Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

Wine aficionados can go a little overboard with fancy wine cellars and refrigerators and the like, but who can blame them? Wine is fun. Especially when you grab a few handy wine tools to enhance the drinking/storing/uncorking experience.

Here are three you can check out:

Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator

“Easily and conveniently enhance the flavor, bouquet, and finish of any wine with Vinturi’s Essential Wine Aerator. Wine needs to breathe to allow it to open up, release its intended aromas, and of course, make it taste better. Vinturi’s patent-pending design speeds up this process by instantly aerating with ease and convenience in the time it takes to pour a glass of wine. Hold the aerator over a glass and pour wine through for instant aeration. It mixes the proper amount of air in the right amount of time.”

Oster Inspire Electric Wine Opener with Wine Chiller

“At the touch of a button, the Oster Wine Opener easily opens up to 30 bottles on a single charge. The stylish and ergonomically designed soft-grip handle will fit into the palm of your hand for a firm grip. Also includes a foil cutter to remove wine seals and a recharging base for convenience.”

Wine Bottle Thermometer

“Use this handy, heat sensitive stainless steel cuff to find the right temperature of your wine. Clip it to the center of the bottle; the temperature of wine will appear on the thermal band. Compare with the printed guide on the cuff and serve when ready.”

Most people don’t think to decorate their garage doors, but if you have particularly dull garage fronts, it’s certainly a possibility.

The folks over at Style Your Garage sell a variety of photo murals, designed to appear real enough that passersby will look twice, trying to figure out if that’s what’s really in your garage!

They offer landscapes, animals, and all sorts of vehicles (perhaps you’d like the appearance of a jet in your garage rather than a boring old car) as well as rooms (such as a vast wine cellar).

Attached by Velcro, the non-permanent billboards take 30-60 minutes to install and come in a number of sizes. They’re supposed to work on any material of garage door.

Prices run from $139 to $400 or so.

If you have a bathroom that’s dedicated to the children’s use, then they might get a kick out of a bath tub designed with them in mind.

FunBath, from American Standard, is a line of temporary units that install easily and fit over your standard 60″ bath tub. The designs range from fire engines to castles to Little Mermaid and SpongeBob decals.

The “FunBaths” offer safety features as well, such as a built-in seat and grab bar. Also, there’s a spray shower, so you can easily bathe your youngest ones without hunching or bending over.

Though temporary, the units are durable and long-lasting. Prices run about $2,200.

More information at American Standard.

If you like the idea of furnishings made from reclaimed materials, you may dig these mason jar lamps.

They are the work of Etsy sellers who go by “Boots & Gus” (their shop is named after the cats!) and specialize in originally designed, up-cycled lighting fixtures. They do indoor and outdoor pieces based on mason jars.

The first picture shows their “Beach Breezes Blue and Clear- Cascading Carousel Ball Mason Jar Waterfall Hanging Chandelier Light.” That name is a mouthful, but it looks pretty snazzy so we’ll forgive them. “This staggered swag style chandelier would fit nicely in any room indoor or out. Ready to hang by hooks and plug into any outlet this light can be set above the table or in the corner. A great conversation piece.” $185.

The outdoor lamps in the second picture are solar powered and suitable for pathway, driveway, or deck illumination. $65 gets you a three-light set.

In these troubled economic times, it makes sense to beef up your home’s security. That doesn’t necessarily mean dropping ten or twenty thousand on a big burglar alarm system with all the bells and whistles. If you have sturdy doors, windows, and locks, you’re way ahead of the game.

Digital deadbolt door locks are increasing in popularity amongst homeowners since they let you leave the house without a key, and there’s no keyhole for thieves to pick.

The Sunnect Advanced Protection Digital Deadbolt Lock offers keyless entry via a back-lit keypad (just punch in your code number). Other features include the option of using decoy digits (random digits entered before the real code), an intruder alarm, and automatic locking when you leave the house. It operates on 4 AA batteries and includes a visual and audible low-battery warning as well as a 9V external temporary power terminal to protect against a complete battery drain.

Oh, and it looks pretty cool too!

Grab the digital deadlock for $250 at Amazon, where reviews are positive:

Sunnect Advanced Protection Digital Deadbolt Lock

Looking for easy and inexpensive ways to go eco-friendly in the kitchen? Avoid sending harsh cleaning agents down the drains (especially important if you’re on a septic system) by trying this eco-friendly scrubbing tool for handling pots and pans.

Not quite a sponge and not quite a scrub brush, this handy cleaning gadget is called the Original Spaghetti Scrub. It “features a natural abrasive made from peach pits (peach pit powder) on a cotton and polyester backing. No detergent is needed for general cleaning with a Spaghetti Scrub, but a tiny dab of soap can be used if tackling heavy grease. Keep in mind that a little dab of soap can go a long way because Original Spaghetti Scrubbers will stay very soapy.

The peach-pit abrasives are also effective on their own. Spaghetti Scrubs last for months and because of their unique shape, they’re pliable enough for trickier cleaning jobs and tight spots such as corners, whisks, and behind faucets. The best part is they dry quickly and completely so there’s never a stinky or moldy sponge in your sink. After you’re done cleaning, just rinse your Spaghetti Scrub, and hang it on the faucet to dry.”

You can grab a 2-pack for $9 at Chef Tools.

If you’ve always liked the idea of an eat-in kitchen with a bar that overlooks the meal-preparation area, it might be easier to add this feature than you thought.

DIY-friendly companies such as Ikea sell brackets designed for just this type of addition. If you have a base material such as wood or laminate (that would let you drill holes into it), you can fasten a long, narrow bar area to an existing counter.

The brackets are only $15 for a two-pack at Ikea. Of course, you need to buy your own bar top material, but you don’t necessarily have to match your existing countertops (which can be tough with something installed years ago). Try butcherblock for a warm and inviting eating space or glass for a sleek and modern look.

Since many fireplaces and fire pits run on gas these days, there’s no need to have logs on the grate. Most of them don’t look all that natural anyway. If you’re interested in giving up the pretense, you could try a fun alternative, such as these glass crystals.

You can buy the crystals in one-pound bags from Fire Pit Glass Crystals. They come in any number of colors as well as interesting blends. With prices starting at $5 a pound, they’re not likely to break the bank either.

In addition to being decorative, the glass crystals retain heat and radiate it to the area around the fire pit, so they can make the air warmer than it would be from gas flames alone.

Check out the company’s FAQ for more information.

If you’ve been thinking of upgrading your shower, don’t stop at the showerhead. You can insert body sprays into the walls to add the spa feel to your daily bathing ritual.

Body spray jets come in a number of styles and most aren’t terribly expensive (though you’ll have to have plumbing experience if you want to try and install them yourself).

Here are a few options:

KOHLER WaterTile

“Featuring a low-profile design that complements transitional or modern decor, the KOHLER WaterTile Bodyspray delivers a wide coverage spray for a soothing shower. Framed by an elegant escutcheon, the 54-nozzle spray face adjusts to any desired angle. It installs on the wall or ceiling and provides a relaxing shower experience.”

Danze Two-Function Wall-Mount Body Spray

This inexpensive shower jet from Danze offers spray or massage pulse settings.

Moen Small Body Spray

Another inexpensive offering ($20), this Moen body spray doesn’t have any extra bells and whistles, but it will do the job without breaking the bank. Trying installing multiple units to massage your tired muscles from several angles.

What’s most important in a kitchen sink? Beauty? Durability? Ease of cleaning?

Those all sound good, but I’m going to add in: room for all of the family’s dishes!

This double-bowl apron-style kitchen sink from Franke should cover all of the bases. It’s one of many models in the company’s “fire clay sinks” line. This technology uses “old world handcraftmanship” with today’s “advanced hygienic advantages.” It’s supposed to be durable, scratch-proof, and resistant to acids and alkalines. In other words, it’s a white stink that will stay white with minimal upkeep.

If apron sinks aren’t your thing, they have under-mount, single bowls, and various other styles you’d expect in the kitchen.

Franke