I'm all for treating my little Maltese to a good night's sleep in a comfy bed, but that doesn't mean I want a miniature princess canopy bed eating up my precious floorspace and looking all corny and over-the-top in the process. But these pet beds (or pet dens I should say) from Denhaus look like a nice way to keep both me and my dog happy. Created of polished fiberglass with smooth, shatterproof glass tops (to act as both a skylight for the pet and a tabletop for you) they're both a comfy place for your pet to relax and a stylish addition to your home's decor. They look more like a contemporary designer end table than a pet crate (which is awesome!) and come in your choice of 4 colors. $525-$565
No home bar is complete without stylish glassware, trays, and other accessories (like this leather-bound martini shaker, $295) to enhance your presentation and round out the mood of luxurious relaxation. Ralph Lauren has quite the collection of home accessory items for the kitchen or home bar that utilizes classics like crystal and stainless steel and modernizes them with the rugged and sophisticated masculine energy of leather accents. Serving trays, glassware, decanters, a lead crystal ice bucket with leather handle ... there's something for everybody. $195-$395
Normally I think Swarovski jewels encrusted onto household appliances look tacky and ridiculous, so I'm a little surprised to hear myself saying that the Swarovski Jewels Sink collection from Antologia is actually pretty nice. Simple, tasteful, and artistic, the basic white and black sinks aren't overrun with big sparkling jewels so much as they're accented and enhanced by them. Each piece is put together by hand with Signity jewels.
Any kind of jewels on a bathroom fixture are still completely impractical and difficult to clean, of course, but these are nice to look at nevertheless.
Store your music, and add to it as you choose, on a 17-inch touch screen monitor with the Sooloos media system. It links to every room in your house, plus you can synchronize it at multiple residences. The system features storage, playback and control components that can be combined in a number of configurations. This is a new concept and a new product, so for those more technically-oriented who want to know more, go here to get the details, as we patiently wait for the site to get up and running. I just like the look of it, and would love to be able to get all my music going with just a few fingertip movements. If only I had $13,000 ...
As I was browsing a home magazine I was stopped by an ad for Sherle Wagner doorknobs, I mean, "hardware." They were so beautiful, I wanted to know more. So now I share ... Sherle Wagner International, headquartered in NYC but with eight U.S. showrooms and one in Kuwait, offers a number of home accessories in these categories: finishes, stones and patterns; bath fittings; bath fixtures; accessories; hardware; lighting; furniture; textiles; linens; and wall coverings. All Sherle Wagner products are originals, made by the company from the design inception stage to completion. The company uses "old world artisans and timeless techniques, so that every piece is a true original." And the staff is experienced in working with architects, designers and clients on projects of any scale. If you browse the catalog, be sure to check out all the categories on the lefthand nav bar; there was much more on the site than I noticed the first time around. No prices, however, but I'm going to guess on the high end.
The Travelmate Portable Fireplace by Conmoto is made of black powder-coated steel and glass with an adjustable steel fuel-holder and burns on bio-ethanol liquid fuel (not included). Now you can put a fireplace where you want or need it for warmth or atmosphere. It's smokeless too. Safe to place on carpet, a table, near furniture, or outside. The glass pane is held on with magnets and only is removed in order to light the fire. Once the glass pane has been replaced, the fuel tank can be opened and closed, using the stainless steel slide at the front of the fireplace, so the flames can be regulated from the outside. I would love this in my home! Dimensions: 20" H x 28" W x 8" D, 55 lbs.($3,300)
In mid-July, we highlighted the Epson Ensemble HD Home Cinema System. Now we found great seats to furnish your home theater, from American Leather. Offered in five styles, several colors and with either a powered or manual incliner, the Holden seat, for example, shown in the photo, features extra-tall back cushions; premium, high-density, high-resiliency foam; loose back and seat cushions; double-jowled joints; hardwood frames; double-needle top stitching; and a lifetime warranty. Options include stainless steel cup holders; black, natural or walnut legs; and a manual incliner without articulating headrest. Prices vary; find a dealer near you, and check out the gallery for the variety of styles.
Cittadini, founded 18 years ago, specializes in high-end, luxury linens. Made in the region of Florence, Italy, the styles are detailed and feature much embroidery. You can order custom bed or table linens, as well as towels. Select from 10 flange styles, 50 towel colors, 100 sateen colors, and 200 embroideries (0 up charges). If you're in the NYC or Long Island area, there's a showroom on Fifth Avenue (by appointment) and a boutique in Manhasset. For more info and prices, contact the company.
The Nautilus House is a cartoon-like combination of bright vibrant colors and a gigantic shell-shaped design. It's a real house, located in Mexico City and occupied by a young couple and their two small children. Not only does the Nautilus House look like a giant work of art, but because it's built from a mix of chicken wire and concrete (among other things) and takes cues from a Nautilus shell (hence the name) it's also an earthquake-proof and maintenance-free structure. And that's always handy.
The inside decor is all about smooth rounded surfaces, rich colors, and greenery all over the place. And although the home is surrounded by Mexico City on 3 sides, the West side has most of the windows and faces out to a beautiful view of the mountains.
I really like it, but for anything other than a vacation home it might get old -- living in this house must make a person feel like they're in a tropical version of Whoville.
One of the advantages of being a homeowner is the fact that you can change and upgrade things to however you want them. Whether you're upgrading things for your own personal pleasure, looking to increase the price tag when you sell someday, or you're just dreaming and drooling, these home improvements are something to take a look at. From luxury custom-made garage doors to smart door locks that can be changed everyday to custom wall wine racks, you're neighbors will definitely be jealous.
Last week I mentioned Nature's Dryer, a tree-shaped sculpture that serves as an outdoor clothes drying system. But what do you do when the weather isn't right for drying outside? The BreezeDry is an ambient air drying cabinet that dries without heat You can dry and entire load of laundry using less air than a conventional dryer and it also promises the fresh clean scent of drying outdoors. This green product will also cost you a lot of green, it sells for $3,750.
I'm all about silver accessories, in fact I can pretty much say that I never wear anything gold (unless it's white-gold) and I rarely have gold items displayed in the house. I also love organic, earthy designs, which means that I'm a pretty big fan of Jill Platner's collection of fashion and home accessories. There's so much to choose from it was hard to decide what to highlight in this post, but I went with her silver (there's also bronze) homeware collection. My favorite (shown) is the Tide Pool Salt Dish, because it looks so natural and elemental. $820
She also has jewelry and fashion accessories (like an awesome collection of belts) for women, men, and babies.
Kelly Wearstler's collection of home decor items available from Bergdorf Goodman includes quite the interesting set of goodies. Her taste is contemporary, classic, and simple, done in basic shapes and even more basic colors (everything is in shades of black, white, gold, and silver). Her creations are open to many different moods but there's a definite cheerfulness present, especially in pieces like the Kaleidoscope, Confetti Bowl, and Deco Dots Box. My favorite is the Large Golden Egg, I think because it's just a little lumpy looking and slight off-kilter. What can I say, I always love the oddballs!
Need a last minute gift that will last a lifetime? Consider a Gift from the Heart supporting Habitat for Humanity. With a minimum donation of $10 your gift to honor or memorialize another will provide a decent, safe home for someone in need. This purchase which supports the supplies, materials and time to make a home for a family is definitely money well spent. This holiday season consider your own blessings and put a roof over another's head.
Think about it....who really has a second kitchen? A full second kitchen? They're rare indeed, but the new trend in luxury housing is to start changing that.
People with money to spend want kitchens for both themselves and for their personal chefs and caterers, and they don't want to be bumping around together in the same space. But it's not just about whether or not you can afford it, as the building has to be approved and depending on the rules and regulations in the area an additional full kitchen may or may not be allowed. But in the areas where it does work houses generally run in the $5 million range and higher when they include 2 kitchens.
Kelly Wearstler's collection
