CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Guess What This Handle Is Hiding?

casasugar — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 16:00:21 -0800

A modern, electrified staple found in every home hides behind this rustic iron handle. Can you tell me what's behind it?

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 08:30:04 -0700

This set of four, brass-studded, Leather Bound Trunks ($15,000) likely once served as travel storage for a sophisticated lady on a worldly voyage like Angelina Jolie in Changeling. But, as these How Would Yous tend to go, I'm not interested in offering up suitcases to you. I want to know how you'd use these elegant antique suitcases in your home as décor. Would you use one as a coffee table? Stack them beside a reading chair as a side table? Turn them into planters? Hang them on the wall? Turn them into pet beds? Paint them? Fill them with old love letters? I know you can come up with a creative use for these ancient beauties. Tell me by commenting below!

What You're Wanting: A Room For This Vase

casasugar — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:00:49 -0700

I am absolutely in love with this Charles Catteau Deer Vase ($3,900). Created in 1925 in Belgium, its brilliant colors and crackled surface are decorated with four deer. Its unusual appearance is just begging for a room to be decorated around it, don't you think?
For this week's What You're Wanting, I want to know how you'd decorate a room to complement this vase. Would you use blues? What room would you choose? What type of textiles and furniture would work with this unique vase? Add all the finds to your ShopStyle Living stylebook, and create a look tagged with the phrase deer vase. Private message me if you have any questions. Oh, and as extra incentive, I'll give some Sugar schwag away to my favorite look!
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Crave Worthy: Antique Ebonized and Turquoise Silk Chairs

casasugar — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:00:01 -0700

I love a good plush seat, but sometimes I can't help but sacrifice comfort for good looks. And, that time is now. The Antique Ebonized and Turquoise Silk Chairs ($1,300 for pair) from Paris Hotel Boutique don't look one bit comfortable, but they're just so ravishing. I think it's the juxtaposition of the contemporary turquoise Dupioni silk with the 1900s ebonized and gilt design. I imagine the chairs were originally upholstered in a fussy floral, but the lack of pattern here really lets the chairs' beautiful shape shine. I'd set them at the heads of a dining table, paired with some basic black Louis XV chairs, or station one in a quiet hallway to provide a pop of color.

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 08:30:00 -0700

This Wrought Iron Gate ($650) from Italy in the 1900s has clearly seen better days, and might detract from your home's curb appeal if you set it in front of your lawn. But despite its wear and tear, its slightly bent out of shape fleur-de-lys spires, missing pieces, and rusted exterior give it a visually interesting and much-loved architectural quality. So, for this challenge, I'd like you to tell me how you'd use it in (or outside of) your home, other than as a gate. Would you hang it up as wall décor? Would you lean it against a wall as a sculpture? Would you turn it into a dining table, using an iron base and a glass top? Would you paint it? Would you use it as a headboard? Hang lights from it as a chandelier? Tell me by commenting below!

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:30:34 -0700

This Swedish Pier Mirror ($3,900) would bring a touch of shabby chic to any interior. Decorated with a frieze of molded swags of fruit and foliage, this mirror might look lovely in your entry in its current condition.

But let's not be boring, shall we? For this challenge, I'd like you to tell me how you'd liven up this piece. What would you use? Paint? Wallpaper? Mosaic tiles? Gold leaf? What type of objects or art would complement it? In which room do you imagine it hanging? Tell me by commenting below!

Crave Worthy: Jayson Vintage Chair and Ottoman

casasugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0700

I've never met a French furnishing I didn't like. The French are relentless purveyors of style, and they win me over again and again, be it with a Chanel frock or a Philippe Starck chair. The Jayson Home & Garden Vintage Chair and Ottoman ($2,995), seating from mid-20th century France reupholstered in dark gray linen, is no exception either. I love how this glamorous gilded Louis XV is juxtaposed with the masculine tone of the fabric. No, it's probably not the most comfortable chair and ottoman
on the block, but it would look darn good in my living room.

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:09:35 -0700

This Silver Leaf Decorative Object (contact dealer for price) is eye-catching even in this photo, with its drab gray background. Made in the 1950s, it stands three feet tall and two feet wide, so it's bigger than you might expect.
So for this challenge, I'd like you to tell me how you'd use this unique sculptural object. Would you use it as art? Hang anything from it? What room do you imagine it taking center stage in? Tell me by commenting below!

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:30:45 -0700

This folky, colorful game board — for God-knows-what game — was originally used in 19th century America and will cost you a whopping $2,250. If I wanted to play a board game, I'd go for a round of Scrabble, honestly. But obviously, the appeal of this piece for many is its antiquity. The colors are beautiful, though, and it seems to be in great condition.
So, for this challenge, I'd like you to tell me how you'd use this antique game board in your home. Would you turn it into a table? Use it as a tray? A shelf? Simply use it as décor? Turn it into a headboard? A cabinet door? Have its pattern printed onto tiles? Tell me by commenting below! Bonus points for anyone who can figure out what game the board is for.

In the News: Unwanted Heirlooms

casasugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:15:24 -0700

In the New York Times story "The Tyranny of the Heirloom," writer Joyce Wadler explores the idea of the unwanted family inheritance. Melodie Bryant, a New York composer whom Wadler interviews, for example, inherited a portrait of her Great-Great-Great-Uncle Ivins, even though she had no desire to hang the painting in her tiny Chelsea apartment. Add to this a moving accident, which ripped the canvas and cost Bryant $3,000 in repair costs, and you can understand why this portrait became a wall hanging you'd avert your eyes from.

In the article, Wadler writes,

Ambivalence and guilt, it seems, are central elements of furniture inheritance, the anchoring pieces around which everything is organized, like the sofa in a living room. Barry Lubetkin, a psychologist and the director of the Institute for Behavior Therapy in Manhattan, has observed this in a number of patients living with inherited furniture they hate. It’s an unhealthy setup, in which people become “slaves to inanimate objects,” he says. “Once you’re defining it as something you can’t get rid of, you’re not in control of your life or your home."

Of course, you probably know that my philosophy for decorating and design goes something along the lines of "less is more." That doesn't mean that I'm not living with some inherited pieces, but luckily, thus far, all of the pieces are ones that I love.

Have you been saddled with any unwanted heirlooms? Tell me about it in the comments below.

Chester Higgins Jr./The New York Times

Guess Who's Been Looking to Acquire Antiques?

casasugar — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:30:26 -0700

A certain rocker/blogger's female companion was spotted shopping at Naga Antiques in New York, which specializes in Japanese screens, bronzes, ceramics, porcelains, lacquer, sculpture, and furniture, presumably for her home. Do you know who it is?

Crave Worthy: Théodore Reinach Moderne Carved Oak Table

casasugar — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:00:47 -0700

This pair of Moderne Carved Oak Tables by Théodore Reinach ($11,500) were built in 1925 in Nice, France, and were designed by famed French archeologist Théodore Reinach, in a reinterpretation of ancient Greek furniture types. Each table features a leather inset in the top, and is embellished at the corners with black and white squares. I love the use of only three legs, and of course, how can I resist those lion-paw feet? What a beautiful and unusual find!

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,

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 08:07:34 -0700

Perhaps it's my love of Creole townhouses that has made me a sucker for scroll work, but I simply can't help myself when confronted with any wrought-iron intricacies. This Plant Stand ($4,500) from mid-19th century France is no exception; its shabby chic, white, wrought-iron scroll work and elegant basketweave details have completely swept me off my feet. Of course the two-tiered plant stand is parfait for Good to Grow month, but I'd love to give it more attention in my home somehow, make it a focal point.

For this latest How Would You, I'd like you to think about how you would fill this belle of the ball. How would you make this eye-catcher a focal point in your home? Would you use it as a plant stand in an unusual place? Hang it from the ceiling? Turn it into a chandelier? Top it with glass as a coffee table? Leave a comment below and let me know where you'd plant this antique stand.

This Just In: Jayson Home & Garden European Flea Market Launches Online

casasugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 13:00:00 -0700

Today marks the launch of the Jayson Home & Garden European Flea Market online. Thanks to the keen eyes over at Jayson, these rare finds — a mix of timeless European furniture and lighting, antique prints and oil paintings, gilded mirrors, hotel silverware, and more —have made their way from Europe and beyond to Chicago’s Lincoln Park. The market has been running locally there since April 18^th, but that's no fun for non-Illinois folk, so I’m ecstatic to see it all just a click away in my browser. Abbe over at Jayson Home & Garden was nice enough to share photos of the market, which you can get a peek at below.

To see the rare finds I’m craving the most,

Casa Query: What Antiques Do You Own?

casasugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:00:06 -0700

While integrating Ikea products into your home may be easy and affordable, they're not the most durable products you can buy, in terms of both style and quality. If you're lucky, you have a mix of high-quality new pieces as well as antiques to balance out and give a more grown-up look to your less expensive pieces. Although some antiques, especially if you've inherited them, may not be the pieces you swoon over while flipping through your favorite shelter magazine, they're often classics and quite resilient, since they've held up for so long already.

Antiques can be some of the most unique furnishings you own as well. As much as I love me a West Elm coffee table, I know all of my friends have seen it in the monthly mail-order catalog that shows up at their homes like clockwork. So tell me, what antiques do you own?
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How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 08:35:13 -0700

What do you think of this 1940s marquetry cabinet ($9,000)? Made from exotic woods, this Swedish Symbolist 1940s cabinet features exquisitely detailed vernacular imagery in marquetry of various exotic woods. It reminds me of a midcentury fairy tale, told with wood tones instead of pen and paper.

For this latest How Would You, I'd like you to think about how you would integrate this fanciful cabinet into your home. What room would it be appropriate in? What would your housemates or significant other think about it? What would you fill it with. Leave a comment below and let me know how you'd use this beauty.

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 15:00:48 -0700

These Grand Tour Sienna Marble Tubs ($8,500) from Bond and Bowery are from 19th century Italy, and each one, measuring 14"W X 6"D X 6"H, is modeled after a Roman tub. They are, in essence, just pieces of art, but I can think of plenty of uses for them in my home off the top of my head.
For the latest How Would You I'd like you to think outside the home-decorating box and find some creative ways to repurpose this pair of antique marble tubs. How would you use it in your home? In what room? For what purpose? Would you use them for storage? For décor? Add anything to them? Paint or refinish them? Leave a comment below and let me know how you'd fit these objets d'art into your home.

Cool Idea: Flatpack Antiques

casasugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:30:26 -0700

When you think flatpack, the first thing to come to mind is Ikea, right? Well, StudioBility is trying to change that with its unbelievably cool flatpack antiques. With lines that mimic turned wood mixed with modern silhouettes, this furniture seems to successfully blend the best of both worlds. I can see one of these pieces fitting into a number of interiors seamlessly. It also reminds me quite a bit of the Stanislav Katz bookshelf, yes?

Love It or Hate It? Vintage Brass Deer Lamp

casasugar — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:15:49 -0700

This Vintage Brass Deer in Repose Lamp ($1,295 ) rests on an acrylic base, which adds a bit of a modern touch to this rather traditional figure. Made in France in 1940, I have to admit I'm a fan. But then again, I have something of a deer problem.

Love It or Hate It? Vintage Brass Deer Lamp

Love it

Hate it

Undecided

Less or More: Industrial Cart Tables

casasugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:00:32 -0700

For the next installment of this game, take a look at each of these industrial cart tables, and then see if you can answer my questions about them.

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 05:57:54 -0700

Dating back to the 1920s, this Pair of Bindery Carts ($1,750) from Bond and Bowery are a rare and interesting find. These super-strong carts were once used to ferry books and paper around binderies. But, as you may have suspected, I am not in the business of sourcing furniture for publishers.

So, for this latest How Would You post, I'd like you to think outside the home-decorating box and find some creative ways to repurpose this unusual, but handsome, pair of objects. How would you use them in your home? In what room? For what purpose? Would you leave them right side up or turn them on their sides? Remove the wheels? Deconstruct them all together? Add anything to them? What would you put on them? Leave a comment below and let me know how you'd fit these cool carts in your home.

How Would You . . .

casasugar — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:13:03 -0800

This 1820s Northern Sweden Settee ($6,435) has great bones and a charmingly worn patina. It's a little stark though.

If you'll remember from the last few How Would You posts, I'd like you to think outside the home-decorating box and find some creative ways to spruce up this worn-out antique settee. How would you dress it up to give it a new life? What would you do with the wooden frame? Are there any textiles or pillows that would make this demure wallflower pop onto center stage? Leave a comment below and let me know where you'd put it or how you'd make this settee work in your home.

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Do You Own Any Antique Furniture?

casasugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:00:00 -0700

Do You Own Any Antique Furniture?

Yes, I have quite a lot.

Just a few pieces.

No, but I would love some antiques.

No, and that's not really my style.

Definition: Antique

casasugar — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 11:45:48 -0700

Used as both a noun and an adjective, antique applies to any piece of furniture, art, clothing, or decorative item that is at least 100 years old. Though many antique malls sell items less than a century old, those pieces are technically not antiques and would be more accurately described as retro.

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