Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

You love your dog…and your dog loves your furniture.

If you’re tired of trying to train Fido to stay off the couch (or maybe he stays off it while you’re around, but you always come home to find suspicious dustings of fur on the cushions…), maybe it’s time to get him his own couch-like furniture.

This Memory Foam Orthopedic Dog Bed Sofa is designed to look good enough that you won’t mind keeping it in your living room, but it’s at just the right height that your dogs should find it an appealing alternative to the people sofa.

Sure, you might need to sit in it yourself a few times and drop some food crumbs down the cracks to give them the idea it’s a real couch, but it’s a small price to pay to have a dedicated humans-only sofa. Well, actually it’s over $400, so maybe not that small a price to pay, but it looks like it should hold up for a while.

You can grab it at Amazon, and the price varies depending on the covering. This is the “faux leather,” probably the easiest to clean.

If you live in a big industrial loft, and you want to fill the space with furniture with some heft and a style that’s suited to all those exposed bricks and ducts, then look no further than Railroad Studios.

This outfit makes desks, beds, tables, and lesser household accessories using reclaimed railroad ties. These aren’t the ties that were actually on the ground and treated with creosote–these are seconds that weren’t good enough to go into rail use:

“These ties were singled out because of excessive knots, splits, warps or other imperfections. While those features make those ties less than ideal for running 180,000 pound rail cars over them, they add great character to our pieces.”

If you do grab one of these pieces of furniture for your loft (or anyplace else), make sure you’ve got some help to move it to the proper place. If you’ve ever hefted a railroad tie for a landscaping project, you know how much mass they have, so expect these desks and beds to be heavy! Hey, no need to worry about burglars breaking in to steal them….

Check the Railroad Studios home page for a blog and lots of cool gallery pictures.

You’ve doubtlessly seen a lot of hardwood floors, and, for the most part, boards tend to be straight. Oh, sure, we’ve seen an alternative or two (puzzle piece wood floors, for example), but straight lines are the norm.

Well, Bolefloor has created a line of hardwoods that do a little something else….

Bolefloor curved-length flooring meets the true definition of unique: each floorboard is as individual as the tree it came from. No two bolefloors are alike.

Bolefloors are ideal for both private residences and public spaces. Whether a ski lodge, hotel reception, spa, restaurant, office, theatre, museum, retail premise, or your own city or country home, Bolefloors work in any setting where intimate, natural, and individual interiors are desired.

Currently, Bolefloors are only available in oak (in “select,” “natural,” and “rustic” styles), but look for more wood species in the summer of 2011. In the meantime, visit their site and browse their cool gallery for flooring ideas.

An outdoor rug can help turn your patio into a legitimate outdoor living space with a homey feel. It can hide old, cracked concrete or it can simply define a seating area.

When choosing an outdoor rug, you want to get something that will stand up to the elements and also be durable enough to withstand foot traffic from family, guests, and four-legged friends.

This $200 rug might do the trick, if you don’t mind palm fronds:

“Don’t let the dramatic look make you overlook the practical side of this indoor/outdoor rug. It’s made of durable, fade-resistant polypropylene that’s tightly woven for a look reminiscent of wool or cotton. Dirt and spills go unnoticed…then disappear completely when you get a chance to rinse them away with the hose! Shades of black, muted green and natural suit many color themes.”

There’s nothing healthier than eating vegetables from your own garden — no need for chemicals, petroleum-based fertilizers, or depleted soil — and it doesn’t get any fresher than when you pluck a few tomatoes right from the vine and add them to a dinner salad minutes later. But if you live in a townhouse or an urban home with a postage-stamp backyard, you might not feel you have room.

There are lots of create ways to grow vegetables in confined spaces though. Container (pots) gardens are popular, and this picture shows a classy version of that concept: a vertical garden rising from the sides of the deck.

Built by Decking London, this attractive growing space not only lets the homeowner plant vegetables right outside the kitchen door, but it also provides privacy from closely placed neighbors. Too, the walls and overhead slats offer shade on hot summer days.

If you want to entertain in the backyard, music is a must. We’ve looked at a variety of outdoor speakers that are hidden in the ground or are disguised as a rock or tree stump, but what if you want a unit you can move around and use anywhere?

This portable indoor/outdoor speaker from Hammacher Schlemmer might do the trick:

In evaluations by The Hammacher Schlemmer Institute, this wireless all-weather speaker delivered “great clarity and quality sound,” surpassing all other models for audio quality and signal range… In tests for signal range, the speaker maintained a connection with the included iPod dock transmitter 450′ away when in line of sight outdoors–200′ further then the next closest model. The Best Speaker’s three-channel transmitter operates over the 2.4GHz radio band, instantly jumping to open channels to avoid interference from microwaves and household appliances that jammed other speakers’ signals.

The speaker’s rechargeable NiMH battery provides up to 10 hours of cordless power on a three-hour charge or it can be plugged into AC… Its weather-resistant white ABS cabinet will endure years of outdoor exposure. Transmitter plugs into AC and recharges a docked iPod’s battery.

$800.

If you love the idea of making lattes, cappuccinos, and other espresso drinks at home–no need to put on clothes and stumble out into the daylight to hit the Starbucks!–then an espresso maker can be a great investment. Not only is it convenient, but you’ll save money, especially if you usually get the pricy coffee drinks (me and my triple grande +milk substitute latte know all about it).

Big espresso makers that grind the beans and everything can take up a large chunk of counter space, though, and they’re expensive to boot. The $250 Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker from Williams Sonoma appears to be a space-saving alternative.

“Meet the Pixie: an eye-catching new single-cup machine that combines a super-compact silhouette with superb espresso-making abilities. The smallest Nespresso machine ever, this stylish little dynamo adds impact to your kitchenscape with its sleek, urban design and bold color. Easy to use, it’s the ideal size for small kitchens, apartments and offices. “

By the way, if you usually get soy or rice milk in your lattes at the espresso stand, try coconut, oat, or hemp milk for a fun (healthier) alternative at home!

Outdoor lighting is a must, for security at night and–of course!–for entertaining purposes. We’ve looked at some cool options before:

• Glass “Night Orbs”
• Solar Light Bricks That Install in a Patio or Walkway
• LED Panels for the Deck Railing

And here’s another unique offering: the Asteroid Garden Floor Lamp.

Designed to rest on your patio or deck (though fine for indoor use too), the Asteroid lamp features 24 facets, each with its own unique geometry. Measurements run 30cm x 26cm x 29cm, and it is available in clear and matt white finishes.

$215: Asteroid Floor Lamp

It’s true that wood decks are the norm, and we’ve looked at some beautiful examples (such as this handsome tigerwood deck), but wood does require periodic maintenance to keep it looking good, especially in damp climates such as the Pacific Northwest. Also, if you live near the ocean, wood receives an extra battering from the harsh maritime air.

You can look into composite decking materials that are made to look like wood, or you could try something completely different, such as steel.

A high-tech finishing process will keep steel from rusting, making it virtually maintenance free. Its strength means your deck will hold the entire family for barbecue after barbecue–no worrying about rotting supports or other problems that afflict wood over time. No need to paint or stain it either.

Steel decks are also designed so they don’t heat up under the sun, so no worrying about scorched bare feet. Expect 50-year warranties with this sturdy material.

More information at Xccent Decking (they do steel decks and docks).

Need a new vanity in your bathroom? The Decolav Wood Triangular Pedestal isn’t something you see every day.

The interesting sink vanity is made from solid wood with a butcher block finish. It comes with a tempered transparent glass top and shelf, and its cut-out drawer and shelf add storage. The matching mirror and display shelf are included.

You can get more details from the Decolav site, and you can find the wood vanity online with prices starting around $1,000.

If you’re looking for more bathroom vanity ideas, check out these older posts:

• Sedona Bathroom Vanity with Sink
• Modern Toto Bathroom Sink Vanity Offers Extra Storage
• 3-Drawer Low Lying Bathroom Storage Unit
• Cherry Blossom Glass Vanity