Add Custom Seat Covers To Boost Style and Protection

There’s no better place to start than with custom seat covers. These aren’t just about looks—they protect your seats from everyday wear and tear, spills, and fading. Opt for leather if you want a premium feel, or go for neoprene for a sporty vibe that’s durable and water-resistant. Many companies offer an array of colors, textures, and patterns, allowing you to align your choice with your dream aesthetic. Adding these covers keeps your interior looking sharp and makes cleaning a breeze.

Upgrade Floor Mats To Keep Things Fresh

Custom floor mats upgrade your vehicle’s interior and are easy to maintain. Choose ones made from rubber if you’re an on-the-go type because they’re great at trapping mud, water, and grime. Prefer something cozier? Carpet floor mats with hemming in bold colors or even embroidered designs can add a touch of luxury to your ride. Floor mats are a great way to protect your floors while complementing the look and feel of the rest of your interior.

Make a Statement With Customized Steering Wheels

If you’re ready to make a bold statement, don’t overlook the steering wheel. Upgrade your standard steering wheel with a customized option that’s more tailored to your taste. Consider a leather-wrapped steering wheel for comfort and sleekness, or go for materials like carbon fiber if you love a sporty edge. You can also personalize it further with colored stitching or detailed coverings that match your overall aesthetic. This upgrade not only changes the way your interior looks but also improves your driving experience.

Change the Mood With Ambient Lighting

Ambient lighting adds another layer of personality to your car. LED lighting strips or customizable light kits allow you to set the mood with various colors and brightness levels. Set a relaxing blue glow for long highway drives or a warm orange tone for cozy nighttime rides. This newfound ability to adjust your vehicle’s lighting allows you to completely alter the mood of your space in seconds. Ambient lighting is a simple addition that makes any vehicle feel modern and tailored to you.

Revamp Your Look With Custom Dashboard Kits

Dashboards often go unnoticed, but upgrading them with a custom kit can transform your car’s interior. Choose from materials like brushed aluminum, wood grain, or carbon fiber to create a completely new look. These kits are pre-cut to fit specific makes and models, making installation seamless. Besides enhancing style, they also help protect the dashboard from UV damage and scratches. A variety of choices are available, so it’s easy to find one that reflects your unique taste.

Car upgrades are as much about practicality as they are about individuality. With these unique upgrades that personalize your vehicle’s interior, you can create a space that combines functionality with personal flair. Whether you’re revamping the dashboard, adding custom lighting, or choosing seat covers that speak to your style, it’s easier than ever to make your car feel like your own. Start small or go all out—your perfect ride is just a few upgrades away.

The post Unique Upgrades To Personalize Your Vehicle’s Interior appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

When the time comes for a change, the question of whether to remodel your home all at once or take a room-by-room approach often arises. Both options have their merits, and understanding the benefits and drawbacks of each can be instrumental in making an informed decision that aligns with your vision for your living space.

The Luxury of Whole-House Remodeling

The idea of a blank canvas, endless possibilities, and the chance to bring all your ideas to life at once can be incredibly enticing. Whole-house remodeling is often considered a luxury option for those with larger budgets or shorter timeframes. After all, having to go through the disruption that comes with construction work in your home just once can be preferable to drawing it out over an extended period.

Additionally, whole-house remodeling can be beneficial in terms of cost-efficiency and overall quality. By tackling all areas of your home simultaneously, you may be able to negotiate a better price with contractors and suppliers. Moreover, when the work is done all at once, it can result in a more cohesive design and better flow throughout the house.

The Charm of Room-by-Room Renovation

On the flip side, there’s a charm to the room-by-room renovation strategy. This approach allows you to savor the anticipation and excitement of transforming individual spaces, one after the other. It grants the flexibility to focus on specific areas that may require immediate attention, such as a kitchen or bathroom, without feeling overwhelmed by the scale of a whole-house remodel.

Room-by-room renovations also present an opportunity for creativity and adaptability. Each space becomes a canvas for exploration, enabling you to experiment with diverse styles over time. This gradual process allows for a more organic evolution of your home, reflecting the changing tastes and needs of your household.

Finding Your Perfect Fit

Ultimately, the decision to remodel your home all at once or room by room hinges on your unique circumstances and preferences. Consider factors such as your lifestyle, budget, and the level of disruption you’re willing to endure. Are you looking for a swift, comprehensive transformation, or do you like the idea of taking it one room at a time, relishing in the details?

Regardless of your choice, the key is to envision the end result and work toward creating a space that embodies both luxury and comfort. After all, your home is a reflection of your personality and aspirations, and the remodeling journey should bring you joy at every turn.

The post Should You Remodel Your Home All at Once or Room by Room? appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a loser when it comes to sunglasses, pens and keys. Call it distraction, absent-mindedness–or as my ex-husband and shrink used to say, “non-thinking beahvior patterns.” These are losses I’ve come to endure–sorta. But I’m the one who pays–in time lost searching and sometimes with money.

But what about our government? I understand “they” operate on a grander scale and that some taxpayer losses might follow–either through ineptness, greed or absolute care-lessness. Think IRS parties, Solyndra and other betrayals of the taxpayer. But a WTF jaw-dropper happened on this end of your screen when I saw this confession that the Federal Reserve had somehow misplaced something like…9 TRILLION dollars.

Am still digesting this–and wondering what I am missing? Dare we venture a guess?

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

by Roberta Murphy

Ah… the luxury of being able to comfortably live in one of the most expensive cities in the world (so why not divide one’s time between them–just for bragging rights?:-)

CNBC just released their 10 most expensive cities in the world to live where they included 200 factors such as costs for a 2-bedroom luxury apartment, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, entertainment and so on.

It might come as no surprise that three of the top 10 are in Japan, two are in Switzerland and two in Africa.

So, without boring our readers with details, we cut to the chase, offer the cities in descending order and include the expected monthly rent for a luxury 2-bedroom apartment plus cost of a fast meal and a cup of coffee:

1. Tokyo, Japan where rent runs $4848, a cup of coffee $8.29 and fast-food meal $8.29
2. Luanda, Angola where monthly rent runs $6500, a cup of coffee a bargain at $3.90 and a fast food meal for around $19.94
3. Osaka, Japan offers the luxury apartment at $3062, a cup of coffee at $7.02 and the fast-food meal at $8.29.
4. Moscow, Russia has their luxury apartment at $4200, with cup of coffee at $8.37 and the fast-food meal at $6.70. (And how about an international newspaper at $9.78?)
5. Geneva, Switzerland presents the luxury apartment at $4818, with cup of coffee at $6.57 and the fast food meal at a whopping $12.59.
6. Zurich, Switzerland (compare to Geneva) offers a comparable apartment at $3614, a cup of coffee at $6.02, and a fast food meal at $12.59.
7. Singpore might offer luxury digs at $3588, a cup of coffee for $5.18 and a fast food meal for $5.66
8. N’Djamena, Chad …just doesn’t seem to have much in the way of luxury 2-bedroom apartments for expatriates. But should you find a place to live, you’ll pay $3.32 for a cup of coffee and an outrageous sum of $25.18 for a fast-food meal.  Personal safety and OIL are big issues here.
9. Hong Kong offers a very pricey (but comparable) apartment for $7092 per month, the cup of coffee at $6.83–with a bargain fast food meal at $3.54.
10. Nagoya, Japan has the bargain luxury apartment at $2551 per month, the cup of coffee at $6.38 and the fast food meal at $8.42

Sitting in San Diego, I feel as if we are living in paradise at bargain basement prices.

Another cup of coffee, please?

The post Want to Live in a Most Expensive City? 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.

Bloomberg reports that Louis Vuitton, with its monogrammed bags and luggage, handily outranks its luxury brand competitors for the fifth straight year. With a reported value of $19.8 billion, Vuitton ranks 29th worldwide for all industries–and more than twice the combined value of Hermes and Gucci combined.

Even though the luxury sector of the market has experienced an overall decline of 3 percent in value, Louis Vuitton, Hermes, Gucci and Tiffany managed to grow their businesses by focusing on craftsmanship, heritage, and pricing maintenance said Bloomberg. Included in the Brandz 2010 study cited in the story are other brands in the top 10 luxury ranking. They include Chanel, Henessey, Rolex, Moet & Chandon, Cartier and Fendi.

Prada, regrettably, was dropped from the top 10 rankings.

The most valuable brand in the world, though, would have to be Google, with its estimated value of $114.3 billion according to the Millard Brown Optimor’s 2010 Brands raking of the most valuable luxury labels.

In our closets and chests, though, most of us would prefer to have labels such as Vuitoon, Hermes, Gucci, Tiffany, Rolex, Cartier or Fendi.

In our stock accounts? A thousand shares of Google would do quite nicely!

The post Louis Vuitton Tops Luxury Brands–Followed by Hermes, Gucci 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.

Soak the Rich?

Yesterday, the Associated Press reported that millionaires are fleeing their luxury homes in New York to establish residency in less-taxing states. As a result, New York is receiving far less revenue than was expected from the wealthy since these wealth taxes were enacted last April.

Call it the law of unintended consequences.

To be fair, many of these losses come from scaled-back salaries and layoffs on Wall Street, but more than a few may be packing up and moving to more tax-friendly states such as Florida, Nevada and elsewhere–and are taking jobs with them. It is reported that billionaire Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano who was paying $13000 a day in New York income taxes has moved to Florida. With him go 5000 jobs from Paychex, the Rochester, NY payroll processing company he owns. Rush Limbaugh has also given up his Manhattan home to escape excessive taxation.

Donald Trump tells Fox News that a number of his millionaire friends are also thinking of bailing from New York because of excessive taxation. Says AP:

“States also realized that having a higher tax rate than their neighbors would cost them talent, lose jobs and hinder economic growth, the foundation reported in May after Hawaii joined Maryland, New Jersey, California and New York to adopt a “millionaire’s tax.” New York, for example, has been careful not to raise its highest rates above New Jersey‘s, according to the foundation.”

In California, millionaires and job producers are already being heavily courted by Nevada, a state that is seeking to grow its employment base and fortunes with its minimal taxation and business-friendly environment: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pDKoX0uTwM[/youtube]

The post States Soak the Rich–and Lose appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

Mexico is struggling with a number of serious problems, including failed real estate developments along the Baja coastline–just south of the San Diego border. From the northern tip of Tijuana’s coastline down to Ensenada, Baja beach areas are spotted with the rusting remains of failed high rise condo projects.

And one of the biggest failures is the Trump Ocean Resort Baja just north of Punta Bandera, where unwitting U.S. investors thought they were buying into one of the safest investments possible: A beach condo development offered by none other than Donald Trump and his family.  Up to 600 buyers paid 10 to 30 percent down on condos ranging from $274,000 for a 485-square foot studio to nearly $3 million for a 2685 square foot penthouse.

Today,  infuriated real estate investors have lost millions of dollars–with scant chance of getting anything back.

Some people refinanced homes in 2006 to come up with the $100,000 to $1 million deposits–which were subsequently and legally spent by the developer. Today, all that remains is an aging billboard with a large photo of The Donald, a shuttered sales center and showroom, a parking lot and a number of excavation holes and standing construction equipment.

This year, parents are warning kids not to head to Baja for Spring Break.  Mexico’s drug violence has escalated and kidnappings are all-too-frequent.  These tourist fears coupled with the global economic meltdown make real estate speculation investment in Baja a risky proposition.

In 2009, our family will remain in Southern California for Spring Break.  And until Mexico gets drug violence under control, we join countless others in avoiding a border crossing.

Call it a protest–or just protective parenting instincts.

The post Trump’s Baja Luxury Resort Fails appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.

One Can Modify Luxury Home Loans, too?

Not all clients took my conservative mortgage advice over the years, and some ended up with home loans that have turned downright nasty.

In one case, a client and dear friend was persuaded to take out a Negative Amortizing Adjustable Rate Mortgage (Neg Am) along with a HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) a few weeks after the purchase of her $1.8 million Carsbad home.

I just heard that in a couple of months, her mortgage will reset to an intolerable level and she is seeking a way to manage payments and keep her dream home.

Late last night, I discovered that fellow real estate blogger Ryan Rockwood had written an ebook on How To Get A Loan Modification that is packed with information for struggling borrowers–and chock full of insider tips.

For example, I know that many borrowers agonize because either they or their mortgage broker overstated income levels when applying for mortgage loans during the real estate bubble years.  At the same time, attorneys have discovered that many lenders may have violated provisions in the Truth in Lending Act and/or the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA). Rockwood states that there is plenty of blame to go around, and lenders as a rule aren’t pursuing earlier income exaggerations.

That information alone might spur some to pursue loan modifications for their mortgages.

If you are having difficulty with your mortgage, I encourage you to visit the 60 Minute Loan Modification site, where you will soon be able (if not already) to purchase one of the best books I have seen about how to get a loan modification.

The post Even Luxury Home Loans Can be Modified appeared first on Luxury Home Digest.