CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Coveted Crib: An Aspen Cabin Goes For the Old

casasugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:00:51 -0800

When Aspen, CO, residents Cynthia and Frank Goldsmith decided their dream home should look like a 110-year-old Colorado homestead, they went to work, hiring an architect to recreate that iconic look. At the same time, the couple traveled to flea markets, antique stores, and salvage yards to find turn-of-the-century hardware, lighting, beams, doorknobs, and even hinges! The only items in this home that are new are the appliances, plumbing, and windows. Take a tour of this home, which was featured in Country Living, to step back in time. Source

Guess What This Chandelier Is Made From

casasugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:00:48 -0700

I love the jagged lines of this moody, beautiful chandelier. Can you guess what it's made from? (Hint: it was auto inspired.)

Coveted Crib: Lone Star Home

casasugar — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:00:23 -0700

Austin resident Blake Dollahite didn't enter the rat race when he finished college. Instead, he rebuilt a crumbling bungalow with the help of his dad and friends. Using a variety of salvaged materials, as well as furniture he built himself, the results are absolutely fantastic. For the whole story, pick up this month's copy of Dwell. Source

In the News: Recycling Salvaged Materials Poses a Problem

casasugar — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:30:23 -0700

So far during Eco-Chic month, I've given you tons of easy and stylish ways to create an environmentally-friendly home. But sometimes, even when you try, it's not as simple as you'd expect. An SFGate article recently tinkered with an issue we hear little about in these days of "Green is easy! Green is cheap!" Apparently, building codes in some of America's most environmentally progressive cities are preventing architects, builders, and homeowners from reusing building materials that already exist. Durable, salvaged building materials like glass doors, light fixtures, doors, and cabinets clash with safety codes, and restrictions against using materials that may contain lead or asbestos. To top it off, some state energy conservation codes are preventing these homeowners in these eco-conscious cities from reusing traditional incandescent bulbs, which pile high in salvage stock. As the article's author Arrol Gellner writes, this conundrum is "leaving well-intentioned green builders caught in a classic Catch-22[.]" One alternative I see is to find a use for salvaged materials as furnishings, not subject to building codes, like recycled light bulb vases and coffee tables made from salvaged doors.
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,

Houseboat Beautiful

casasugar — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 03:42:15 -0800

Over four years, Todd Biernacki and his wife Krissy renovated their small houseboat on Seattle's Lake Union to make room for their growing family. While the family saved money by using salvaged and recycled materials and doing the majority of the work themselves, they also splurged on items such as huge windows and skylights, which in turn would help save money down the road by cutting down on electricity use, thanks to the natural sunlight they'd provide. Overall, the addition cost them $250,000.

To find out details about this renovation as well as to see a gallery of photos, just