Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

If you’re one of those folks who rolls your eyes at beige walls and “safe” tile colors, then here’s something vibrant that might spice up your bathroom walls:

The Big Brick stained glass tiles in the Dynasty Art Collections over at the Nemo Tile Company are definitely memorable. All that red is sure to wake you up when you stagger into the bathroom to brush your teeth in the morning.

“Dynasty Art creates a sleek, clean look to any space with its versatile colors and finishes. The Dynasty Art Collection is made up of stained glass, bringing glass tiles to a whole new level.”

And if all that red is a tad too much for you, other tiles in the stained glass tile collection feature more sedate colors such as beige, blue, gray. But if you fire up your bathroom walls with “blended brick red,” be sure to send us a picture!

While most of us probably don’t wander around our decks after dark too often, there are doubtlessly times when a little illuminate out there can be handy. As far as deck lighting goes, there are several options. You can find everything from freestanding outdoor lamps to post cap lights integrated into the railings. For steps, something like these riser lights are a good idea.

The ones shown here are made by TimberTech. The company offers several low-voltage, energy efficient “deck lites” that can be integrated into their composite deck systems.

The riser lights give off a gentle illumination to make walking up steps or stairs safer after the sun goes down. Other lights in the lineup include post cap modules and accent lights that mount on posts or between balustrades.

So, you’re trying to save money by using less electrical power around the house. Well, here’s an alternative way to power your blender:

This bike blender kit turns your standard bicycle into a way to convert your energy into something more useful than watching TV and eating potato chips.

“The basic Mini-B3 set up includes a universal rear rack that will attach to nearly all Mountain bikes (26″ wheel size), and Hybrid/Road bikes (27″/700c wheel size). The included rear rack features vertical adjustability which allows for the range of compatible wheel sizes… Three stainless steel machine screws hold the bearing in place and secure the blender to the rack. Unique clamping design allows for a range of blender positions that accommodate tire widths of up to 2.25 inches. Machined plastic parts are dishwasher safe and virtually unbreakable.”

It’s the ultimate in green living, for one kitchen appliance at least. Now if only I could hook the microwave up to this…

From the Peddlars’ Wagon.

Some people get a kick out of doing things the hard way, such as mowing the lawn with a push reel mower.  Others… prefer to relax while technology does the work.

With a Robomower robotic lawn mower, you can do just that on your weekend afternoons.  Play with the kids, wrestle with the dog, read a paper, BBQ, whatever.  Meanwhile, the robot mower is zooming about your yard and clipping your grass for you.

The Friendly Robotics RL800 Robomower is “designed to replace your walk/push mower. It operates safely, quietly and automatically. Designed for one-time setup, it works in almost any lawn or garden environment, with wire sensors that prevent it from crossing the lawn perimeter. It even recycles clippings into nutrient-rich mulch for healthier grass. For hard-to-mow corners, switch to the optional manual mode with child-safety lock.”

Since it runs on rechargeable battery power rather than gas, it’s not a big noise maker (or pollution emitter) either. Eco-friendly and easy… that’s the life.

Alas the Robomower robotic lawn mower isn’t cheap. It runs $1,200 through Amazon:

Robomower

Most candle holders are little dishes or cups that sit on the table and hold your votives or tea lights.  I’d say that for the most part… that works.  Buuut if you’re one of those folks who likes to do things differently, you could try elevated pedestal candle holders.

These parallel stem candle pedestals from DESU Design are designed to hold either tea lights or taper candles.

“Depending upon your viewing angle, the pieces are perceived as either light and open or solid and rooted. Constructed entirely of solid, cold rolled steel bars; the top portion of each piece is milled from a solid block. The pieces are bronze plated with a dark patina finish.”

Fancy elevated candle holders don’t come cheaply however: it’ll cost you $164 (plus shipping) to take the smallest (15 inch) pillar home.

DESU Design

One of the perks of working from home is that you don’t have to impress people that often, and worrying about wrinkled clothes isn’t high on the priority list… but I wasn’t always so lucky. Even when I had to press uniforms daily, I can’t say I ever truly mastered the ironing skill, but I might have had better luck with a rotary iron.

If you do a lot of ironing, it might be something to check into. The Miele version has a lot of handy features.

• Its wide roller lets you press everything from shirts and pants to bed linens and tablecloths.
• It’s operated with a foot pedal, which allows you to take a load off while you work.
• It has a fold-away mechanism and wheels that make the professional-style ironing appliance feasible for home use.
• An extendable clothing bar gives you a place to hang your shirts when you’re done ironing them.

Personally, I’d still rather have someone else do my ironing (or not wear anything that needs ironing), but I’m lazy like that.  If I were to wield the hot blade, I think a rotary iron sounds like the way to go.

Miele

Microwaves, you gotta love ‘em. They reheat leftovers in under a minute, unfreeze that package of hamburger you forgot to take out in the morning, and let’s not forget the popcorn button. All those features come in a $40 model from Walmart, but if you’ve been wanting something a little more… check out Panasonic’s microwaves and their Invertor Turbo technology.

“Panasonic Inverter Technology perfects the art of cooking with microwave ovens, delivering delicious flavor, excellent color, and superb shape and texture in the foods you cook. The consistent delivery of microwave energy means delicate foods can simmer without the edges and surfaces overcooking.”

The NN-C994S model shown here also features convection oven technology: “The convection oven setting performs like a full-size oven, delivering benefits such as more even browning for baking cakes and pies, and faster roasting of poultry and meats, which seals in juices and prevents drying out.”

Some of the other perks include a stainless steel exterior with a “smudge free” fingerprint resistant finish, a “keep warm” and “simmer” feature to keep dishes warm until you’re ready to serve (I’ll admit that’s not something my Walmart special can do), and a one-touch “Genius Sensor” that adjusts power and cooking time automatically for various foods.

Panasonic

Looking for some unique ceiling lighting?

It doesn’t get much more unique than the Astral Chandelier from JGoodDesign.

It “captures the graceful curves and balance of the traditional chandelier, leaving the traditional weightiness behind.”

Each piece is one-of-a-kind. Hand-blown in New York City, the chandelier is available in numerous colors and configurations and with or without internal satin stripes.

You can hang one or more tiers to get the look you’re going for.

The one shown here is 42″ in diameter.

One of the hard things about being a tenet is you don’t usually get to do things like tearing up the lawn to plant a garden. And even if you’re a homeowner, you may not have the space for a traditional garden if you live in a condo or a townhouse. If you’ve got a sunny patio or balcony, however, you can garden with containers or raised beds.

This elevated patio garden would be perfect for a patio, for someone in a wheelchair, or (in my case) for someone who has dogs that like to trample through the lettuce leaves.

This basic kit is $249 through Midwest Internet Sales (scroll to the bottom of the page) and you can order extensions if you have more room and want to beef up the amount of things you can grow in the pots and beds.

I’m not sure what the most popular fruit in the country is, but I’m sure apples are in the top 3. If they’re one of your favorites, then why not put an apple tree in your yard?

Maybe you’re thinking that you don’t have room for a fruit tree in your yard, or maybe you live in a townhome or an apartment and only have a balcony. Well, with a columnar apple tree, you might just be able to have your fruit and eat it too, hah.

These dwarf trees not only stay short (7-9 feet in height), but they’re not supposed to branch much either. They produce full-sized apples off spurs on the trunk. They’re ideal trees to be planted in pots, so you can actually grow them right on your patio. Of course, you can plant them in your yard too without worrying about them taking over and growing over your neighbor’s fence.

Check them out as an alternative to espalier fruit trees.

Washington’s Raintree Nursery carries three varieties of columnar apple trees.