CasaSugar

Love It or Hate It? Seven Rats Table Lamp

CasaSugar — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:00:41 -0700

In general, I think German lighting designer Ingo Maurer can do no wrong. But in the case of his Seven Rats Table Lamp ($4,680), which depicts seven plastic rats locked inside a steel, gold, brass, and plastic cage structure, I think he's done bad all by himself. If you like caged-rat art, and you like art in lighting form, then this is for you!

Guess What This Product Is?

CasaSugar — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 05:30:03 -0700

This product is useful in every household. It may look like a rubber horseshoe, but it's not meant to be thrown. Rather, it keeps something in place. Can you tell me what it is?

Desire/Acquire: Filigree-Top Tables

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:00:52 -0800

The T Table ($263) designed by Italian designer Patricia Urquiola for Kartell has a tactile embroidery-esque filigree top and is made of transparent batch-dyed plastic (Kartell's token material), which gives it a feminine-meets-techno look. Available in three heights and six colors, it can be cheerfully arranged in a group or used on its own. At that price, though, I won't be arranging many T Table groupings in my home. Fortunately, there's an equally fab alternative at a fraction of the price. To learn where you can pick it up, read more.

The CB2 Aries Side Table ($39.95, reduced from $79.95) has a similar embroidery-esque filigree top, although its fancy scrollwork is handmade from iron rod and powdercoated in your choice of black or pink, not made from batch-dyed plastic. I think it's equally charming, and its sale price makes it all the more appealing!

Nice and New: Travelmate Portable Fireplace

CasaSugar — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 08:30:14 -0700

When it comes to most of the products I recommend, finances are usually the only thing keeping you from taking them home. OK, maybe your husband would be opposed to mirrored furniture, but, moving on . . . There's one thing that's never been an easy purchase, and that thing is a fireplace. Why? Because a fireplace requires a chimney, which requires a contractor, bricks, etc.
To find out how to get around those pesky requirements, read more.

Lucky for all of us, that reality is no more, thanks to the Conmoto Travelmate Portable Fireplace ($3,300), a portable, stylish suitcase of black powder-coated steel and glass that holds a smokeless fire, burned from bio-ethanol liquid fuel. The Travelmate allows you to burn a fire literally wherever you want (so long as it's a flat surface): on your coffee table, in your bedroom, on the lawn, next to your favorite reading chair . . . on wood, on carpet, on stone, anywhere! Talk about house warming! That's right, FDR, you're not the only one who can have fireside chats.

Love It or Hate It? Rabbit Lamp by Front

CasaSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:30:24 -0700

Need a little Thumper in your study? Then throw down the bills for a Rabbit Lamp by Front for Moooi ($539).

Love It or Hate It? War Bowl

CasaSugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:00:06 -0700

The Dominic Wilcox War Bowl ($400) for Areaware is an art piece made from melted and partially melted plastic toy soldiers, that makes "a statement on the futility of war." It's also available in red, white, or blue. Coincidence? I think not. If you wanted to eat your Top Ramen out of it, or decorate with apples in it, you'd be out of luck: it cannot support food. What do you think? Would you put this bowl in your home? Do you agree with the statement it tries to make?

Crave Worthy: Philippe Starck Royalton Sofa

CasaSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 07:45:00 -0700

Though I'm not a mathematician by trade, I still believe that the Royalton Sofa ($9,335) - designed by Philippe Starck in 1991 - can be expressed by the following formula: Settee + Headboard = Royalton. The ever-resourceful and always surprising Starck is responsible for many unique designs, including my fave, the Louis Ghost Chair.

Of course, I'm more likely to spend 10G on my garden than on this piece of furniture - let's face it, if your dog secretly jumps on your sofa, it's never a good idea to drop a lot of money on such a royal piece. However, a girl can still dream, right? The Royalton, a few Louis Ghost Chairs, a luxurious rug . . . my dream living room's out there somewhere, even if it's only in my imagination.

If Money Weren't an Issue . . .

CasaSugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:01:34 -0700

. . . would you put this Bracelli floor lamp ($8,846) designed by surrealist artist Salvador Dali in your living room?

Crave Worthy: Kokoon Free Standing Hammock

CasaSugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:30:44 -0700

If you're too lazy to DIY a hammock and have got money to burn, the Kokoon Free Standing Hammock ($10,620) might be right up your alley. The luxe outdoor furnishing will bring Summer Style to your terrace or lawn, and serve as a private escape from whatever ails you this month, especially if you add its optional set of curtains. You might want to have someone check in on you every once in a while: I don't know that I'd ever want to leave it. And, when it's not in use it'll just look good in your yard; I love its x-shaped base . . . as much, if not more than those x-base tables and stools I've written about.

Love It or Hate It? Tord Boontje Transglass Mirror

CasaSugar — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 08:30:48 -0700

Who would have ever thought that Dutch designer Tord Boontje would be inspired to create a mirror based on Guatemalan tribal masks? The Dog Mask Mirror ($2,200) is just that: one big woof of Guatemalan inspiration. I'm a big Boontje fan but I'm kind of thinking there's a reason why the Atlantic separates Europe and Central America; maybe Boontje should consider making some mirrored klompen instead.