CasaSugar

Decorating With Warm Colors

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:00:14 -0800

Last week, we talked about decorating with cool colors as part of my series for Color Theory month. This week, we'll heat things up with a discussion of warm colors.

Warm colors, such as red, orange, and yellow, are associated with stimulation, appetite, and warmth. These hues give a room a feeling of closeness, since the colors appear to come forward. They're great to use for establishing a cozy mood in a room.

What warm colors have you used in your home?

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Casa Quickie: Expand Your Space With Cool Colors

CasaSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:05 -0800

Did you know that cool colors, such as green, blue, and purple, can actually make a small space appear bigger? That's because these cool colors appear to recede from the viewer. For that reason, when painting a small bedroom or office, consider using a cool color.

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How-To: Decorate With Gray

CasaSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:49 -0800

If you read my November must haves, you know that this month I'll be giving you tips, advice, and ideas for adding color to your home. As part of these "Color Theory" posts, I'm going to focus on different ranges of color each week. This week, I'm beginning with cool colors, showing you how to decorate with specific colors, how to use color in small spaces, and how to paint and upholster with color. I've covered turquoise and lavender, so now it's time to move onto one of my all-time favorites: gray!

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How-To: Decorate With Turquoise

CasaSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

If you read my November must haves, you know that this month I'll be giving you tips, advice, and ideas for adding color to your home. As part of these "Color Theory" posts, I'm going to focus on different ranges of color each week. This week, I'll begin with cool colors, showing you how to decorate with specific colors, how to use color in small spaces, and how to paint and upholster with color. I'm kicking this off with one color I'm really loving lately: turquoise! Take a look at how you can decorate with this greenish-blue hue.

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Before and After: An Old Sideboard Gets a Hip Makeover

CasaSugar — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:00:23 -0700

Aside from its missing drawer handle, there's nothing really wrong with this old sideboard. It has a rich color and a beautiful glossy finish. But, sad as it may be, this style of wood furniture is not very of-the-moment. Everyone wants to paint, paint, paint these days. And wallpaper. Paint and wallpaper, paint and wallpaper. I think there should be a balance of both. You've got to mix some wood pieces in with your painted, metal, and plastic ones.

Want to see the transformation this sideboard received? Then read more.

I think it looks great! The marine paint really makes the sideboard's ornate shape stand out, and the two papered drawers add a whimsical touch. Lately, the trend is to paint furniture in high-gloss, but I really like the matte finish of this piece. It seems less frivolous and more timeless than glossy pieces. What do you think?

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Before and After: Updating a Sun Porch

CasaSugar — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:00:23 -0700

Su Casa member PrettyLittleWorld loves her new home, but she wasn't a fan of her sun porch. She writes, "When we moved into our new home over the summer, we knew the sun porch would have to get some attention so that we could use it. The previous design was just all around unattractive, and made the porch feel a little depressing. We needed to stay within a small budget because there were bigger and more expensive things that needed doing in the rest of the house."

To see how she improved the original porch, read more.

PrettyLittleWorld used paint to improve the sun porch, which, as you well know, is one of the most dramatic and inexpensive ways to update a space. Using Winter Flannel and Quail Egg paint, the entire space looks updated and refreshed. PrettyLittleWorld also added a new, comfy porch chair for a green pop of color, and moved houseplants into the space as well. "We changed the sun porch into a space that we love to use!" she reports.

Have you made any changes in your home? Share them on Su Casa.

Cool Idea: Everything in One Hue

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:00:42 -0700

Melanie, of the fabulous Etsy shop Plum Cushion, lives in a seriously stylish 1941 Cape Cod in Seattle. The bones of her home are nice, but it's her cool palette and ability to modernize vintage pieces that really make it hip. One of my favorite elements was how she painted her Rococo sconces and mirror and her Chinoiserie console table to match the blue of her walls. Obviously, each piece has an ornate shape that could really stand out if painted in a contrasting color. But they're all so shapely, it would be too busy and competitive if that were the case. Painted to match the walls, her accessories pop and make you give the quaint corner a second look.

Before and After: So Long, Dated Wallpaper

CasaSugar — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:00:55 -0700

Su Casa member Kimpossible finally got around to updating her kitchen, or at least starting the process, after three years on the back burner. She began with the easiest, and often the most effective change, paint! As you can see, her wallpaper was dated and really didn't do much for the room. So, a warm coat of chocolate brown paint came to the rescue, and made a drastic difference. She also added some counter stools to match, a shelf for spices, and a window valance. Want to see the after photo? Then read more.

It looks much more sophisticated now. It's amazing what a little color can do!

Have you made any updates to your home lately? Be sure to add them to our Su Casa group!

Before and After: A Sophisticated and Glamorous Nursery

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:00:44 -0700

Su Casa member mianakao recently moved into a new home, and turned this dull room into something absolutely spectacular. Her fabulous results prove that even the most dull room can be transformed into a gorgeous, glamorous space with a little imagination and a lot of hard work.
She writes, "We just moved into our new house (a sprawling foreclosure), so I had free reign with this room! As you can see in the before photo, the room was dull, dingy, and needed lots of TLC."

The results are truly astounding. To see how mianakao turned this dingy, dull space into a beautiful nursery, read more.

Can you even believe it's the same room? I am truly amazed! Mianakao explains, "My goal was to use black and white in a tasteful way to help the baby's visual development. My first choice was stripes around the room, but I figured that might just make the baby dizzy after a while. So, instead, I went with a high-gloss black latex paint, and brightened up the room with tons of white. (The green is an after thought accent color to warm up the space)." "Also, in an effort to be somewhat creative, I stuck a vinyl decal of a tree on the wall, painted over it, and then cut out the vinyl with an X-acto knife. Had I thought ahead, I could have incorporated the accent green on the tree. Sticking a vinyl decal on the wall wasn't creative enough for me . . . and I didn't want to deal with all of the air bubbles."

I also love that mianakao kept to a strict budget for this makeover. She writes, "Since we're in a tight economy, everything you see (with the exception of the crib and the chandelier) was found on Craigslist. Nothing was over $40! I also found items for free from the freecycle network. I just sanded the furniture and painted it flat white to match everything else in the room . . . well, my husband handled all the hard work. Small accents like the beautiful black and white crystal chandelier just added a touch of chic for our new baby girl!"

Take the full tour when you check out the gallery. I'm truly inspired!

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Casa Quickie: Tips For Spray Painting

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 05:30:30 -0700

Spray painting is a seriously easy way to update everything from furniture to shelves to candlesticks. Lacquered finishes, a nod to Hollywood Regency style, are all the rage these days, so updating an old furnishing with glossy spray paint is an easy way to get the look on a small budget. But there are a few tips you should keep in mind. First of all, before you paint, clean your piece and sand it lightly to make the paint adhere better.
To prevent paint globs, apply several light coats, letting each dry completely in between. And, when you are painting, keep the can completely upright to keep the flow consistent. Oh and this one might go without saying, but make sure you shake well before spraying!

Source: Flickr User ohad*