Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

Looking for some yard decorations that will brighten things up even after dark? This “man in the moon” bird feeder glows in the dark (for those late night birds that prefer the fly-through stay open into the wee hours).

The moon-shaped bird feeder is supposed to stay lit for 2-3 hours after dusk (as long as it’s hung in a place where the sun shines on it during the day). It is made of poly resin and sports a drainage hole to keep seeds from getting soggy when the weather is damp.

$30 from the Gardeners’ Supply Company:

Man in the Moon Feeder

When you’re talking about longevity and durability it’s hard to go wrong with metal as a roofing option. Some people aren’t a big fan of metal roofs, however, finding the colors and styles a bit too industrial. They tend to be more expensive than other roof materials as well, though you generally come out ahead in the long run because they last 50 years or more. If the limited choice of drab color options is your main argument against metal, you might browse some of the companies offering different hues of this sturdy material.
This bright and cheerful roof is from Follansbee Steel. The “KlassicKolors Regal Red” was pre-painted Terne II and coated with a zinc-tin alloy to give it its rich red hue. “At the factory, that substrate is coated with your choice of solar-reflective coatings, offered in an historic palette of rich reds, deep blues, greens and grays, earthy beiges, tans and browns.”

While you might have a hard time finding metal roofs in all the colors of a big Crayola box, there are definitely more available than you probably realized.

Follansbee

If your kids are always running out of the house without letting you know where they’re going, maybe a message center would help things out–a little spot where they can hastily leave a note on their way out the door (and maybe they’d even remember to use it).

This blackboard has a clock built in, so it’s easy to write down the time when the message was left. It’s also magnetic, so you can hang notes, shopping lists, etc. from the bottom. The price is £29.00.

from Objects of Design

If you’re planning to remodel and install a new floor but can’t decide on the material (wood? tile? stone?), maybe it’s not necessary to choose just one. There aren’t any rules that say you can’t mix and match to find a design that incorporates your two favorite materials.

The floor pictured here features limestone tiles nestled between rift oak planks. It draws on the natural elegance of carved stone and hardwoods to take it to a more dramatic level.

The floor was done by Antique Parquet, a company that offers cork tiles, parquet panels, and hardwood planks.

http://www.antiqueparquet.com

Here’s an interesting take on the living room couch. Or is it a giant chair? Or two chairs as the case may be.

Yin Yang Seating is two seats in one piece of furniture with a base that swivels 360 degrees. The interesting design lets both parties relax while promoting conversation—it lets you look at each other (a novel concept in today’s world when most seating is geared toward letting two people look at the television). “The answer to the question of style. Relaxation flows to environments that are composed by nature’s beauty, and where the beauty of nature is brought home.”

From Domo Collection in Australia.

Tile mosaics are traditionally installed indoors, but there’s no reason you can’t decorate outdoor floors with them too.

This residential porch is laid with 1-inch hexagonal, unglazed porcelain tile, in a pattern that fits the historic style of the house. The tiles are from American Restoration Tile, a company that reproduces tiles of the past to facilitate restoration of historically significant buildings and residences. I’m guessing it’s okay if you want to decorate your perfectly normal (and not historically significant) home with them too.

American Restoration Tile

Whether you live in a mansion or a tiny apartment, you can probably appreciate furniture that does double-duty as storage. It seems that no matter how much space you have, you always run out of room for things eventually.

The Magino Stool from Inside Avenue is clear and simple, offering a place to sit in a pinch. Its legs also double back to provide a niche on either side where you can tuck magazines. So you’ve got one piece of furniture working as stool and magazine rack. Now if I could just get my refrigerator to cook dinner for me…

The stool is $375.

Inside Avenue

Whether you’re headed to a potluck or just looking for a way to keep side dishes cool for family barbecues, this high tech serving tray may be of help.

The electronic tray can heat or chill food, so you can keep kebabs toasty warm or fruit wedges cool and crisp. Reversing an electric current turns the metal fins inside hot or cold. Temperatures range from 44 to 134 degrees Fahrenheit. The sleek black and stainless steel design will have all those folks with the warped Tupperware bowls gazing at your tray with envy.

from Urbina Design

If you’re lucky enough to have a swimming pool in your backyard, it’s probably a prime spot for entertaining. If you have parties that extend into evening hours, lighting is an important element, both in and around the pool. Lighting doesn’t have to be boring though. Try adding color to make your pool an even cooler place to hang out.

This pool is lit by Fiberstars Jazz Light, which features a bright, white light that enhances colors to give them a “brilliant glow throughout your entire pool” They also have a low power consumption, so these pool lights are relatively energy efficient. The four-color system lets you pick whatever hue piques your mood, or you can choose an array of continuously changing colors.

Fiberstars

When it’s time to choose flooring for your home–whether you’re building from scratching or remodeling–you may be drawn to hardwoods, as so many people are. If you decide on wood, you’ll not only need to pick a species type and a finish, but you’ll want to figure out if you want something that looks brand-spanking new or if you prefer the warmth and character of an aged or “distressed” floor.

This picture is from Aged Woods, a company that works with reclaimed and remilled woods, and it features antique oak planks. Oak flooring is the most popular hardwood in North America, due to its hardness (which translates to durability), availability, and affordability. A distressed oak will look quite a bit different than a factory new oak, so you may want to decide which look you’re going for before you start to shop.

http://www.agedwoods.com