Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

How would you like your home to smell like Japanese cherry blossoms, fresh pomegranates or mandarin limes? When you’ve spent time cleaning the house all day or when you’re done working, it’s nice to have your home stay fresh and fragrant.

The SCENTBUG from Bath & Body Works is a modern take on home fragrance devices. These capsule like oil warmers come in black, green, pink, white and brown. What you do is place a fragrance oil pad inside the SCENTBUG and add your favorite scented oil. You can freshen bedrooms, bathrooms and hallways as long as you have a flat surface to place the device on.

Since it has a fan, your fragrance will be dispersed throughout your home. When you purchase the SCENTBUG, you get two AA batteries and three fragrance oil pads. Then you can choose a scents from their large collection, and you can even mix and match them for a more personalized experience.

Camping requires the right equipment, so if you want to go out into the wild for a weekend, you need to take the time to prepare and plan. With school, work and other activities, planning a weekend camping trip for the family might not be possible. However, what if you just camp in your own backyard?

The Moontent is a unique way to camp right outside your home. If you have woods in your backyard, why not take advantage of the view and enjoy listening to the local wildlife? This tent is an instant pop-up two person unit, which is lightweight and weatherproof (except during torrential downpours). The tent also offers UPF 50 sun protection, and while you’re lying down, you can admire the stars through the tent’s “moon roof.” Its dimensions are 215 x 140 x 120 cm.

Camping in your backyard offers you the best of both worlds, because you can relax in nature and come indoors to use the restroom!

After reading a few chapters from your captivating novel, you settle into bed, pull the covers over your shoulders and turn to your side to go to sleep. However, there’s one thing stopping you from going to sleep: the bedroom light. Now you have to get out of bed and turn it off, but what if you had a light switch right at your fingertips?

With the Instant Switch, you can turn off your bedroom light right from your bed. Installation is easy, because you don’t have to go through your drywall or pull wires. The switch contains a device that will control your light as long as it’s sitting in between the actual light switch and the lighting fixture. It has an on/off switch as well as a pop-in/out wall bracket. The Instant Switch can be 60 feet away from the lamp you want to control. So now you don’t have to get up to turn off the light when you’re already relaxed.

Do you have several screwdrivers stashed away in your kitchen drawer or maybe in another area of your home for quick accessibility? While it’s wise to keep a screwdriver handy, you might not have the right one for the job all of the time. However, there is a screwdriver that is designed to be prepared for any job.

The AutoLoader has a patented pump action design, which enables you to change bits quickly. It also has magnetic bits to prevent you from dropping screws, and the bit loads are completely customizable. There is a precision and classic autoloader, and the classic model is equipped with Phillips and flathead bits. The 6-in-1 precision model has the classic features but with smaller bits.

Now you won’t have any excuses when it comes to completing that list of home repairs, and it will probably make your job easier and quicker too.

Have you ever heard of a door phone? If not, you definitely want to learn more about them as well as the benefits they have to offer in door security. Although you might have a peephole in your door, you don’t get the best view and it’s also difficult for children to see through it. You or your children don’t need to open the door for strangers, but a door phone can provide you with a safe way to communicate with whoever is knocking at your door.

A door phone is similar to an intercom system. However, it has an additional and important feature: a camera. The camera enables you to see the person at your door up close and personal. If you decide to purchase a door phone, it’s important to look for some of the following features:

• Waterproof external camera with infrared illuminator;
• Durable and theft proof external box and camera socket;
• Transparent plastic barrier on the camera lens;
• Audio communication; and
• A wide camera scope, preferably more than 180 degrees.

Check out the Wisecomm B&W Video Door Phone System.

A magnetic detector is another device that you can put on your windows as well as doors. There are two pieces to the device, and a continuous signal is sent through them. When this signal experiences an unauthorized interrupted (the door or window is opened), the detector goes off to alert you.

If you have a large home with many doors and windows, installing magnetic detectors is a wise decision. When you’re all the way upstairs, how are you going to hear the basement window open? Some consumers feel that the wireless magnetic detectors are easier to install, and they are also better for aesthetic purposes.

The ShockTec Plus with Magnetic Contact is an easy to install device, and it has a tri-color LED, cover tamper protection and modern design. It can be mounted horizontally or vertically on the framed glass, which gives you some versatility, especially if you don’t want people to see the device.

Glass break detectors are a type of burglar alarm that alert you when glass has been broken in your home. Some security systems come with this feature; however, you can also install them yourself. Basically, these devices pick up the sounds or vibrations that result from glass shattering on the floor.

This type of detector can be electric or non-electric, but the electric models can be set off more easily. It’s easy to install, because it’s a small device that you attach to the glass on your windows. The WindowBug 724 is a small device that can be installed on your window, and it provides a 4′ x 8′ coverage.

If you end up installing a glass break detector, it’s important to check the area for potential problems. For example, sometimes drapes, shutters or blinds can prevent the detector from working properly. Also, if your glass is cracked, the device won’t work properly.

Face it, exercising is easier and less painful when you’re having fun. However, it’s hard to find fun ways to exercise. Pilates and yoga help tone and strengthen the body, but these can require intense focus so sometimes it’s good to switch up the routine. If you have children, you might have PlayStation or Nintendo Wii, but have you ever thought of playing it too?

Video games are not just for kids.  Plus they are quite an investment, so why not get your money’s worth by playing along?  For instance, play Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution for PlayStation 2 and dance away the pounds. A special Workout Mode is included in this game, which increases difficulty as you progress from song to song. Whether or not every dance step is performed perfectly, you’ll work your body hard just trying.

Adding video game equipment to your gym might make exercising more enjoyable, and you will have a variety of exercise options.

Now that your baby is in college, he/she isn’t going to have the same comforts of home. But you can at least help make their dorm room a home away from home. Since dorm rooms are often small, you need to look for those double duty products.

The Slouch Back can turn an ordinary bed into a couch in seconds. This can give your son or daughter a place to relax and watch television, study for long hours or hang out with friends. The Slouch Back is made with microsuede fabric, and it inflates with a built-in pump. It also comes in six different colors including pink, navy, tan, brown, red or blue. There are also two insulated cup holders on the sides, and the Slouch Back can accommodate three people.

When it’s no longer needed, you can deflate it and store it under the bed or between the bed and the wall.

Do you enjoy running but have a hard time coping with the muscle and joint pain that results from jogging on a daily basis? Maybe you just need to update your current treadmill to one that is easier on your body.

The AlterG M300 is a new anti-gravity treadmill, which allows your body to move naturally with less pressure on your joints. This technology was first developed at NASA. The FDA has cleared this device for use with rehabilitation, gait training, strengthening and condition for the elderly, weight management, sports training and aerobic exercise. Unlike other treadmills, this one keep you in place, which prevents dangerous falls.

This model also accommodates individuals between 90 and 400 pounds, and you can adjust the weight, speed and incline with a touch of a button. The unweighting is controlled by percentage, so you can go as low as 20 percent. Although the device completely envelops the lower half of your body, you still have complete range of motion.