Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

When you buy a hot tub, the costs generally include a surround or “skirt,” and most of them are kind of faux wood looking. Generally speaking, that’s not a horrible thing, but if you’d like something a little more interesting, you may dig these stone spa surrounds, aka SpaStone Surrounds.

They’re available with a couple of the models from HotSprings, and though they’re just as faux as the “wood” cabinets, many might consider the stone look more attractive than wood. Hook it all up, and you can pretend you’re retreating to your little natural stone grotto to dip in the hot springs, rather than just the hot tub you installed in a corner of your suburban yard.

Available in “Earth” or “Gray” stone, the panels can partially or fully surround your tub, and you can also get matching steps.

If you’ve always liked the look of log homes, but alas your house was built from sticks rather than logs, then you can get the loggy look with vinyl log siding.

It’s designed to make your house look like a log home, but unlike the real deal, this siding doesn’t have the maintenance requirements of real wood. You don’t have to stain the wood year after year to protect it from the elements, and you don’t need to worry about termites and other pests gnoshing away at the side of your house. Vinyl tends to look good a lot longer without needing much attention.

The costs of replacing your siding will vary a lot depending on the size of your house, but it’s one of those home improvements where you can often get all or most of your money back when it’s time to sell the house–especially if your old siding was looking ragged.

Quite a few manufacturers offer the vinyl log siding, and you can also get vinyl siding that looks like cedar shakes. Again, this offers the handsome look of wood without the maintenance requirements.

Garlic is good for you, but if you use it frequently in your cooking, you know what it’s like to have that garlic smell clinging to your hands. Here’s a little kitchen gadget that may just save your nose (and the noses of those around you):

The Garlic Zoom from Chef’n.

“The new GarlicZoom from Chef’n takes the stink out of chopping garlic! Simply fill and roll. The stainless steel blades chop peeled garlic cloves into perfect chunks, ready for any meal.”

It looks small enough that it shouldn’t take up much drawer space either (just in case you’re trying to keep your kitchen clutter down).

Pick it up for under $10 from Amazon:

Chef’n Garlic Zoom

Updating your shower doors is a way to modernize the bathroom and can easily be done even if you’re not thinking of a total remodeling job. Often, the shower enclosure itself is in perfectly functional condition, and it’s just the doors that are dated. Glass shower doors look good and with custom work there are few limits to the design possibilities.

In the past, we’ve checked out textured glass shower doors and simple frameless shower doors that barely look like they’re there.

If you like the look of etched glass (which is a handy way to combine privacy with a design you like), there are countless companies out there that specialize in such work. The unique shower enclosure shown here is obviously inspired by the foliage and animals of the jungle, and it’s the work of Lilley Art. It could be a fun choice if you’re not easily startled by parrots and leopards staring at you first thing in the morning.

So, you’ve been eyeballing hot tubs, but you’re not sure you want that large permanent structure on your patio, or maybe you’re a bit intimidated by the prices (hot tubs can run anywhere from $5,000 well into five figure amounts). Here’s a less expensive and less permanent option:

The Deluxe Portable BioTech Spa is an inflatable hot tub that can hold up to four adults. It may not have as many bells and whistles as some of the models we’ve looked at (remember the hot tub with the pop-up plasma tv?), but it’s got heat and it’s got jets. If that’s enough to float your boat, then it may be something worth looking into.

$1,200 from Home Visions:

Deluxe Portable BioTech Spa

Looking for a wooden bench not quite like anything you’ve seen before? This creative ash/oak and hoop pine piece might catch your interest. And unlike a lot of the wooden benches I’ve seen (and sat on), this one looks like it might be fairly comfortable without cushions. It has some nice contours for your backside.

Suitable for indoor (and occasional outdoor) use, the wooden bench is the work of David Trubridge, a New Zealand designer. Measurements run 16.9″ high by 84.6″ long by 36.6″ wide, and the price is $8,600 USD.

Find it on Essenze New Zealand Inspired Design or visit the designer’s site to see other interesting pieces.

Outdoor rugs can be a great way to pull together an outdoor living area, adding a little homey warmth to the deck or patio. The problem is finding a rug made from materials suitable for the elements. If your deck, patio, porch, etc. isn’t covered, you’ll need something that can stand up to the rain and won’t fade quickly under the sun’s rays.

Recycled plastic rugs are durable and can be used indoors or outdoors, so may be a good choice for backyard entertaining.

Since this outdoor rug from VivaTerra is made from recycled plastic, you can also consider it eco-friendly. In addition, it’s supposed to be easy to clean and strong enough to hold up under kitchen or garden foot traffic. The cheery design features a pastel palette with a merged stripe pattern that “evokes the first light of dawn.”

Depending on size, the rugs run $29 to $49.

Today, you can find more and more high-tech gadgets and electronics making their way into the home, and even the doorbell is not safe from innovation. Not that we’d want it to be–even decorative doorbells aren’t that exciting when you hear that predictable chime.

What if your favorite song played when someone pushed your doorbell? Or perhaps the Indiana Jones theme song? (The folks over at Uncrate suggested the Imperial March from Star Wars, and I have to admit that would be fun too)

Well, the iChime is the customizable doorbell chime that can make your musical doorbell wishes a reality.

This fun house gadget comes with dozens of built-in songs and sounds (think Christmas music, spooky Halloween sounds, mooing cows, barking dogs, etc.), and you can add anything else by connecting the iChime to your iPod or computer. You can even record your voice with the built-in microphone.

The customizable doorbell chime runs $90, and you can opt for a $25 auxiliary speaker that hooks up outside so your visitors can hear your doorbell’s unique sounds too.