PopSugar

Jonathan Adler Brings the Gossip Bench Back!

CasaSugar — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:30:09 -0800

Before the advent of cordless phones (and cell phones and Bluetooth), a telephone was a stationary thing. Back then, the place to answer calls and chat was called "a gossip bench" - see photos here. This long-lost breed of furniture is one part table (to hold your telephone) and one part chair or bench. While the piece is much less essential to any wireless gossip queen, it's no less lovely. I'm glad to see that Jonathan Adler has brought it back with the new Claude Modular System ($1,145 for shown). As always, Adler's put his signature Hollywood Regency meets midcentury modern in white twist on it, bringing an antiquated design into the retrospective future. While the shape of this piece is oh-so handsome, I'm really loving that tangerine-colored cushion. What do you think?

Have You Ever Sewn a Slipcover?

CasaSugar — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:00:07 -0800

Slipcovers are certainly a more affordable alternative to having your furniture reupholstered. But ready-made slipcovers rarely fit well, and store-bought slipcovers (say from Pottery Barn) can cost a small fortune, too. So if you've got sewing skills, sewing your own slipcover is a smart alternative. Unfortunately, the tedious task is not for the easily irritated. Have you ever sewn one?

Source: Flickr User So Sylvie

Guess What This Chair Is Made Of?

CasaSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:00:22 -0800

This chair, which I spotted in a clothing store, is upholstered with something that practically everyone on the face of the planet - or at least the US - owns. Can you tell me what it's made of?

Cool Idea: Log Some Sleep

CasaSugar — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:30:19 -0800

Swedish blogger Design Delight recently took a trip to London and visited the new Anthropologie store there. She snapped this photo of a display bed made from piles of logs, and I'm absolutely in love with it. It's so magical looking, straight out of a fairy tale. If you want a good night's sleep, you clearly would need to use a basic bed frame hidden underneath and then surround it with the logs. But it's totally a doable DIY if you have access to logs. The white dogwood bark adds another wintry element, which is nice, too. Plus, if you run out of firewood, you know where you can find it!

Would You Hang a Rattan Chair in Your Home?

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:19 -0800

Hanging chairs are definitely a thing of the past. In 1968 we saw the debut of Eero Aarnio's iconic Bubble Chair and in the '50s and '60s hanging rattan chairs became à la mode. And though it's 2009, I'm definitely digging this Two's Company Hanging Rattan Chair ($424). Mixed with more contemporary décor (like in this photo), I definitely think it could look relevant.

Love It or Hate It? Painter's Chair

CasaSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:00:35 -0800

My grandmother was a painter and also a decorator, so she was very particular about the way her studio looked. Afraid her paints might ruin her studio floors, she painted them all black and then called in her friends for a splatterpainting party, purposefully painting her floors à la Jackson Pollock. This Urban Outfitters Painter's Chair ($298) is a bit like those floors, except much less inspired. Its allover splatterpaint is really just decorative, not functional. It's also a bit of a knock-off of Marcel Breuer's Wassily Chair. What do you think?

Before and After: Boring China Cabinet to Fabulous Bookcase

Casa Community — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:00:00 -0800

Su Casa member LittleLeo recently transformed a dated china cabinet into a fabulous bookcase:
We inherited this piece from a friend who was getting a new dining room set. My husband couldn't understand why I wanted the cabinet and not the dining table too. I explained I had a vision for my home office. I sanded it all down and painted it matte black, wallpapered the back, and had acrylic shelves made. It has set the tone for the room and now the "office" doesn't take away from the living room. It actually adds an extra layer of function to the room, at least I think so.
To see LittleLeo's finished project, .

Have you made over any furniture lately? Be sure to add photos to our Su Casa group!

Before and After: A Sad, Sad Daybed, Rescued!

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 09:00:19 -0800

One Living Etc reader had been looking for daybeds by Ercol, a British furniture manufacturer known for its bentwood designs, for ages and finally bought this one off of eBay for a good price. But it required a bit of work. She "sanded it all down, oiled it, replaced the webbing which had crumbled to dust." And it needed a cushion! So she embarked on her first upholstery project and also made throw pillows to go on top. You'll be wowed when you see the finished project, so read more.

Doesn't it look great!? The shape of the daybed really is beautiful, and I'm so glad that she rescued it. I love the mixture of pattern pillows, too.

Source

Do You Have a Foyer Console Table?

CasaSugar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:15:15 -0800

A console table in your foyer can make a great landing strip for your keys, purse, and other daily essentials. But it can also just be pretty and fill an otherwise dead space. I love this foyer by interior designer Anne Coyle. Orchids, check. Cherry blossoms, check. Ornate mirror, check. White furniture, check. Soft lighting, check!

Roundup: Wonderful Wardrobes

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:30:03 -0800

A friend of mine is moving into a bedroom in a new apartment which is closet-less. She will have access to two hall closets, but considering the miles of clothes and shoes she owns, an additional wardrobe may be needed. So, I decided I'd hunt some down for her. Are you in the market for a new wardrobe? Luckily, there are some at every price point, from only $45 to over $11,000. In particular, I think the CB2 Harmonica Wardrobe ($499, reduced from $799) is really sharp. Take a peek at a few others below!

Harmonica Wardrobe - $799.00	Best-Dressed Wardrobe Rack & Hangers - $69.00
Martha Stewart with Bernhardt Bali Coast Armoire - $4,999.00	Aspelund Wardrobe With 2 Doors - $179.00
Sniglar Wardrobe - $45.00	Morrum Wardrobe/ Shelf Unit - $179.00
Belvedere Armoire - $299.00	Oeuf Sparrow Wardrobe - $1,160.00
Hosle Wardrobe With Sliding Doors - $79.99	Vinstra Wardrobe With Sliding Doors - $699.00
Anthologie Quartett - superbox wardrobe by ettore sottsass - $11,515.00	Engan Wardrobe With 2 Doors - $179.00
John Kelly J-36A Amoire Wardrobe -4 drawers - $6,525.00	Cynthia Wardrobe - $999.00
Odda Wardrobe - $299.00	Aneboda Wardrobe - $99.99
Cadet Wardrobe - $649.00	Aspelund Wardrobe With 3 Doors - $199.00
Brave Space Design Planar Wardrobe - $4,275.00