Last year, I wrote a short article about the worlds most expensive mansion in Mumbai, India being built by uber-wealthy Mukesh Ambani.

In addition to arguably being the most expensive private home in the world (how about $1 Billion to build?), it will also be the tallest measuring in at 42 stories. Residence Antilla, though, will only have 27 stories, due to Ambanis desire for taller ceilings.

Mukesh Ambani is reported to be the 14th richest man in the world, with estimated personal wealth of around $21 billion. He is also one of the more visible men of wealth in India.

When completed, the high-rise mansion will also be one of the most visible (and discussed) mansions in all of Mumbai, if not India and the rest of the world.

Designed to house Ambanis fortunate family of six and a doting staff of 600, this enormous mansion will also have six floors dedicated to pampered storage and parking for a collection of at least 168 automobiles. Included in this magnificent residence will also be a full-service spa, fully-equipped gym, a home theater that should turn Hollywood moguls green, and multiple floors set aside for visiting dignitaries and guests.

The family will have to make do with the top four stories set aside for their viewing and living pleasure.

Completion date was initially set for Fall, 2008, so well keep an eye on its progress.

In the meantime, I am hoping for an invitation to the Ambani housewarming gala.

The post Most Expensive Mansion in the World: Redux appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

I was asked to share some simple Feng Shui tips for home offices, written by Laura Milligan over at the Bootstrapper Blog. She lists 50 great ones, but I’ll tease you with a few she has listed in her article.
In spite of a personal bookshelf full of Feng Shui education, I found these suggestions particularly useful in that I am currently refiguring my own home office and need constant reminding to keep the chi flowing freely.

Some of my favorite reminders from Laura?

1. Rearrange furniture regularly. You don’t have to move the contents of an entire room, just do enough to shift the energy flow. You’ll feel the difference!

2. Make sure your furniture and accessories represent the elements of fire, wood, earth, metal and water. Most furniture is wood, but the other elements can be added via pottery (earth), furniture and plants (wood), fountains or paintings with water (water), brass lamp and/or wind chimes (metal), and lighting or a candle (fire).

3. Don’t overcrowd a room and if possible, leave 3 feet between pieces of furniture. I can’t sit that far from my desk, but some Feng Shui practitioners would suggest that I leave my chair 3 feet out when not at my desk. Hmm….(that may be a difficult Feng Shui tip!)

4. Consider hanging a mirror over your computer and desk so that you enlarge the feel of the room and can keep an eye on what is behind you (Feng Shui suggests you always be alert to doors–and never sit with your back to one.

5. If it doesn’t have a function, you don’t need it (and function could be that it is simply something you love). Again, allow for the free flow of chi/energy.

6. Play soothing music throughout the day to relieve stress and drown out distracting noises.

7. Eliminate clutter, hide cords, file away loose papers, don’t eat at your desk and clean up before leaving the desk.

For the entire list of 50 tips (we’re a digest, remember?), pay a visit to the Bootstrapper Blog. It’s a worthwhile trip!
For additional Feng Shui and decor reading:

Easy Feng Shui Tips

D.Porthault Sheets for Luxury Dreams

The Beauty of Front Porch Swings

Home Sellers Competing with Model Homes

What’s Hot and Not in Homes this Year

The post 50 Simple Feng Shui Tips appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

The Butler is back in demand-and in short supply.

The worlds growing number of plutocrats with their enormous mansions and expansive lifestyles are actively seeking household managers to oversee the care of their luxury homes and lifestyles. These enormous residences require ongoing care, along with coordination of property and grounds service providers ranging from pool service technicians, to dog groomers and trainers, to maids, gardeners and arborists.

Contemporary butlers, or Household Managers as many are called today, are better educated than their historic peers. Todays servant is likely to possess accounting, computer, and technology skills along with knowledge of property maintenance, home entertainment, menus, cooking, clothing care, and the ability to attend to the care of antiques, fine china, silver, art, automobiles, home and personal security, communications and a score of others details.

A college degree might be helpful, as would specific training in Household Management. One of the better-known butler training programs would be that offered by the Starkey International Institute for Household Management in Denver, Colorado.

Benefits of employment in this home management field might include free room and board at the luxury residence, possible travel, and annual salaries that range from around $70,000 to over $200,000.

A tip of the top hat to Robert Frank and The Wall Street Journal.

You may also wish to read:

The No Fear Estate

Luxurious Intuitive Homes

La Costa Dream Home

Gotta Haves for Luxury Homes

The Snoring Room

Variable Range Pricing for Homes

Luxury Home for Jets and Toys

The Venetian Plaster Master

What is a Luxury Home?

The Luxury Blingdex

Easy Feng Shui Tips for the Luxury Home

D.Porthault Sheets for Luxury Dreams

Interactive Luxury Home Surfaces

The post Luxury Home Management: Ask for the Butler appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

Upgrades anyone?

Last night, I spent a fun evening with an interesting Carlsbad Realtor who probably set a world record in San Diego luxury home upgrade sales in the late 1990s into 2003. Shara’s experiences in new luxury home sales will be an article for another time, but I thought it might be important to peer into the current hot items being demanded for new luxury homes.

The list isn’t hot off the press, but is certainly worth repeating. Last fall, Forbes reported on the features that were topping the lists for new, high-end luxury homes. An important thread running through this list is the importance of green in home features. Those eco-friendly items are all big energy savers, as well as being non-toxic building materials, earth-friendly woods, and energy efficient technologies that integrate lighting, heating, security and communications controls in the home.

The Forbes short list?

• Spa-like bathrooms with saunas, towel warming drawers, amd heated floors. Serenity is the guiding mood.
• Extensive computer-controlled systems to sensor control panels throughout the home. Light the pool, turn on the tub the spa or outdoor lighting, view surveillance camers scanning the outdoors or check to see if the garage door is closed. The possibilities are limitless.
• Space flexibility. How about floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that slide aside to open up a room? Or a wall of glass doors that move aside to bring the outdoors in? Or the indoors out?
• Outdoor kitchens are still on the must-have list. The compleat outdoor kitchen and entertaining area can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000 or more. In addition to WOW-end outdoor cooking eqipment, the luxe owner might want a cabana, granite surfaces, wine cooler, ice maker , warming drawer, dishwasher and more. And swimming pools are also going over the deep and. Another story in the making.
• Oenophiles rejoice! Custom wine storage made the list. Make it a wine cave, make it a small room, just make it for wine and keep the temperature and humidity under control.

For additional luxury home gadgets and reading, see:

The Snoring Room
The Self Service Spa (Do it at home?)
Long-Lasting Roses
Induction-Cooktop for the Luxury Kitchen
Ultimate Phone for the Luxury Bath
How to Hide the Bedroom TV
Switchable Mirror Glass Windows
SONOS: The Ultimate Sound System
Haute Refrigerators for Cool Kitchens?
The Overflowing Infinity Tub
Wine Storage for Oenophiles
The Illuminated Bathtub

The post Gotta-Haves and Upgrades for Luxury Homes appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

When I first entered this newer San Diego luxury home, I was amazed by its wall and ceiling finishes. Walking slowly from room to room, I ran my fingers over the cool burnished walls and the gray stone door arches. Even the ceilings and dome gave the impression that we had indeed been transported to a Venetian villa.

Had I not known the responsible artisan for this masterpiece, I would never have guessed an underlying truth: These walls were nothing more than standard drywall that had been transformed by a clever Polish artist who specializes in exquisite surface finishes.

Greg Sieminski explains that European artisans have been creating beautiful walls for centuries utilizing limestone plasters softly colored with natural elements. He studied these walls in Mediterranean countries, and wondered how the rich, aged patina could be duplicated in fine San Diego homes. It took several years, but Greg was able to perfect his replications of fine Venetian plaster to the delight and amazement of his clients.

How is Venetian plaster made? Greg explains that the 1300 year-old process starts with the selection of special limestone from Italian quarries and rivers. The limestone is then fired in a large and very hot kiln, which causes chemical changes within the limestone itself. The result? The super-heated stones turn to putty when placed in water. The painter goes on to describe how this putty is wet-seasoned for up to a year before being processed as a finishing plaster.

The end result, says Greg, is a finely milled limestone putty that is even finer than face powder. This cultivated material can be further embellished with finely-ground marble, which yields an ancient building material that can be burnished to a low sheen or rubbed to a high polish. Additionally, he will occasionally add granular material so that he can recreate stone finishes.

Venetian plaster, he explains, is not faux painting, as hobbyists commonly refer to this style of painting. œThe product is not paint. It is an old finishing technique that works well in contemporary homes. He adds that Venetian plaster can be used outdoors as well, with few limitations.

The post The Venetian Plaster Master appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

by Roberta Murphy

It is a tough task in relativity to define a luxury home.

One’s perspective has as much to do with the definition as does the opulence, location or architectural significance of a particular property. One man’s simple home is another man’s castle, and vice versa.

Perhaps it is easier to consider what a luxury home is not. It is not a cookie cutter home in a subdivision tract, even if it is magnificently appointed. Why? It is probably lacking in presence, in architectural originality and may very well be lacking in coveted location.

New subdivisions throughout affluent communities are abounding in 5000 square foot stacked boxes with crown moldings, coffered ceilings and granite surfaces. The prices may reach seven figures, but do they really qualify as luxury homes? I have argued this with other luxury home specialists, and as soon as we agree upon a particular standard, exceptions to the rule emerge.

I am one of several directors with Windermere Exclusive Properties’ Distinctive Properties division in San Diego, CA. Luxury real estate in San Diego County is our specialty. It is our task to collectively approve or disapprove a listed property for that coveted “Luxury Home” designation.

It has proven to be a sometimes-difficult task. Price alone does not distinguish that status. It is location, property entry, arhcitecture, decor, decadent amenities, entertainment capability, lovely grounds and myriad other details that help a home stand out from the ordinary. A supersized McMansion does not qualify as a luxury home, unless it has the requisite extras, superior location and a view…perhaps. Or what about a cute $2 million cottage in Malibu that lacks both architectural clout and luxe surfaces? Does exquisite location make up for a dated or tacky interior? An architecturally significant home on a Midwestern prairie might qualify, even though it lacks in modern opulence.

As discerning and honest luxury real estate professionals, we believe we know one when we see it–especially when the home has all the markings of luxury, location and panache. What I am hoping occurs within this site is the discussion and display of luxury homes. I hope we can discuss trends, touches and tools that help to define the luxury home and luxury living. I am hoping we hear not only from Realtors, but from interior designers, builders, home stagers and other seasoned professionals who contribute to the luxurious homefront.

And from this continuing interchange, perhaps we can develop ongoing relationships where we can share information, ideas, trends–and perhaps even referrals to those professionals we will have come to know and respect.

The post And Just What Is A Luxury Home? appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.