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Summer Style: A Lake Getaway in Surprising Colors

CasaSugar — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 07:00:04 -0700

I doubt that I would ever think of painting a cottage these two colors. Still, the contrast between the Mediterranean blue and rusty brick red is certainly eye-catching, and there's something so innocent and playful about the combination. In fact, it almost seems as if odd, surprising colors should be de rigueur for Summer getaways. It seems to me as if the colors alone demand that one relax, sit back, and enjoy the space. After all, there's nothing serious about a Summer getaway. It should be all about enjoyment!

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Casa Quickie: Use an Oar as a Curtain Road

CasaSugar — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:15:04 -0700

In an effort to stay within budget, and to cut back on consumerism, sometimes you gotta work with what your momma gave ya . . . or what you already own. When stars align, sometimes the furnishing that's a hand-me-down, a street find, or the like, is the perfect one for your digs. The owners of this beach shack on the Isle of Wight in the UK, recently featured on AT:NY, made the most of an old oar by using it as a curtain rod. In most homes, a paddling device used to hold up curtain panels would look out of place to say the least. But here, it's charming and a bit kitschy, and it has the worn-in, well-loved style that every beachside home should have. Have you used any unusual items as a curtain rod in your home?

Summer Style: Decorate With Summer Sports

CasaSugar — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:00:11 -0700

This weekend, while shopping at the Alameda Flea Market, I nearly bought a beautiful vintage croquet set. Now, when I see how the set has been used in this space, I'm kicking myself for not making the purchase!

This foyer is practically bursting with Summer spirit. To cultivate a similar sense of fun and spirit in your entry, add an often-used Summer sports set to your foyer. Pile bocce balls in a sturdy metal bucket, or artfully arrange croquet mallets in an umbrella stand. It'll add some fab Summer style to your home.

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Summer Style: Paper Lanterns in 500 Days of Summer

CasaSugar — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 08:00:26 -0700

500 Days of Summer doesn't make its debut in theaters until July 17, but I've already got an eye on the sets. Here, Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt stand on a rooftop in full Summer style. Of course, the pair look quite dapper in a beautifully patterned sundress and a sharp suit, but it's the paper lanterns that complete the scene. The concrete wall looks a little gritty but the lanterns instantly give the space early evening elegance. Paper lanterns are very inexpensive and easy to hang on a string of outdoor lights. Do any of you use these at home? If not, try replicating this look in your backyard or on your rooftop! To see where you can pick up some paper lanterns of your own, read more.

Maru 30" White Round Paper Lantern - $12.99	Aki Curved White Paper Lantern - $9.99
Yoko Square White Paper Lantern - $19.99	Kyoku Triple Ball White Paper Lantern - $14.99
Blue Maru Round Paper Lantern - $6.99	Taro Double Ball White Paper Lantern - $9.99
Maru Round White Paper Lantern - $4.99	Hexagon White Paper Lantern - $7.99

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Get the Look: The Tipi Field at Glastonbury Festival

CasaSugar — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:00:40 -0700

Friends of mine who've attended the Glastonbury Festival have raved about the experience and the music. Located at Worthy Farm in England, Glastonbury Festival attracts over 14,000 music fans, making it one of Europe's largest music festivals.

I'm really loving the cool Summer style of the festival's Tipi Field. Here, festival goers can participate in activities such as storytelling, tai chi, and a sweat lodge. Next door to the field are tipis that are available for hire (but not this year, they're all booked). I'd much rather attend the festival if I had a tipi to return to at the end of the evening, instead of a one-person backpacking tent. They just look so much more roomy, breezy, and, well, stylish, than your basic North Face dome tent.

You don't have to head to England to revel in tipi goodness, though. To get the tipi look at your casa, read more.

Here are some ways you can re-create the look in your backyard.

Try DIYing your own tipi with directions from eHow, which makes an adult-sized tipi, or this one from FamilyFun, for a pint-sized version.
Take a tip from Jennifer Carpenter and construct your tipi from cool, modern fabric.
If you've got the cash, Design Within Reach's Tipi is now on sale for $1,760.
If you're feeling even more flush, you can buy a Gandia Blasco Tipi Gigante, which starts at $6,000. Spendy, yes, but stunning, as you can see from this photo.

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Summer Style: Luscious Little Cottage

CasaSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:00:05 -0700

When it comes to pretty in pink, the Luscious Little Cottage on Tybee Island, GA, has it covered. This 1920s-era home was bought from its original owners by interior designer Jane Coslick, who wanted to preserve the cottage's feel and look.Just steps from Tybee beach, the one-room cottage has room to sleep three, while an outbuilding nicknamed The Roost accommodates an additional two visitors. The Roost was actually fashioned from a restored elevated ticket booth, and features twin beds crafted from Tybee driftwood. Talk about Summer style!

For additional photos of this cute pink cottage, read more.

If you're eager to snap up this cottage, I'm sorry to say that another lucky family recently bought it from Coslick. However, check out another of Jane's cottages for a Summer rental.

View 8 Photos ›

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Summer Style: Sam's Wine Country Shack

CasaSugar — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 08:00:06 -0700

While I wanted to love Bottle Shock, the film about California's vineyards featuring the blind Paris wine tasting of 1976, I had mixed feelings about the movie. However, I had nothing but love for the decidedly rustic digs that Sam (Rachel Taylor) inhabited on the Chateau Montelena vineyard.

While I can't imagine anyone actually living this exposed to the elements (at the very least some mosquito netting would've helped), I do love the overall effect of the building.

For some of my favorite decorating ideas from Sam's wine country shack, read more.

I loved the use of antique furniture in Sam's digs, especially the rocking chair and the iron bed frame. The al fresco wine tasting, shown below, also inspired me to eat out of doors on every sunny evening this Summer. The lack of rugs or busy textiles emphasizes the austere, uncomplicated look of this old, dilapidated building, putting the emphasis on the outdoors. In your own home, cut back on heavy Winter rugs and blankets, and take a cue from Sam by covering your bed with a white or light-colored blanket or duvet cover.

Try also moving some indoor furniture out of doors for an impromptu dinner or gathering. There's something absolutely magical about seeing a table normally reserved for the dining room out on a lawn or a porch.
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And the Winner Is . . .

CasaSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 08:30:43 -0700

Want to know which lucky lady is the second of two winners in my Summer Style Contest? Then read more.

The second winner in the Summer Style Contest is Haze, who launched a major overhaul of her garden and patio in her 1930s Cape Cod-style home in May. In what she calls the "patio reclamation" and "garden refreshment," her husband was "responsible for acquiring the eclectic mix of midcentury pieces that are featured in the space," and she took it upon herself to "refurbish, reclaim, reuse, and repurpose many of these items in order to create a warm and welcoming space with a unique personality." After installing seven pieces of her original modern, surrealist pop artwork, the space took on a gallery feel. The image above shows the lattice she installed along the length of her neighbor's "privacy fence," as well as her refreshed vintage lawn chairs in the garden.

Haze wins a $500 Crate and Barrel gift card for her entry. Congratulations!

Missed yesterday's winner? See who won here.

And the Winner Is . . .

CasaSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:15:41 -0700

Want to know which lucky lady is the first of two winners in my Summer Style contest? Then read more.

The first winner in the Summer Style Contest is Visual Vamp. I loved that Visual Vamp pulled together a beautiful, easy, and budget-friendly Summer look that other Casa readers can take inspiration from. She gave great Summer decorating advice, too, saying, "I live in New Orleans, and part of Summer style here is to take up all the rugs and live with bare floors, and cover the furniture in Summer white slipcovers. It's a fast and easy way to get an instant Summer look."

Fast, easy, stylish, and economical. What's not to love? Visual Vamp wins a $500 Crate and Barrel gift card for her entry. Congratulations!

Check back tomorrow for our second contest winner!

Win a $500 Gift Card From Crate and Barrel!

CasaSugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 04:30:32 -0700

You and one other lucky CasaSugar reader could be the recipients of a $500 gift card from Crate and Barrel. The catch? Well, there's no catch, actually. All you have to do is send in a photo showing off your home's Summer style.

To find out how to enter to win, read more.

If you're interested in entering this contest, start by snapping photos of your house. To enter, you must log in and post photos of your home, along with a short description of your home's Summer style. If you're not already a TeamSugar member, just register here for an account. Then, submit photos to either the Su Casa group or by private messaging me. Contest ends Friday, Aug. 8, at noon PDT and is only open to US readers. Click here for official rules.

To join the Su Casa group, just follow this link and click "subscribe" beneath the photo on the left-hand side of the page. Once you're subscribed, click Share in the upper left-hand 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."

TeamSugar has a great primer on how to create a blog post, so check that out if you've never posted one before. Here's a rundown of the basic process:

Add a Title and the Body (content for your post). Don't forget to click Check Spelling link and Upload an Image to make your post stand out!
Post this to a group? Click on the dropdown menu and select the Su Casa group. You will only be able to see groups you're subscribed to, so if you haven't joined Su Casa yet, you will need to.
Click on the dropdown menu and choose the Home and Garden Channel and add some keywords (use a comma, if needed!) in the Tags text box. Then click "I'm done" to view your post!

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