Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

If you love entertaining, and serving up beer is part of that entertaining, you may get a kick out of the Mobile Bongos Beer Bar from Alpina Grills.

As the name suggests, this sleek stainless steel bar comes with four sturdy wheels, so you can move it about on decks, tile, carpets, etc. The specially designed refrigeration system will keep your beer supply at its ideal temperature for several hours, even if you’ve unplugged the unit, so feel free to push the bar out to the pool or other places where electricity isn’t handy.

“Other features include changeable side tops with an optional 31,000 BTU cooking top, 8Kg of ice storage, a gas cylinder compartment which can be used to house a spare keg if the cook top isn’t in place, and an integrated tap system with compressor, CO2 cylinder, drip tray, and tap.”

Yours for a mere $11,000.

More information at Alpina Grills
via Uncrate

Landscape lighting is usually about functionality. You want to illuminate driveways, walkways, and steps so you don’t fall on your rump if you need to go outside at night. But there’s no reason why you can’t add a little whimsy to your yard.

These Lawn Lights could be just the ticket.

You can place them anyway you wish. Create a holiday design or just a fun artistic decoration to entertain night-time passersby.

“Consumers can display a unique and stunning lighting decoration with Lawn Lights. These simple yet elegant displays rival those created with other ‘conventional’ decorations that require significantly more time and effort, and do so at a comparable cost. Each set of Lawn Lights covers a few thousand square feet. The ‘small’ sets are made with 36 LEDs spaced 8 feet apart and cover 1600 to 2300 sq. ft. The ‘medium/classic’ sets are made with 36 LEDs spaced 10 feet apart and cover 2500 to 3600 sq. ft. It’s so easy – simply roll the string out and stake each of the 36 LEDs.”

A set costs less than $75 at Amazon: Lawn Lights

Looking for a unique new lamp? Something you’re not going to find at Ikea or Home Depot? Something that…moves?

This kinetic lamp from Seattle-based ArtsonicDesign might not be for everyone, but if you like the eccentric, unusual, and moveable, then it might be perfect for you.

“Number seven in a series of kinetic lights designed to entrance through light, rhythm, and sound.

Seven breaks out with a new dual-breath design for twice the fun.
Also known as “mechanical thumbs” it has a promoted shiatsu masseuse inside.

Circular and linear motion, soft undulating light, subtle respiration sound. Welded steel is blued/rusted and clear-coated. 31″x13″x6″ 60w motor, 2x15w bulbs, 110v”

To really get a feel for the lamp’s movement, check out the video on Vimeo.

Looking for a place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the family while not having to walk more than 10 yards from the main house? Perhaps you need a detached home office or studio. And perhaps you’d like to spend $40,000 for something rather unique. Such as the Inspiration Archipod.

Interesting features include:

– Access through a locking gull-wing door that raises and lowers assisted by an air piston.

– Double insulated, plastered, and painted walls, resulting in a seamless 12 1/2′ diameter x 8 1/4′ high interior space with no visible joints.

– A roof with a “6′ diameter polycarbonate dome [that] opens on a hinge to let in natural light and the invigorating scents of spring.”

– And don’t forget the snazzy Western Red Cedar shingles.

Available at Hammacher Schlemmer.

Everyone loves grilling outside in the summer, by why limit yourself to steaks and chicken? With a pizza oven, you can add variety to your backyard meals, and the kids will love helping you cook!

This stainless steel “Artisan Fire Pizza Oven” from Kalamazoo is as sleek as it gets. At $6,495, it’s definitely a luxury backyard purchase, but if it’s in the budget you’ll be making pizzas to rival anything you can get at the local pizzeria.

“Our second generation design delivers great pizzas and an interactive cooking experience with an open front and exposed flame. Engineered for high performance, the oven is ready for use in as little as 20 minutes and bakes a Neapolitan-style pizza in less than 3 minutes.

The Artisan Fire Pizza Oven is the first countertop design to utilize dual burners with individual controls. You can tailor the heat to your liking for a variety of pizza styles, including New York, Chicago and Neopolitan-style pizzas. It also makes perfect calzones in about 5 minutes.”

Mmm, calzones. I’m getting hungry just blogging about it!

It’s summer, the time of year where dogs get hot…and dirty. Whether you’d like to wash Fido after he comes in sandy from a dip at the beach or just cool him off because there’s no other water around, a hose isn’t usually the best method (my dogs are scared of the sprinkler, so forget the hose!). This inflatable dog shower offers a fun alternative.

“This is the only dog shower that inflates in five minutes for easy set up and folds to only 24″ x 14″ for unobtrusive storage. The unit has a handheld showerhead that emits water at 7 different levels from a gentle, soothing mist to a vigorous stream that penetrates even the thickest coats to clean pet hair and remove dead skin cells. The showerhead has a 52″-long hose that allows you to easily wash a dog’s paws, underbody, and other hard-to-reach areas and 58 sprayers along the inside of the shower provide additional cleaning. The shower’s 21″-high walls help keep water inside the shower (and off of you) yet allow access to the dog, a side panel unzips to provide easy access to the pet, and an integrated metal D-ring accommodates a leash for gently restraining the canine. The unit connects to a garden hose and has a drain that channels used water out of the shower.”

$120 at Hammacher Schlemmer: inflatable dog shower.

Got someone in the house who loves throwing parties and also understands everything the characters say on The Big Bang Theory? This cocktail set was made with the drink-making geek in mind:

Bring a scientific method to your alcohol…

If you can live by these rules, then you can be a certified scientific mixologist: one who is capable of using their immense intelligence to create astonishingly awesome alcoholic beverages. We’ve got your starter set of glassware right here. Beakers, vials and lab-stand right out of a mad-scientist’s laboratory.

$35 at Think Geek (where else?)

It’s hard to beat the look of natural stone, but the price can deter many folks from installing it, especially if they intend to cover a large area. We’ve looked at vinyl tiles made to mimic natural stone, but it’s tough to fool folks with vinyl. Porcelain is another story.

The handsome and sturdy Buenos Aires Mood tiles from Nemo just might do the job.

The rectified porcelain comes in four sumptuous tone-on-tone colors with quiet, fluid shading achieved via an innovative printing technology. The complementary colorways can be blended together to create lively installations; multiple sizes and textures allow for maximum design versatility. Suitable for interior walls, floors, and exterior walls in both residential and commercial and applications.

Are you a wine connoisseur who wasn’t blessed with the space needed for a dedicated wine cellar down in the basement? Well, join the club. That doesn’t mean you can’t keep lots of your favorite vintages on hand though.

The Vinotheque Connoisseur Corner Wine Cabinet from Wine Enthusiast can hold up to 260 bottles while occupying a relatively small footprint in the corner of your dining room or kitchen.

“The Connoisseur’s Cabinet represents a completely new and innovative style of fine, furniture wine storage. Designed to fit perfectly in the corner of your room, it saves space while making an absolutely beautiful wine focal point. The front of the cabinet is a showcase where you can display as many as 28 bottles of your best wine. The Cabinet stores up to 260 bottles at ideal temperature and humidity, with Vinotheque’s world famous Whisperkool technology. It’s top-vented to fit flush to the wall. Options include a choice of door styles and finishes as well as interior light and security locks.”

This cabinet is no Ikea special though. It’ll cost you $6,000+ and don’t forget shipping!

If you’re looking for a practical way to illuminate your outdoor living area (a deck or dock), then lights that install flush with the surface of the boards may be an ideal choice. Unlike post-cap or wall-mounted lamps, this would brighten the area where you’re walking around. That should keep you from tripping over steps, patio furniture, etc.

This 14-pack deck light kit from Kerr Lighting may be suitable for your purposes. The lights are designed to be installed on decks, docks, or wooden stairs, and they rest flush with the wood (composite deck materials also OK) once they’re embedded.

You do need a jigsaw to cut holes in the wood in order to place the lamps, but that’s the biggest tool you’ll need. This should be a doable home improvement project for those with the handy streak.

The lighting kit is $195 at Amazon, and there’s also a four-light add-on pack should you need more than the fourteen that come with the original set.

Kerr Deck/Dock Lights