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Do You Own Any Wicker Furniture?

CasaSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:00:14 -0700

While wicker can often look too country when it's found in more traditional shapes, this sleek chair looks decidedly modern in this space. I love it when my preconceptions about certain materials or pieces are proven false!

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Before and After: RachelG's Simple and Pretty Summer Change

CasaSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 07:00:30 -0700

Su Casa member RachelG recently decided to prettify the outdoor space directly outside her front door. Not only did she add visual interest, she also provided some great outdoor seating and entertaining space. Best of all, she didn't spend a lot of money doing so. She instead relied on good old fashioned elbow grease.

Curious? See how she did it

How-To: Clean Wicker Outdoor Furniture

CasaSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:00:15 -0700

Now that the weather is looking up, I'm sure many of you are taking advantage of your outdoor spaces. Before you throw a barbecue, make sure your outdoor furniture is looking spic and span. Every type of furniture requires its own cleaning routine. Wicker furniture is not actually meant to be used outdoors because it's really vulnerable to moisture, wind, and rain. But a lot of people seem to own it, so I've got just the tips you need to keep it so fresh and so clean. To hear them, read more.

You'll need a sponge, a bit of wood oil soap, a scrub brush, a duster, a bucket, a hose, and water. Murphy Oil Soap is a tried-and-true eco-friendly product. It's biodegradable, free from detergents, ammonia, and bleach, and its packaging is recyclable.

First, dust it with a feather duster or even your vacuum with a brush attachment to get tough dirt out.
Then, mix 1/2 cup of wood oil soap to one gallon of warm water.
Dip a sponge in the solution, and then wipe down the entire piece of furniture.
Next, use your scrub brush dipped in the solution to get into all of the crevices.
Then, rinse it down with a hose and let it dry in the sun completely.
Maintain its good condition by hosing it down and drying it every few weeks.

Sex and the City: Carrie's Marvelous Mexico Egg Chair

CasaSugar — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:45:53 -0700

While I'm absolutely in love with Carrie's new apartment, there are many other aspects of the Sex and the City movie set that I'm equally in love with. One of these would have to be the wicker egg chair from the fab four's Mexico vacation.

I think that this chair is a brilliant casting choice; its design perfectly mirrors Carrie's emotional state in this scene in the movie, and provides welcome shelter to her, even as Samantha, Miranda, and Charlotte soak in the sun. In my interview with production designer Jeremy Conway, he told me that the wicker egg chair was from an outdoor furniture store in Los Angeles, where the Mexico vacation scenes were shot. However, if you're coveting this chair and aren't in LA, I have another source for you, which I'll tell you about when you read more.

While not an exact match for Carrie's more cocoon-like chair, the Palmetto All-Weather Wicker Chair ($1,299), which I asked your opinion about just last month. Do you like Carrie's chair better than the Palmetto? Tell me in the comments.

Photo courtesy Craig Blankenhorn/New Line Cinema
©2008 New Line Cinema

Definition: Cane

CasaSugar — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 13:00:20 -0800

Cane is the hollow, jointed stem of bamboo, wicker, or rattan that is often used to cover seats and backs of furniture and to make baskets. To say that something is "caned" suggests that a piece of furniture has been fitted with this type of stem. Do you own any caned furniture?

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What the Hell Is Nicolas Cage Doing?

GiggleSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:00:00 -0700

All right, so I never saw The Wicker Man, but these clips make it look like the most ridiculous movie ever. Though, to be fair, wackjob Nicolas Cage provides about 90 percent of the crazy factor. What do you think is going on in this movie?

Wicker Goes Modern

CasaSugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:53:57 -0700

I first saw these great wicker shades on eco-designer Danny Seo's blog. Since then I've checked them out at Ikea, both in-store and in the catalog. While I'm not a huge wicker fan, these lamp shades have a cool shape, and the extra-gigantic size for the larger shades-you could fit yourself and a friend's heads and shoulders under one of them-definitely makes an unexpected statement.

While most wicker is bent by being soaked in diesel fuel, IKEA asked that these shades, which are sourced from Vietnam, instead be soaked in palm oil-better for the workers, and for the planet. The shades are currently available in-store and through the catalog, but not yet online.

What do you think about these lamp shades?

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Love It or Hate It? Palmetto Honey All-Weather Wicker Egg Chair

CasaSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 07:00:13 -0700

I'm on the fence on this one, readers. It's kind of cool, but it's also bizarrely spacepod-like, down to the porthole "windows" on the sides. The Palmetto Honey All-Weather Wicker Egg Chair ($1,299) is water-repellent, weather-resistant, and made from a durable-aluminum frame covered in wicker. Can you see its charm, or is it just too odd for you?

Before and After: Sunny Pops of Yellow

CasaSugar — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:00:06 -0700

Su Casa member RachelG decided to add her two cents to my decorating with yellow post and give an old book table and wicker chair a makeover with a few coats of sunny yellow spray paint. She put the two pieces in separate rooms, which creates cohesiveness throughout her home, not to mention adds a bit of zing! Want to see the furniture in the bright new shade? Then read more.

Looks great, doesn't it!?

Have you made over any furniture lately? Or made any updates to your home? Be sure to add them to our Su Casa group!

The Little Girl, The Doll and The Wardrobe

LilSugar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:00:18 -0700

Give your girl and her dolls a wardrobe of their own! Before tossing the playthings' clothing and accessories in another plastic tub, consider investing in an authentic doll chest that will neatly hold the items and allow lil hands to access them without dumping everything on the floor. Like the trunks our mothers and grandmothers used generations ago, these armoires are designed to showcase the dolls' precious duds while teaching their owners about the importance of caring for their things. Whether opting for a wicker hamper ($65) or a sturdier wooden piece, these keepsakes create order and are easy on the eyes.