Store your music, and add to it as you choose, on a 17-inch touch screen monitor with the Sooloos media system. It links to every room in your house, plus you can synchronize it at multiple residences. The system features storage, playback and control components that can be combined in a number of configurations. This is a new concept and a new product, so for those more technically-oriented who want to know more, go here to get the details, as we patiently wait for the site to get up and running. I just like the look of it, and would love to be able to get all my music going with just a few fingertip movements. If only I had $13,000 ...
As I was browsing a home magazine I was stopped by an ad for Sherle Wagner doorknobs, I mean, "hardware." They were so beautiful, I wanted to know more. So now I share ... Sherle Wagner International, headquartered in NYC but with eight U.S. showrooms and one in Kuwait, offers a number of home accessories in these categories: finishes, stones and patterns; bath fittings; bath fixtures; accessories; hardware; lighting; furniture; textiles; linens; and wall coverings. All Sherle Wagner products are originals, made by the company from the design inception stage to completion. The company uses "old world artisans and timeless techniques, so that every piece is a true original." And the staff is experienced in working with architects, designers and clients on projects of any scale. If you browse the catalog, be sure to check out all the categories on the lefthand nav bar; there was much more on the site than I noticed the first time around. No prices, however, but I'm going to guess on the high end.
Here's a bumper bed for your special family member that you can feel good about, ecologically-speaking. Covered in organic cotton twill, free from pesticides and chemical fertilizers, it's filled with a comfy, cozy stuffing and is made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, which diverts more than 25 tons of plastic bottles from landfills every year. The bed features a center, removable pillow that can also be used separately inside crates or the car. It's a great option for allergic, sensitive, or orthopedic pets. Made in the U.S.A., machine washable. A portion of sale proceeds are donated. Sizes S - XL; $76.95 - $178.95.
The Travelmate Portable Fireplace by Conmoto is made of black powder-coated steel and glass with an adjustable steel fuel-holder and burns on bio-ethanol liquid fuel (not included). Now you can put a fireplace where you want or need it for warmth or atmosphere. It's smokeless too. Safe to place on carpet, a table, near furniture, or outside. The glass pane is held on with magnets and only is removed in order to light the fire. Once the glass pane has been replaced, the fuel tank can be opened and closed, using the stainless steel slide at the front of the fireplace, so the flames can be regulated from the outside. I would love this in my home! Dimensions: 20" H x 28" W x 8" D, 55 lbs.($3,300)
About six months ago Deidre noted that Dr. Dre announced a new beverage venture. And just a few days ago the official announcement was made that it's come to fruition. Dr. Dre's cognac and vodka brands will hit liquor stores in the next 60 days, according to celebrity liquor marketer Drinks America Holdings Ltd. The products are the fruits of a joint venture between Wilton, Conn.-based Drinks America and Dr. Dre's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label. The marketing for the beverages will be tied in with the release of Dr. Dre's long-awaited "Detox" album. In late July, Dr. Dre told USA Today that the album would be out in "November or December." Aftermath Congac will come out first, followed by an 80-proof flavored and unflavored sparkling vodka.
New York City-based Luxury Accessories International (LAI) began as a leather importer in New York in 1953, importing crocodile skins from South America and selling them to makers of shoes, handbags, and other leather goods. In 1971 the company expanded the range of skins to include python from Indonesia, ostrich from South Africa, and lizard from South America. Today, the company makes a variety of high-end products for men and women, but I'm going to focus on the men. Where to begin? Belts, bags, a flask, a watch box, portfolios, wallets ... all custom dyed all over the world and made with skins selected by hand for cutting at the LAI manufacturing house in Long Island City, N.Y. Orders are individually cut and sewn, and often customized, but the LAI boutique at 35 E. 65th St., NYC, offers custom pieces.
You know something's expensive when every piece on the Web site is followed by: "To purchase, please contact the LAI Boutique: 212-794-3874." So I can't help you with pricing, but if you see something you like, give LAI a ring. See the gallery for a few of the beautiful pieces.
So you do yoga, and love it. But your mat is, well, a big bore. And sharing mats at the gym ... um, no thanks. Go upscale and green with a Mindful Mat from Plank Designs($85). These cool-looking mats feature high-quality photos in four themes, Cobra (main photo; get it? snake in the grass?), Pill, Plank and Shag (gallery), and are made with eco-conscious materials. They're constructed of EcoLite, an eco-composite synthetic rubber, and EcoCell, a recycled polyurethane foam, and are biodegradable and recyclable. They do not contain rubber, later or PVC and don't use a lot of energy to produce. You'll have a clear conscience, to go along with your clear head, when you leave class.
P.S. Also offered are three text design mats ($65, gallery), "Bling," "Me," and "Chocolate," though I'm not sure whether these meet the eco-standards of the photo mats.
In mid-July, we highlighted the Epson Ensemble HD Home Cinema System. Now we found great seats to furnish your home theater, from American Leather. Offered in five styles, several colors and with either a powered or manual incliner, the Holden seat, for example, shown in the photo, features extra-tall back cushions; premium, high-density, high-resiliency foam; loose back and seat cushions; double-jowled joints; hardwood frames; double-needle top stitching; and a lifetime warranty. Options include stainless steel cup holders; black, natural or walnut legs; and a manual incliner without articulating headrest. Prices vary; find a dealer near you, and check out the gallery for the variety of styles.
The One Key Travel Card is a like a membership card to a time share but more upscale. It includes first-class homes, personalized service, and local knowledge, without a significant outlay of upfront capital or whole ownership. Members have access to a worldwide portfolio of selected homes, as well as a dedicated member services representative. Cards are available by number of nights: 15, 25 or 45, for $34,900, $49,900, or $84,900, respectively. Use the nights in any combination. Pricing includes access to One Key Homes, daily housekeeping, and member services. Inquire about membership here.Choices of home style / themes include beach, city, mountain, leisure, and "hidden gems."
Artnet recently launched an online art auction (still in beta mode), featuring photography, prints, works on paper, sculpture, and paintings. At a glance there were several hundred works posted, and there's info on the home page for art dealers on how to become an authorized Artnet seller. The site is straightforward and seems to work much like any online auction -- place a bid (U.S. dollars or euros) or just add to your watch list. There are starting bids, estimates, and end times. While the site is just getting started, I bet that with people shopping more and more from home (saving gas), even shopping online for art will become commonplace.
Cittadini, founded 18 years ago, specializes in high-end, luxury linens. Made in the region of Florence, Italy, the styles are detailed and feature much embroidery. You can order custom bed or table linens, as well as towels. Select from 10 flange styles, 50 towel colors, 100 sateen colors, and 200 embroideries (0 up charges). If you're in the NYC or Long Island area, there's a showroom on Fifth Avenue (by appointment) and a boutique in Manhasset. For more info and prices, contact the company.
Ladies' golf glove and pouch maker Fairway Skins Co. introduced its new line of butterfly-design gloves, made from the finest cabretta leather ($36). In keeping with the company's signature floral designs, each of the six new species rests on a colorful botanical, creating gloves that seems almost too nice to use on the course. Six classic floral designs also are available. Fairway Skins won a "Best New Product" award at the 2007 PGA Fall Expo and last year the company was awarded the GolfTest USA "Seal of Excellence" for the superior quality, value and performance of its products. See the gallery for a few of the new designs as well as classic styles and pouches.
If you are -- or long to be -- part of the NYC social and moneyed scene, Quest is a must-read. Distributed around NYC, seemingly for free (though it has a $5 cover price), this sometimes snooty publication tracks the party scene with pages of pages of photos of dressed-up socialites and tuxedoed men, snapped by editor David Patrick Columbia at fetes and charity events. The magazine occasionally has a feature of some depth but mainly has light articles. For Luxist readers who love our "Estate of the Day" feature, Quest's Web site is great -- it is in magazine format and includes ads. That means you can scan ads featuring home listings in NYC, Connecticut, the Hamptons and so on, plus see ads for high-end jewelry, handbags, clothing, shoes, art galleries, luxury home accessories and cultural events. Click once on the page you want to view to make it bigger. You also can subscribe (tab at top of home page) if you want the hard copy ($36/one year/12 issues or $47.97/two years/24 issues).
Tonic Generation offers just one product in many styles (T-shirts) but donates on average 40 percent of its revenue. The organization partners with designers and causes to create limited edition products in these areas: the environment, education, social welfare and poverty. Luella Bartley recently designed four T-shirts with names like Stag, Scary Douglas, Pagan Sun, and Robin. Each has been designed especially for Tonic. Made of a 70-30 bamboo/cotton blend, the fabric does not harm the environment and has been produced according to ethical practices. Tonic is similar to iGive in that you can choose your cause and track your impact. Read the FAQs for more info on how it works!
With "staycations" becoming popular in this tough economy, you might opt to stay in more often and watch a good movie. But as a Luxist reader, you know that we don't mean using on-demand ... instead, we bring you the cool new Epson Ensemble HD Home Cinema System, via Uncrate. Priced from $5,000 - $7,000, this real home theater in a box includes a 100-inch motorized screen, an Epson PowerLite 3LCD projector with either 720p or 1080p resolution, an Atlantic Technology speaker system with a 150-watt sub, an A/V controller with HDMI handling and an upconverting DVD player and a universal remote. This PDF tells you all you need to know, or go here.
Tonic Generation
