Luxury Lifestyle, Design & Architecture blog

Genesis Patrick Ness watches the fall of Plato's new republic. Patrick Ness The Guardian , Saturday 9 May 2009 The 21st century hasn't gone well. The Last War has engulfed the world in cataclysmic battles and plagues; only the forward thinking of Plato, a millionaire businessman on the islands of Aotearoa (New Zealand, to you and me), saved his country. He built the Great Sea Fence around the entire Republic (that would be, ahem, Plato's Republic) to keep out a planet full of desperate refugees. Isolated, the republic thrived, and as communications stopped being received from the rest of the world, it became, quite literally, the last outlet of civilisation on the face of the Earth. All was not well, though. The citizens were kept in line mainly out of fear, and as the threat of infection and war seemed to dissipate over the decades, so did the republic's control over the populace.

--> Painting by Ligia Fiedler By Kostov Konstantin When it comes to looking at contemporary paintings with the intent of buying, many who do not understand abstract art might just think the most expensive paintings, and the artworks created by well known artists, are the best. Prints and originals can create a life of their own and help a room come alive. Take a look around. Modern art is everywhere, in offices, houses, and businesses. Many people do not give them a second glance, but when that special piece really strikes you, it can be a life changing experience. The most famous abstract artists is most likely to be Jackson Pollack . This legendary American born drip painter of the mid forties created very large pieces of artwork by laying an un-stretched canvas on the floor or ground and dripping and splattering paint on it. He never used traditional paintbrushes; instead, he used sticks and basting syringes to apply gloss enamel paint to the surface. The artworks are

We cannot image the modern world without art. It plays a continual, though often unnoticed role as decoration, and a more important one in the realization of our conceptions, creative ideas, and spiritual experiences. It's a profitable business for some people, and others find it necessary to the peace of their soul. It means something different to everyone, and all of us have our preferences as to particular works. Choosing a picture can be very difficult - large or small, dark or light, which genre, do you prefer figurative or abstract, do you value more a famous artist or an unknown amateur? So how do you make your choice? The most important thing is to listen to yourself, get to know yourself: your tastes, preferences, outlook on life. When you are selecting the picture it is not necessary to be guided by the preferences of others, which can be deceptive, for only you know what you need. But there are important practical considerations, depending on where you want to

by Ana Trenas Painting: "Abstract piano", by Ligia Fiedler Decorating your work space or office building can pose a challenge even for a professional designer. You'll have to deal with large spaces, big empty walls, and buying decor pieces and canvas wall art. Furniture can easily fill up floor space but your walls can be more difficult to decorate. Hanging paintings or canvas prints in small rooms is easy but decorating bigger spaces like walls in a high ceiling lobby or a long hallway can be difficult. There is a solution to decorating huge walls in an office building by hanging over-sized paintings.   You can get one single piece of painting or use canvas art sets. These canvas sets compose of 2 to over 8 pieces of canvas to make a bigger artwork. It's practical in a way because it will be easier to hang sets due to smaller sizes of the canvas pieces. Imagine the trouble of installing a wall sized painting at an office lobby. Hanging several s

If you add class to luxury you get what could be called sophisticated luxury. The James New York is the new hotel in the Big Apple that has all the sophistication and all the luxury you ever desired in a hotel. Even the most luxurious hotels in New York find it difficult to provide open spaces on their premises but James has gardens, outdoor spaces, fantastic views of the city and amenities that enable you to experience New York in a better and different way.  In addition the hotel has a rooftop pool deck and bar. The 360 degree views of the city skyline can simply floor you. The James New York calls it luxury liberated from tradition. The Penthouse Loft is the Most Luxurious in the Hotel The new hotel, located in Soho is situated on the corner of Thompson and Grand. The newly built property has been designed by incorporating local elements that are easy on the environment. The interiors also feature pieces of art from local artists both established and new. In

They cook up a storm in the kitchen and outside by earning a million dollars every year. For chefs today, it’s not just about cooking fancy meals. It’s also about entertaining their million fans on TV and also providing the many avid cookery book readers with tonnes of information. Chef’s today don many hats, besides, their own toque. They are now more of celebrities who have their own reality shows and don’t mind taking on as full time writers also. As a result many of them walk away home with hefty pay checks. Now that chefs are also counted as the rich and loaded and becoming an integral part of the elite world, we thought we will also give you a glimpse of how much moolah is raked in by your favourite chef who by the way is also a celebrity in his own right! Have a look! Gordan Ramsay Age : 45 years How much does he make?  $38 Million Popular Shows: Hell’s Kitchen He may create quite a hell in his kitchen and is also a living

Traveling the world is an expensive proposition for the luxury traveler. However, numerous travel agencies and tour providers make special offers from time to time. Tourists who want to combine travel and luxury on their next vacation have much to choose from by way of exclusive travel deals. Traveling abroad need not blow a hole in your pocket any longer. Luxury for less is no longer a distant dream thanks to exclusive travel packages offered by travel providers from around the world. 1. Where: Barbados Price: Starting from £3,815 per person Savings: Up to £3,760 per couple Validity: Book by 29 August for a September holiday Provider: Carrier This seven-night luxury beach vacation from Carrier provides accommodations in Barabodos hotel Sandy Lane. The luxury hotel made it to the Gold List this year. With this bargain vacation package, travelers get seven nights at the price of five. The package includes several luxurious touches, including Upper Class flig

Ferrari, the legendary luxury super-car brand has now taken yet another leap in the field of charity, as the Italian auto behemoth placed its latest offering, the 2012 Ferrari FF under the hammer in Japan. This one a kind event by Ferrari was organized in an effort to raise funds to boost the rebuilding efforts after the devastating 2011 Japan Earthquake/Tsunami disaster that nearly decimated the country’s coastal regions in the month of April this year. The entire proceeds from the charity auction that amounted to a substantial $724,000 will be donated to the undergoing relief efforts in the Japanese city of Ishinomaki. The auction was held at the Japanese Embassy in Tokyo and the event was attended by none other than Ferrari Chairman, Luca di Montezemolo, along with more than 200 car collectors. The stunning 2012 Ferrari FF was claimed by Masaharu Seno, a Tokyo based architect who was personally congratulated by Mr. Montezemolo. The charity event even witnessed the pr

If you were tired of lugging huge bags all the time to work and looking like a walking office yourself, take heart. The new fashion trends reveal that small bags and clutches may come in vogue again and you may not have to carry the huge bags ever again. Of course, this is based on the new design trends that were noticed on the runways and it would be a great way to make sure that you are carrying less, and also making sure that you are in fashion. Robert Burke, who runs the famous New York luxury consulting firm, revealed that the consumers strive to look more carefree these days, and that means that a lot of them would rather go ahead and get something that would make it easier for them to carry stuff. The bags are expected to generate sales to the tune of $10.3 billion and that is a huge amount if you asked me. Brands such as Louis Vuitton would sell small bags for around $14,000 now and thus small doesn’t exactly mean cheap. Women on the other hand would have something new to

 Dior Short Film at Versailles: The world of fashion is very competitive. And even if you an old and established label like Dior you have to be on your toes all the time to stay ahead of competition and retain your customer base. They have released a short film the Secret Garden to showcase their newest collection. Fashion industry requires all the players to be very agile as it has to keep adapting to constant change. The industry is full of creative minds and glamour and you really have to be out of the ordinary to catch the attention of your potential customers. The Team Has Created Iconic Campaigns for Fashion Brands This film Secret Garden does just that. The film has been made by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, a team that has challenged and inspired the field of fashion photography. They are working as a team since 1986 and have harnessed the latest digital imaging technologies to capture the imagination of art critics. In the past they have created iconic advertis

Prince Bandar bin Sultan, a Saudi royal and former ambassador to the U.S., owned several ranches in Aspen, Colorado. The largest amongst them called Hala Ranch was listed by him way back in 2006 for $135 million. It was the highest asking price and the listing became America’s most expensive home for sale.  However, the markets changed dramatically as the economic crisis struck and it was not possible to find a buyer willing to invest that kind of money in real estate. The property was never listed again but according to Forbes the 90 acre Rocky Mountain ranch has found a new owner finally. It is John Paulson, the hedge fund billionaire worth $12.5 billion who has paid the Saudi Prince $49 million for the ranch. It is the highest price paid for a home in Aspen this year. The Twin Ranch Mega Deal John Paulson has made the bulk of his fortune by shorting subprime securities in 2007. He confirmed the sale and commented that he got the 90 acre ranch located in the Starwood community

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