Luxury Housing Trends & Home Improvement Ideas

You’ve probably seen the television shows on TLC, HGTV, and the like. You know, the ones where someone with an old shag-carpet-popcorn-ceiling-ancient-light-fixtures house or room gets to see it redone into a modern, luxurious dwelling. They always have talented designers, contractors, and architects, and many of the shows foot the bill. So, how do you get on? I’ve gone out and scrounged information for the various shows and placed links to them below. (You may want to bookmark this entry, because I’m going to try and keep the information updated and add to it as I think of more shows to check into).

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Freestanding bathtubs are popular again today, giving an old-fashioned, elegant look to the bathroom. However, many consumers prefer the perks technology is bringing to bathtubs, such as hydrotherapy jets. The Antigua Bath (granted the Product Innovator Award by Kitchen & Bath Business) combines vintage design with the luxury of thermo-air massage. The double wall of the tub conceals the necessary pipes inside. The 59×21 inch tub is available in more than 50 colors to match any bathroom.

MIT Whirlpools Antigua Bathtub

Last night on ABC Extreme Home Makeover, they gave one of the families a swimming pool, a hot tub, and… misting cactuses (or is that cacti?). It was the first I had heard of such things, but the fog looked like a neat effect. The company that makes them, Cool Zone USA, says the purpose of the misting cactus is to cool down residential yards and homes in hot climates. Here’s a misting cactus in its natural milieu.

If you’re looking to update the look in your living areas with some new lighting, Babette Holland Design creates “accessories for the modern lifestyle.” The unique bases on their lamps make a statement without hitting you over the head with it. More at Spun Metal Lamps-Babette Holland Design.

Though washers with lids that open from the top are most common, today stackable washers and dryers or front-load washers and dryers are becoming more popular since they take up less room and can be built into cabinetry or under counters. Bosch Appliances is just one of many manufacturers making these machines. Epinions’ What You Should Know About Front Load Washing Machines is a good resource and worth reading before you buy.

If you’ve ever considered adding a pond to your backyard, the Certified Aquascape Contrator site may be a good place to start. They offer a wealth of information on everything from water garden shapes and options, pond biology, how to build ponds and water gardens, how to create waterfalls, and how to handle maintenance. If you’re not ready to dig up the backyard, you might be interested in the Half-Barrel Pond page, an informative site about building small but thriving ponds in regular barrels that have been cut in half. The pictures on the page show an interesting array of plant life that the owner has cultivated in his half-barrel ponds.

If you like houses with views of the water, it’s hard to beat living on the water in a houseboat. Buying a houseboat is a little different (ok, a lot different) than buying a house, though. Some of the things you have to consider are mooring fees, insurance, national titles and winterization. If you’re buying a used houseboat, you’ll need to have a marine survey done before you can secure a loan.

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Thinking of remodeling? Looking for some bathroom design pictures to help your brainstorming sessions? Here’s a few pictures I found around the net.

A Handsome Kohler Bathroom
Bathroom Dominated by Wood with Gold Accents
Carpet, Windows, and a Large Bath Tub
Bright Bathroom with Marble Floor
A Modern Miami Bathroom

If you’re looking for more, I suggest picking up some of those remodeling magazines at the book store. They have great glossy pictures that you can cut out and dump on your architect’s desk.

Fireplaces provide nice ambiance. As do waterfalls. I’ve never seen them two combined, until now. The
Max Blank Niagara Free Standing Wood Burning Stove with Waterfall has a wood-burning fireplace on the bottom and a waterfall gliding down the stainless steel top. The waterfall can be activated by remote. The sleek looking unit comes with a hefty price tag of $15,000. Time to start scrounging in the couch cushions…

What, your oven isn’t hooked up to your home network? Imagine this: You’re stuck in traffic and wishing dinner would be ready for you when you arrive home. Just whip out your cellphone and text message something like…

Dear Oven. Please start cooking the pork chops at 375 for 30 minutes. Be there soon.

Home automation is everywhere these days, including the kitchen.

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