CasaSugar

Open House: Do You Know Anyone Living in a Design Time Capsule?

CasaSugar — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 05:30:14 -0700

The New York Times article Living in a Design Time Capsule discusses those homes "that have gone untouched for decades and give visitors the sensation of being in a décor-warp." I've seen many of these in my day, including those of several friends and family members. One Su Casa member even shared photos of her parents' plastic slipcovered sofa with me.

Naturally, these design time capsule dwellers tend to be from an older generation; I recently visited an estate sale of a woman's home that was straight up 1955 - olive green sofa and all. But it's not unusual for people to be living with their parents' hand-me-downs, or 50- or 60-year-olds still living with the décor from their days as bright young things.
Do you know anyone living in such a design time capsule? Are you? Your parents? What's the worst décor-warp you've seen? Have you seen any untouched homes that somehow still look relevant and à la mode? Tell me by commenting below!
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How-To: Renovate an Apartment For $10,000 or Less

CasaSugar — Fri, 29 May 2009 08:00:22 -0700

Over the course of the past two years, graphic designer Russell Lewis and his girlfriend, design assistant Gemma Ahern, renovated their 1200-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment. Located in Leigh-on-Sea, a village an hour outside of London, the apartment was overhauled for £6,500, or $10,300. You can check out their entire apartment in this New York Times slideshow. The couple beautifully mixed high and low accents and objects, which definitely helped to keep costs down, but they used some other smart ideas as well. To get the secrets of their cheap decorating success, read on.
Jonathan Player for The New York Times

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Before and After: John Jacob Astor IV's Heavenly Pavilion

CasaSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:15:47 -0800

The New York Times has a jaw-dropping article, "A Fixer-Upper to End Them All," and coinciding slideshow about the 1902 Stanford White-designed Beaux-Arts sporting pavilion in Rhinebeck, NY, which was purchased and renovated by Kathleen Hammer, a retired producer for Oxygen Media. The building was originally designed for John Jacob Astor IV, great-grandson and heir of the fur and real estate magnate, and originally served as a weekend retreat and entertaining spot.

Astor's elder son Vincent inherited the property, and his third wife, Brooke Astor, made it more of a residential spot. Brooke donated it to the Catholic Archdiocese of New York, and it became a convent and nursing home, and later a residential home again.Shown above is the main hall of the home, which connects two wings. It can be closed off by French doors on all sides, and is the most central part of the pavilion. It measures 35 by 60 feet in magnitude, and for this reason was considered by Stanford White “one of the greatest rooms in America." Aside from its overwhelming size, the hall's heavenly domed skylight with elaborate plasterwork and vast fireplace are astounding, to say the least. Unfortunately, years of neglect left Hammer with a lot of work to do to restore it to its former glory. So, she hired the best person to do the job, Sam White, architect and great-grandson of the original architect. To see this room as it is today, read more.

Gooorrrgeous!!!! Today, the living room features a copy of a lampshade original to the home. Be sure to read the article and check out the slideshow.
Photos courtesy of Bruce Buck for The New York Times and The New-York Historical Society

Would You Get Married on a Farm?

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:15:18 -0800

According to a recent New York Times article, farms are quickly becoming a popular wedding venue for many couples. There are many advantages to a farm wedding, including a reduced price tag. According to the article, "Farms Are For Lovers," "Farm weddings can cost a fraction of nuptials at more traditional sites, because couples usually take care of services like catering and music. And small farmers like pulling out the hay-covered welcome wagon because it helps them survive."

Would you choose to have your wedding on a farm?

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Would You Hire Someone to Coordinate Tunes With Your House?

CasaSugar — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 05:30:50 -0800

The New York Times article "Does This Song Match My Sofa?" reports on homeowners who hire DJs to make custom mixes that coordinate with different rooms of their homes. One music stylist said, “Our clients are the type who send people all over the world to find the perfect spoon, or doorknob or type of marble. . . . My job is to find the perfect music.”
Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Cool Idea: Light Bulb Candle Holders

CasaSugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:00:14 -0700

The New York Times article "Thinking Like a Student" takes a look at the thrifty, creative home-design moves college students, particularly architecture students, are making during these difficult economic times to make their homes a better place, aesthetically and functionally.

Along with the article is a wonderful slideshow showcasing many of these "on the cheap" tricks. One of my favorites was a set of candle holders fashioned from recycled light bulbs by Lauren Chapman, a student at Yale School of Architecture. By now we've hopefully all made the switch to CFLs, but that doesn't mean we should just toss those standard old bulbs in the trash.

To find out more about this project, read more.
Why not turn them into candle sticks? I've actually shown you lamps made from light bulbs before, but those were much too pricey. My only concern is how Chapman got the bulbs to stand up. I'm thinking that by using a glue gun on the candle holders' bottom, you could create a flat base. Or, you could set a magnet inside the bulb, and then one underneath your table cloth, like those DIY magnetic vases. What do you think? Do you like it, or is it too thrifty-looking for you?
Photo by Phil Mansfield for The New York Times

Nice and New: T Magazine's Design Issue Is Now Online

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 08:30:23 -0700

T magazine's Design Fall 2008 issue is now online! Among other things, the issue takes a look at provocative new design trends, profiles British editor turned designer Ilse Crawford, tours the design scene in Philly, visits Mario Bellini's Milan palazzo, looks at some inventive coat trees and umbrella stands, and sneaks a peek at a monochromatic loft and an Upstate New York steel-framed guest house. The cover, shown here, which features a chest of drawers that slide in opposite directions, is an allusion to the different directions design is taking today.
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Cool Idea: String Theories

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 08:30:15 -0700

I'm always keeping an eye out for unexpected centerpieces for your next party. This pretty alternative to flowers, which was created by New York event designer David Stark, was fashioned by first shaping wire into floral shapes. Then, biodegradable sisal twine was carefully wound around the wire forms. The unexpected effect is equal parts modern art and kindergarten craft project - definitely an effect I love. I think this would look great on tables at an Autumn wedding, and it looks so easy to make that if you were going to be DIYing your wedding, you could involve a number of friends and relatives in the process of making these.
If you're interested in seeing more of Stark's ideas for centerpieces, check out the slideshow at The New York Times.

Marilyn K. Yee for The New York Times

Midday Muse: Ocean Views

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:00:39 -0700

Clingstone, a 103-year-old mansion in Narragansett Bay, which was recently featured in the New York Times, sits on a rocky island that's barely bigger than the house. While this situation leaves very little room for a yard or garden, the ocean views make up for it, don't you think?

Eric Jacobs for The New York Times

In the News: Philippe Starck's Democratic Ecology

CasaSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Back in March, in an interview with German publication Die Ziet, prolific industrial designer Philippe Starck admitted to feeling "ashamed" for being "a producer of materiality," saying, "Everything I have created is absolutely unnecessary." In shock, the design world was buzzing. Would this mean retirement for the can-do-no-wrong designer? What would we blog about? Well, luckily, we haven't yet had to cross that bridge. It turns out, according to a New York Times article, despite his misgivings, Starck has been "advocating environmentalism" for some time in his personal life with his "organic diet, the solar-powered oyster farm he owns in Arcachon Bay in southwestern France, and so forth - ending with 'the least polluting plane on the market,' his private jet." And, more buzzworthy, he has designed a line of products called "Democratic Ecology," which are "relatively cheap, attractive, energy-saving products" meant to “introduce everybody to ecology.” The first is a "miniature rooftop wind turbine, priced between $780 and $1,250, which Mr. Starck said can produce up to 80 percent of a home’s energy." In the works as well is a solar panel film that covers existing windows, a prefab green house, an electric car, an eco-moped, and a solar- and hydrogen-powered boat. As to be expected, these eco products won't be a stitch "granola": Starck says, “It’s very, very important that they’re beautiful, because ecology should be a pleasure, not a punishment." Read more about the line in The New York Times's "And Now, to Try and Catch the Wind."
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