CasaSugar

Love It or Hate It? Umbra U+ Collection Balloona Stool

CasaSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:00:26 -0700

The Umbra U+ Collection Balloona Stool ($200) might be a clown's dream furniture, but just because you can wrap a stool in deflated balloons, doesn't mean you should. On the other hand, it's got that contemporary art thing going, and has a very unexpected look. What do you think?

Metropolitan Home Folds

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:56:46 -0800

Another one bites the dust. Hachette Filipacchi Media announced today that it will fold Metropolitan Home with its December issue. The company plans to focus its efforts on its other shelter glossy, Elle Decor. HFMUS President and CEO Alain Lemarchand said, "We believe the best strategy in the upscale shelter segment is to boldly focus our resources and investment on Elle Decor, which is the ad-page leader within the US market. Despite the downturn in ad pages that has affected all magazines, the Elle Decor brand has multiple opportunities for growth across all platforms.” Met's longtime Editor in Chief Donna Warner and her staff will leave the company.

This closure follows a long string of folds in the shelter world, including HFMUS's own Home, House & Garden, Blueprint, O at Home, Cottage Living, and, of course, Domino. So while it's not a shocker considering the economic climate, it is still sad news indeed. But at least this glossy went out with a bang, wowing us with the Metropolitan Home Showtime House and the exquisite Modern by Design Showhouse this year.

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This Just In: Home Magazine Folds

CasaSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:30:00 -0700

Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. has announced that it will pull the plug on its struggling shelter magazine, Home, due to "sharp declines in the 'mid-market home sector'," according to the Wall Street Journal. Home will join the ranks of fellow folded shelter titles, Conde Nast's House & Garden and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's Blueprint. In a company press release, Jack Kliger, President and CEO of HFM U.S, said, "The current economic environment is difficult, and the mid-market home sector has been particularly hard hit. When the middle market recovers, we will consider future publication of Home using the special interest publication newsstand model." Another one bites the dust. In this uncertain real estate market, this comes as no surprise. But, considering that House Beautiful had a 19 percent increase in ad pages in its second quarter, and Domino increased circulation by 82 percent to 1.1 million in the first half, it seems that only the fittest survive.
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Nice and New: Umbra U+ Collection Photo Clock

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:15:57 -0700

If my job is any indication, I'm not exactly a numbers person. But, paint-by-numbers? That's another story. So, when I spotted the Umbra U+ Collection Photo Clock ($80) on a recent trip to the SFMoMA (in the gift shop, of course), I thought I'd died and gone paint-by-numbers heaven. A clock, with a beautiful design, ornate hands, that I can personalize with my own raw direction-following talent? Where do I sign!? Lucky for you, the clock is new at Velocity Art & Design, so you won't have to fly to SFO to pick one up. And, if you want to be a real rebel, you can paint reds where the greens go, or use your own color palette to be a badass DIY queen. Oh, and if mechanical clocks aren't your thing, you can order the matching frame on sale ($19) from the SFMoMA's online shop.

Nice and New: Smeg Retro Fridges Come to the U.S.

CasaSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 15:30:42 -0700

These sleek 1950s-style refrigerators from Smeg would look right at home in the updated diner kitchen I wrote about a few weeks ago. And since I love retro kitchen appliances, I'm thrilled that the fridges from this Italian manufacturer are now available stateside.

Available in 10 colors, the Smeg 1950s Style Refrigerator ($1,999) is fully equipped with modern amenities, despite its back-in-time look. For more details and photos, read more

Not only can you buy the fridges online, but Smeg will soon open a U.S. showroom, and its products are also sold at select stores nationwide.

Casa Verde: Put Your Bike to Work

CasaSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:00:05 -0700

If you're moving across country, probably the most eco-friendly way to handle the move is to sell your things on Craigslist, and then buy furnishings in your new town off of Craigslist or at thrift and antique stores once you've settled. If you're just moving across town, there's no reason to get rid of your stuff. But the earth-friendly answer isn't to rent a U-Haul, either. That hogs gas, and costs money! Instead, put your bike to work! San Francisco blogger, biker, and photographer SFWiggle recently moved, and decided to borrow a Bikes at Work Bike Trailer from the San Francisco Bike Coalition. As a member ($35/year), you can check out a trailer for free, which you can use to lug anything from your briefcase and groceries to your mattress or a sofa. Check with your local bike coalition to see if they offer a similar service! If not, Bikes at Work Trailers are available for purchase.
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On the Market: A Frank Lloyd Wright Home in Central California

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 12:00:51 -0700

If you have a love for midcentury architecture and $2.7 million to spare, then consider moving to California's Central Valley to live in the beautiful, wonderfully maintained Fawcett House. This 3,700-square-foot home was designed by the famous modern architect Frank Lloyd Wright in 1955, and it was completed in 1961, two years after Wright died. The six-bedroom, four-and-a-half bath home is situated on 80 acres, and hunkers down into the farming landscape, with a low-pitched roof and angular wings that reach out into the fields.

The home was owned by Randall and Harriet Fawcett, who raised four children lived, worked, and died within its walls. The couple were ardent lovers of Wright's architecture, and even though the home's construction was delayed by a few years, they were always enthusiastic about their house.

To see interior and exterior photos of the Fawcett house, read more.

Designed in a modified U-shape, the home's rooms feature Wright's signature designs, including stained glass windows, concrete walls, built-ins, and expansive walls of glass that look out onto the home's swimming pool and gardens. The impressively large living room fireplace dominates the room, at six feet tall by twelve feet wide. The home also features woodwork from George Nakashima, as well as gorgeous Japanese garden design from Fresno-based landscape architect Jim Kamimato.

A recent San Francisco Chronicle article notes that

The building, while not among Wright's best known, is an articulate expression of his design philosophy at the latter stage of his career. He was attempting to create a uniquely North American architectural lexicon, free from classical and European influences, that also eliminated unnecessary elements to ensure homes were within reach of the middle (or at least upper-middle) class.

Interested? Contact the Fawcett House for information on touring or purchasing the house.

View 22 Photos ›

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Inspired: Space Invaders

CasaSugar — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 12:00:52 -0800

On a recent trip, I was delighted to pass through Terminal 3 at the San Francisco Airport, where the exhibit Out of This World! The 20th-Century Space Invasion of American Pop Culture showcased sci-fi awesomeness, including comic books, toys, and other early 20th-century artifacts. If you're in the San Francisco Airport in the next month and a half, head down to Terminal 3's North Connect Gallery to check it out for yourself.

Inspired by old issues of Weird Science, I discovered other sci-fi-inspired home goods for your geeky households. To get your DDG-62 engines started, I offer this porcelain Remembrance of Future Vase from studio n.o.b.u.s.

To see my other finds, read more.

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Ask Casa: A Corner Bookshelf For My Bedroom?

CasaSugar — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:00:25 -0800

Hi CasaSugar,

I've been a longtime reader of CasaSugar because I love all things related to home. Unfortunately, I live in Manhattan, which means that unless you can afford a multi-million dollar pad, you're stuck with minimal space and awkward layouts.

I was wondering if you could help me locate something - I'm looking for a bookshelf that fits into a corner (that is also not too small like the ones at Target). I have this awful blank space in my bedroom and I'm hoping that a dark brown wood corner bookshelf would really let me display all of my colorful knickknacks, bringing some life into my otherwise sparse bedroom.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Fablawya

To see my suggestions, read more.

Hi Fablawya,

Although decorating in a small space can be a definite challenge, it can also be incredibly satisfying when you create the perfect layout for a home. I agree that using a corner bookshelf could help to breathe life into your small bedroom, especially when mixed with colorful and carefully chosen accents.

While using a bookshelf that fits perfectly into a corner is the most efficient use of space, I think that using a bookshelf that's visually arresting may be a more intriguing option. Try the Soho Bookcase (on sale for $189), or the Umbra U+ Pisa Bookshelf ($500), which are both good options. While they might not sit perfectly in a corner, their clean lines will actually improve the space by adding an unexpected silhouette.

For some other choices, check out the widget below.

Good luck!
CasaSugar

Somerset Corner Cabinet - $399.99	Soho Bookcase - $269.99
Umbra U+ Collection Pisa Book Shelf - $500.00	Kingston 44" Corner Media Stand - $399.00
Sahara Folding Bookcase - $59.95	Four-Shelf Adjustable Bookcase - $135.00
Metal and Wood Four-Tier Ladder Bookshelf - $179.99	Five-Tier Corner Bookcase - $69.99

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In the News: Green Architecture Has a Ways to Go

CasaSugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:15:17 -0700

Interested in getting the lowdown about green architecture? Then I suggest you read the Newsweek article, "The Bad News About Green Architecture." For a good while now, the reporting of green architecture practices has been nothing less than greenwashed, and I've been waiting for a mainstream publication to address our country's problem with its perception and definition of "green" architecture. In "The Bad News About Green Architecture," writer Cathleen McGuigan points out that "LEED rating" is an over-trumpeted catch phrase these days ("more than 16,000 projects are now registered with the U.S. Green Building Council as intending to go for a LEED certification"), and LEED isn't stringent enough with its awards - a long-held truth.
But more importantly, she stresses that building green if you're building big (i.e. McMansions), or unnecessarily, isn't green at all. There are various plans to build green resorts in Las Vegas, including the 8.3-million-square-foot Palazzo Resort Hotel and Casino, likely motivated by the tax rebates that come with passing LEED certification. While that makes a great talking point in local papers, it still takes "tons of jet fuel that will be used to deliver millions more tourists to Vegas each year," and countless un-green materials to keep the place up and running once it's built. To hear more of my thoughts, read more.

Truly green architecture, she says, is "designed to suit their specific environments," such as New Orleans Shotgun houses, which are "built high off the ground to resist flood damage; they are made of local wood that dries out; they have high ceilings and cross ventilation to deal with the stifling summer heat." My favorite point is that "sustainability is about the practical systems of building, not the beauty of great design." Architects need to put aside the current trendiness of green architecture and just build so that ecological solutions aren't a calling card or a feature, but rather, invisible. I whole-heartedly agree with McGuigan, as she writes:

I look forward to a future when green architecture won't be discretionary but required of every architect and builder. Then we could all shut up about it. Sustainable features would become as exciting as the plumbing systems and as essential as a roof that keeps out the rain.

Now, I'll shut up about it.
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Cappellini - cappellini s-chair by tom dixon - $1,818.00	Orbit Arm Chair - $119.00
Tech Lighting Eden With Meteor Wall Sconce - $270.00	Flensted Mobiles Science Fiction Mobile - $32.00
Hybrid-Home Limited Edition Print Rockets - $40.00	Chronicle Books A Is For Astronaut - Y - $14.95
Adelta - ball chair by eero aarnio - $4,572.00	Alessi - juicy salif by philippe starck for alessi - $45.00
Materialise -minishakes.mgx pendant lamp by arik levy for materialise - $268.00	They're Heeeere Outer Space Wall Art - $19.00
Flos arà - $964.00	Arturo Alvarez Nevo Table Lamp - $1,635.00
Foscarini bit wall lamps - $378.00	Melissa Moss - Moon Wood Print - $150.00
Tech Lighting Meteor Pendant - $205.00