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Trend Alert: Rose Motifs

casasugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 10:00:51 -0800

What's not to love about roses? Their beautiful, curling blossom structure has made them one of the most popular flowers in the world; their scent has been transferred to perfumes and linen sprays, and their diversity enables them to flourish in home gardens across the world. Of course, roses are also popping up in the world of interior design. Take this rose round ottoman (on sale for $412). Made of wool rosettes, this unique furniture piece would add a touch of glam to a living room or bedroom. I can even think of some feminine modernists who would adore it.

The LA Times breaks down the history of the rose thusly:

The ancient Romans associated the rose with their goddess of love, and European aristocracy in the 17th century prized them so highly they were accepted as payment for debt. The tradition of beauty continues with a new crop of rose-inspired furnishings: ruffled-edge bowls, tiles with digital imagery, linen fabrics — even a whimsical chair upholstered in paper roses.

To see my picks for rose motifs in interior design,

How-To: Nine Tips For Transforming a Small Space

casasugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:43:34 -0800

In the recent LA Times TImes article "A Laguna Beach Shopkeeper Applies Decorating Strategies Borrowed From His Boutique," shopowner Trey Russell offers smart tips for keeping a small home organized, stylish, and beautiful. I already shared one tip, and now I'll share many of Russell's other ideas. Make sure to read all of his ideas here, or visit his store online. For now, check out Russell's smart tips in the slideshow. Source

Casa Quickie: Ditch the Book Jackets

casasugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:00:48 -0800

Do you spend too much time ensuring that all of your coffee-table books maintain perfect jackets? In a recent LA Times article, Trey Russell, owner of Laguna Beach gift boutique Aris tells you to ditch that thinking — and those jackets. Russell maintains that "Book jackets just get torn, anyway, you might as well get rid of them . . . It creates a more monochromatic, less chaotic look." Try it in your own casa, perhaps in a display similar to this one, from Russell's home.

Source

Would You Turn Your Basement Into a Tiki Bar?

casasugar — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 11:00:56 -0700

Homeowners Alan Smart and Michael Uhlenkott recently shared their home with LA Times readers. This tiki bar, which is located in their basement, took four months to complete. Would you put one in your home? Source

Would You Turn Your Basement Into a Tiki Bar?

Definitely! It would be perfect for hosting my friends.

Maybe, but I need to study up on my tiki bar recipes.

No way, I don't like tiki bars.

Other, I'll tell you in the comments.

On the Market: The Polaroid Beach House

casasugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 07:00:55 -0700

The celeb-ridden Polaroid Beach House, an infamous party spot frequented by scenesters like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan in Malibu, has just been put on the market for the whopping price of $32 million. The house was basically one big product placement, used by the owners, the Polaroid company, to throw parties for young Hollywood that'd be snapped by paparazzi, discreetly landing their products all over the tabloids. But apparently, that promotional scheme was nixed by "local (rich) neighbors who objected to the around-the-clock revelry in the summer of 2007." To see more photos and hear more about the property,

In the News: HGTV's Angelo Surmelis's Before & After Kitchen

casasugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 07:45:35 -0700

Design show hosts have gotten used to entering into contestants' homes, but for once the tables are turned. HGTV's Rate My Space host Angelo Surmelis recently played host to the LA Times, who interviewed him about the renovation of his 1920s Los Angeles bungalow. Well aware that "no matter how splendidly you've decorated the rest of your house, guests always end up in the kitchen," Surmelis took three weeks and $20,000 to transform his eyesore of a kitchen ("a jumble of scruffy cupboards, wood paneling, a broken stove and grimy old linoleum," shown here gutted) into a modern-meets-vintage splendor. All it took was a little rearranging, new IKEA cabinets, an antique hutch, Carrara marble counters, and some cork flooring . . . oh yeah, and the fact that he's a design expert might have come in handy. To see the transformation,

Coveted Crib: The Speed Racer Set

casasugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:15:07 -0700

Add equal parts midcentury-modern furniture, futuristic detailing, and pop-art colors, and you've got the recipe for the eyecatching set design of the Speed Racer movie. For a peek at the house, take a look at the slideshow, which was recently featured in the LA Times. If you want all of the details, definitely check out the full slide show and article on the LA Times site. For now, full speed ahead! Source

In the News: An Inspiring Outdoor Space

casasugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 06:15:28 -0700

Since Summer is soon on its way, it's natural to think about creating functional, beautiful outdoor spaces where you can entertain and relax. In a recent LA Times article by Debra Prinzing, a family does just this, using repurposed, recycled, and found objects. Greta and Mike Jarvis, along with their daughter Annika, were tired of the awkward, unused backyard at their Manhattan Beach home, so Greta, an adept flea marketer, decided to transform their 30-x-40-foot backyard into something more family friendly. They started by getting rid of a small, underused grassy area, as well as their unused hot tub. By expanding the doors that led to the backyard, they also made the space more accessible.

To see what materials they used,

A Trip Down Celeb-Filled Memory Lane

casasugar — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:00:36 -0700

In "A Wonderful Ride on the Hot Property Beat", LA Times staff writer Ruth Ryon said her goodbyes after 24 years of writing the pub's "Hot Property," column, a must-read about celebrity homes, by rounding up some real estate exchanges that she scooped during her time there. The four-bedroom Malibu beachfront property shown here was bought by Dodgers owners Frank and Jamie McCourt from Courteney Cox and David Arquette. Check out this slideshow to see a few more of her fabulous finds. Source

In the News: Modern Design Meets Farmhouse

casasugar — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:45:19 -0700

Los Angeles Times' "Not a Scrap of Gingham" shares the story of Vanessa Choy and Andrew Wong, a couple from Hong Kong who closed their architecture practice and moved to LA. They bought a lot in Studio City, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley in LA that earned its name in the 1920s when a number of picture studios popped up there. Then, they drew up plans for an unmistakably modern farmhouse. The exterior seems a distant relative of the traditional barns we've come to know but its concrete wall, unusual lighting, and lack of ornamentation suggest that its interior deviates from the classic form as well. Inside though, the architect couple balanced unfinished wood and rustic ceiling beams with "Mies van der Rohe Barcelona chairs, a glossy grand piano, and the sleek Poggenpohl kitchen" for what I see as the best of both worlds. Furthermore, what I find interesting is that this melding of architectural types was not a renovation of one of America's veteran barns, but was built from the ground up. For a couple new to the wild, wild West, fresh off the commercial landscape of Hong Kong, this mélange seems impossibly ideal. To see an interior shot,