CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Crave Worthy: Thonet Bentwood Settee

casasugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 14:00:33 -0700

I can't resist bentwood furniture, a style pioneered by German manufacturer Michael Thonet in the 1800s, even in its more modern interpretations. Try as I might, I never cease to be surprised swept off my feet by the timeless creations. Bentwood café chairs seem to be ubiquitous these days, and I never tire of them, but it is refreshing to see bentwood in another shape, such as the Thonet Bentwood Settee ($1494). The design is a licensed reproduction of an original Thonet, and is built by hand at one of the original Thonet factories located in Eastern Europe. With a cane seat and a slender, curved, walnut or
beechwood frame, it's simply sophisticated, without a stitch of trend appeal. What more could you ask for?

Cool Idea: Play in Public

casasugar — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:00:07 -0700

We may not remember rocking away in bouncy seats as infants, but I'm sure we all remember playing on swing sets as kids. In either case, was it ever not fun? I think not. So, why are Trix just for kids? And why should play be relegated just to playgrounds and backyards? I think adults should get a piece of the fun and games, and play should be accepted in public, and apparently so does British industrial design student Bruno Taylor.The renegade playground builder has decided that it's about time we bring play back into public space. He has created a project which incorporates incidental play in the public realm, including a public bench that bounces, for all to use, and the installation of swings into existing bus stops. Is that rad or what? To see a video of Taylor's swing being installed guerrilla-style into a bus stop,

Nice and New: VivaTerra Suzani Bench

casasugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:15:11 -0700

The suzani trend has been going on for probably a year now, and somehow I've yet to tire of it. VivaTerra has just introduced a Suzani Bench ($395-895) that is truly stunning and also eco-friendly. Made from 100 percent organic cotton and sustainable sheesham wood, and colored with eco-friendly dyes, it's one addition to your home that won't incite remorse. Available in two sizes, the elegant embroidered benches can serve as seating or a coffee table, used with a tray. At this point, I've seen the suzani trend played out in all sorts of products, often mimicking the textile's pattern rather than the embroidery itself, so it's refreshing to see such well-executed needlework.

Love It or Hate It? Button Bench

casasugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 06:15:46 -0700

The Jellio Button Bench ($1,400) is made to resemble a classic candy store treat with its colorful rubber dots. It certainly gives me a retro flashback of accidentally swallowing paper — not to mention a good laugh. What do you think?

Love It or Hate It? Button Bench

Love It

Hate It

Undecided

Before and After: Reclaimed Lumber Bench

casasugar — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 08:30:07 -0700

Oakland-based design-building studio Because We Can was hired by SunPower to create furniture for their new office in an old Ford manufacturing building in Richmond, CA. This enormous, potential-filled pile of lumber had been taken out of the building and slated to be dumped, but the studio stepped in, deciding the wood could be reclaimed to build something new. After mulling it over, they "decided that benches were the most feasible idea to use the lumber and keep costs down." They created two designs, one simple with legs and a seat, and another that doubled as a bookcase, with a bottom shelf fit for storing books. They designed 20-foot-long benches to use the wood most efficiently, basically as it was in its found state — but prettier and less splintery. When the wood was milled down, they discovered "a beautiful Douglas Fir glue lam, not far beneath the weathered exterior." The benches are so large that they had to be fork-lifted through a small opening on the second floor of the building. Now installed in the new HQ, they look gorgeous and fit for the vast size of the old factory building. To see the splintery wood planks in their fabulous new form,

If Money Weren't an Issue . . .

casasugar — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 16:00:57 -0700

. . . would you put this Thomas Moser Astral Bench ($12,000) in your living room? Inspired by the tailored design and perfect proportions characteristic of Danish furniture design, the bench is constructed of cherry "matchsticks" which make up the curved bench seat.

If Money Weren't an Issue . . .

Absolutely — it's beyond beautiful!

I love it, but not for my house.

No way, that ugly thing?

Other. I'll tell you in the comments.

Less or More: X-Based Benches

casasugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 10:31:45 -0700

For the next installment of this game, take a look at each of these x-based benches and see if you can answer my questions about them.

Steal of the Day: Black and White Inlaid Bone Bench

casasugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:00:10 -0700

If you need a matching steal for the covetable Mother of Pearl Chest, look no further than this Black and White Inlaid Bone Bench (on sale for $299, usually $549). Whether you use it for your vanity, your entry, or stack books upon it in your living room, it will add a touch of flair to any room it lands in. Covered with an inlaid floral pattern with rosette accents, it would make a gorgeous addition to your home.

Steal of the Day: Ballard Designs Macau Bench

casasugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 16:00:37 -0700

If you're a fan of the Chinese Chippendale style, you'll probably think the Ballard Designs Macau Bench ($279, reduced from $399) is worthy of cheering about. Made of rattan in rubbed black or natural tortoise with cotton twill, the bench is casual yet sophisticated. It's the perfect way to seat a couple of extra guests in a small studio or offer up a resting place in a narrow hallway or petite foyer. Buy two and frame them around a Moroccan tea table for a little Eastern flair on your screened-in porch, or place one at the foot of your bed for some Mr. Rogers-style shoe-tying. Love it? Like it?

Roundup: Spring Green Seating

casasugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 05:31:01 -0700

When I was a little CasaSugar growing up in the great white tundra, I couldn't wait for the first crocuses and tendrils of green grass to peek out of the snow mounds. My eyes were literally starved for the color green. Years later, I moved to the Bay Area, where I am nearly always surrounded by green foliage. The color green has also popped up all over my home-decorating palette. It's my firm belief that no matter how much green you get outside your house, it never hurts to include some green furniture pieces inside as well. Maybe if I'd had a few of these lovely green furnishings to sit patiently upon, I wouldn't have been such a hyperactive, cabin-fevered kid. Take a look at the widget to see if you can find a favorite of your own.