CasaSugar

DIY: Hang Plates on a Wall

CasaSugar — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:00:46 -0700

If you read my slideshow on how to decorate on the cheap with pretty plates, you might be feeling inspired to hang some in your own home. Before you get started, there are a few steps you should learn, so you don't wind up with shattered materials for a mosaic instead. While you can just hang a trio evenly spaced on a wall, you'll make more of a statement if you group them in a more unique arrangement. To learn how to hang plates, read more.

Lay a large piece of craft paper (or even tape a few pieces together) on the floor, the size of the space where you'd like to hang them.
Place around with the arrangement of the plates on the paper before you begin hanging them. Once you've settled on design, trace the plates onto the paper. If you want a more traditional look, go with a symmetrical arrangement. For something more eclectic, arrange them asymmetrically, in a flowing pattern or a cluster as shown here.
Leave a half a foot or so between the arrangement and the ceiling to give it visual balance.
Use your traced paper as a guide to mark the placement of each plate on the wall with a pencil.
Then, hang away! For a free-floating look, you can use these heavy-duty, peel-and-stick Disc Hangers, which are available in range of sizes. Or, you can use a traditional wire plate hanger, readily available at your local hardware store. In either case, you'll need to hammer a nail into the wall to hang it from, and remember to adjust your marks on the wall according to where the plate hanger's hook is.

Source

Have You Painted an Accent Wall?

CasaSugar — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:00:00 -0800

Painting an accent wall is the simplest way to create a focal point in any room of a house. It requires just a little paint and a little time, and it's not as risky as painting an entire room. I'm loving this yellow wall from Harts Lane, a rental cottage in Australia. The room is fabulous otherwise in many ways, but the sunny color is just the finishing touch that the monochrome palette needs. Do you have an accent wall?

Source

Do You Have an Exposed Brick Wall?

CasaSugar — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 05:30:18 -0800

I love the rugged, unfinished quality of an exposed brick wall (and I don't mean just around a fireplace). It offers a casual vibe to a room that, as beautiful as they may be, crown moldings and wainscoting just can't give you. An exposed brick wall also makes your accessories (candlesticks, vases) look all the more glamorous in comparison! And hey, Eli Stone looks pretty good in front of one, doesn't he?Photo copyright 2008 ABC, Inc.

How-To: Repair a Hole in the Wall

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 07:45:32 -0700

Like us, our homes are living, breathing creatures that need a little TLC every now and then. Just as we might stub our toes or nick ourselves shaving, our homes suffer some occasional battle wounds. But recovery calls for little more than a band-aid of sorts. If you're rearranging furniture or hanging artwork, you might wind up with a small hole in your drywall, but no worries, treatment is simple with a little first aid. To fix the hole, all you'll need is a putty knife, some sandpaper, an adhesive repair patch with a reinforced metal center, paint, tack cloth, and spackle. To be home schooled in how to repair a hole, read more.

Here's how, from Barbara K!:

First off remove any loose or rough plaster with the sandpaper or putty knife.
Then, generously coat the hole with spackle, and let dry.
Apply another layer of spackle.
Once it has completely dried, smooth down the surface with your sandpaper.
Cut your adhesive repair patch to fit over the hole.
Then smooth spackle over the patch and hole using the putty knife, and let dry.
Then, smooth the area down again with sandpaper, until the surface is flat.
If there is any residue, wipe it off with your tack cloth.
Then, touch up the wall with a little paint. Fini!

Source

Five Household Tasks to Contract Out

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 05:30:37 -0700

I recently asked you who your handyman is and which tasks around the house you undertake yourself, and which ones you designate to others. Not surprisingly, you're a talented bunch, and some of you cited that you sign up for tasks like installing dishwashers and light fixtures, sanding, plastering, building window shades from scratch, and refinishing furniture. But, according to Popular Mechanics, there are some DIYs that should be left to professionals. To hear which tasks you should avoid and why, read more.

Electrical work, particularly "extending existing electrical circuits or adding new ones," should be left to specialists, because it can result in electric shock or fire if attempted by an inexperienced DIYer.
Plumbing, particularly attempting to "modify a home’s water-supply lines or hot-water heating system," could result in flood or fire.
Tree cutting, in all forms, can put you and nearby property at risk (think sliced flesh and fallen limbs).
Unless you're roofing a dog house, the risk of falling involved in roofing is too great.
Removing walls without knowledge of your building's structure (load-bearing walls) can cause floors and roofs to come crashing down. Let's just say the neighbors will not love you.

Read the Popular Mechanics article for more details.
Source

Su Casa: The Magnificent Collage Wall

CasaSugar — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 04:30:54 -0700

TeamSugar member Harmonyfrance has shared some photos of her mom's beautiful accent wall. I love decoupage when it's done well, and Harmonyfrance's mom is an expert.

Harmonyfrance writes:

This is my mother’s magnificent collage wall. These pictures do not do justice to this wall at all. I wish you could see it in person; it’s so beautiful. This is something that I would never think to do. Basically she decoupaged the entire wall, tiny piece by tiny peace. She cut up fine arts books, a couple books on quilts, greeting cards, catalog . . . you name it! It took her a couple of months to complete this. She covered a small 3-foot across wall and followed it around the corner onto one full wall in the kitchen. Everything else is in neutral shades, so believe it or not it doesn’t look too busy. This is something that I would probably not do in my own home, but I think it’s beautiful and I’m always amazed at how creative my mother can be! She never fails to inspire me.

Do you want to post photos of your home? To join the Su Casa group, just follow this link and click "subscribe" beneath the photo on the lefthand side of the page. Once you're subscribed, click Share in the upper lefthand menu of any TeamSugar page and choose what type of post you want to create. If you have just one photo and some text, create a blog; if you have a gallery you want to share, select photos.

View 6 Photos ›

ferm Contest: QueenLizzy's Wall

CasaSugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:00:02 -0700

In case you haven't heard yet, we're running a contest all month long for Dress Your Walls month, this time with the fabulous ferm LIVING, which is giving away a wall's worth of gorgeous wallpaper to one lucky reader. Check out this post to find out how to enter the contest.

Here is the next wall in need of some wallpaper rehabilitation.

To read what QueenLizzy has to say about her neglected bedroom wall, just read more

She writes:

This is a very empty wall, and could really use some ferm wallpaper to liven it up! We have had a case of the "spread-too-thins" and haven't gotten around to decorating the most important room in the house, our bedroom! Please help us make it pretty. The wall is 13 ft wide by 8 ft high.

Queen Lizzie has chosen this ferm LIVING wallpaper for her studio wall. While the contest will be judged by myself and the lovely Christiana Coop, ferm LIVING’s wallpaper expert, I'd love to hear your comments, too! We'll be posting contest entries for the next several weeks, and will announce the winner on the last day of the month. So join the group, send in your photos, and show us your walls!

10 Ways to Create a Wall of Mirrors

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:00:50 -0800

Even if you don't live in Versailles, you can still have a wall of mirrors that is glamorous and statement-making - and it needn't cost a small, royal fortune. Come take a peek at 10 ways some savvy decorators have created wall mirrors at home and a few public spaces!

View Slideshow ›

Gift Guide: Hip Wall Décor for Kids

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 05:30:04 -0800

Growing up I was always interested in decorating, but I had a fleeting sense of style that changed as frequently as my taste in food. My parents let me choose my décor, which I loved. But in retrospect, I wish they would have given me more guidance; I often regretted my decorating choices when I came across something better. In light of all of this, I thought I'd round up some of what I consider hip wall décor for kids. From decals to shelves to wallpaper, I've selected some playful pieces that are also stylish and bound to please any kid you know.

DwellStudio Traffic Wall Art in Multi - $84.00	Zinc Letters - $49.00
dVider - Kids 18 Wall Sticker - $30.00	Skateboard Shelf - $39.00
Graham & Brown - Frames Wallpaper - $40.00	Mini Dot Mirrors - $19.00
Avalisa Letters Collection Lower Case Z Stretched Wall Art - $59.00	Third Drawer Down - decals by third drawer down - $12.00
Hybrid-Home Limited Edition Large Print Visible Robot - $200.00	Wallter - Fish Wall Application - $88.00
Chelsea Round Mirror - $149.00	Hybrid-Home Limited Edition Print Heart Breakout - Pink - $40.00
DwellStudio Gio Snail Wall Art in Aqua - $80.00	The Great Grid - $129.00
DwellStudio Dots Wall Art in Lemon - $84.00	Wallter Teardrops wall applications - $42.00
Wallter Butterfly Mobile in Blue - $70.00	dVider - Kids 13 Wall Sticker - $30.00
Galvanized Metal "COOL" Sign - $69.00	Skate Deck Wall Art - $189.00

Etsy Find: Edward Cullen Life-Size Wall Decal

CasaSugar — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 12:00:00 -0700

I've been pretty open about my subsiding feelings for wall decals. But upon finding this Edward Cullen Life-Size Decal ($60), I feel confident saying the trend has finally jumped the shark. This product is nearly as creepy as, if not creepier than, the Psycho-inspired shower curtain. On the other hand, I don't consider myself much of a Twilight fan - aside from the Cullen family's awesome coveted crib. If I were a Robert Pattinson fan, I'd prefer a photo of his brooding face on my wall. What do you think? Is this decal ridiculous? Or do you think it's fun?