CasaSugar

Don't Be Afraid to Play With Scale

Elka Karl — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:00:41 PST

In a recent interview on Dering Hall, Los Angeles-based designer Peter Dunham shared his thoughts on his line Hollywood at Home and offered excellent decorating tips.

One of my favorite tips from Dunham concerns scale - and the fact that we should consider it more carefully when decorating. Scale is just as important as pattern and color when decorating a space.

Dunham says,

In a high-ceilinged room, use an oversized chandelier. De-electrify it and just use it with candles so it becomes a piece of sculpture rather than a glaring light fixture, and it anchors the space. In a small room, choose a bold, big-pattern print and cover everything in it, the French way: walls, curtains, upholstery, et cetera. It gives the room vibrancy and glamor. Also, use large, but fewer, pieces in a small room-like a sofa that may seem too big-so it feels luxurious. In a large room, use smaller-scale pieces to create several areas and bring the space more to human scale.

I love the way that Dunham plays with scale in the room above, using a bold patterned print for the walls and matching sofa. It's an important lesson to remember when redecorating a room - keep scale a playful, and important, consideration.

Source

Weekly Faves: 5 Inspiring Spaces

Elka Karl — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 06:00:00 PST

Flowers and pattern and ladylike rooms, oh my! This week my attention's turned to gorgeous, occasionally over-the-top spaces that are unabashedly feminine. See which rooms have caught my eye and turned my head. Get ready - minimalism is definitely not allowed in these spaces.

Artist Cecilia Paredes and Her Wonderful Wallpaper Camouflage

Elka Karl — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 03:00:32 PST

Peruvian-born sculptor and artist Cecilia Paredes literally loses herself in her artwork, whether she's camouflaged herself as an animal in a work like "The She Deer" or painted herself into her wonderfully busy wallpaper photographic works. Her wallpaper series, completed between 2007 and 2010, are personal favorites of mine, displaying a wit and cheeky sense of humor, as well as a sensuousness, that's infinitely compelling. All of her works explore the concept of identity, and how we are sometimes absorbed by our surroundings, whether consciously or unwittingly.

Keep clicking to take a closer look at these works, and head to ArtNet to learn more about purchasing Cecilia Paredes's work.

11 On-Trend Orange Wallpapers That Reflect Pantone's 2012 Color of the Year

Elka Karl — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 04:00:28 PST

Back in December, I reported on Pantone's new color of the year. Pantone, the global authority on color, helps to determine the color direction for interior design, fashion, cosmetics, and graphic design every year with its choice of color. This year, the color is Tangerine Tango, a vibrant shade that will add energy to any space where it's introduced. I've rounded up 11 different wallpapers that riff on this shade, some keeping it more muted, while others going big and bold. See if you can find a favorite pattern when you keep clicking.

11 Ways to Expertly Style Your Bookshelves

Angela Swinderman Elias — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:00:22 PST

Bookshelves are present in practically every home, but making them transcend function to actually look beautiful can sometimes be tricky. I've pulled together some of my favorite examples of shelves that artfully organize and elevate the design of the rooms they are in. Whether you're building a custom bookshelf, picking up a unit from Ikea, or re-imagining another piece of furniture, I have tips on how to get the most out of each look. See how adding wallpaper, paint, decorative objects, and unexpected features can transform your bookshelves into spectacular focal pieces for your home!

Introduce Tantalizing Texture With Grasscloth

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:00:03 PST

We're all aware of the potential an amazing wallpaper has to completely transform a space. That being said, not everyone can handle pattern on their walls. Grasscloth, one of my all-time favorite design products, provides visual interest and a much more subtle pattern than most wallpapers. I can't think of a single other decorative tool that simultaneously adds tremendous warmth and panache to a room. Depending on the weave and color that you choose, this type of wall covering can work on everything from a beach house to an uptown loft. Browse this gallery for clever ways to incorporate grasscloth into your decor and inspiring DIY projects to tackle!

Weekly Faves: 5 Inspiring Spaces

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:00:07 PST

This week's roundup is a love letter to graphic wallpaper and the countless ways it can elevate the design of a room. Wallpaper can serve as an optical illusion, distracting the eye from something or pulling it towards something else, but it also has an extraordinary way of setting the tone for a room and giving it loads of personality. Check out how each of these rooms uses wallpaper to achieve a variety of effects!

Guess What New Television Sitcom Features This Wallpaper?

Elka Karl — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 04:00:11 PST

Set designers on a new sitcom are using Graham & Brown's Trippy: Orange from the Superfresco collection as a key element in the show. Can you guess what new sitcom features the wallpaper? (Hint: the wallpaper is seen in a restaurant the two main characters waitress in.)

House Tour: Jewelry Designer Maya Brenner's Charming Family Home

Elka Karl — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 03:00:06 PDT

Maya Brenner's Los Feliz, CA, home is a hardworking, seriously elegant space that can handle everything Maya needs. From entertaining friends to serving as the hub for her jewelry design business, Maya Brenner Designs, this 1936 Monterey Colonial does it all. Maya, who lives here with her husband Scott (a reality TV producer), her son, Jack, daughter, Sadie Love, and pup, Roxy, describes her decorating style as "an eclectic mix of colors and styles." When working with designer Thomas Michna on her home, she says she "envisioned a vibe of fancy, bohemian, 1970s, modern, and hippie!" It's all that and more. Let's take a look and learn more about this lovely home!

Photos by Leah Lee

Hygge & West Now Offering Wallpaper by the Yard

Elka Karl — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:20:24 PDT

Do you have a small project that requires only a bit of wallpaper - say a yard or so? Then check out Hygge & West's new selection of wallpapers available by the yard, which includes designs from Ferm Living, Hygge & West, and more.

Curious as to how you could use such a small amount of wallpaper? Here are a few suggestions:

Cover a large piece of corkboard, and then frame it and use it as a message board.
A few one-yard panels will add a focal point to bifold closet drawers.
Use it to make a jewelry holder.
Create a focal point on an entryway wall or above a fireplace with a yard of wallpaper.
Use it to line drawers in a dresser.
Add it to the back of a bookshelf for a pop of pattern.

How would you use a yard of wallpaper?