Reading the “Live Like Royalty” post regarding castles for sale in France really piqued my interest. Ironically perhaps, I looked at these historic dwellings as a fresh perspective to contrast what is commonly considered luxurious to most Americans today. Brand new construction with wide-plank hardwood flooring, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, et cetera can no doubt be exquisite, however, these castles have a different type of wonderment to offer. In searching for more of these centuries-old treasures, I found a few remarkable offerings in Italy. (more…)

I recently visited a friend who has just moved to Bellevue, Washington, a city just outside of Seattle, and the area left quite an impression on me.  On a particularly beautiful day we hopped on a boat and coasted around the perimeter of Lake Washington, admiring perhaps the most beautiful collection of luxury homes I’ve seen (including the home pictured right, as well as Bill Gates’ mansion).  Each home in this idyllic setting had its own unique style - I couldn’t decide which I liked best.  Throughout my vacation, my friend dutifully guided me everywhere else around the Puget Sound, and I continued to be impressed by the luxury homes of the Seattle area.  Since my return home I’ve been keeping my eye on the market.  Here are a few of my favorite homes… (more…)

I have a 55-gallon fish tank and really enjoy sitting and watching my fish dart through the water. But that’s just it – I have to stop and sit to really look at it. My tank sits at waist level and I often just cruise right by it without noticing the beautifully set-up underwater environment. Traditionally, non-custom fish tanks have always been difficult to display, but that has changed. Now, just as boxy TVs moved out of their bulky entertainment centers in the form of flat panels, aquariums are leaping from their stands to the wall. Aussie Aquariums offers eye-catching wall-mounted aquariums in a variety of sizes and styles that are only 4.5 inches deep and can hold up to 20 gallons of water. Though it may be the only piece of art on the wall that needs to be cleaned and have its inhabitants fed regularly, it will definitely be the most talked about.

I was reading the comments on Cambodian Eden and the post by Exquisite Safaris about philanthropic travel really interested me.  What a great idea to incorporate luxury travel with philanthropy!  For instance, one client asked what could be done with a $10,000 donation in Zambia, a destination he wanted to visit with his family, and Exquisite Safaris built a schoolhouse. Nine months later, the client brought his family to celebrate the opening of the school and receive the blessings of the village elders. His children met the children who, for the first time, could attend school.  Exquisite Safaris will work closely with you to plan your own philanthropic trip to your dream destination.

So far, the inventions of the 21^st century have been a little disappointing. I’m still waiting to be able to teleport,or at least have a rocket pack and a robot butler. The good people at TMIO have apparently been paying attention to their “Jetsons” reruns, though, because their Connect IO Intelligent Oven™ is just that cool and futuristic. It’s a high-performance oven with a twist: it also has refrigeration capabilities and can be controlled from any internet-enabled device (computer, phone, PSP) or a touch-tone phone. So you leave your casserole or chicken in the oven with the refrigeration on, log on the internet or make a phone call to turn on the heat when you leave work, and have piping hot, delicious food when you arrive home. And if you’re caught in traffic, the oven reverts to a refrigerator. It’s the next best thing to food in pill form!

When the weather begins to turn colder around this time of year, many people start dreaming of beaches and fruity drinks. Some people, myself included, embrace the crisp air of fall and revel in the beauty of the season. Arguably, autumn’s beauty is best displayed in New England, and a fabulous way to experience it is at the elegant and inviting Twin Farms in Vermont. With 300 acres of lush landscaping and lakes, and of course beautiful fall foliage, Twin Farms is a one-of-a-kind retreat that offers every amenity needed for the ultimate English country getaway. Play tennis, go horseback riding, take a romantic carriage ride, fly fish, or just relax and have a picnic, all while being surrounded by the immaculate landscape. Guests can choose from 20 different accommodations, from large private suites to charming cottages that are spread throughout the property, each offering a unique blend of supreme luxury and seclusion. Keep your sand and Pina Coladas; I’ll take my colorful leaves and Ginger Smash any day.

Time to clear that 2009 calendar and get ready for an excursion into the final frontier. I still find it difficult to keep my gravity-bound automobile full of fuel, but for some people space travel will soon be possible thanks to Virgin Galactic. They have teamed with Neiman Marcus to advertise their planned 2009 charter to space in the just released 2006 Christmas Book. The six-person charter starts off with a round of training and medical assessments before being blasted via SpaceShipTwo into the cosmos to take in the vastness and beautiful vistas of space. The voyage isn’t over when you come back to Earth. Once back in the atmosphere and on solid ground, new astronauts head to Sir Richard Branson’s private island in the
British Virgin Islands for four nights of luxurious accommodations and all-inclusive festivities. Read more about the incredible journey here. Hang on when you start hurtling through the thermosphere, I hear it can get a little bumpy.

In today’s world of iTunes, file-sharing and CD-burning, consumers are consistently making a trade-off, choosing convenient delivery over the pristine sound quality of vinyl and CD. True audiophiles still exist, though, and their last refuge is equipment like ELP’s Laser Turntable. Importing CD technology to the vinyl experience, the Laser Turntable uses a laser to read the grooves on your record and allows you to pause, fast forward, and rewind. Also, since the turntable never actually touches the record, the avid collector can listen to the rarest of records without fear of scratching them. Perhaps most amazingly, it can play warped or even broken records, which is great if you have ‘friends’ who like to leave your records out in the sun. I do, and now I can forgive them!

Chess isn’t really my game, but I can understand why some would refer to it as an art form. In the right hands, the simple elegance of its rules and the sophistication of the game’s strategy combine for an amazing aesthetic experience. And now the craftsmen at Crystal Chess are taking the beauty of the game one step further with their Refraction chess set. Designed by Eva Starkova and produced in limited quantities, the Refraction set is hand-crafted with etched glass pieces on a black glass board. This amazing piece of art was featured in the movie “Lucky Number Slevin,” and can be found on crystalchess.com. Now if they only made a solid gold “Yahtzee”…

Traveling the world is not always easy.  Though luxury hotels are nice (see Cambodian Eden), they’re certainly not home - and the luxury traveler often wishes for the comforts of home. residenSea, a luxury property management company, has come up with a solution for these homesick wanderlusters: The World, “the only private community at sea offering residential options and rental travel experiences to the discriminating traveler.”  Basically, think of it as a floating condo hotel that stops at some of the most exciting locations in the world, from Belize to Japan and even to Antarctica.  Everything is provided aboard - entertainment, gourmet food, spas, and any other luxury amenity you can dream of.  And if you purchase an apartment aboard, you’ll always be home.