CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Love It or Hate It? Half-Painted Hemnes Bed

casasugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:00:25 -0700

I've long loved the Ikea Hemnes Four-Poster Bed, and while I love the composition of this room, I'm not so sold on the half-painted bed. What's your take? Source

Love It or Hate It? Half-Painted Hemnes Bed

Love It

Hate it

Undecided

Get the Look: Think Pink

casasugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:15:02 -0700

Have you ever considered painting your walls a feminine pink? If you've hesitated for fear that it might be too loud, too girly, or too . . . pink, I say forge ahead! To get you inspired, here are some beautiful, functional pink walls that may convince you to add a pretty blush to your interior walls. Source

Midday Muse: A Patterned Floor

casasugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:00:33 -0700

This gorgeous floor, which was hand painted by Catherine, won the Design*Sponge prize for best use of pattern in a home. I can definitely see why. I know a lot of friends who have concrete floors in their homes, but I've never seen any of them painted with patterns. Now, I'm going to have to bend their ears about this cool idea.

Source

Midday Muse: Painted Ceilings

casasugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:00:40 -0700

Think outside of the blanc. Put down your Benjamin Moore Decorator's White, and opt for color on your ceiling instead. You may think you're playing it safe by leaving yours white, but you're actually just ignoring the potential there.By painting your ceiling a pale hue of a cool color, such as green or blue, you will visually lift the ceiling, since those colors recede, instantly making a small room feel larger. Conversely, painting a dark hue of a warm color will visually lower the ceiling, since those colors procede, making a large room feel smaller or any room just feel more intimate. The ceiling of this vast room was painted an oceanic blue, extending and brightening it, giving it almost an aquarium quality. Are your ceilings painted? Have you considered painting them? How about wallpapering them?
Source

Casa Quickie: Freeze 'Em

casasugar — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:00:23 -0700

When you're painting your interiors, and the task takes more than one day, it's a pain in the butt to have to wash all of your brushes and supplies whenever you take a break. So instead of washing all of the paint off my brushes, I just pop them in the freezer in a plastic bag and defrost them when I need to get back to my paintstaking project. If you've got room to spare in your freezer, you might as well keep your brushes frozen even after your project is done. That way, if you ever need to do touchups, your brush will be ice cold and ready to go!

Casa Quickie: Recycling Paint Cans

casasugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:00:08 -0700

If you've recently painted your house, or have plans to, don't throw those paint cans in the trash. Despite the drips and drabs of paint that may be left on the cans, they can still be recycled. According to Benjamin Moore:

Always check your local recycling regulations, but in general, once they are dried out, they are safe to recycle in your regular recycling.

Eco-stylist extraordinaire Danny Seo recently painted his house and was left with "who-knows how-much paint from Benjamin Moore's Aura Exterior line," so he did some research to find out the regulations. This is great news!
Source

Casa Quickie: Eco-Color Theory

casasugar — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:00:09 -0700

Ever remember burning your bare feet on a black top in the Summer as a kid? The black color of the paved surface absorbs the light particles that it hits, exciting the pavement's particles, making the black surface warmer because its particles are moving faster. Contrarily, white surfaces reflect light, so they are cooler. So for those of you living in a warm climate, think about painting your home light colors, which will absorb less light, meaning less need for turning on that a/c. And, those of you living in a cold climate should think about painting your home darker colors, which will absorb the light, meaning less need for turning on your heater! Maybe Orlando Bloom should consider repainting his black house, and I should alter my poll to read "Chicken or the Egg or the Climate"?
Source

Win an Eco-Chic Painting Makeover!

casasugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:16:16 -0700

I've been pushing low-VOC paint for a while now, but I know that painting in general takes a lot of time and energy. Who needs the hassle, right? If you've been too busy or uninspired to try low-VOC paints in your home, then I'm here to help — with a lot of help from CertaPro.

To wind up this month's theme of Eco Chic, CertaPro is giving away its services to provide paint for one room in your home (an approximate $1000 value). All of the materials and labor will be included in this prize. All you have to do is pick out the room color! CertaPro will do everything from provide the paint to move the furniture to follow up after the job is complete.

If you're interested in winning an eco chic painting makeover for one room of your home, just take our quiz! To enter, you must log in and take the quiz below. Your eligibility is not based on getting the answers correct, just by completing the quiz once you are logged in. You do, however, need to be a TeamSugar member and log in before you take the quiz. If you're not already a member, just register here for an account. One quiz entry per person; all repeat quizzes will be ignored. Contest ends Monday, July 7, at noon (PDT), and is only open to US readers. Click here for Official Rules.

To find out more about CertaPro's green business practices,

Ask Casa: I Have a Problem Room!

casasugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 08:30:58 -0700

Hi Casa,

I love reading your posts! I'm getting some great ideas, and implementing them in my very first house. My home is an older brick house, and my style tends toward warm colors, sort of a rustic look - the living room has beautiful wood floors and a brick fireplace. The house is really in need of many updates, but I'm completely stumped on one room. It's the smallest bedroom (9 feet by 12 feet), but I teach music lessons from my home, and that room is my studio/office. I'm in there a lot, but I don't enjoy being in there because I have no idea what to do with that room. The walls are the old fashioned knotty pine paneling (nice wood, but how to decorate!), and the floor has carpeting over the original hardwoods which don't exactly match the color of the paneling.

I don't know whether to rip out the paneling, paint it, leave it and try to make it work for me? And of course, I want to do whatever will add the most to the resale value of the home.

I know it's a long explanation, but if you have time, I'd love some help!

Thanks!
SC Cutie

To see my response,

Ask Casa: I Need a Paint Color

casasugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:00:23 -0700

Hi Casa,

I would love to pick your brain for a quick second. I'm moving into a new apartment and my new room is currently light chocolate brown. My furniture is all dark wood, and most of my other accessories are in the blue/green family. I'm thinking that I'd like to repaint the room (maybe a light shade of green?) but was wondering if you had any advice. Have you seen any amazing lighter colors recently that might work?

Thanks!
Ramya

To see my response,

Would You Paint Your Walls Black?

casasugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:00:19 -0700

Even though I think the results in the home pictured here are stunning, I'm still hesitant to put something this dark on my walls. What about you?

Source

Would You Paint Your Walls Black?

Definitely. Black walls are dramatic and beautiful.

Maybe. I like the look, but I hate to think about having to repaint.

No way. I'm a light-walls-only type of gal.

Other, I'll tell you in the comments.

Before and After: A Little Paint Transforms These Lawn Chairs

casasugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:45:39 -0700

Su Casa member NdChristine sanded, primed, and painted her three 1950s-era lawn chairs. Here's what she started out with:

To see the chairs after she worked her magic,

DIY: Paint-Swatch Weaving

casasugar — Thu, 08 May 2008 04:27:51 -0700

In part inspired, part stingy, and part needing fresh air, I decided to take a walk to the hardware store this past weekend and pick up some (free) paint swatches to use for an art project. Aside from being gratuit, a benefit of using paint swatches for an art project is that you can choose the exact colors you're looking for to bring your room together or just to add a touch of color. How you use the swatches is up to you, but I figured I'd let you in on how I executed this little masterpiece (ha).

Supplies:

Paint swatches
Scissors
Rubber cement
Frame

To learn the steps, and see this DIY hung on the wall,

Midday Muse: A Metallic Palette

casasugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:00:10 -0700

I'm loving the walls of the Berrington house in Munich, which Dutch interior designer Marcel Prins painted 24 colors of metallic paint, which I spotted on AT:LA. Not only does the space look fantastic, and do a fabulous job of leading the eye around the house, but for an indecisive decorator, choosing all of the colors that you're contemplating, rather than just one per room, seems like the optimal choice. The Pantone-esque metallic paints also work wonders with the light, reflecting even more colors around the room. When the walls take center stage, you can go minimal with a few pieces of furniture and artwork you love, without looking like you're purposely skimping (i.e. some modern celeb manses).
Source

How-To: Making Your Bedroom Sleep Worthy

casasugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 04:30:10 -0700

Is your bedroom less than relaxing? Want to figure out how to make it a place of comfort and relaxation? Then take a look at my tips!

Keep your bedroom tidy. Clutter, piles, and messes can stress you out and remind you of tasks that need to be finished. By keeping everything in its place (or at least out of sight), you'll immediately feel calmer.
Paint your bedroom a relaxing color. Blues, grays, neutrals, and lavenders are good choices for the bedroom.
Banish your television and laptop. Surfing the net in bed, as well as watching television can lead to physical and mental health issues, including obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. So keep the laptop in your office and the television in the living room, out of temptation's path.

For the rest of my tips, just

Ask Casa: Looking For Banana Republic's Gray Shade

casasugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 08:15:12 -0700

Hi Casa,
Thanks again for your awesome recommendations for Mansour Modern rug lookalikes. I actually have another question for you! I am totally in love with gray walls with white trim, especially the gray on the walls of every Banana Republic store I've walked into! I have tried to replicate this color (which is sort of a medium putty-ish gray) without any luck. Every gray I choose ends up being too blue, too purple, or too dark, and nowhere near what I see in the stores. I tried contacting customer service but I doubt this is in their area of expertise. Do you have any idea how we can find out the actual paint color? Thanks — you're a doll!

Glitterbug

To see my answer, just

Su Casa: Renovating With Color

casasugar — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 08:15:22 -0800

Su Casa member FactCheckinCuz recently made some amazing changes in her Toronto apartment — a lot of which were due to her expert use of color. Check out the slideshow to see some of the dramatic before and after photos.

Ask Casa: A Bedroom Update

casasugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:00:26 -0800

Dear Casa,

I purchased an Ikea malm bed frame in birch veneer about a year ago. My decor has changed drastically in that year and the bed no longer matches. Do you know of a way to paint or stain the bed, so that it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb?

Thanks,
PrimpPrimp

To see my answer, just

Ask Casa: Color For a Dark Hallway

casasugar — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:00:08 -0800

Hi Casa,

My roommate and I live in a typical San Francisco apartment where the rooms build off of one side of a long hallway. We don't have good natural light in that hallway, and the ceilings are probably 18 ft. (that's a guess).
My question is, what is a good color to paint the hallway? We both agree it needs something to spice it up. I'm not afraid of bold color (the walls in my last room were coral and pink!), but I don't know if maybe a darker color would be better to make the ceilings seem less tall and the hallway less long. I'm just concerned with the lack of natural lighting.

thanks!!
Melyshka
To see my answer, just

Casa Verde: Hazardous Chemicals in Paint

casasugar — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:19:51 -0800

If any of you are painting during Renewal month, you may want to get some more information on what's going into your paint.

For a video that will tell you more about safe paints, just

Su Casa: Color Changes Everything

casasugar — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:00:32 -0800

TeamSugar member Sweetbliss has shared some photos of her beautiful new accent wall. I love the muted green shade and the inspired arts and crafts stenciling. Check it out for yourself!

Do you want to post photos of your home? To join the Su Casa group, just follow this link and click "subscribe" beneath the photo on the lefthand side of the page. Once you're subscribed, click Share in the upper lefthand menu of any TeamSugar page and choose what type of post you want to create. If you have just one photo and some text, create a blog; if you have a gallery you want to share, select photos.

Changing Colors

casasugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 13:00:11 -0800

Since I didn't get around to painting the foyer during Dress Your Walls month, I thought that it would be equally appropriate to change its color for Renewal month. The original color, painted by the previous owners, was a weird pale-peach color that seemed like an insane choice for any room. I replaced the color with a mossy green in a semigloss, which makes for easier clean up in high-traffic areas. I especially love the variation between the goldenrod color of the living room and the moss green of the foyer.

Is anyone else painting their walls this month?

Casa Quickie: Liberating Painted Shut Windows

casasugar — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:30:24 -0800

Have your windows been painted shut for 20 years? Or did you experience an absence of thought and accidentally paint them shut? This tip will liberate your windows and have you breathing fresh air in no time, bringing new life to your home. To find out how, just

What Color Would You Never Paint Your Home?

casasugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 10:37:30 -0800

Orlando Bloom recently painted his $2.75 million Hollywood Hills a near-black shade that has neighbors Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson a bit perturbed.While I think the house is actually kind of cool-looking (okay, and a bit goth, admittedly), I can see why it would turn off neighbors who have to look at it every day. There are definitely some shades that I'd never dream of painting my house — what are your color no-nos?

Dressing My Walls: Grouping Art by Color

casasugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:00:16 -0700

These pieces have seemingly little in common save the color. One's a tiny acrylic painting of a cartoonish girl; another a hand silk-screened concert poster; another a welded, upcycled fish sculpture, and the last a collage made by Karen Ondracek. Yet, given the shared color scheme, they all work together.

Dressing My Walls: Blue Bedroom

casasugar — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 07:06:33 -0700

One of the changes I made this month for Dress Your Walls was to paint the bedroom blue. It used to be a drab beige with a weird brown border along the bottom (this was pre-CasaSugar move-in), and it took two coats of low-VOC primer and two more coats of low-VOC paint to get the color right.

Cool colors, such as blue, brown, and grey, are thought to promote concentration and calmness. so they're great for bedrooms and offices. I know that I feel calm and happy whenever I walk into our new blue bedroom.

Casa Quickie: Making Small Spaces Seem Bigger

casasugar — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 08:05:44 -0700

One way to make your small pad seem visually expansive is by exercising a light touch with your color scheme. If you use lighter textiles for upholstery, blond wood for large furniture pieces, and a lighter color palette for your walls, your small space will gain some visual square footage.

Su Casa: Color Inspiration

casasugar — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 06:03:17 -0700

I love this soothing, pumpkin hue that Kai chose for the nursery walls in her daughter's room. It's so perfect for autumn, and also is a great inspiration for Casa readers who might need a nudge when thinking about dressing their walls.

Want to share your photos? Here's how to post in the Su Casa group. And don't forget to check out the rest of Kai's lovely nursery photos here.

From the Archives: Chalkboard Paint

casasugar — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:00:37 -0700

For Dress Your Walls month, I thought I'd repost some bright ideas I had earlier in the year that relate to this month's theme. It's sometimes hard to dig these up from the archives on your own, so I'm finding the best ones for you to save you the trouble. When I find any archived posts that are particularly helpful for this month's theme, I'll run them in addition to the regular posts I'm putting up each day.

Whether you have kids or you just like the idea of writing on the wall, chalkboard paint like this one from Rust-Oleum is a fun and funky way to liven up a wall, a cabinet, or any patch of blank space where you need to jot down notes.

Available in green or black — I love the green for its retro schoolroom feel — the paint turns any wall into a writable and erasable surface. Because it works on wood, metal, glass, and plastics, it's incredibly versatile. Paint a patch of it on your office wall, or resurface the front of your fridge.

Of course, it's great for kids' rooms, but rather than cover an entire wall, why not use this idea from Real Simple and create cool silhouette, such as a house- or tree-shaped chalkboard?

Midday Muse: Color Inspiration

casasugar — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:30:33 -0700

I love decorating with colors inspired by nature. These buildings remind me that I must resume my search for the perfect earthy, pretty green reflected in the building on the right.

What colors from nature inspire your paint choices?

Primer: Paint Techniques

casasugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:36:50 -0700

It's Dress Your Walls month here at CasaSugar, and I hope Casa readers will be inspired to try any of the painting, wall coverings, or wall art projects we're trying out this month. If you do, make sure to post those pictures in the Su Casa group!

While a lot of Casa readers have put paint roller to wall, I thought it might be helpful to review the best techniques for getting your carefully chosen colors on your home's walls. If you're more video oriented, there are some great painting primer videos over at HGTV. Meanwhile, check out this list of painting tips to get started.

Make sure to spackle and sand first to prep your walls.
Make sure to thoroughly tape along edges, windows, and molding. And make sure to press down firmly on the tape. I forgot to do this on one part of my weekend painting project and now I have to repaint part of the molding!

For more tips, just

October is Dress Your Walls Month

casasugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 04:31:58 -0700

Welcome to October! This month we're going to have a ton of posts that help you to figure out how to take best advantage of your home's walls. From the best online stores for affordable art to low-VOC paint to contests giving away silk-screened posters and wallpaper, we've got it all. So settle in, bookmark your favorite posts, and get inspired to dress your walls in style with Casa! And please let us know: What's your most urgent wall issue? Art? Paint color? Wallpaper? Paint techniques? Bring on the questions; we'll get to the answering!

Midday Muse: Trailer Glam

casasugar — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 12:12:11 -0700

I love the aesthetics of this rundown trailer, from a photo spread in Lula Magazine (via Oh Joy!). I'm inspired by the balance of feminine with industrial, not to mention the gray-green and orange-red color scheme. What do you guys think?

Simple Style: Paint Yourself a Headboard

casasugar — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:08:30 -0700

A headboard can really be a great focal point for a bedroom, and just because you own a regular ol' bed doesn't mean it can't have a regal backdrop. So if you don't own a headboard, why not try painting one on?

I'm loving this idea from Point Click Home, and it would be very easy to recreate. Simply paint a block of color the width of the bed, and add a small stencil in another shade for a fun bit of detailing. Has anyone tried this at home? If so I'd love to hear about it.

This Just In: Benjamin Moore's 2008 Color Trends Report

casasugar — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 05:37:27 -0700

While you're all picking out your perfect paint color, be sure to check out the 21 trendy shades from Benjamin Moore's 2008 Color Trend Report. (Thanks to 2 Modern for the tip.) First, here are the big winners, a.k.a. Benjamin Moore's Hot Color picks. I really love the Peacock Feathers and the Split Pea, though I'm not sure I'm feeling the hot pink trend.

As for the other shades, the paint maker splits this year's trends into three groups that veer toward opposite extremes: gentle and neutral versus rich and deep. Modern Tranquility is made up of whispery, beachy shades; Organic Comforts take cues from nature; and Pure Opulence just looks indulgent. I think my favorites below are French Violet and Sulfer Yellow; in fact, I'd love to see that color combination used in a room. What do you think?

Su Casa: Fill in the Blank (Wall)

casasugar — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 11:35:03 -0700

In today's Su Casa, user Lindseymae1 is showing off her newly redecorated house — and also asking for your help. (Want to share your photos? Here's how to post in the Su Casa group.)

I love the light brick color she's chosen for the walls, and the boxes were custom-built by a friend of hers. But she needs some ideas for what to do with the blank space above the boxes. If you've got an idea, tell us in the comments below.

Casa Quickie: Strain Paint With Pantyhose

casasugar — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 14:50:16 -0700

After painting a room, it's a good idea to keep the can around for touch-ups. But you might find that the old paint gets lumpy over time. To get the lumps out, try straining the paint through pantyhose. Just stretch a pair of old tights or hose over a clean, empty paint tin. Then, pour the paint from the old can through the hose and into the new can.

Source

In Your House, Do You Prefer White Walls or Color?

casasugar — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 04:00:44 -0700

Source

In Your House, Do You Prefer White Walls or Color?

White

Colors

Mostly white with splashes of color

A mix of both

Other (Tell me below)

Casa Verde: Zero and Low VOC Paint

casasugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 06:00:06 -0700

Most of us probably don't think much about the hazardous chemicals we inhale in our own homes, but using low or no VOC paint is a simple way to improve your indoor air quality. VOCs, or "volatile organic compounds," are the chemical solvents found in most house paints, and because they evaporate at room temperature, the preservatives give off unhealthy fumes.

The safest interior paints contain no VOCs. But zero VOC paints, such as those made by Yolo Colorhouse tend to be pricey. For a cheaper option, try low VOC paint; Treehugger has some great recommendations about the best brands. Whether you choose a zero or low VOC option, look for the Green Seal certification on the label.

Definition: Primer

casasugar — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 16:26:16 -0700

Not to be confused with CasaSugar's handy educational Primers, this type of primer is a white paint-like coating that is applied underneath paint. Also called a prime coat, a primer prepares the surface being painted, makes color adhere better, and helps paint last longer. It's especially important to use primer when painting on porous surfaces or over a dark color with a lighter one.

Source

Midday Muse: Tree-Lined Teal

casasugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:00:29 -0700

Every day on CasaSugar, I'll feature a photo I'm calling the Midday Muse to give you a little lunchtime inspiration.

Today, let's admire the tree-lined teal wall featured in the master suite of the 2007 San Francisco Decorator Showcase. I love the way the color and the tree-branch stencil add a playful twist to an otherwise formal bedroom.

Source

Simple Style: Chalkboard Paint

casasugar — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:00:12 -0700

Of course, it's great for kids' rooms, but rather than cover an entire wall, why not use this idea from Real Simple and create cool silhouette, such as a house- or tree-shaped chalkboard?