Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

Though I don’t go rooting through a lot of people’s bedroom drawers, I suspect most of us just keep our lingerie in a dresser drawer. Well, if that’s not enough space for you, you can pick up your own dedicated lingerie chest.

This one was done by the woodworkers at Plesums Custom Furniture in Texas, and it features a couple nifty extras.

The top opens up to reveal a mirror and jewelry area (divided top trays as well as a larger cubbie underneath), and the left side also opens displaying hooks for scarf storage. You can’t see the right side in the picture, but that’s dedicated to necklace storage, and there’s a full-length mirror inside the door.

While the lingerie chest shown here isn’t for sale, the Plesums folks will build you a similar or custom piece for $1,800 to $2,900 (prices vary depending on veneers and features).

Lingerie Chest

Slate tiles are popular in upscale bathrooms and can be used on floors, walls, shower surrounds, or all of the above. Slate need not be limited to bathrooms though.

Floors made from the textured stone can be installed outdoors as well as indoors, so if you’re thinking of putting in a new patio, or redoing your old one, slate might be something to consider.

The patio shown here features slate tiles with a Mexican pebble border. The pebbles make for a pleasant contrast while at the same time giving rain water a place to run off.

Slate tiles typically cost several dollars per square foot, and most people hire someone experienced to install them on the patio, but if you’re interested in taking on the project yourself, it is often possible to find deals at stone or tile outlet stores.

The patio shown here was the work of White Cloud Prairie Landscaping.

If floor space is tight, you can look for creative ways to get some of your furnishings off the ground. We think of tables as items with legs, but you can find pieces that mount on the wall too.

The Barbarella glass shelf gets rid of those dust-bunny collecting table legs by mounting to the wall, but as you can see it’s designed to be more of a table than a shelf. Place it by a reading chair or sofa for a convenient place to set books, glasses, tv remotes, and the like.

Measurements run 17.75″ long by 16″ wide by 33″ tall, and the shelf/table is available in nickel or brass finishes.

$280 at Fine Home Products

Tired of those planters that look like… planters? How boring, right?

Here’s a way to make the pot blend seamlessly with its garden surroundings: a rock garden planter.

Designed to look like real stone (though it’s made from a lightweight and durable polyresin), the planter feels like a natural extension of the earth in your garden. In addition, the material is supposed to be good for protecting your plants’ roots from heat and cold.

Available in oval or rectangular “pots,” the planters start at $50 at Jackson & Perkins

Portable, or above-ground, hot tubs are popular due to the ease of installation and their relative affordability, but if you really want to create a luxurious backyard oasis, you might consider installing a custom-designed hot tub.

Folks who are already planning on building a pool often add this option, but you can also have a stand-alone hot tub installed in a corner of the yard.

If the idea of a serene backyard grotto appeals, you might be inspired by this in-ground spa with a “weeping walls” waterfall feature. Between the stone wall of the waterfall and the side of the house, this hot tub enjoys a perfectly private setting. Even if your neighbors are just over the fence, you’d feel like you’re all alone in your secluded grotto.

This custom hot tub was designed by All Pool Bids

If you’re lucky enough to have a swimming pool (or a beach) in your backyard, then you probably need some comfortable pool furniture, maybe even something that’s fun to sit on.

Inflatable furniture might not sound like high-quality stuff, but DoNuts pieces look durable and fun. Kind of a table perched on a giant inner tube, DoNuts would likely be appreciated by the kids. The large piece seats six, and at the end of the summer, simply let the air out for easy storage.

The sturdy nylon covering is supposed to be great for resisting fading and other wear. And don’t worry–you don’t have to stick with the traditional inner tube black; other colors include green, orange, red and white.

From Extremis

Remember the heart-shaped bathtub we checked out around Valentine’s Day last year? Well, if you’re looking for more heart-shaped bathroom pieces (it’s okay guys, I won’t tell), then here’s a way to add some love to the shower.

The “Love Me” shower tray is from Germany and is crafted from high-strength titanium-based steel. It features a durable white stove enamel wear surface and a 30-year manufacturer’s guarantee (yup, this loving shower just might last longer than any of your relationships).

The shower tray is only available in one size (1200mm x 900mm x 65mm thickness), but if that’s the size shower you need in the bathroom, and you adore hearts, then have at it.

£781 from UK-based Living House

If you’ve got cats, you’ve doubtlessly pondered the age-old question: “Where can I stick the litter box so guests won’t notice it?”

Well, instead of stuffing it in a distant bathroom, you could just put it somewhere convenient and hide it with a litter box cover. These handy camouflage items make a cat box inconspicuous (as long as you’re good about keeping the area tidy… dunes of cat litter surrounding the entrance are a dead giveaway), and you can even get some with handy features.

For example, if your cat’s litter box is taking up space in the bathroom, why not make it serve multiple purposes? The “Cat Washroom” shown here doubles as a shelf, table, and towel rack.

A mere $80 at Amazon brings this convenient litter box cover extraordinaire into your home:

Cat Washroom

I’m beginning to think there isn’t anything that can’t be cooked on a grill. Baked potatoes? Apparently not a problem, not with a baked potato grill cooker anyway.

“Cut your baked potato on the grill cooking time in half using our baked potato grill cooker! Simply insert your small or large potato into one of the four non-stick coated prongs and set it on the grill to cook. The secret is the metal rack conducts heat from the grill and then cooks the potato from the inside while its being cooked from the outside by the grill so it cooks twice as fast! Buy one for yourself and grab an extra for friends and never struggle to cook a baked potato on the grill again!”

A mere $8 from Amazon:

Baked Potato Grill Cooker

Up here in the Pacific Northwest, we like our wood decks (and cedar-sided houses, cedar shingles, etc.). I guess it’s because there are a lot of trees and we like our houses to match the trees… The problem? It’s soggy up here. Even in the summer, that dampness persists, and it makes it challenging to keep wood decks in good repair. If your climate is similar, or you just like low maintenance home improvements, you might check into Trex decking.

Trex is a composite decking made to look like wood, and it’s available in a number of “species” and styles. The boards don’t rot, splinter, or warp (though I’ll wager our PNW mold and mildew could still get a hold on it), and unlike with wood decking, you’ll never have to stain or paint it for protection.

Trex offers different accents and contours (just in case you like that hand-scraped wood feel underfoot), and they’ve even got a fire defense version that is “self-extinguishing even under extreme fire exposure.” We don’t worry about those fires too often up here, but for those of you in drier climates, that might be another reason to consider composite decking over real wood.

http://www.trex.com