Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

No, secret doors and passages for houses aren’t just for mystery novels. If a door disguised as a book case or a wine rack sounds fun, you can visit the appropriately named Hidden Door Company. Specializing in “doors in disguise,” the company’s doors are outfitted with wine racks, cabinets, or bookshelves in order to pass as built-ins. But as you’d expect, they swing open to reveal the secret doorway behind. The doors are available in standard and custom sizes and can be ordered in numerous wood species such as cherry, maple, and oak. The prices for the hidden doors range from $1,288 to over $6,000 for three-piece units. Some of the customization options include voice activation (“open sesame…”) and remote control.

http://www.hiddendoors.com/

Glass blocks are a popular choice for privacy windows in bathrooms since they allow in light but make it hard for people to see inside. In warmer climates, windows can really heat up the house though. To combat that, Hy-Lite has introduced Solar Block Plus, glass blocks with a smoky gray tint that is designed to prevent solar heat gain. The blocks can be incorporated into operable and non-operable windows, and they meet Energy Star requirements for the US southern zone.

http://www.hy-lite.com

Marvin’s Venting Picture Window is a new product that gives you unobstructed views as well as cross ventilation. A sash projects outward to reveal a screened opening to help vent stale air, reduce condensation, and keep insects out. The hidden window screen is made from fiberglass-wrapped reticulated foam designed to resist mold and mildew as well as UV rays. Because the screen surrounds the perimeter of the window instead of laying on top of the window, it allows air circulation without impeding the view. From the outside, the window appears closed at all times, so homeowners can feel secure even if they leave the windows open at night.

http://www.marvin.com

You’ve probably heard of radiant heat used in floors, but how about heated windows? The IQ Glass heating system is a double-pane glass unit with three components: an outer pane sporting an invisible coating to reflect heat in the summer and block cold in the winter, krypton (a nontoxic insulating gas) between the planes, and a thin coat of metal oxide on the inside window pane. An electrical current runs through the metal oxide, creating a resistance that produces radiant heat. According to the manufacturer, the IQ window system uses up to 35% less energy than other heating systems.

Heated windows have been popular in Europe for a decade, and IQ Glass is working toward making them trendy in the US, too. The windows can be installed in new homes or retrofitted into existing homes. The radiant heating element can also be incorporated into custom windows and even stained glass.

http://www.iqglass.com/

These stained-glass domes from California-based Door Decors are handcrafted and come in a variety of styles and colors. Shown here is The Colonial Dome; it boasts more than 1600 pieces of hand-cut glass. You can choose your color options. The company offers 8 and 10-foot diameter domes as well as a 12 foot elongated size. Other styles they offer are Turn of the Century, Victorian, and Islam.

http://www.doordecors.net/

You’ve heard of sliding glass doors, but what about folding glass walls? With summer, it’s nice to open windows and doors to let in the cool breezes, but how about opening a chunk of the wall? Nana Wall Systems creates folding glass panels that let you do just that. Nana Walls look like floor-to-ceiling glass windows, but when you open them, the glass panels fold back to reveal a wall opening up to thirty-six feet wide. The panels get connected in a train, and you can hook up to six hinged panels to each side (twelve panels total). The folding glass door systems come in aluminum, wood, or aluminum clad over wood frames. They are available in numerous colors, sizes, finishes, and panel widths. Nana Walls cost between $500 and $1,000 per square foot.

http://www.nanawall.com/