CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Todd Oldham Introduces Charley Harper to Old Navy

casasugar — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 05:30:55 -0800

It's no secret that Todd Oldham is a big fan of the work of wildlife illustrator Charley Harper, considering that he co-authored a book with Harper. It's also no secret Todd Oldham is the creative director of Old Navy. Thus, welcome Charley Harper to Old Navy! A collection of Charley Harper books, games, and tees for children under $15 is now available at Old Navy and is part of the retailer's effort to target young moms on a budget. I'd call that budget beautiful! Although most of these trix are for kids, there's a great Charley Harper Coloring Book ($9.50) and a Memory Game ($14.50) that would both make easy, affordable artwork for your home. Stocking stuffers?

Guess What This Giant Skull Is Made Of?

casasugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:00:07 -0800

"Mind Shut Down," a giant skull made by Indian artist Subodh Gupta, is pictured here at the Frieze art fair in London in mid-October. The materials used to make the skull are all from one room in the house. Can you name the room?

Su Casa: Art For Joke's Sake

casasugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:15:45 -0800

In my post about the new Hygge & West shop, TeamSugar member KateDavis commented, saying that the illustrated frames in the shop's graphic reminded her of one she'd drawn herself as part of a gag on her husband. Of course, I told her I'd love to see her frame, and she posted a photo to the Su Casa group. While her husband was at work, KateDavis hung one of her husband's paintings on their wall and drew an ornate frame around it with a Sharpie. Check out KateDavis's post to learn why her husband may have been less than thrilled to see his work so prominently displayed. It's hard to see the markered pièce de résistance very well in this photo, but it looks like KateDavis has some artistic talent of her own! It also reminds me a lot of Graham & Brown's Frames wallpaper, don't you think?

Gift Guide: Modern Art Lover

casasugar — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 08:30:39 -0800

If you've got a friend with a membership to the MoMA, who lists Jeff Koons and Andy Warhol in her Top Five, lives in a West Elm showroom, and despises Impressionism, get out of Manhattan. No, just kidding. If you have a friend like that, the perfect gift for him or her this holiday season is some contemporary wall art. Everyone's got space on the wall to fill up, especially those Modernists that favor minimalism. So, I've collected a few modern wall art pieces for your dearest friend. I'm sure you'll see something that makes you think, "That's so her." In my case, it's the Tim Groen Osmosis ($500) mixed media collage at left (hint hint).
For more gifts ideas, holiday home decorating tips and more, check out HolidaySugar, and to see my finds,

Cool Idea: Urban Curators

casasugar — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 05:30:22 -0700

Urban Curators is a Providence-based project that highlights "interesting and unexpected areas of urban environments," aiming to celebrate the decaying and the overlooked. Gold, gallery-style frames are hung over urban graffiti, mossy walls, layers of peeling, wheat-pasted posters, or brick peaking out from a building's exterior. In other words, the frames urge passersby to acknowledge the beauty or the cultural value in the derelict. Much like photography, this "curation" crops out the whole picture, focusing in on a singular element of an environment. I've seen empty frames hung on interior residential walls before, but never highlighting this sort of decay. If there's a place or wall in your home that needs a little fixing up, perhaps you might frame it à la Urban Curators until you can afford a remodel?
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Do You Have Original Artwork in Your Home?

casasugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:15:16 -0700

Having original artwork in our homes is really what completes and matures the look, and keeps our interiors from looking too staged and cookie cutter — even if we've got the same West Elm furniture as our neighbors and friends. But, unless you're an artiste, acquiring artwork can get pricey. Buying prints is a great alternative, if you can't afford one-of-a-kind pieces. Source

Do You Have Original Artwork in Your Home?

Yes, I have some original pieces of artwork.

I have my own artwork in my home!

I have prints, photographs, or multiples.

No, no artwork for me. Do posters count?

Other, I'll tell you in the comments.

DIY: Ceiling Medallions as Wall Art

casasugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:00:55 -0700

Since I was recently fawning over that ceiling medallion light, I couldn't help but stop in my tracks when I came across these ceiling medallions used as wall art. Do It Yourself offered up this creative idea in its collection of quick home projects. The lightweight urethane medallions were simply painted in subtly varying shades of yellow and easily mounted on the wall of this living room. The medallions are affordable, around $20 to $30, so it's quite an attainable way to bring "art" into your home. Another thought? Pick up a medallion with a circular opening in the center, and have a glass cutter make you a round mirror to size, and you'll have an ornate mirror at a fractional price.
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Artist of the Day: Miguel Ornia-Blanco

casasugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:15:04 -0700

Inspired by his travels through London, Manchester, and Buenos Aires, artist Miguel Ornia-Blanco paints urban landscapes full of movement, energy, and life. Contrary to the stark, gray skyscrapers, blacktop roads, and dingy sidewalks you might see in some of those metropolitan areas, Ornia-Blanco finds a vibrant color palette in the cityscape. He sees emotions, life, laughter, pain, and solitude in places where, on a whole, people seem to pass by each other unknowingly. His brushstrokes are free-flowing and his colors blend with no straight lines or distinct outlines, further evoking the reality that nothing is constant in these hectic terrains. Although his paintings seem to illustrate that the world is colliding in these places, Ornia-Blanco brings beauty to the chaos, and that's not an easy thing to do. Check out the gallery below and his website to see some more work by this London-based artist.

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Ask Casa: Claude Lalanne Sheep Sculptures

casasugar — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 06:15:03 -0700

Hi Casa,
You featured some imitation Claude Lalanne sheep sculptures in June. I have been looking for these for 10 years, since they were featured in an issue of House & Garden in September 1998! Can you let me know where I can purchase them?Thanks!
Stily

To hear my response to Stily,

Love It or Hate It? Thorsten van Elten Still-Life Bowl

casasugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:00:00 -0700

The Thorsten van Elten Still-Life Bowl ($100) is a fruit bowl made from a glazed earthenware dish outfitted with an oak frame that can be set horizontally or vertically, so you can create your very own still life without even getting your paint brush wet. Yeah, you might prefer a van Gogh, but you can't have everything, can you?

Love It or Hate It? Thorsten van Elten Still-Life Bowl

Love It

Hate It

Undecided