Luxury Lifestyle, Design & Architecture blog

Trophy homes were not adversely affected even when the global economy went into a downturn. Now with the real estate market looking up more such homes are coming on the market. A potential record breaker is the opulent 20,000 square foot mansion that boasts of sweeping views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. The asking price has been set at $114 million. The six level house has been wrapped in a bow for Christmas. The interiors of the mansion have been inspired by Palace of Versailles, the castles of Italy and even a media room based on the owner’s favorite movie-theater in Queens, New York. All the 19 rooms in the mansion including seven bedrooms have been decorated with the finest European imported materials.  The Mansion Was originally Built in 1883 Apart from the 20,000 square feet of living space the mansion boasts of 2,500 square feet of outdoor space in the form of a three-tiered rooftop deck. The mansion also features a saltwater pool with spa in the basem

The holiday season is upon us and the luxury brands are ready with their promotional plans to reach their target customers with schemes, new products and packages. Louis Vuitton has developed an interesting and innovative way to project the collection in their catalog. They have created their own version of The Goose Game that takes the visitor to their site through the luxury brand’s 2013 holiday catalog. The playful spirit behind the concept matches with the spirit of the season and it will surely encourage the user to discover and share the entire collection. The Lucky Goose Gets Wheeled Around in LV Handbags The Goose Gets Wheeled Around in LV Handbags The Louis Vuitton Goose Game will give the visitor to the site another reason to spend more time there and browse through the collection while playing the game and even win some gifts in the bargain. The Louis Vuitton version of the French board game doesn’t star a supermodel or an A-list celebrity but a goose.  The G

Goldgenie Creates the Most Expensive Bike Completely Plated in 24 Carat Gold The luxury brands become hyper active during the Christmas season and often come up with lavish and even outlandish gift ideas. Goldgenie, based in London, is something of a specialist in creating luxury gifts and can practically gold plate anything. Golden watches and mobile phones have become common so this year they have brought out a men’s racing bicycle covered completely in 24 carat gold plating. It is the most comprehensive job of gold plating you will ever see as even the handlebar, spokes and chain has also been gold plated in pure gold. As a result it has not only become the most luxurious bike but the most expensive bike carrying a price tag of a whopping £250,000. It is not only the most expensive bike but more expensive than a Ferrari and will surely give bragging rights to the owner. Its uniqueness and golden finish makes it a greater status symbol than luxury cars. Goldgenie has gone a st

Bah, Humbug and Snow and……….? Well if by now chilly winters fail to remind you of approaching festive season then there is another big hint. The installed 84-foot-tall Norway spruce Christmas tree measuring 48 feet around at New York based Rockefeller Plaza is successful in catching eyeballs and rejuvenating you to bid farewell to this year. The tree has come from Joe and Judy Rivnyak’s yard in Shelton, Connecticut. The illumination of the Christmas tree is most likely the renowned celebration of its kind and is scheduled to happen on 28 Nov. at 7-9 p.m. If you join the mob of millions of visitors dropping here just to view the event live, then the feast is available for your eyes through 3 January. Prior to the traditional tree lighting ceremony on 28 November, a giant crystal star is lifted by a crane to be placed atop Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York on 13 November. Decked with Swarovski, precious 25,000 crystals and one million facets, the star has become the

If you are still in the process of choosing a place to spend your Christmas and rest of the winter vacation in, you are in luck for we just heard about this awesome ski-resort of Verbier. This one is an extremely luxurious private chalet and is called the ibiza Royale. This festive season has lead to some unexpected happenings like how the late booking have opened up for the period between the 2nd and 16th of January 2010. Apparently, there was some last minute cancellation that brought about the turn of events The brochure tells us that the price for ten nights in the dates ranging between 23rd December to 2nd January next year was near $272,000. You can hope for a holiday discount too. Among the facilitues, the guests can enjoy comfortable and cosy accommodation for eighteen guests with a luxury spa and other strappings thrown in. Might we add the ibiza Royale is all about unprecedented 3000 square meters of festive cheer in the lap of nature. They say it is per

There is a nip in the air and Christmas is knocking at the door. As for the Christmas trees and ornaments, they are making their first appearances of the season. Leading the way are the most expensive Christmas tree by Japanese jeweler Ginza Tanaka and the enormous Swarovski star. The Most Expensive Christmas Tree Ginza Tanaka is famous for his lavish gold creations. You might remember the $850,000 Gold Christmas Tree he created in 2006, or the Ginza Tanaka Mickey Mouse from 2008. This year, Tanaka is being even more extravagant as he creates yet another Christmas tree that is worth its weight in gold. Crafted from 12 kilograms of solid gold, the 2011 Christmas tree by Tanaka soars to a height of 2.4 meters and costs an equally high $1.95 million. This may not be any competition for the odd $19 million diamond handbag, but it remains by far, the costliest Christmas tree ever. Even the ornaments are made of gold. You will find golden plates, 50-odd heart ornaments and gold ribbon ado

Christmas and the holiday season gets the best out of designers and there is no dearth of gift ideas. At times, more than the product it is the packaging that is stunningly designed. Wine and spirits are often packaged specially for the season. For Christmas 2011 Belvedere has released a special edition ‘Buche de Belvedere’ Vodka. Even if you have completed your shopping for gifts and the New Year you must look at this special edition vodka. It has been packaged in a specially designed artistic casket. The casket contains one bottle of vodka which is very rare. The quality of the vodka is enhanced by the casing which has a polished chrome and silver body. The casing has been designed in the shape of a log. Covering the main casing, right on top are birch tree leaves crafted in chrome and silver. The lower end of the case has the branding of the bottle. To give the case the look of a real log both ends have been covered with birch wood. The branding of the vodka has been marked on th

Are you wondering about how to dominate the world? Or looking for a comfortable armchair? Well, don’t go to Ikea, even though they do have many swivel chairs but nothing that is designed and built for comfort and world domination. In fact, they don’t have a gold skull armchair that sells for $500,000. So, where do you buy an armchair that super-villains would immediately buy or steal to decorate their home or office? Harow is a French design firm and they have just released an armchair that sells for a whooping $500,000.  The 24-carat gold skull armchair is created from reinforced fiberglass. It has a steel internal frame and handmade in Paris. The armchair seat is upholstered in black velvet, a color specifically chosen to contrast the 24-carat gold plating surrounding it. The armchair which shows the upper teeth of a skull form the base of the chair. The nose and forehead of the face decorated with ornamental trappings to once again contrast the geometric appearance of

  A lot of people don’t care much about their horoscopes, because of the ambiguity that astrological signs foretell. But, what happens when a famous fashion and footwear designer used astrology for his newest collection, things get out of hand as everyone rush to pre-order a pair of shoe. Christian Louboutin, a well-known French footwear designer have partnered with Moda Operandi to create fashionable shoes that will get people hooked on astrology. The Christian Louboutin Moda Operandi shoe collection comes in two types, the peep-toe mule, and ballerina flat. The shoes are decorated with silver and gold thread. They are available in three colors, navy, black and purple silk. The mules and flat, both finished in Louboutin signature shiny, lacquered red soles. Each shoe is embroidered in India and finished in Louboutin’s Parisian atelier. Best of all, customers are offered customization options, in which they can choose a design, based on the 12 astrological signs. In other words,

    Fendi has unveiled its newly restored Palazzo Fendi in the heart of Rome. The Italian luxury brand store was restored to woo the richest shoppers of Europe as well as the wealthiest shopper’s across the world. The hotel which also stands as flagship store of Fendi’s offer more than just world class, fashionable products to their loyal and potential new customers but also an adventure of a lifetime. Fendi is following the strategy of Louis Vuitton, another luxury brand in which they are making the wealthiest shoppers feel even more special by giving them exclusivity. The luxury brand industry is slowing down so it is becoming a challenge for luxury labels to stay on the top. Fendi is looking at Canada and Australia as potential new markets as China’s demand for luxury brands slowed down. They are tapping the online market, targeting Japan and several countries and looking to change the price policy for their products by charging online customers the same price as it does in

The British car maker Bentley is envisioning a future luxury vehicle with a hologram butler. The future luxury vehicle is going to be different from other luxury cars. Imagine a car with your man servant in tow to serve your needs wherever you go. Bentley’s design team, headed by Director of Design Stefan Seielaff is working on the concept that the company thinks should be the future of luxury vehicle. Sielaff who has worked with Volkswagen and Audi interior design for decades and Mercedez-Benz for a short period has been with Bentley since 2015. The “future luxury vehicle” features state of the art touch screen displays. The LED touch screen display is built into the panels of the luxury vehicle interior. Other design features include sofa-style seat in which the passenger seats faces each other. So, you can conduct a meeting at the comfort of the luxury vehicle. The concept of virtual butlers is not only a possibility but also the future, according to Seilaff. Occupants will

  Casio will be releasing a limited edition G-Shock watch to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The new G-shock dubbed the “Hammer Tone” is in line with other high-end MR-G watches. These watches have as a feature the beautiful materials and durability that makes Casio a popular brand. G-Shock line embodies the concept of “utility.”  Casio G-Shock watches has the features that paramedics, hikers, athletes and soldiers around the world want in a watch. Classic timepiece lovers looking for practicality and beauty uses G-Shock watches. And the new Casio limited edition G-Shock watches that will be released middle of this year is going to be a watch connoisseur favorite. In case you are not familiar with this Japanese brand, Casio is well-known across the world. The Japanese watches known for its durability. The company’s high-end line combines two opposing concepts. The concepts of “luxurious” and “strong” are in line with the MR-G models. When combined it resulted in watches that are

Are you one of the many people who bought Apple watch before the company announced their partnership with Hermes? Or you have fallen in love with Hermes Apple watch edition? Whether you own the Apple watch or the Hermes special edition, you can make your watch even more awesome. French fashion house Hermes and Apple has recently unveiled four new straps colors for apple watches. The new band colors are now available for individual purchase at Hermes and outlets and Apple stores.  That is right! Apple is now allowing smartwatch users to buy Hermes bands separately. Apple watch Hermes is a unique timepiece, designed with beauty and utility in mind. Buying a new Apple watch is no longer necessary when you just want Hermes leather straps. You can now buy Hermes handmade bands to change your straps and make your watch even more fashionable. In fact, if you love interchanging bands, you can now add more color to your watch accessories. Hermes and Apple new luxury leather accessory

  The Luxury carmaker Aston Martin has unveiled its first ever luxury highrise. Aston Martin first real estate projects were a 66-story residential tower in Miami. The high-end condominiums overlooking Biscayne Bay will be built on a 1.25-acre site which was purchased in 2014 for a record-breaking sale of $125 million. The Aston Martin Residences was a joint project between the British luxury vehicle company and G and G Business Development, an Argentina’s company owned by the prominent Coto Family. The building will have two private lobbies with reception desks, a full-service spa, and a fitness center. Other amenities include an infinity pool, an art gallery, children’s room, micro-cinema, and an exclusive yacht marina. The tower will have 390 condominiums and each one resonate the timeless luxury that the British brand is known for in the auto industry. This is because the creative team of the automaker will have a hand in design decision, from bathroom finishes and kitchen t

  Icon Bay is a unique waterfront condominium perfectly located in the Downtown Biscayne Bay waterfront near the vibrant scene of Wynwood Arts District, Midtown and Miami Design District. Residents are just steps from a cultural, artistic and sophisticated environment where converge the finest galleries, studios, gourmet dining by Miami’s leading chefs including, Michelle Bernstein and Michael Schwartz, stylish lounges, and boutiques from the top names in design. This magnificent residence has a spectacular undulating façade that perfectly fits the astonishing beachfront setting and is surrounded by the crystalline waters of Biscayne Bay, a luscious waterfront park and a sculpture garden. When you enter the building you are welcomed by friendly concierge staff on the grand elegant lobby, a glorious place that gives you a precise idea of what will come next. The interiors and common areas feature an outstanding urban design that creates a seamless indoor/outdoor feeling by blen