CasaSugar

Roundup: Homeland Security

CasaSugar — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:30:34 -0700

While I'm definitely a peace-loving gal, I can't deny the influence that war and weaponry have had on home decor as of late. From gun vases to bullet planters, it seems as if product designers have a different definition of homeland security than our national leaders. While this may be a commentary on our society's obsession with weapons, I'm still not necessarily willing to stock my home with guns - be they real or made of ceramic.

Still, some of the designs are too provocative to ignore. Take the Diamantini & Domeniconi Cuckoo Bunker Wall Clock ($720). Instead of a woodland scene, this cuckoo (actually, it looks more like a dove to me, which only adds to the appeal) is hunkered down in a bunker. Assembled from 111 small green bricks, the cuckoo/dove sits in the middle of this bunker, and wears a helmet to protect itself from the battle at hand.

For additional items that will boost your homeland security, read more.

Love It or Hate It? Warpaper

CasaSugar — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:00:49 -0800

Designer Michael Ciancio's Warpaper (prototype) is a series of wallpapers based on different eras of American warfare that confronts the analogy, "Warfare is to natural history what wallpaper is to a beautifully decorated home." Each wallpaper pattern features a weapon motif such as hand grenades, tanks, sniper rifles, or shotguns. If Ciancio is suggesting that war is an important part of natural history, then he must be suggesting that wallpaper is a must-have for a beautiful homes; I'll, at the very least, give him the latter, though I'm sad to think that the former may be true as well. What do you think? Do you like a dose of politics with your walls?

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?

This Just In: Philip Seymour Hoffman in a Western!

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 04:30:56 -0700

According to Real Estalker, Philip Seymour Hoffman and his costume- designer girlfriend and mother of their two children, Mimi O'Donnel, are under contract to purchase a 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath Pre-War co-op in Manhattan's West Village for $4.4 million. The listing for the property reads:

A one of a kind three bedroom, 2.5 bath apartment in the best location in the West Village. High ceilings, beautiful wood floors, authentic doors from Provence, and a wood burning fireplace. The living room is one of the largest single spaces in the West Village. The bathrooms are finished to perfection, and the entire apartment is a quintessential West Village oasis.

I love its exposed brick walls and how open it looks. Seems like the perfect size for a family of four.

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On the Market: Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates's Restored Revolutionary War Georgian Colonial

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:00:53 -0700

It's always interesting to see how the other side lives but, in many cases, the celebrity homes you see are underwhelming, cookie-cutter LA mansions. As for this restored Revolutionary War Georgian colonial recently listed by Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates, I'd consider it a coveted crib even if one half of history's most successful music duos didn't sleep in it. Beyond its good looks, there's much more of a story behind these digs than the "unparalleled views" and "updated appliances" of those California cribs.The Dutchess County, NY, property, known as Flint Hill, is actually two museum-quality homes that once belonged to Revolutionary War captains, and have since been joined through a beamed living area with a fireplace. The 6,363-square-foot home, four-bedroom, five-and-two-half-bath home has 24 rooms, nine fireplaces, four guesthouses, an indoor pool, and a pergola.

Hall himself took on the project of having these homes painstakingly restored. One was built in 1771, the other in 1780, and they initially sat on different properties. After moving them together, he discovered that by coincidence they were connected to the same family. Now, this architectural tour de force sits on a 245-plus acre estate with 100-mile views of the Catskills, ponds, old apple orchards, stone walls, farm roads, gardens, and a Neolithic firepit. To hear more and see photos, read more.

In fact, Hall has made a habit of restoring and preserving homes, including the John Bray House in Kittery, ME, which is over 345 years old, and a historic house from 1740 on the Thames River in London. Interested in this historic home? It's available through Weichert Realtors for $16 million.

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Coveted Crib: A Multigenerational Mountain Retreat

CasaSugar — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 11:00:56 -0700

I love the idea of creating a getaway that's all about family. Those were exactly the intentions of architect Kyu Sung Woo, when he decided to build a three-home compound outside of the small town of Putney, VT.

When Woo was forced to flee his hometown during the Korean War, he decided that he would re-create a family home for his extended relatives when he had the opportunity. Now, the sleek, understated, and pristinely beautiful home provides a retreat for his wife, children, and grandchildren.

For the complete tour, read more.

Constructed from wood and metal, large glass windows and sliding glass doors emphasize the importance of the 11 acres the home is built upon. The acreage, which is marked by heavily wooded terrain and large outcroppings of stone, is in stark contrast to the home's angular, boxy lines, though somehow, the structures appear well-suited to the landscape. Built around outcroppings of ledge, the houses are separated into one building for sleeping quarters, another for living quarters, and a third for storage and equipment.

In an article in the Wall Street Journal Mr. Woo's daughter Ilyon notes that the home is a "four-generation-and-beyond house, with the memory of my grandparents behind it."

What a beautiful, and ideal, way to define a home.

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Roundup: Stripes

CasaSugar — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 06:15:29 -0700

In honor of Independence Day, I'm bringing you some twists on the iconic emblems that represent this holiday. You won't have to store these in the garage, though, once July 4th is over. It's fitting that one of my favorite striped finds is the French Six Leg Upholstered Bench ($599), since France was our ally in the Revolutionary War.

Want to see the rest of my year-round stripes? Then read more.

Artist of the Day: Daniela Cunha Lay

CasaSugar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:00:05 -0700

It's not unusual to find a 26-year-old who cites Andy Warhol as an inspiration or who thinks she can emulate Jackson Pollock. But, it's a rare thing to meet a young woman whose mixed media, Warhol-inspired pop art speaks of revolution in Spain, war crimes in Iraq, and human perishability, whose Pollock-inspired paintings give you chills. I recently caught up with the young São Paulo-born, Brazil-and-California-raised artist Daniela Cunha Lay at the opening of her exhibit at one of my favorite design stores in San Francisco, Flipp. With little background on her work, I asked what medium she used. "Mixed media, of course," she said, speaking a mile a minute, "Nothing that I do is simple." After a tour around the exhibit, it was apparent that she couldn't have related herself or her work more succinctly.

To create "Divine," a mixed media collage of sorts, she took a 1928 photograph of her quite glamorous grandmother on the day of her wedding, and photocopied it on several different machines to achieve varying tonalities. Then, she "cop[ied] the copy of the copy, so as to crumble down the image, driving it as far away from its original print as possible," further establishing the obvious passage of time, and tore some to suggest that, "we and everything around us is inevitably perishable."

Lay's work speaks for itself, so hear more and check out some images of her work when you read more.

Standing on a 2-meter ladder, she painted "Rust," a splatter painting of a deformed, human-like figure amidst a crimson background, by throwing acrylic paint across a stretched canvas on the floor. I simultaneously felt violently haunted and calm viewing this piece, proving that her efforts to evoke "solitude, stillness, and inner piece in the midst of a violently chaotic world," succeeded.

Be sure to explore Daniela Cunha Lay's website to see more of her portfolio of paintings, photographs, conceptual videos, and graphic art, as well as several artist statements. And, if you live in the Bay Area, stop by the reception for her exhibit at the Diego Riviera Gallery tonight from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

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Roundup: Peace and Dove

CasaSugar — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:00:16 -0700

Yesterday, I showed you some home décor items that had been inspired by weapons. Of course, I can't show you war without bringing you some signs of peace as well. Besides the obvious peace signs, I included some dove-related items as well, since doves are a traditional symbol of peace.

Surprisingly, many of the peace-related items I found weren't nearly as innovative as those from my homeland security roundup. I was still able to find some cool items though, like this Peace Dove Tiny Text Bowl ($24) from Paloma's Nest. I love the understated, small lettering in the belly of the bowl, as well as the abstracted bird shape. Check out the widget below for some other cool peace and dove décor.

How-To: Start Your Own Victory Garden

CasaSugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:00:41 -0700

Today, US First Lady Michelle Obama, along with elementary school students, took part in the ground breaking of the White House Kitchen Garden on the South Lawn. This is the first kitchen garden on the White House lawn since First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden during World War II. Victory gardens are vegetable, fruit, and herb gardens that were planted at home residences during World War I and II to increase families' food supplies during the days of rationing and boost morale. From the Iraq war to the financial crisis, there are plenty of reasons to start a victory garden right now so, if you're up for the task, check out my tips for starting your own.
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Arrow Small Rectangular Tray - $90.00	Areaware War Bowl - $400.00
George Kovacs Mercury Table Lamp Bullet - $237.00	dVider - Edgy 16 Wall Sticker - $29.00
upper playground Raza Uno Guns Poster - $40.00	Bullet Planter - Short - $155.00
Hand Grenade Oil Lamps By Piet Houtenbos - $2.50	Ceramic Wall-Mounted Gun Vase Or 3-Gun Table Vase - $30.00
Diamantini Domeniconi - cuckoo bunker wall clock by diamantini & domeniconi - $797.00	Flos Bedside Gun Table Lamp - $1,185.00
Sandy Chapman Arrow Chandelier - $1,365.00

Emma Gardner - eclipse rugs by emma gardner - $2,400.00	Swedish Stripe Curved Sofa - $1,399.00
Quagliata Designs - glass table by orfeo quagliata for phuse - $995.00	Lane Pillow by Designers Eye - $98.00
Draper Stripe Blue Sheet Set QN - $249.00	Somerset Striped Hand Painted Cabinet - $699.00
B-Pop Side Chair - Laminate - $280.00	Stacked Stripe Rug - $160.00
Louis Poulsen campbell pendant lamp - $860.00	Colore Pillow by Designers Eye - $98.00
Painterly Stripe Lamp Base + Shade - $89.00	French Six-Leg Upholstered Bench - Blue Stripe - $599.00
Balance - $46.00	Blu Dot - Lumbar Pillow - $1,599.00
Wool/Ingeo Full/Queen Blanket in Slate Stripe - $59.00	looolo Mademoiselle Cushions in Mink - $140.00

Peace Rug - $299.00	Thomas Paul Flourish Dove Linen Pillow - $100.00
"Peaceful Petals" Bed Linens - $9.90	Simple Stick Lamp Base + Peace Sign Shade - $59.00
Mossy Terra Cotta Dove, Female - $15.00	Peace Canvas - $76.00
Peace Egg by Christofle - $170.00	Amy Ruppel We Come In Peace - $300.00
Glass Bird Vases - $39.00	Amani Rug - $299.00
Peace Sign Organic Duvet Cover & Sham - $29.00	Dove Tealight Holders - $70.00