Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

If you bought your hot tub a few years ago, you may be missing out on some of the new technology showing up in today’s models. Examples include pop-up flat screen televisions, “chromotherapy” lighting, mp3 players with stereos, and more and more jets. If your older hot tub still suits you just fine, there’s no reason to upgrade, but if you’ve been sighing longingly at the new models, you might check into spa dealers that accept trade-ins.

Just as you trade-in an old car and receive some money for it (or credit toward a new car), you can trade in your old hot tubs with many of the major dealers. As with a car trade-in, your old model doesn’t necessarily have to be from the same company as you are buying the new one from. Before you consider this, however, you will want to get your unit appraised, so you’re sure to get a fair deal.

One company that gives you credit for trade-ins is Classic Spas.

Back in the day, a big backyard with lots of grass was all most people wanted, but today meandering streams, fountains, ponds, and other water features are popular. These are often accompanied by trails that wind through a natural garden or lead off to a gazebo tucked in the back for privacy. If your next home improvement is to create a peaceful reserve such as this, you might enjoy adding a decorative (yet functional) bridge over a stream.

A waterway can help divide the yard into two areas (maybe a play area for children and a private area for the grownups), and the bridge can act as a handsome focal point. This custom garden bridge is from the folks over at Steptoe & Wife, a company that specializes in staircases, railings, tin ceilings and other metalwork.

http://www.steptoewife.com

I’m a big fan of wood decks myself, because they look so good, but they do require some maintenance. You’ve got to re-seal the deck periodically to protect it from the elements. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t have time for those kinds of home improvement projects (or you’re just not that interested), you might look into an aluminum deck.

Aluminum decking won’t rot, warp, splinter, or crack the way wood can. One system is Lock Dry, which offers watertight decking that you install on a slight grade, so water drains off the end instead of through the gaps one finds between wooden boards (the aluminum “boards” fit together like puzzle pieces, so there’s no gap). This would be smart if you wanted to use your under-deck area for storage and want to keep your belongings dry.

The system comes in four colors with matching railings. According to the company, the decking is easy to install and maintenance free.

http://www.lockdry.com/

If you’re looking for a way to get another month or two of pool use this year, but you don’t want to spend a lot on heating bills, these solar sun rings could help warm things up. They act like floating heaters; according to the company that makes them, they convert sunlight into heat at the equivalent of 21,000 BTUs per ring. In addition, the rings help keep the pool clean at night, since they reduce evaporation and cut chemical loss. The solar rings can be used in any in-ground or above-ground pool or hot tub. The price is $35 per ring.

Solar Sun Rings

Outdoor speakers shaped as rocks have been around for at least a few seasons now, but I haven’t seen too many speakers in faux stumps. I’m not sure if there’s anything better about it, except that it’s an alternative if you’d rather have a couple stumps blaring out the tunes instead of boulders littering the yard. If you’ve got a few trees, it should blend in nicely, while–the important part–bringing high-fidelity audio to your outdoor living space. This particular stump/outdoor speaker uses Ferrofluid cooling technology (apparently that’s a good thing) and comes with a lifetime warranty. The price is $400 per speaker.

http://www.stereostone.com/subrocks.html

If you’ve got a pool in the backyard, the kids might lose interest after a while if there aren’t any new toys to play with. The water slide is one of the ultimates in pool toys, and you don’t have to go to a big water park to find one. SlideScapes LLC manufactures models for residential swimming pools. You can select a color to match your landscaping or deck as well as the layout of the curves you prefer. Starting elevations run as high as six and a half feet (though you can opt for smaller slides, if you’re worried about your young-uns flying over the side).

http://waterslides.biz

An outdoor fire pit can be a fun way to add warmth and atmosphere to the backyard, but if all you have is flames, you’re limited to wieners on a stick and roasting marshmallows. But if you have a fire pit with a rotisserie set up, well, there’s no limit to what you can cook. This Round Rock fire pit comes with an adjustable height rotisserie with 8 cooking positions. It also includes two grills, one that rests just above the flames and another higher one that doubles as a “Bar-B-Q accessory shelf.” The fire pit can burn wood or charcoal and offers 1,330 square inches of cooking surface. It’ll cost you about $450 (plus shipping).

Round Rock

Most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about our outdoor faucets. As long as you turn them on and water comes out, we’re satisfied. But what if you could get warm or hot water? You could wash the dog outside, rinse off muddy feet, or fill the kiddy pool without giving the young-uns hypothermia. Yes, all this is possible with Moen’s hot- and cold-water delivering faucet. It looks a lot like a normal spigot, but the single handle has some added features: push or pull to adjust the water flow and twist to select the temperature. The faucet automatically mixes some cold into the hot to prevent scalding. In addition, a frost-free interior cartridge keeps it from freezing in the winter. The outdoor faucet is available in 8″ or 12″ lengths, and it will cost you $64 or $68 respectively.

Moen

I’ve talked about outdoor drapes, outdoor clocks, and outdoor rugs this summer. I’d feel negligent in my outdoor-informing duties if I didn’t mention outdoor pillows. Yes, that’s right: you can get pillows designed to stand up to the wear and tear of storms, sun, and spilled lemonades. The soft but sturdy pillows shown here are available over at Cozy Days for about $30. According to the company, they’re made from high quality weatherproof polyester fiberfill and foam that’s covered with colorfast Sunbrella fabric. Zippers along the edges let you empty the insides and wash the fabric.

It’s hard to beat a porch swing for sitting and relaxing on a pleasant summer evening. You can head down to the local home and garden store to buy one, or you can check out Fantasy Steel for swings with a little more personality. A registered blacksmith custom crafts the seats, creating different images in the stylish metal railings. Examples of what’s available include the nautical-themed swing featured here, as well as ones featuring animals and nature themes. You can choose any color for the metal, and the company promises to use quality materials that will last at least 25 years.

http://www.fantasysteel.com/