Leave it to Italian designers to create the ultimate in luxury rocks for sexy lightscaping around the home.

These remarkable lighted rocks by Oluce look as if they might have been swiped from the lawn of a distant planet. In reality, though, they were created by Italian designers Marta Laudani and Marco Romanelli with Massimo Noceto. Made from weather-tested polyethelene, these lighted Oluce stones glow with the aid of a screw-in fluorescent bulb.

Dont expect to find these luxe rocks in your local hardware or lighting store though. They are available by special order and then only in large quantities–whatever that means. Current prices for the rocks generally run in the $500+ range, while the glowing Oluce table lamp runs over $1700 on Amazon.

I hope to see some of these luminous beauties in San Diego’s luxury homes before too long. They would look lovely sitting on a table or other surface providing soft and romantic accent lighting.

For additional information, you may call ylighting at 866.428.9289 (This is an unpaid, unexpected and unsolicited commercial)

I wonder if these lighted rocks would attract bugs???

Other fun and imaginative luxuries for the luxury home:

D. Porthault Sheets and Linens

The Luxury Blingdex

The Intuitive Luxury Home

As well as other recent luxury reads:

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 Glowing Rocks for Luxury Homes appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

They say you can never be too thin or too rich, but belt-tightening is sending a cold chill through Wall Street that could well spread to Main Street and beyond, according to various reports.

Luxury stocks may be taking a hit, but the recession hits home hardest for employees facing layoffs at Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase and many other financial institutions that occupy Wall Street.  If not facing unemployment, these and other employees and executives may be facing furloughs, salary reductions, slashed year-end bonuses along with uncertain financial footing.

That fear and uncertainty will surely cause many to trim traveling plans, modify shopping habits, and pay less attention to the $65 billion luxury retail market in the United States–and Reuters reports that New York alone spends a third of that on luxury goods, restaurants, travel and automobiles.  Of course,  the ripple will also be strongly felt in the luxury real estate market where demand for $2 million-and-up apartments has already softened in favor of those under a million.

CNBC reports relates the story of one bank executive who, fearing the possibility of a layoff, has very modest spending plans for any bonus he might receive this year, Meanwhile the Occupy Wall Street movement has put a damper on spending. According to Reuters:

Even those who are still getting big bonuses may hesitate to flaunt their wealth in New York this year given the Occupy Wall Street protests have been growing from a camp set up near the New York Stock Exchange. A number of finance industry leaders have said they understand the anger of the protesters, many of whom are concerned about a lack of jobs and growing income inequality.

Will the luxury gloom spread elsewhere in the United States? We’re watching it closely–and the shopping statistics should tell us much in the next two months.

The post Luxury Retailers Uneasy with Wall Street? appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

I love the genius behind Dyson engineering and products.

Instead of thinking outside the box, these air gurus study the box very closely and re-engineer it into device that works better than its predecessors.We love the Dyson vacuums and find them intuitively simple to use.  They are also nearly indestructible.  The Dyson wizards have also invented a hand dryer that really works–with air that travels in the neighborhood of 400 mph.

A tip of the top hat to Paul Taylor with the Financial TImes, who released this story whereby inventor James Dyson claims his bladeless fan–or the Dyson Air Multiplier,  works by forcing a jetstrem of air out of a narrow circular slit and then over an aerofoil-shaped blade, and is proving to be at least as efficient as its bladed counterpart, while reportedly being more comfortable and much safer.

The Dyson fan is controlled with a remote slider, which allows for more precise air flor. The cost ranges from a hefty $300 for the 10-inch model and $330 for the more powerful 12-inch air multiplier.

The fan, or air multliplier, is reportedly and currently available at select specialty stores in the US–and will hopefully soon be available on the Dyson site as well as Amazon.

The post Luxury Gadget: Bladeless Fan appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

by Roberta Murphy

Last month, I attended Inman Connect in San Francisco, where one of the speakers onstage at the Palace Hotel tried to pull something up on his new 3G Apple i-Phone, but had no service.

Frustrated, he lamented AT&T’s poor coverage and compared the i-Phone to a Lambborghini running on a VW engine–and I joined the audience applause.

Why Apple tied its flagship phone to a carrier with such spotty coverage
(unless you are traveling abroad) escapes me. I can’t even reach a close friend just 3 miles away in Carlsbad, CA on her AT&T cell because it is outside its coverage area.

I love Apple and its products. This article is being written on an i-Mac and I lust after the 3G i-Phone, but stick with Verizon for cell service because of its unbeatable coverage. Being out of range for calls just doesn’t work well for a San Diego Realtor.

It’s a painful choice: Go with Apple and suffer AT&T’s spotty coverage areas, or stick with Verizon and my trusted Blackberry and not have to worry about lack of service?

For professional reasons, there is no alternative but to stay with Verizon–but there may be hope on the horizon–or at least by the third quarter of this year. Research in Motion (RIMM) is coming out with the new Thunder Blackberry that will be carried exclusively by Verizon and Vodaphone.

With just four clicking keys, this black beauty will run on 3G EV-DO Rev. C as well as GSM HSPA for international use. This will apparently allow the Blackberry Thunder to operate in any country with 3G or better internet access. There are rumors that the Thunder may even be faster than the i-Phone for downloads.

Where there’s thunder, there’s lightning–and there may be some fireworks in the telecom biz to watch at year’s end. If Research in Motion’s Blackberry Thunder is as slick as I think it is, we’ll probably contract with Verizon for another two years.

This article also appeared on another blog for which I write: Technology Undressed.

The post The Luxury of Thunder appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

by Roberta Murphy Thompson

This futuristic clock doesn’t necessarily belong in the luxury home discussion, but it certainly provides some interesting global details:

• Abortions are far more prevalent than marriages.
• There are more divorces than HIV infections.
• Bicycle production still far exceeds auto production.
• Bicycle production also outpasses the manufacture of computers.
• Respiratory disease is far more prevalent than STD/HIV and AIDS.
• Suicides are more common than violent deaths.
• And in the time it takes to leisurely sigh, 8 more people will have joined the human race.

Check it out: World Clock
UPDATE: This very cool world clock seems to have disappeared from the internet. Am I missing something?–Roberta Murphy Thompson, 02.07/2023

The post 21st Century Clocks appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

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Much has been written and said about Microsoft’s new surface computing technology.

It is the WOW technology of the year. Sooner than many of us thought possible, this technology will first become a defining feature in luxury homes, and as adoption increases and prices drop, it will likely appear as a builder option in many tract subdivisions.

Imagine interactive coffee tables that wirelessly download photos from your digital camera. Or how about kitchen counters that come to life with not only recipes and schedules–but may also allow you to order groceries, pizzas or Chinese carry-out and pay for it all by laying your credit card on the counter.

Expect to see early adoption of this technology not in luxury homes, but in bars and restaurants.

The possibilities will stagger the imagination.

The post Interactive Luxury Home Surfaces? appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

This is a short-notice deal, and reservations must be made by March 24, 2007, but what a great opportunity to steal away to Puerto Vallarta for a weeklong tropical vacation. According to Forbes Traveler, this all-inclusive package runs $999 and includes both airfare (from a number of West and Midwest airports) as well as accommodations and meals at the four-and-a-half star beachfront Marival Resort and Suites.

Ideal for families, the Marival offers a waterpark for kids, a rock climbing wall, camping(?) and miniature golf. Those seeking serenity will appreciate the spa and yoga classes.

For additional information, contact Travel by Jen at 800 603 3178.

We tip our hats to: Forbes Traveler

The post Luxury Travel Deal appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

Talk about tiny phones! This petite model might even fit in a jeweled Judith Leiber evening bag or in form-fitting European pockets.

The amazing C3 camera flip phone from Pantech (see photo on left with phone on keyboard) measures just 1.69. by 2.72 inches and weighs in at just 2.5 ounces. Its no fatty, either, measuring just 0.8 inches thick.

Billed as the worlds smallest camera flip phone, the C3 offers a VGA camera, interchangeable face plates, along with email and instant messaging capabilities. Currently, this little wonder is available only through Cingular Wireless with some great pricing incentives.

The Pantech C3 features and reviews are pretty impressive.

The post Phone-y Luxury appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

In an emerging trend, more and more upscale spas are offering a self service option. Perhaps they are hoping to appeal to the spa-shy or those who might see the spa visit as a social opportunity, where friends or significant others can apply treatments to each other.

Wrap your pampered brain around this scenario reported by The Wall Street Journal: At Manhattans Townhouse Spa, you can receive a massage treatment from a robotic wave capsule machine and at Las Vegas Canyon Ranch, you will soon be able to help yourself at self-serve salt scrub and aloe rub stations. Why, I wonder, would the spa industry be removing its own trained fingers from such a high-touch industry?

WSJ reports that the $9.7 billion spa industry is pressing this do-it-yourself option as a way to not only lure new business, but to save on labor costs as well. Also, the industry has aggressively expanded throughout the country and competition is keen.This expansion spiked labor costs 8 percent in the last year alone, with trained massage facial, massage and treatment specialists earning as much as $50 per hour.

San Diegos La Costa Resort and Spa has been offering a variaton on self-pampering for the last three years. For $60, guests and members gain entry to the Spa and are able to enjoy a day of relaxation by the courtyard pool with its Roman showers and indoor steam rooms, saunas, showers, cleansing products, jetted spas and meditation areas. Fruited waters and teas are complimentary. If a personalized service such as a massage or facial is purchased, the $60 fee is waived and a hotel stay or membership is not required. Luxurious spa products are available for use and purchase and can be used during ones spa experience.

The post The Self-Service Spa? appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

Hallmark, you’ve done it again.

All right. You must have known that I suffer from occasional bouts of bumbling wordlessness when:

• Someone confesses to being diagnosed with cancer.
• When infertile friends share they are considering adoption after years of infertility.
• A family friend shares his Alzheimers diagnosis.
• Our neighbors announce their divorce.
• My brother-in-law loses his job.
• Life surprises.

It appears Hallmark Cards is going to allow me my silence, and instead hand over one of their new Journeys of Life greeting cards that shares the pre=scripted words I would want to share if only I could. Hallmark has a collection of 176 cards that cover not only life’s trials and tragedies, but its celebrations as well. The four main themes these cards cover are hoping, coping, healing and joy. That covers a lot of life.

Hallmarks best line? Welcome to The New Normal!

Meanwhile, I’m still struggling to find normal or something close to it.

Note 04/21/2018. Shame on Hallmark. They no longer carry this line of cards, which I believe might have served a real purpose for those wordless occasions. Was it criticism or lack of sales that caused Hallmark to drop the cards?

The post For Those Speechless Moments…. appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.