CasaSugar

Sneak Peek! What's Coming to Ikea in April

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0700

Ikea never fails to keep its hip and affordable modern designs coming, and April will be no exception. I have a sneak peek for you of what will arrive at the Swedish shop next month, including brand new and reinvisioned products.

My favorites are these African-inspired textiles, particularly this black and white labyrinth-esque Vilmie Figur Cushion ($7.99, at right). Those clever Scandinavians have also managed to flat-pack the über popular Ektorp Sofa, which makes it easier, more affordable, and more eco-friendly to support - and saves room in your truck for all the other goodies you want to buy! The Billy Bookcase, which just celebrated its 30th on the beach in Sydney, now has the option of doors in different finishes if you've got odds and ends to conceal. Take a look at a few more products coming to Ikea below!

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Daily Tech: Why Helium Makes Your Voice Sound Squeaky

GeekSugar — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 12:15:00 -0700

Finally explained: why helium makes your voice sound squeaky - io9
Why can't all subways be outfitted with Ikea like this one in Paris? - Urlesque
KiBiSi's minimalist headphones are pretty sweet - Unplggd
You knew it was coming - a $20,000 diamond iPad - Dvice
A fanny pack for the 21st century - Oh Gizmo!
Bookmark this site to find out what movies are streaming soon on Netflix - PopCandy
Will there ever be one data plan to rule all of our gadgets? - Gizmodo
The White House wants to make healthy-eating video games - Joystiq

Guess How This Lamp Is Powered?

CasaSugar — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:00:50 -0800

This chic Ikea lamp uses an LED bulb, but it also has another source of power. Can you guess what it is?

Before and After: An Emergency Kitchen Makeover

Casa Community — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:00:38 -0800

Here's a post from CasaSugar Community member 2ndFloorLiving of the Su Casa group:

Last week a shelf in my kitchen fell and broke pretty much all of my dishes. Here's a before shot with the infamous shelf. So over the weekend I rushed to IKEA and spent approximately $75 for this renter-friendly redesign.
To see photos of the kitchen after the makeover, read more.
What do you think? Not bad for a tiny kitchen with no windows and a 50-year old-oven I guess.

Here are some after shots:

I have my own home decorating blog where I wrote about this kitchen catastrophe (and its aftermath) in more depth. You can read more here if you're curious.

Have you had any of your own decorating catastrophes or makeovers at home? Be sure to add photos and tales to the Su Casa group!

Cool Idea: A Storage Box Spring

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:00:56 -0800

The New York Times recently featured the 178-square-foot Brooklyn studio of Zach Motl, a junior designer for design firm Robert Couturier & Associates, who also worked for Miles Redd. The amount of stylish, sophisticated furnishings packed into Motl's one-room apartment is nearly impossible, but somehow it looks polished. One of the things that helps his digs look less cluttered is his Ikea Sultan Alsarp Box Spring ($220 and up). The clever design has a slatted base that can be lifted, allowing you to use the space underneath for storage. Of course, if you're smart, you'll have a bed frame and maybe even bed risers, too, so you can store things underneath your bed as well. If only I'd known about this when I lived in a studio! I wonder if it's comfortable?

How-To: Curtain a Room For Under $20

CasaSugar — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 10:00:27 -0800

The other day, I tweeted about the awesome sale Ikea was having on some of its fabric. We're talking 99 cents a yard here, people! That is really, really cheap. And while I love my Amy Butler fabric, it often runs around $14 a yard. Since I've been looking for fabric for curtains for my soon-to-arrive baby's room, and since those five windows in the room require about 17 yards of fabric, it was hard for me to justify expensive fabric.

So, imagine my delight when I found this great graphic-patterned brown and white fabric. It's part of the Petronella line of fabric at Ikea, and is usually $5.99 a yard (on sale now for 99 cents a yard). While this fabric is quite narrow (18 inches wide), it's already hemmed on the sides with a contrasting brown border. This helped to make my curtain-making project a relative snap. In fact, the hardest part of the job was taking down the ugly white blinds that had been hanging prior to this project!

Tell me, do you buy fabric at Ikea? If so, what projects have you whipped up with it?

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Cool Idea: Ikea Bookcase Turned Bar

CasaSugar — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:00:06 -0800

AT:NY recently featured a house tour of readers Tyler & Jules's NYC home, whose digs have been featured twice before on AT and once on HGTV. The latest reincarnation of their home boasts gray and blue walls, colorful accents, and trendy patterns and furnishings; all in all, it's fun! But the one thing that stood out to me as really clever was their bar, which they crafted from an Ikea Lack Shelving Unit ($80) by turning it on its side and adding legs. Not only does the DIY piece look great, but it has a quite functional wide surface for mixing cocktails and four compartments for storing glasses and other supplies. The width of the bar makes it a real focal point and a destination, and they've made it even hipper looking with a modern wine rack.

Get the Look: Fun, Fanciful Swedish Study

CasaSugar — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:00:03 -0800

When I happened upon photographs of Annika Borg's beautiful home in Skona Hem, I was bewitched by her use of color and pattern, as well as her bold mix of style. This is a home that is infinitely livable, and while it's beautiful, you can tell that Annika doesn't take herself too seriously - in the best possible way.

In particular, I adore this colorful, feminine, and fun study. From the built-in media shelving to the wide plank floors, it has gorgeous bones. Annika enhances the already beautiful space by decorating it with unexpected touches, such as a hot pink rug and a multicolored chandelier. Annika cherishes this study as a place to listen to her favorite music, including multi-instrumentalist Theresa Andersson and bluegrass musician Rhonda Vincent, and given her eclectic music tastes, it makes sense that her decorating style is equally diverse.

And while the sofa, ottoman, and chairs are all custom made, you can easily re-create the feel and vibe of the room by choosing carefully from a variety of sources, including Ikea or chain stores, as well as more upscale small boutiques. For instance, you can pick up a similar hot pink flokati rug at Home Decorators for less than $400.

Want to see where you can find that cool chandelier and get the rest of the look? Then read more.
The Gypsy Chandelier ($158) is from Urban Outfitters and is a fun way to add unexpected color to your overhead lighting.

For similar art, I'd recommend this beautiful beach print, Praia Piquinia by Christian Chaize ($50 and up). Before you hang that art, paint your walls a pale lilac and touch up trimwork with a bright white paint.

Get the rest of the accents and furniture below.

Ikea Creates World's Longest Outdoor Bookcase on Sydney's Bondi Beach

CasaSugar — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 15:00:09 -0800

To celebrate the 30th birthday of its signature furniture piece, Ikea lined up 30 of its red Billy Bookcases ($60) on Sydney's popular Bondi Beach on Sunday, effectively forming the world's longest outdoor bookcase. The Swedish retailer filled the cases with beach reads for surfers, swimmers, and sunbathers to swap with one of their own or make a gold coin donation to buy, with proceeds going to the Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation. The bookcases were fastened to thick sheets of wood to keep them steady in the sand. The Billy Bookcase is a classic, streamlined design that's been used to store everything from pantry items to novels in homes all over the world, but it's rare to see it used in a public space; how fun! I only wish this outdoor library would remain up all year-round. But then again, particleboard isn't exactly made to withstand the elements.

See the rest of these gorgeous photos when you read more!

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Living Large in a Small Space: Marlies's Vibrant Studio in the Netherlands

CasaSugar — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:30:06 -0800

Marlies lives in the western part of the Netherlands, where, she writes, "It can be quite hard to find a nice affordable home in the city. This small (366ft) studio apartment was offered to me just six months ago, by a organization that provides affordable houses for working young people. I was very happy, because before this I lived in very expensive and even smaller(!) apartments." Marlies notes that although she works with a very small design budget, she loves to create a pretty, cozy home. Using thrifted and antique elements, Ikea finds, and Etsy artwork, she has created a lovely small home for herself. Take the tour to get ideas for creating your own small refuge in the city, and then check out her Flickr page for more inspiration.

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