CasaSugar

Etsy Find: Sara Paloma Large Bone Vase

CasaSugar — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 05:15:24 -0700

If you're shopping for a timeless wedding gift for a modern couple, the Sara Paloma Large Bone Vase ($150) might be just the thing. Its stacked teacup-like construction and stained brown carved edges give it a very feminine and organic appeal, while its matte white coloring guarantees it'll fit into any home. If this one's not for you, Bay Area artist Sara Paloma has a large selection of gorgeous handmade pottery including votive holders, vases, bottles, bowls, and sculptural pieces. Though certainly not something you'll find on a registry list, Paloma's stoneware pieces are sure to impress.

Ask Casa: Help With My New Living Room

CasaSugar — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 -0800

Hi Casa,

I recently rented my first apartment and now I have to furnish and make it my own space. Eeek! I feel like I need some serious help. The apartment is not very big and I'm not allowed to paint the walls so they must remain white. Right now I'm focused on the living area. As of right now I have a couch, chair, and an accent table. I'm need of a coffee table, but I was thinking instead of going the table route, of doing a cocktail ottoman. I found one at Target, the Kerry Rectangle Ottoman, I thought might work well. If you could give me some pointers I would be truly grateful. I've included a picture so you can get some idea of what I'm working with. Thanks, xnieves

To hear my suggestions for xnieves, read more.

Hi xnieves,

Thanks for writing in! How fun? Your first apartment! The space looks great. Your parquet floors are gorgeous, and that fireplace nook is great.

It's too bad you can't paint the walls, but you do have some alternatives. If you're allowed to, hang large-scale artwork to instantly bring color to the space. The wall above that fireplace is just begging for a big, bright painting. You can also hang textiles, tapestries, or curtains to bring in color. Another great trick is to wallpaper boards of plywood and just lean them against your walls - see what I mean here.

While I do like the idea of using an ottoman instead of a coffee table, I'm afraid it will be too hefty for this small space, especially in that dark brown color of the Kerry ottoman. If you really want one, I'd recommend getting two small ottoman cubes instead - something more like this. But honestly, I think the space would really benefit from a coffee table that's much lighter visually, such as a glass or Lucite one. For instance, the CB2 Smart Coffee Table ($199) would look great (and let those parquet floors peek through).

The biggest problem I see already here though is that you're headed in a very beige and brown direction, which is not very inspiring or intriguing. You need color in this space. I recommend adding colorful throw pillows to the couch, and maybe a small one to the chair as well. Since you can't paint the walls, your furnishings should take the lead on adding color and personality. You should also dress up that fireplace nook; read my post on Decorating a Nonworking Fireplace for ideas. Bring in color with accessories, too, such a candlesticks, books, vases, etc.

Hope that helps!

Cheers,
Casa

Etsy Find: White Notes 3-D Flower Vase

CasaSugar — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 06:12:30 -0800

This White Notes 3-D Flower Vase ($19) is a much cheaper version of the Porcleain Flower Vase ($98) I've been seeing in all the design shops lately. It's handmade of fine bone china, and reinterprets vase shapes of the 1790's by using a white finish to create a modern look. I think the tulip design is so beautiful on its own that it really doesn't even need fresh flowers. Although...who can argue with fresh flowers?

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Before and After: A Bathroom Makeover For Under $80

CasaSugar — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:00:33 -0700

Craftster member Nichola accomplished the admirable feat of making over her bathroom for under $80. Cheap, chic makeovers are always inspiring, and Nichola's bathroom definitely fits the bill. Before Nichola's bathroom got to this "before" status you see here, she spent three nights removing ugly, decrepit wallpaper that may have been original to the house. With this somewhat blank palette, Nichola went to work.

She notes, "Now, I really admire people who can use color, people who can grab a can of bright red paint and slap it on the wall, but I am not one of those people. I shamefully admit that I am one of those who grab a can of white, or off white and go to town."

Even if Nichola is shy of bright colors, she still pulled off an amazing makeover in more neutral colors. To see how it looks, read more.

Nichola hung a new mirror, added some furniture and accents (including that cool basket of dowel rods), painted, sewed and hung curtains, and crafted a silhouette portrait. She says, "In addition to being frightful of color I'm also cheap as can be and on a budget. Here's a rundown of my costs: $15, white eco friendly paint for the walls; $17, white floor paint; $35.99 mirror; $3.94, 2 metres fabric for curtains; $2, supplies for silhouette picture. Everything else was stuff from my stash (frames, vase, cotton to line curtains)."

The black and white palette looks very sophisticated, and all of the little touches are perfectly pulled off. Nichola notes that she's not quite done with all of the changes (how many of us home reno-ers ever are?), but that she's quite pleased with the results. As she should be! This bathroom looks fabulous!

View 5 Photos ›

Roundup: White Porcelain Accessories

CasaSugar — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:00:15 -0700

Ever since I saw West Elm's white Parsons Desk, I haven't been able to resist white, be it furniture, drapery, or accessories. White, obviously, is a very versatile color that goes with everything! But not only does it blend in well, it also has the power to make a disparate mix of furnishings look cohesive. I've noticed that a lot of decorators these days are using a collection of white porcelain accessories as a theme on bookshelves and other areas around the home that have no true focal point. White porcelain can become very spendy if you're buying intricate Nymphenburg Porcelain, but in general the material itself isn't particularly expensive. So, you can pick up a few porcelain accessories, be it vases, decorative objects, or candle holders, and create a collection without breaking the bank.

Porcelain Finch - $30.00	Fornasetti Buona Notte Vase- White / Black - $188.00
Jonathan Adler Banana Bud Vase- White - $48.00	Lladro Oriental Grace - $195.00
Origami Cranes - $40.00	White Porcelain Cheese Buttons - Set of 3 Goat, Cow, Sheep by RSVP International by RSVP International - $9.99
Tank U Vases By La Tete Au Cube - $71.00	Moooi Egg Vase - $146.00
Carton Vase - $6.95	Jonathan Adler Tamarind Vase- White - $198.00
Lladro - othello horse wall hook by lladro - $150.00	Eva Solo Luxury Birdbath - $184.00
Porcelain Raven - $36.00	S/3 White Porcelain Ming Figures - $100.99
Secticon Table Clock By Angelo Mangiarotti - $260.00	Pierced Porcelain Gourd Candlelight - $98.00
Joya Pomegranate White Pepper Candle - $48.00	Porcelain Lantern White Large - $245.00
Rosenthal - surface collection by achim haigis for rosenthal - $40.00	Vita 10.25" Bowl by Rosenthal - $95.00
Jonathan Adler Doora Moor Bowl- White - $295.00

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Get the Look: Bright Modern Living Room

CasaSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 08:00:19 -0700

It's a bold move to choose a large checkered print for your sofa - that's a lot of pattern. But when you keep your palette otherwise simple, with just a couple other principal colors, it works! I absolutely love the daring sofa in this room. And just because the space really has just two colors (brown and white) doesn't mean it's not fun. Textured pieces, such as the shag rug, fur pillows, and driftwood table, are playful but still subdued. The room also has intrigue because of the unusual shapes of the furnishings: the arc floor lamp, the organic coffee table, the jungle-like tree. And then, a few high-style elements like glass vases and a Costume National book polish it off. To get this look, start by picking up the Pal + Smith Madison Sofa.

For more items to complete the look, read more.

Casa Quickie: Vases as Fish Bowls

CasaSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:00:53 -0700

To me, big ole electric fish tanks just scream bachelor pad, or worse, a divey Chinese restaurant. There's nothing pretty about a standard pet shop fish bowl, either. But having a little Nemo in your home can inspire a connection to the natural world, and there's something calming about watching them propel their little bodies through the water. The design-savvy solution? Use simple vases as fish bowls. On this windowsill, three cylindrical vases (remember, when in doubt, group in threes) are filled with small, white rocks and decorated with seaweed. The colors of the vases are cued to those of the room, using mostly white, yellow, and green, showing that fish can be used as décor as well as low-maintenance pets!

DIY: Floral Foam Vase

CasaSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:00:00 -0700

If you read Casa regularly, you've probably noticed that people are making vases out of almost anything these days (pipes, plastic bottles, honeycomb, light bulbs). Quite frankly, a makeshift vase (coffee can, glass bottle) is not the hardest DIY. But, when I came across a DIY from ReadyMade for a vase made from floral foam that was cheap, easy, and most importantly, water retaining, I was pretty impressed. You'll probably find most of the supplies needed for this project in your house, too; who can argue with that?
Supplies:

Floral foam
Wax pellets or standard white candles
Baking paper
Cookie sheet
Toothpicks
Long, sharp knife
Cookie cutter or jar lid
Double boiler
Coffee can, slightly flattened to form a spout
Aluminum foil

To learn the steps, read more.

Draw half of an outline of a vase on a sheet of paper folded in half. Cut out the shape, and unfold so that you have a template for a vase shape.
Align your vase template with the base of your floral foam block.
Trace the shape of the vase with a toothpick onto both sides of the block.
Place the foam block flat on a table. Using the knife, cut out the traced shape, keeping the knife vertical.
Then, flip it over, and shave the edges smooth with the knife to make it clean looking and vase-like.
Using cookie cutters or jar lids, press a pattern into the foam (if you want one).
Fill your double boiler with water, and heat it up.
Put the wax/candles in your coffee can, and melt them.
Put a sheet of foil over your cookie sheet.
Put your vase upside down on the sheet, and pour the hot wax over it completely coating.
Stand it right side up, and slice off the top so that the foam is uncoated where you'll stick the flowers in.
Let it cool for an hour.
Soak the floral foam vase in water for an hour, and then stick your flowers into the top of the foam, making an arrangement as you wish. If the vase dries out, just run water over the top and it will soak it up.

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Casa Quickie: Think Outside the Mantel

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:00:36 -0700

Those of you who are lucky enough to have a fireplace mantel are probably overflowing with ideas about what to set on it and what to hang above it. Vases. Candlesticks. Objets d'art. Photographs. Paintings. Perhaps the most intriguing solution to this dilemma is to leave the space above the mantel blank.

In this living room, you'd expect to see the mirror hung above the mantel, but instead you find it on the adjacent wall. And the set of subtle, white candlesticks give the space polish, keeping it from appearing abandoned. It's captivating, surprising, and fresh! Try thinking outside the mantel in your home.
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Get the Look: Neutral With a Splash

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 08:00:01 -0700

There's no shortage of patterned pillows in the world to love, so where do you draw the line? As someone who is drawn to color and pattern, I've always struggled with this. But, I think the answer is simple: go neutral. This living room has a neutral backdrop: white side table, translucent lamp, beige sofa, white walls, etc. The array of patterned pillows here works because it doesn't have any competition. Beyond that, the two bolder hues - royal blue and lime - are matched by the vase and greenery on the shelf, making it look much more cohesive and composed. I thought I'd try to re-create this room for you, in case any of you dig it as much as I do. To see my finds, read more.

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Kartell bourgie - $362.00	Thomas Paul Swallows Silk Twill Pillow - $80.00
Dervish Linen Pillow by Thomas Paul - $100.00	English Roll Arm Slipcovered Studio Sofa - $2,545.00
Daisy Chainstitch Embroidered Boudoir Pillow Cover - $29.00	Fern Jacquard Lumbar Pillow Cover - $39.00
Fritz Hansen little friend table - $892.00	Crow Bottle Opener - $25.00
Klein/Reid - klein-reid c-thru vases - $68.00	Esque Slump Vase - $350.00
White Tchotchke Shelves - $24.99