CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Before and After: Real Simple Meets P.S. 346

casasugar — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 05:00:44 -0700

The folks over at Real Simple (70 of them, to be exact) recently took part in New York Cares Day, and volunteered at the P.S. 346 elementary school in Brooklyn. In just five hours, they assembled 37 pieces of new Ikea furniture and applied their design expertise to an uninspired multi-purpose room. At the end of the day, the room had been transformed into a stimulating space that looks contemplated and composed. To see the after photo,

Casa Quickie: Easy Autumn Display

casasugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:00:00 -0700

To get the look of Fall on your coffee table, dining room table, or fireplace mantel, try this tip from Real Simple. Simply clip some pretty turning leaves from trees in your yard. The leaves should have a bit of stiffness to them, so they can stand up on their own. Next find a pretty container, such as a galvanized-steel ice bucket (as shown here), or a ceramic bowl or urn, and arrange the leaves as you would a floral bouquet. Easy peasy! Source

Making Small Changes Real Simple

casasugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:00:18 -0700

In the latest issue of Real Simple, I spotted an article that was absolutely perfect for this month's theme of Small Changes. "Ready, Set, Redecorate" shows how several families, with the help of redecorators, were able to reimagine their homes by simply rearranging their furnishings. That's right — not a vase, lamp, or frame was added from outside sources. All of the fabulous changes were made by simply rethinking and rearranging. How's that for a cheap thrill?

To see my favorite rearrangement,

This Just In: Maggie Gyllenhaal Makes Time For Housing Charity

casasugar — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:00:46 -0700

Between shooting films, spending time with her beautiful daughter Ramona, and looking lovely at the The Met's Costume Institute Gala, you'd think that Maggie Gyllenhaal would have her hands full. However, she still has time to give back to the city of New York: Maggie's teamed up with Real Simple and Design on a Dime for the fourth-annual Design on a Dime charity event, which will benefit Housing Works in New York.

Taking place from Thursday, May 8, through Saturday, May 10, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City, the Design on a Dime Benefit will feature designers such as Casa favorites Charlotte Moss and Jamie Drake

To see images from past benefits, and to find out how to go,

How To: Dust

casasugar — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 07:45:54 -0800

Dusting: a simple, crucial, and often overlooked task of housekeeping. No pointing fingers here, but you may have noticed that letting dust accumulate amounts to a heavy-duty grime job that's not good for your house or your immune system. What you might not know is that new houses are more likely to acquire dust quickly because they don't have the air circulation that older, draftier homes do. To learn a few tips I've picked up from Real Simple on the best way to dust,

Casa Quickie: Double Your Closet Space

casasugar — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 13:00:39 -0800

I just came across a Real Simple tip that is arguably the simplest way to renew your cramped closet, and I felt obliged to share. Hang a second rod below the existing rod to store short clothing items like scarves, pants, tops, and sexy minis. You don't need a handyman for this installation; you can buy an extendable rod with rubber stopper ends to fit your space perfectly. Or, buy a standard rod that easily screws in.

Source

Casa Verde: More Ideas For Plastic Bags

casasugar — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:57:59 -0700

Plastic bags: It's hard to escape them. Even though I bring cloth bags almost everywhere, I still have a collection of plastic grocery and department store bags. At Casa, I've told you how to make a cool bag out of plastic bags and I've also given you tips on what can and can't be recycled. Now, Treehugger has linked to Real Simple's list of 10 reuse solutions for plastic bags.

Some of these, like using plastic bags to pick up doggie deposits, are no-brainers. But some of the other ideas are ones I'd never thought of.

To find some simple-yet-innovative uses for plastic bags, just

What Is Your Favorite Home Magazine?

casasugar — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:20:13 -0700