Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

If you’ve got an old, ugly radiator acting as a sore thumb in an otherwise well-appointed room, you’re not alone. Some of the most popular posts here have been on hiding radiators with cabinets and heater covers that hide baseboard vents.

If none of those solutions work for you and you’ve got the money to have something custom built, you could invest in hand-crafted wood radiator covers that blend seamlessly into a room’s decor.

The handsome angled mahogany radiator cover here looks so much like a window seat that you wouldn’t even guess that there is a heater underneath. It’s the work of John Carlton Custom Woodwork & Furniture, and something like this will cost you $2,200.

A chain link fence tends to get installed because it’s affordable, not because it’s beautiful, but there are exceptions…

“Based on factory-made chain link security fences, Lace Fence contains decorative elements based on traditional lace patterns.”

It’s amazing what people can do with metal. I’d sure like a snazzy lace fence for my must-have-a-fence-to-keep-the-dogs-from-eating-the-neighbor’s-cats yard, but alas none of the folks making these look to be located in the States.

Check out the Dutch Design House for more information on lace fences.

Okay, all you DIY gurus: it’s time to bring your power tools into the 21st Century. If you’re still using a wimpy where’s-the-power cordless drill, then let’s take a look at a modern alternative. This kit from Makita offers three handy tools in one package.

The Makita cordless drill, driver-drill, and flashlight are made to last.

Just about every review on Amazon is favorable (the impact driver, in particular, gets a lot of loving). Here are a couple of highlights:

“I’ve owned several cordless drills and impact drivers in the past but none of them can compare to these tools. The power to weight ratio is nothing short of amazing. I can use the tools for long periods of time without the fatigue that I always experienced with my older tools.”

“I have purchased and enjoyed using the makita driver a lot for screws, woodworking projects and finishing work on my new home. I have since purchased two more drivers as thank you gifts for family I liked them so much.”

Head over to Amazon to read more reviews and get more information on the cordless drill and driver set:

Makita LCT300W 18V Compact Lithium-Ion 3PC Cordless Combo

If you’re looking for a practical and eco-friendly material for your driveway, walkway, or garden path, here’s a substance to check out:

GraniteCrete is a combination of pre-consumer recycled aggregate, gypsum by-product, fine clays and colorant. It costs 1/3rd less than concrete, and it’s supposed to age better and be less likely to develop cracks. It’s designed to look more like a natural path than other materials such as concrete, brick pavers, and asphalt.

What’s green or eco-friendly about the stuff?

GraniteCrete doesn’t contain any oils, synthetic polymers, emulsions or plastics, and it is made from pre-consumer recycled mining by-product. Also the material is “absolutely porous, addressing storm-water and heat island environmental concerns and yielding high LEED points in up to three categories of the LEED rating system.”

You can get GraniteCrete in six natural organic colors, or you can have a custom color made up. The only downside is that it isn’t recommended for climates with prolonged freezing temperatures in the winter.

http://www.granitecrete.com/

How’s your mattress smell? A little old? A little musty?

You wouldn’t have that problem if you had a mattress with green tea embedded into the memory foam. Apparently this naturally controls odors, and it’s only one of the perks of a Keetsa mattress.

These eco-friendly mattresses feature springs made of recycled steel, unbleached 100% cotton covers, and high density memory foam cores also made from recycled materials.

Oh, and the mattresses are supposed to be pretty comfortable to sleep on too (always a plus).

Keetsa

With heavy snowfalls in many areas this year, flooding is going to be a big problem in the spring. One way to protect your home and yard from this is to install drainage when you landscape.

Whether you’re just plunking down a small drain in a patio or running a culvert through your yard, thinking ahead like this can save you a lot of heartaches down the road.

“You need to have your yard landscaping done in such a way that the rain when it falls, will actually water your plants. You will be able to use all of the water that falls into your yard to feed the plants and the trees if you set up your yard landscaping the right way… Snow is another thing that is very important to your yard. Snow is just as vital to your entire yard landscaping project as rain is. Snow not only waters your yard as it melts but the snow, although cold, can actually help to keep your soil warmer. This will allow any plants that are sleeping under the snow to stay healthy and alive.”

Picture & Quote from the Malaysia Gardening & Landscaping Blog

It’s a good idea to use timers for your lights, and perhaps other appliances, when you’re out of town or no one gets home until late. An empty house is an invitation for burglars, and in uncertain economic times, home security is more important than ever.

Burglars don’t want to run into the homeowners when they’re robbing a home, though, so the mere illusion that someone is in the house can be enough to protect you. Therefore it makes sense to invest in a simple home automation system that turns lights on when it gets dark. One that randomizes when the lights turn on and off is even better (if you’re out of town for an extended trip and the living room lights turn on at exactly 6 pm every night, a local burglar might just notice that too-consistent pattern).

The “House Sitter” random secure timer can be used to program lamps, tvs, stereos, etc. to turn on at various times when you’re not home. It sports a fireproof plastic casing, and it restarts automatically after a power outage.

$15:

House Sitter Random Secure Timer

You might not think of buying a bird house in the winter, but when it’s cold out is when our feathered friends are most likely to need a high energy boost. Sure, you could just throw some seeds out onto the nearest snowbank, but if you prefer to give them a haven up high, then a bird house is the way to go.

Any old house or feeder will do, but if you want your backyard to be the talk of bird town, then perhaps a whole condo is the best choice.

This rustic bird house condo is made from reclaimed barn wood and is one of several barn-wood-inspired pieces of home decor at the Cedar Creek Woodshop.

They make everything from porch swings to tables to, well, bird condos (it’s typically the small pieces, such as shelves and planters, that are made from barn wood) and prices are pretty reasonable.

Pick up the bird house (with fence) for $80.