Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

If you like entertaining outdoors, then you should have outdoor furniture that complements your style. If serving iced cold beverages is something you like to do, a side table like this could be a fun addition. The cast aluminum table from the Strathwood Shaw Collection comes with an integrated ice pit that is 7 inches deep and can hold several pounds of ice. This can be useful if you want to keep a bottle of champagne (or a six-pack of beer) chilled while you’re hanging out around the pool. Or maybe you just want easy access to a few ice cubes so you can keep your glass of lemonade cold.

The Strathwood side table is part of a collection of outdoor furniture that includes a table with built in fire pit, chaise lounge with cushion, and aluminum chairs.

The ice-bucket table is $150 from Amazon.com: Cast Aluminum Side Table with Ice Pit

If you’re lucky enough to live in a climate where outdoor entertaining is still feasible, then it’s never too late to shop for products that make things more fun or, in the case of this rolling refrigerator, make hosting parties a little easier. Technically, the Roll Bar is more of a giant cooler than refrigerator, but you do plug it in to chill beverages. After you unplug it, you can roll it around your deck, patio, pool area, etc. and the rechargeable battery pack keeps the contents cold for up to 5 hours.

The top of the refrigerator can be used as a table, and there is a rack on the side that can hold 3 wine bottles and a couple of hanging wine glasses. There’s even an interior light, so you can still find your favorite brand of beer after the sun has set. The cost for the rolling mini fridge is $400.

First Street

Tired of the neighborhood squirrels chomping down the food you set out to attract birds? The clever little rascals are even good at getting into bird feeders to munch those tasty seeds. Maybe what you need is a squirrel-proof bird feeder such as the Yankee Flipper.

This large (5-pound capacity) tube feeder has a weight-activated device at the base. Birds aren’t heavy enough to set it off, but when a squirrel jumps onto the perch, a little motor spins the base. After a few revolutions around the feeder, the squirrel goes flying into the bushes at a rather high rate of speed (there’s a video on the manufacturer’s site). Watching the squirrels might just become more entertaining than watching the birds. You’ve got to pay $120 for this high-fangled feeder though.

http://www.yankeeflipper.com

Need a cozy get-away in the backyard? A guest house? A pool house? Maybe just an office where you can get away from the hectic goings on in the main house? Well, you could check out the pre-fabricated “modern cabanas” from the company of the same name. They start at $12,500 for a 10′ x 10′ unit and can be put together using basic tools: a hammer, Philips or electric screw driver, level, caulking gun, drill, and drill bits. According to the company, it’s something a pretty average do-it-yourselfer can put together. You can stick with the basic model or customize it with additions such as roof and floor insulation, french doors, and energy-efficient windows.

http://www.moderncabana.com