns! We used custom-made shelves that we bought inexpensively and stained (you can see them on the right side of this photo). Check out our other music storage solutions here.

Another great, inexpensive way to store records is by heading to Ikea and picking up some Expedit shelves. Record geeks note that each space holds 90-100 albums, so that should easily accommodate your needs (and the need to grow your collection).

I also love the solution that Gemma Ahern used in her apartment, which you can see in the top photo. She simply used a floating wall shelf from Ikea that she hung at a height about an inch above the height of a record, and then painted the shelf to blend in to the wall. This created instant storage, as well as space for books, a turntable, and sculptural objects.

As far as keeping your records in tip-top shape, always store them upright (not stacked) encased in the sleeve and a plastic or paper insert. Keep them out of direct sunlight, and if your record happens to warp, place it between two pieces of heavy glass, and lay it in mild sunshine for several hours, until the record lies flat.

Does anyone else have a brilliant storage solution? Tell Peachy about it in the comments!

Cheers,
Casa

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Casa Interview, Part II: Domino Founding Editor Deborah Needleman (and an Awesome Giveaway!)

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 09:00:39 -0700

Deborah Needleman, the founding editor of Domino, is a goldmine of savvy advice on decorating your home, honed from years of experience heading up the style-centric magazine as well as decorating her own home. You can read the first half of my interview with her here. Deborah's tips and thoughts on decorating continue in the second half of this interview.

Our homes are really personal spaces. Considering that most of us are shopping from the same few décor retailers and finding inspiration in the same shelter magazines and blogs, how should we go about personalizing our homes?
Every home definitely needs a few old things and a couple unique things. And when most of what we have is mass-produced, it's more important than ever to have some things made by actual human hands, whether it's pottery, rugs, pictures, whatever. It is essential to find a few things that no one else has, whether you find them in a shop, at a tag sale, bring them back from a trip, collect them from nature, or even make them - like just tacking up drawings or notes from friends. Stuff that is meaningful to us, what we love or collect or find is interesting to our guests. I also do think it's really nice to have one really good piece - whether that's a table, rug, chandelier, whatever. It gives your room some substance, some weight - and also ensures it doesn't look like anyone else's.

To read the rest of the interview, read more.

I love your home, which I saw featured in New York magazine a few years ago. I know that you’re a big fan of neutrals and white, or at least you were when that article was written. Are you still a neutrals gal?
Thanks. It's funny, in New York City which is so chaotic and where I get easily overwhelmed, I need to be a neutral gal. It totally calms me down, and keeps my head clear. But upstate, where I feel more relaxed, I love layering patterns and color - florals, suzanis, chintzes, Indian prints, etc. I'm covering my sofa there in purple linen, my study is painted black, and one room is the craziest color green I've ever seen.

I love how your home is elegant and adult-oriented, yet still kid-accessible. What is your advice on and personal experience with creating gorgeous spaces that are also kid-friendly?
I have never understood dumbing down design for kids. No one had kid-friendly homes when I was growing up - people just had the homes they had and their children lived in them! A family home is for adults and children - why on earth would anyone give over their living room to let it look like a play room?! I'll probably get hate mail for this, but aside from a gate so children don't tumble down the stairs, and maybe a lock on the cabinet if you have the kind of children that want to eat the Ajax or whatever, children can be taught that table edges are sharp and that food is to be eaten in the kitchen and that open markers can't be left on the rug!

Other than that, if you have a fairly light palette like I do, you have to accept that you won't have the cleanest house in the world. Fortunately I like a bit of a patina on things! I like that the floor is scuffed by skateboards in part because I love a house where children feel free to run wild, have loads of friends over, and make forts out of the sofa cushions, but also where they have a sense of responsibility and respect for things. Oh, and I have cheap rugs, so if they get destroyed, I won't be sad! And I certainly wouldn't choose a linen velvet sofa fabric if I had to do it again! Kids don't rule the roost, they share it.

Your HomeGoods StyleScope tool helps home decorators find their style. How would you describe your own style?
I think I'm fairly conventional at core - I couldn't have furniture at funny angles or a bed floating in a room or anything too wacky or "fun." I dig symmetry. I like things that are classic in shape and form - not overly embellished, but I appreciate many kinds of design. I think I take this fairly classic base and mess it up a bit. I'm certainly not traditional. I like to layer on personality and quirk with ethnic textiles, cushions, interesting objects, fabrics, and art. I love stuff from India, Morocco, England. Thus, Bohemian Classic.

And to revive a favorite Domino feature of mine, what are 10 things that make you happy?
Hilarious question! Well, first of all, we never let people say their children or their dogs!!! Too boring and obvious.

Nearly all Santa Maria Novella products (if I could only choose one thing, it'd be their potpourri. But I'm crazy about the milk body cream, the honeysuckle perfume, and the pomegranate soap and bath salts). I am obsessed with scent - on my body and in my home!
My veg garden. (Really, seeing my children eat their way through our veg garden, but at Domino I would've edited that out as too sentimental!)
Making flower arrangements for the house.
My white parsons table (I have two) - and a brilliant new parsons side table in the pitch-perfect green color.
Comfy chairs in kitchens and bathrooms.
Cheap weekly blowouts from walk-in, no-appointment places.
Summer dinner outside with friends.
Staying in a lovely hotel room (never a trendy hotel, I like old-school, old-fashioned hotels). I love that nothing belongs to me and the beds are perfectly made. The Duc du St. Simon in Paris is pretty excellent.
Bobbi Brown makeup. Makes you look sun-kissed, not dolled up.
I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't say this, but having a decorator!! Specifically having the genius Rita Konig as a decorator!

Thank you, Deborah! We have a special giveaway for you CasaSugar readers on the way. One of you lucky readers will win a $500 gift card to HomeGoods! Check back for more details about the giveaway later on today!

Advice For Creating a Pretty and Practical Work Space in Your Home

CasaSugar — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:34 -0700

Have you ever considered working from home? Whether you want to create a home office or a home business space, there are a lot of things to consider, not the least of which is creating a space that's both attractive and productive. Jennifer Nelson of Home Sweet has done just that by transforming a bedroom in her Craftsman home into a workspace for her business. She writes, "I love that I have my own space to work. Block printing takes up a lot of room and makes a lot of mess, so having this space is essential!"

Her space accommodates a lot of tools, including a sewing desk trimmed with yardsticks, filing crates, task lighting, miscellaneous tools and books, a large printing table, and a fabric roll, among other things. Jennifer also has a television and DVD player in her studio, where she watches movies such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Norma Ray.

Interested in hearing Jennifer's advice for working out of your home, and seeing more pictures of her space? Then read more.

Jennifer offers this advice for working out of your home:

On distractions: There are a few things that help with that, but were never really conscious decisions. For one, fabric printing isn't very tolerant of interruptions - ink dries out quickly and becomes unusable. So as much as I may be tempted to float off into blog-land, I don't want to come back to a pot full of gummy ink! This way, breaks are automatically kept short. Also, the studio is as far as you can get from the living areas in our house, so family members have to make a special trip to interrupt me. That makes a big difference, I think.
On prioritizing tasks: I do find myself wanting to work when I have household things to do, and for that I just try not to procrastinate - knock those chores out and then get to work! Plus, it means a lot to my husband when I don't leave him with everything to do while I'm printing away in my little studio, and a happy partner is a supportive partner!
On balance: I'm still working on the concept of balance. Somewhere in there must be some time to relax, reconnect with family, and work on things unrelated to chores and printing . . . but in the meantime at least I have a lovely place to work and a craft that I'm passionate about.

Check out more photos of Jennifer's home studio, and many products, when you visit her site and blog.

Do you work out of a home studio space? How do you create balance while keeping productive?

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Summer Style: Take Up Residence on a Houseboat

CasaSugar — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 08:00:29 -0700

The only thing better than having a Summer house on the lake is having a Summer house in the lake. This lovely Swedish houseboat is perhaps the most charming little structure I have seen in some time, and I'm ready to hitch a ride.

There's very little more romantic to me than the idea of taking to the seas (or lakes) in a houseboat. Can't you imagine you and your sweetie floating through a chain of lakes in this little boat? Perhaps catching a few fish for dinner off of it? To see more lovely photos, read more.

Interested in finding out more about this boat, or perhaps building one yourself? The houseboat was featured in the pages of Swedish interiors mag Sköna hem, and was built by carpenter Stefan Dillner of Stockholm.

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Link Time!

CasaSugar — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:00:26 -0700

Here's another way to decorate with books.- SFGirlByBay
Give your bar stools a makeover.- Re-Nest
Learn more about cool, eco home-furnishing line Branch Home.- Design*Sponge
Remember to get yourself some free art.- Simply Stated
Add modern, floating house numbers to your residence.- Sheterrific
Get your outdoor entertaining lighting ready with these recycled hurricane covers.- Craft
What do you think of this new print from Keep Calm? - PoppyTalk

Coveted Crib: California Cool

CasaSugar — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 08:00:28 -0800

In Healdsburg, CA (i.e. Sonoma County), there's a rare nearly all-white (actually, very pale gray) house with white furniture, recently featured in House Beautiful, that is anti-shabby chic, anti-slick modern. Nostalgic, campy objects are interpreted in a contemporary fashion, and on glossy floors and against pale walls, large lived-in furniture pieces make a statement. The space almost gives you the feeling of floating through the atmosphere, and when you decided to come back down to earth and sit a while, you're greeted with a plush cushion in every room and a glass of wine - after all, it is Sonoma. To take a tour of the rest of the house, read more. Source

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Before and After: A Floating Home

CasaSugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:00:01 -0700

Architect Vladimir Plotkin recently showcased his design for a floating residence at Archstoyanie, an architecture festival in the small village of Nicola-Lenivets, located in Kaluga, Russia. Plotkin explained that the raft and house portions are meant to be separate, with the raft platform used for sunbathing, barbecuing, and socializing during the day. After the resident has had her fill of fun, she can then retreat to the elevated house portion of the structure to rest and sleep off the fun and sun. Here's what the floating home looked like in a computer rendering:

To see it in real life, read more.

And here it is floating down the river at the festival. Would you want to make a Summer escape on this raft?

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