CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Designer Spotlight: Laurence Pasquier

casasugar — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 08:30:07 -0700

Interior stylist Laurence Pasquier has a background in textiles and a distinct, scenic style. She feeds her influences and inspirations by spending time in London and Paris, two of Europe's most cutting-edge cities. Pasquier is often hired by communication agencies to build sets for a launch, and magazines like Living Etc, Homes & Gardens, and Real Homes rely on her to style atmospheres for photo shoots. Pasquier also collaborates with various trend studios to advise companies on their creative endeavors, positioning brands and analyzing growing trends, translating her observations into attainable style. For inspiration check out the gallery below.

There's more where these came from, so

Designer Spotlight: Suzy Hoodless

casasugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:00:00 -0700

After five years as an interiors editor at Wallpaper*, Suzy Hoodless decided to ditch the written page and try her hand at designing interiors herself. She set up a design consultancy in 2000, specializing in interior design (both residential and commercial), and since then has racked up clients all over the globe. Be it a hunting lodge in Scotland, a beach house in Barbados, or a members only club in London, Hoodless brings a unique, timeless aesthetic to each interior. What impresses me most about her style is that it doesn't adhere to any design trends which, as we all know, can fade fast. Yes, you may find a Louis Ghost Chair or a mid-century credenza in her portfolio, which are ubiquitous these days. But you'll barely notice they're there . . . the entire composition of her rooms themselves is really what grabs me. There's also a quirky British element to her work that I adore; why not hang a chair on the wall like artwork or use a simple log as a bench? Check out the gallery below to see what I mean.

There's more where these came from, so

Designer Spotlight: Tom Scheerer

casasugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:45:10 -0700

Architectural and interior designer Tom Scheerer combines an architectural sensibility with a comfortable, refined aesthetic in a look he calls "relaxed modernism." His interiors favor well-planned rooms, spatial arrangements, color, and texture over purely decorative elements, and he uses antiques sparingly and artwork decidedly. Having practiced design since 1985, his work can be found in New York, East Hampton, Nantucket, and the Bahamas as well as the pages of Elle Décor, House & Garden, Architectural Digest, and House Beautiful, and he is often named one of House Beautiful's "Top 100" designers. Check out the gallery below to see some of his work.

There's plenty more where these came from, so

Designer Spotlight: Angie Hranowsky

casasugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 07:00:05 -0700

Graphic designer and Parsons grad, Angie Hranowsky applies her knowledge of design, color theory, and textiles to interiors as well as the printed page with an eclectic and modern aesthetic. Her mix of vintage and new furnishings, bold color, and perfect composition, which can be found through the Southeast and Midwest and on the pages of Metropolitan Home, Domino, and House Beautiful, has an unmistakable Hollywood Regency influence that's comfortably chic. Check out the gallery below to see some of her work.

There's more where these came from, so

Designer Spotlight: Kathy Dalwood

casasugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:00:07 -0700

London-based artist and designer Kathy Dalwood runs an interior design service called Shift, where she offers smart, practical approaches to dealing with space issues and living with a distinct visual style. She also creates contemporary mirror collections in acrylic, perspex, and glass, using computer technologies, and has been known to sculpt figurines, urns, tiles, friezes, soap dishes, planters, and public commission pieces. Her work has been featured in World of Interiors, Elle Decoration, Grand Designs, Living Etc, *Wallpaper, Frame, and idFx, and she has received several design awards. Sounds like a busy life!

I love the pops of color Kathy uses in interiors, be it lining a lampshade or the shelves of a bookcase, as well as her affinity for tapestries. Check out the gallery below to see some of her work.

There's more where these came from, so

Designer Spotlight: Greg Natale Design

casasugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 07:00:07 -0700

Greg Natale Design is an award-winning, Sydney-based firm of architects and designers who work with residential, hospitality, retail, and corporate clients, which was founded in 2001. Their work has appeared in dozens of Australian and international design magazines and books, including Vogue, TIME, Harper's Bazaar, House & Garden, and Wallpaper*. The firm also launched a collection of lounge furniture called "Rise Lounging" in 2007. Their work is dramatic yet subdued, glamorous yet masculine, polished yet comfortable, and contemporary despite traditional furnishings. To see for yourself, check out the gallery below.

Source

Coveted Crib: Miles Redd's NYC Pad

casasugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:15:31 -0700

I recently introduced you to interior designer Miles Redd, who I said got his start in the design world decorating his own apartment and those of his friends. You got a glimpse of his portfolio, which is full of cozy, cluttered, and glamorous homes that approach traditional elegance with practicality. Lucky for you, New York Social Diary recently interviewed Redd in his home and shared photos to prove it. Check out this slideshow for a sneak peek of Redd's New York City home, and read the interview to hear his thoughts on everything from roller suitcases to set design.
Source and Source

Designer Spotlight: Kyle Schuneman

casasugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 07:00:59 -0700

Whether he's designing for interiors, television sets, or as part of a challenge for a show on HGTV, Style, or the DIY Network, designer Kyle Schuneman remains loyal to his company's slogan: "Be You. Live You. Live Well."

I appreciate how Kyle's designs integrate trendy items into comfortable, livable interiors. This young (22-year-old) designer certainly knows his way around small spaces, which are his specialty. While he grew up in Chicago, Kyle is now based out of Los Angeles, where he's worked with companies such as Microsoft, Lipton, and Target. Kyle's style is definitely well-honed already, and I look forward to seeing what this very young designer does in the future years.

One of my favorite shots from the gallery is the tiled blue bathroom wall. Are you a fan as well? Then let Kyle instruct you on how to re-create it in your own home by following the directions here

Source

Designer Spotlight: Miles Redd

casasugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:00:28 -0700

Interior designer Miles Redd got his start working as an assistant to decorator Bunny Williams, and using his own East Village shoe box and friends' apartments as canvases for developing his own particular brand of cozy glamour. In 1998, he opened his own design office in NoHo, creating comfortable, elegant interiors to suit his clients' personalities, opting a practical approach to traditional formality. Ten years later, he's built a diverse portfolio ranging from a Miami Beach condominium to a farmhouse in the South of France, and has been featured in New York, Vogue, House Beautiful, Elle Décor, House & Garden, W, and Country Life, and was an influence to the bright young mind of Nick Olsen. In 2003, Redd made his foray into the world of retail, when he was named creative director of Oscar de la Renta Home. Check out the gallery below to see some of his work.

Source and Source

Designer Spotlight: Summer Thornton

casasugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:30:20 -0700

Chicago-based designer Summer Thornton calls herself a "personal stylist for the home," and this apt description fits her perfectly. Concentrating mostly in ceramics during college, she shapes a home — an 1890's Lincoln Park condo, a North Shore mansion, a down-state country home — much like she would a clay pot, infusing it with color and texture and then sending it off to the kiln, ready to stand the test of everyday life. It's no surprise that she can make a Chicago high-rise and a country cottage look equally charming: she is rooted in both. She recently gave me a little introduction, saying:

I grew up in the country where I learned to appreciate the simple things. I was surrounded by nature with its colors, textures, and relaxed mood. When I moved to the city I became obsessed with the architecture of Chicago, the history and glamour of the city. My design style is really about combining those two aesthetics.

This duality translates to a slightly off-kilter traditional style: an industrial filing cabinet used as a side table beside a sofa filled with brocade prints and soft velvets, a cast-iron bed angled diagonally, retro chrome stools in a country kitchen. "I love to mix something high polish and traditionally 'formal' with something rough and lowly," she explains. Be sure to check out Summer's website to see more. And if you're not Chicago based, but want to replicate what you see, she says her favorite resources include Oly Studio, Osborne & Little, Jayson Home and Garden, as well as many antique and vintage stores. To see more images of her work,

Designer Spotlight: Emily Kroll

casasugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:00:14 -0700

Emily Kroll has designed, manufactured, and distributed custom and contract furniture for notable interior designers, celebrities, and large corporations since 1992. The granddaughter of a furniture designer and an architectural and scrap metal recycler, and a lifelong Southern California resident, her approach to life
and business has always been rooted in environmentalism. So, she sought out to change the way the U.S. furniture business works, "where production is notoriously wasteful, and many toxic chemicals are used," and launched EKLA HOME in 2007. The collection of upholstered sofas and woodwork is well-crafted and high-quality as well as stylish and lush, but still yields to an eco-conscious mandate — in other words, eco chic.To see more of her designs,

Designer Spotlight: Mats Broberg and Johan Ridderstrale

casasugar — Wed, 28 May 2008 09:15:10 -0700

Stockholm architects and designers Mats Broberg and Johan Ridderstrale create functional, clever, and cheeky furniture designs that often merge traditional objects or ideas with tech-savvy solutions. Check out the slideshow to see such intriguing objects as a bird table, a chair that doubles as a hoodie (that TeamSugar member Freshpink also spied), and a modern take on an oil lamp. Source

Designer Spotlight: Shannon Shapiro

casasugar — Tue, 27 May 2008 04:30:30 -0700

Shannon Shapiro of Moth Design takes great inspiration from nature. Her lamps, sconces, and chandeliers sprout branches, coral outcroppings, and leaves. A designer from Los Angeles who creates lighting, furniture, and interiors that are inspired by shapes in the natural world, her work has been broadly covered in shelter mags like O at Home, House and Garden, and Elle Decor, among others.

Shannon refined her art and design skills through an apprenticeship with author and architect Arthur Andersson, as well as her study at the California Institute of Arts, where she earned an MFA.

To find out more about Shannon and to see a gallery of her gorgeous lamps,

Designer Spotlight: David Netto

casasugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:30:59 -0700

Interior designer David Netto founded his small residential decoration and architectural design shop, David Netto Design, in 2000 and has since become a force to reckon with in the interior design world. Wanting to transition from the service industry to manufacturing around the time he was shopping for a crib for his daughter, Netto developed a line of stylish modern baby furniture, NettoCollection, which has been snatched up by high design boutiques all over the US and opened its own storefront in 2005.
To find out more, as well as to see some of David Netto's gorgeous designs,

Designer Spotlight: Campana Brothers

casasugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 11:00:32 -0700

Humberto and Fernando Campana (a.k.a. the Campana Brothers) are likely the world's most famous Brazilian designers, if not the most famous Southern American designers. Born to the same parents, they were partners from the start, but went their separate ways in school. Humberto graduated in 1977 with a law degree, and four years later Fernando graduated with an architecture degree. Then, in 1983, Humberto ditched the law books to team up with Fernando at the drawing board, and they began to develop furniture from indigenous, ready-made, ordinary materials be it waste products or industrial goods. By the early '90s, their designs had already received international acclaim, and in 1998, an exhibition alongside German lighting designer Ingo Maurer at New York's MoMA truly put them on the map. To hear about and see their designs,

Designer Spotlight: Bjørn Wiinblad

casasugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:00:37 -0700

If you're wondering where Jonathan Adler got his inspiration for his Utopia series, or where Tord Boontje got his taste for saturated colors and fanciful flora, look no further than Danish artist and designer Bjørn Wiinblad. This midcentury ceramic artist set up his own studio in 1952, and continued to reproduce his designs through the 1990s.
Much of his work is inspired by the fairy tales of fellow Dane Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote such well-known stories as The Little Mermaid and The Princess and the Pea. Starting in the 1950s, he produced silver, glass, furniture, and ceramic designs for Rosenthal Porzellan AG, and also designed posters, costume and stage designs, tapestries, and textiles for hotels and restaurants across the world. His work is particularly popular in Japan.

To see more images of his work, and to find out whether or not his work is a good investment,

Casa Verde: Michelle Brand's Eco Designs

casasugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 06:15:01 -0700

Artist Michelle Brand designs ethereal lights, room dividers, and light shades out of a completely unexpected material — the bottoms of soda bottles.

In her artist statement, she says

The root of my interests lies in sustainable waste management. At present it has manifested itself into a designer-maker practice. I have designed an aesthetic and decorative fabric from which most people in the Western world would perceive to be waste/rubbish. The fabric is composed of plastic drinks bottle bases, which have been cut, sanded, and then tagged together. I love seeing design opportunities where most people only see problems

If you're in Manhattan next month, check out Michelle's work at Haute Green, along with the work of other sustainable designers.

Source

Designer Spotlight: Jason Miller

casasugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:00:53 -0700

Having worked as a studio assistant for Jeff Koons, an art director at Ogilvy and a designer for Karim Rashid between '95 and '01, Jason Miller decided it was time to step up his game and start his own design studio in Brooklyn — and he wasn't getting ahead of himself. Miller has pinned solo exhibitions all over the map, from LA to Tokyo, and everywhere in between, and been applauded with prestigious awards like Bombay Sapphire's "Rising Star" award and Wallpaper's "Best Breakthrough Designer" award, and named a "Tastemaker" by Forbes for his quirky contemporary designs, be it furniture, interiors, or bus stops. If that weren't enough of a pat on the back, his work is in the Permanent Collection of New York's Museum of Arts and Design, and he's got clients like Areaware, Persol, Brookstone, Carlo Rossi, Kikkerland, and Idee at his beck and call.

If you can't place his name, I'll give you a nudge by reminding you of his Ceramic Antler Chandelier, which single-handedly started the hunting trend that The New York Times has so lovingly already pegged "over." A brief glance at his portfolio, marked by low-res photos used as background for projects with titles like "Whatever Flowerpots" and "Dusty Tables," and you'll probably think a: he has no design experience or b: he's got to be joking. Well, that latter is only true, and in truth, the joke's on you; his terracotta flowerpots are shaped, not made, of whatever (beer cans, plastic jugs), and his table doesn't suggest that a neglected furnishing is a design, but the dusty table is coated in a finish making it only appear so — real grime is optional. It's no wonder pubs like Dwell, Domino, Metropolitan Home, and House & Garden have been all over him like, well, dust on a table; he's miraculously made everyday dirt trendy.
Source

Designer Spotlight: Alma Allen

casasugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:00:53 -0700

Self-taught sculptor and designer Alma Allen takes cues from the natural world when designing his found wood, stone, and bone objects. While Allen's work is visually stunning, it's also infinitely touchable. Each piece of furniture or sculptural object is painstakingly sanded and polished until it's perfectly smooth.

Besides his amazing furniture and sculptural work, Alma is also a talented builder, who designed and built his green home, which I featured in a Coveted Crib slideshow. To find out more about this designer and his work, just

Designer Spotlight: Sam Moiler

casasugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:45:45 -0700

Today's Designer Spotlight is actually an editorial and advertising stylist by the name of Sam Moiler. Sam has a wonderful portfolio of interior work, in addition to fashion and ad campaign work. Based in Sydney, she has worked for some of Australia's most noted companies, including Mazda, Sportsgirl, Westfield, and Mushroom Records. She has been a regular contributor to Good Living, Real Living, Domain, and the Sydney Magazine. After years of working for the Sydney Morning Herald, she is now focusing on her freelance career — and doing a heck of a job of it, I might add! Represented by Lizard Management, she's amongst some of the best photographers and stylists Down Under. To check out a gallery of her work,