Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

The PureTouch AquaSuite faucet from Moen dispenses filtered water without the need for any clunky above sink attachments (the filter installs under the sink). An electronic filter life indicator lets you know when it’s time to change the water filter. Starting at $292, the price of the PureTouch faucet varies depending on the finish. It’s available in chrome, polished brass, glacier, ivory, sand, copper, and stainless steel.

http://www.moen.com

Heading off on vacation or a business trip? If you’ve ever had water leaks and damage in the basement or other parts of the house, you may have trouble resting peacefully while you’re gone. WaterCop is an emergency water shutoff system that utilizes sensors to detect water leakage. It then automatically cuts off the water supply before it can cause damage. You can also wire WaterCop to many home security systems in order to alert your monitoring company that there is a water problem.

http://www.watercop.com/

The Brew Express is a 12 cup in-wall coffee pot, designed to replace your current counter-hogging model. It needs a water line hooked up to the back, but after that, it’s self-filling and easy to use. The coffee system can be installed in a standard 2×4 wall stud cavity. The retail price for this built-in coffee system is $649.

The Brew Express from Lance Larkin

If you have a tile backsplash in the kitchen, you may have thought about having someone come in and paint a mural to perk it up. A company called IdeaStix sells removable vinyl squares that fit onto standard sized kitchen tiles, offering you the look of a custom mural without the expense. IdeaStix says their peel and stick squares will attach to many surfaces like ceramic tiles, mirrors, porcelain, glass, plastic, metal, and stainless steel, so you’re not limited to the kitchen. Many styles are available through Amazon: IdeaStix

http://www.ideastix.com

Five piece master bathrooms with separate shower stalls and bathtubs are popular these days, but if you’re remodeling an older, smaller home, you might not have room for both pieces. That’s no reason to give up on luxury. The Maax Maximizer 6060 is a corner bathtub with integrated shower stall. When you’re bathing, you have plenty of space and can relax with the tub’s massage jets. When you’re showering, there’s a glass door to keep water from escaping, niches for your soap and shampoo, and a wooden seat incase you want to take a load off.

http://www.maax.com/

Maybe you weren’t that impressed by the Power Strip Liberator. Well, the PowerSquid replaces your current power strips completely. Since most appliances seem to come with big blocky plugs these days, you’re lucky to get three things plugged into a traditional power strip. The PowerSquid’s squid-like shape offers plenty of room; each socket comes with its own cord so you don’t have to worry about plugs blocking more than one outlet. The price for the power strip is $15: PowerSquid Outlet Multiplier

Meltdown Glass is a “kiln-fired glass studio” that specializes in glass textures and colors. They do residential and commercial work. This shower door was custom designed for a home in Scottsdale, Arizona. Meltdown Glass does everything from furniture to bathroom sinks to unique kitchen range hoods. Their various styles include textures and colors such as tinted glass, opaque or transparent fused color, metallic colors, and countless specialty and custom hues.

http://www.meltdownglass.com/

HGTV’s I Want That took a look at a couple of cool new ceiling systems on their show this week, and let me say, the USG Ceilings Topo 3-D Ceiling System Panels are very unique. You need either a good sense of humor or an overriding desire to be different (maybe both) to install this wavy ceiling. The three-dimensional tiles are available in opaque and translucent styles in 5 colors. The company sells matching luminous panels (just in case you were wondering how you were going to hook your overhead lights to this thing).

http://www.usg.com/
http://www.hgtv.com/

Many homeowners like the flip-on convenience of gas fireplaces, but prefer the look of an open hearth to the boxy shape of a gas fireplace insert or stove. These are the folks who might want to look into gas logs. Heatilator’s Fireside Grand Oak Gas Logs won the 2005 Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association Show’s Vesta Award. The award recognizes innovation, quality, appearance and realism. In other words, these gas logs look like the real deal as they “burn” in your hearth.

http://www.heatilator.com/

The Jentle Jet Laundry Sink was featured on HGTV’s Kitchen Trends the other night (apparently laundry takes place close enough to the kitchen to warrant a mention on the show). Made by MTI Whirlpools, the folks who brought you the Jentle Ped Foot Massager, the sink is designed to be installed in laundry or mud rooms. It works sort of like a whirlpool to clean your delicates for you. The sink uses 3 micro-jets to gently wash your garments without the use of harsh agitators. A 3-speed air volume knob adjusts the whirlpool action from a soft swirl to a vigorous wash. The price starts at $650 and goes up depending on the finish you want.

http://mtiwhirlpools.com/
http://www.hgtv.com