Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

With the new year here, it’s not too early to start thinking about spring and summer and mouth-watering barbecues. If you live in a house with a backyard and a deck or patio, you can probably buy whatever grill you want (or whatever you can afford anyway), but for those of us who live in condos and apartments, we sometimes have to deal with association rules that deny barbeques on the balcony (or maybe you don’t even have a balcony). These places usually have some kind of communal area you can use however; you just need a grill small enough to cart down there. Enter the Weber Baby Q, a portable gas grill that’s small enough to tuck under your arm (well, it’s 29 pounds, so you might need both arms to carry it).

The 14-inch-tall grill doesn’t skimp on cooking space: there’s 189 square inches where you can spread your burgers, hot dogs, steaks, and whatever else out. The Weber has push-button ignition, a reinforced nylon grill frame, and a cast aluminum lid and body, which makes it sturdy enough to “stand up to the occasional drop off the tailgate.”

Price: $149

Weber Baby Q Portable Gas Grill

If the golden swan bathroom faucet wasn’t your cup of tea, but you’re a nature lover, perhaps this dolphin lavatory faucet will be more your style. (At the very least, it might get the kids more excited about washing their hands and brushing their teeth.) Get the matching handles, and you’ll have the whole undersea theme in effect. The set is available in a number of finishes from Newport Brass.

Of course, leaping dolphins don’t come cheap. For the faucet and handle set, expect to pay around $1500 ($1,000 for the faucet alone). And, no, that doesn’t include installation.

http://www.newportbrass.com

Let’s face it: stainless steel isn’t for everyone. If you want color in the kitchen instead of all that cold metal, you could really brighten things up with a retro refrigerator. Though the Big Chill looks like something out of the 50s, it has all the efficiency and dependability of a modern unit (no defrosting required, thank you very much). You can even opt for a water dispenser and ice maker (though that probably wouldn’t be as true to the 50s look…).

Available in dozens of colors, the vintage refrigerators come in a 20.9 cubic foot capacity. The body is made from stamped metal, which is decorated with chrome trim. Inside sit 3 “easy-clean spill-proof” glass shelves, 2 crisper pans, and a temperature management system.

Price: $2,700

http://www.bigchillfridge.com

Stone tile floors are often used in high-end bathroom models because of the luxury look and texture they provide. Popular examples include slate, marble, and granite. Less well known is soapstone, but as you can see from the picture, these dark tiles create a handsome floor. You can get a light gray or a dark gray color, and soapstone has a natural white marbling that gives it a distinctive look.

Often used in fireplaces and fireplace surrounds (for its ability to retain and radiate heat), soapstone isn’t as cold underfoot as other stone tiles, and it can warm rooms very efficiently when teamed with in-floor radiant heating. This particular soapstone tile floor was done by the folks at Tulikivi. They have a variety of tile sizes you can choose from.

http://www.tulikivi.com