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Cool Idea: Disguise an Ugly Rental Wall

CasaSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 06:15:36 -0700

When you live in a rental, you often have to deal with some less-than-ideal features, such as ugly linoleum and mirrored closet doors. Canadian House and Home magazine recently offered a reader advice on hiding an ugly mirrored wall, and the tip is perfect for renters dealing with an ugly wall or closet door in their own home. Simply use inexpensive fabric curtain panels and a pretty curtain rod to improve that less-than-ideal feature in your rental. Want all of the details on how to do it? Head over to Canadian House and Home.

Cool Idea: A Bright and Fantastic DIY Wall

CasaSugar — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 10:00:54 -0700

Alexa, the creative presence behind the blog The Swell Life, recently transformed a wall in her apartment from a boring off-white shade to this eye-catching grid of color. The project is renter-friendly, and it cost her less than $20. Plus, most importantly, it looks utterly fantastic.

Alexa explains, "Like a lot of people, I live in an apartment. The type of apartment complex that doesn't allow painting of any kind. I really try to jazz up the blah eggshell walls with color, whether it be colorful artwork or colored lampshades that cast a hue on the wall. Well, I wanted to step it up a notch with my décor beyond that and do something totally different with my bedroom wall that would make visitors come in and say, 'Wow! You did that?'"

Wow indeed! To find out what she made this wall from, read more.

Alexa achieved this look through multicolored scrapbook pages, Zot adhesive glue dots, and a tape measure. Yes, scrapbook paper. I was surprised, too! Want the full DIY directions to get the same look? Read all about it on her site!

10 Tips For Short-Term Rental and Sublet Agreements

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 07:00:23 -0800

Did you know that Washington DC residents are renting out their homes for the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration? Residents can stand to earn a pretty penny: the pictured home is renting for $550 a day! The practice is becoming so popular that there's even a website dedicated to the cause. Whether you're a DC resident looking to rent out your house for inauguration weekend, or a homeowner or renter who'd like to do a short-term sublet for an upcoming vacation, it's better to be safe than sorry when offering your home to a stranger. Douglas Culkin, president of the National Apartment Association, notes that, "By taking some basic precautions, people can leave their homes feeling like they have done their due diligence to ensure a smooth renting experience.”

To see tips from the National Apartment Association, read more.

Draw up a basic, legally binding agreement to secure payment that includes a damaged property clause. Get 50 percent deposit in advance.
Give strong consideration to doing a background check of the resident. It costs about $30 to $40 and can be done in minutes. Search for “resident screening” to find a vendor. Incorporate the cost of the screening into what you are charging for “rent.”
Make sure you're protected with insurance - if someone injures themselves in your home you may be liable. Check your policy.
If you currently rent your home and are thinking of sub-letting it for the week, check with your landlord to make sure you are legally allowed to do so before you post your advertisement.
Make a duplicate set of keys. Send them via an insured carrier service but do not include your home address anywhere in the package, in case it gets lost or stolen before reaching its intended recipient.
Change the locks after they leave. Incorporate this cost into what you charge for rent.
What about pets? If your lease agreement allows them, you'll have to decide if you want to let a renter bring their pet for the week, but be clear if no pets are allowed so there are no surprises upon your return.
As a courtesy, alert your neighbors, who will see strangers entering and exiting your home during their stay, so they don't call the police.
You'll exchange emergency numbers with your renters, but in case you are not immediately reachable, leave a second local emergency contact number, especially if you plan to leave the area.
Clean out the fridge, make some closet space, etc. Schedule to have a cleaning company come before the renters arrive and after they leave. No one wants to see the other's leftovers.

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DIY: Fabric Wall Appliques

CasaSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 06:00:05 -0700

Renters, I know it's hard for you to Dress Your Walls because many landlords prohibit wallpapering, painting, nailing things, and doing pretty much anything that makes your crib look cool. So, you'll be interested to learn this do-it-yourself technique for making spectacular fabric wall appliqués that can be removed easily when your lease is up.

To learn the steps, read more

Here's what you need:

a fabric of your choice
liquid starch (i.e. Niagra)
a brayer

Here's how you do it:

Cut whatever motifs you like in various sizes and shapes from the fabric that you chose.
Dip each piece into liquid starch and wring out excess liquid.
Smooth fabric onto wall and roll on with the brayer.

Continue until you are happy with the pattern.
Voilà!

via love forever

Chace Crawford Loves Philippe Starck

CasaSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:00:43 -0700

Now that Chace Crawford has moved out of the Chelsea apartment he shared with Gossip Girl costar Ed Westwick, he's on to bigger and better things. The place he now calls home is a penthouse rental in the hip and exclusive Financial District building Dwell95, which was outfitted head-to-toe by French superstar designer Philippe Starck. The urban sanctuary is part of the yoo by Starck international development project and houses studios, lofts, and one and two bedrooms in two styles: "classic" and "nature." The former is not your average traditional style but is quintessentially Starck, infused with his brand of chic modernity and bathed in rich wood cabinetry and limestone countertops. The latter takes a lighter note with earth tones, organic materials, and natural light oak. Want to take a peek at Chace's new home and hear about the design? Then read more.

As you might expect, the fully-furnished suites are dripping in Starck-designed fixtures and products, from his arachnid-like Juicy Salif Lemon Squeezer for Alessi to his Miss K Table Lamp. But Starck's also shown some love for his contemporaries, including realist accessories designer Harry Allen, as well as design innovators Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen. Nate Archibald might prefer the Upper East Side, but I think these digs are right up Crawford's alley. Think you could get used to this? Rates for the furnished suites start at $5,100/month.

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How To Get the 99 Cent Movie Rentals From iTunes

GeekSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:00:12 -0700

If you're still wondering whether you should break away from your usual Netflix routine and test out Apple iTunes rentals, here's a tip that may give you the extra incentive you need.

Aside from the usual $2.99 for library titles and $3.99 for new releases, now you can find all the $0.99 iTunes rentals each week on 99 rentals. Unplggd reveals that this site lists all the current 99 cent movies and provides a direct link to the iTunes page. I've already added it to my RSS feed so I can constantly be updated on all the latest additions!

Would You Rent Music on iTunes?

GeekSugar — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 13:15:37 -0800

With Macworld 2008 just about wrapped-up and put away, we're left to reflect on what we won't be getting from Apple this year (just check out your comments on what the MacBook Air left out)! The New York Times couldn't help but ask if Steve Jobs has abandoned his thought that people want to own their content, as evidenced by his embracing rentals of movies on iTunes for Apple TV. If this is the case then why hasn't he done the same for music?

The article points out that the same technology that enables movie rentals for Apple TV is also found in newer iPods, so why can't we rent songs and albums? Whether it would be unpopular or not, Apple has made the decision for us. I think most of the time, I would want to own my music, especially at just 99 cents a song, but renting music could be a throwback to the days when we borrowed our friends' CDs for a week to test them out. So tell me what you think - Would you rent music or would you rather own it?

Su Casa: Bedroom Bliss With a Rental

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 04:15:16 -0800

We all know that designing a space to your heart's desire is a difficult prospect in a rental home. While Tmenotte wanted to paint this room, she knew that she and her husband would probably be moving within a year, which meant repainting the walls back to a bland beige to ensure the return of their deposit. So instead of painting, she used textiles-from very affordable sources-to dress her walls.

Tmenotte says, "I wanted to do some things and stick to a budget since this is not going to be a long-term room, so I went to Ikea and got the fun and funky yellow circle duvet cover and the cool poster print that I framed to make it pop. I love the colors of the duvet because it contrasts nicely against my teal sheets from Tuesday Morning. For the windows I wanted to cover up an awkwardly placed window that was off center. Since my husband and I do not have a headboard yet, I decided to give the illusion of one by using the curtains that I picked up from Target. It helps to define the bed and still get some balance."

I'm certainly impressed by how luxe Tmenotte was able to make this room look for such a low price. Want to share your photos? Here's how to post in the Su Casa group. And don't forget to let Tmenotte know what you think of her great room!

Which Online Movie Rental Service Do You Use?

GeekSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:00:45 -0700

The New York Times reported that Blockbuster will be lowering its prices to compete with ever-so-popular Netflix. Supposedly they will be offering three movie rentals at a time for $16.99 a month, whereas Netflix charges $17.99 for the same thing. Hmm, I think I'll pay the extra buck and stick with my easy-to-use and reliable Netflix because last time I tried the Blockbuster program I received scratched movies. I know everyone isn't a Netflix addict, so let me know what you use below and if you'd consider switching.

On the Market: Grey Gardens For Summer Rental

CasaSugar — Fri, 15 May 2009 12:00:24 -0700

Grey Gardens, the once squalor-filled Hamptons mansion that was the home of "Big Edie" and "Little Edie" Bouvier Beale, aunt and first cousin of Jackie O., and the subject of HBO's recent flick of the same name, can be yours for $30,000 this Summer. Current owners journalist Sally Quinn and husband Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee are renting out their East Hampton mansion from August 28 to Labor Day. Thirty thousand for 11 days in a former garbage-strewn home? Well, the turn-of-the-century house has since undergone an intensive renovation, and Long Island is nice in the Summer. See postrestoration photos of the home from a 1984 issue of Architectural Digest when you read more.

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