Monday, May 21, 2012

SPECIAL SERIES: The Beds and Bedrooms of the Richie-Riches (part 4)

This time I thought I would do a fun post with a tiny satirical note on a theme that is - of course - about beds and bedrooms again. The title says "The Bedrooms of the Richy-Riches" and its all about spending money not about style and taste...

Why not decorate an apartment like this -  a luxurious apartment in St. Petersburg designed by Igor Gremitsky, located in St. Petersburg, in the style of the Rococo era?
According to Wikipedia Rococo is...
"...an 18th-century artistic movement and style, which affected several aspects of the arts including painting, sculpture, architecture, interior design, decoration, literature, music and theatre. The Rococo developed in the early part of the 18th century in Paris, France as a reaction against the grandeur, symmetry and strict regulations of the Baroque, especially that of the Palace of Versailles. In such a way, Rococo artists opted for a more jocular, florid and graceful approach to Baroque art and architecture. Rococo art and architecture in such a way was ornate and made strong usage of creamy, pastel-like colours, asymmetrical designs, curves and gold. Unlike the more politically focused Baroque, the Rococo had more playful and often witty artistic themes. With regards to interior decoration, Rococo rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs, and wall paintings." 
So the livingroom as below, designed by Igor Gremitsky, might be the modern and slightly wacky version of  a Rococo style room:


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In the same style you can also find a luxurious kid's bedroom. I try to imagine what would happen if one of the kids who could live here gets hold of crayons and starts her/his creative juices newly on the walls (as my little sister did with our bedroom right after it had been newly wallpapered) - my Dad was not amused...

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In comparison the following bedrooms are a bit more decent although gold has been used in abundance here also which seems to be symptomatic of this kind of interior design:

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And then I came across these - from the website of an "Entrepreneur, Furniture Designer, Artist, Website Designer, Writer, Adventurer" as he says of himself on his website: Glenn Keith Madden, born in South Carolina and living currently in Indonesia. His company's furniture is all hand carved from solid wood.

Would this bed fulfil your dreams?

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In addition you could add this throne to complement your imagination of pure luxury and royal sublimeness...


Or would this bed rather complement your lifestyle...?

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And how about this bed? It is called the "Avatar Bed"...

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Or would you prefer to sleep in the bed of the "Conquerer"? To be honest I did not imagine that you could buy a bed such as the one below and who would actually buy this? Amazing...

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Now to some more bedroom designs and beds of the "unusual" kind....

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What would you say to a Cosmovoide Bed for ridiculous $60,000? This bed has twin electric relaxation bed frames (whatever that means), rainbow colored LEDs, a telephone, and a DVD system with a TV at its foot:


Here is another futuristic bed that comes in vibrant red besides other colours: the Sphere bed from Karim Rashid for piffling $50,000. This Sphere bed has a 32 inch colored television, covered LED florescent canopy-top lights, a champagne holder, a mirror at the back, plus all the comforts that every bed offers. (from Better Homes):



The warning "do not show this to your kids" seems very reasonable to me because this fantasy coach bed is available for $47,000 only. It is made from wood and fibre glass and looks to have come straight out of a fairytale. This bed is every little princess’s dream. (from Better Homes)


And what do you say about one of the world's most expensive bed with a price that can reach over $210,000 which puts it right away into this category - available only for...?
"Furniture designer Abdolhay Parnian treats his furniture like works of art and it shows in the final product. It’s taken him two years to design this bed and I think you’ll agree that it was well worth the wait." (read more)


But there are more expensive options. F.e. the Jado Steel Style Gold Bed for $675,000!!! This bed is coated in 24 carat gold and features Swarovski crystals along the sideboard. This has to be the most expensive waterbed ever!

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Do you think this was it?? Be prepared to look at a bed that costs 1.8 Million US$. Yes, 1.8 Million Dollar.

It is probably the most futuristic bed you have ever seen, this magnetic floating bed. "Designed by architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars from the Netherlands, the 900 kilogram bed is kept afloat by powerful magnets. Just in case it tries to take off, the bed is tied by wires to the wall." (from Better Homes)


Ha - but this is still not the end of the list of superlatives. Here finally comes the most expensive bed in the world, a Baldacchino supreme for $6.3 million.
"At the price of $6.3 million this is the most expensive bed in the world. Created by none other than Stuart Hughes, the man who seems to want to make everything the ‘most expensive’. Hand carved from ash wood and chestnut wood, with the canopy’s edges in cherry wood, the 107 kg of 24 carat gold inlay work has added to the gob smacking price. The fabric is Italian silk and cotton; the headboard can be customised with diamond buttons (at an extra cost of course!). No wonder only two were made." (source)


Would this be your perception of a "beachhouse"?  Located near Stockholm this is in fact a property with a private beach.

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In the very same house you would find bedrooms such as this one:

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Here are some more examples of how the other part of the society sleeps:

GEORGE V Private Royal Suite
spaces design by interior designer STRAIGHTLINE Interiors

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Why I added this bedroom you may ask. But yes, you are looking at the bedroom of the most expensive 1-bedroom appartment in the world:
"Listed at a cool 1.8 billion yen ($21.8 million USD), the Sifter’s jaw dropped when the listing stated an apartment called The House, in the exclusive Minami-Azabu district of Tokyo (the most expensive neighbourhood in Tokyo), was a 4,434 square foot (411.932 sq m) 1-Bedroom apartment.
At a mind-boggling $4,920.75 per square foot, the Sifter challenges you to find a more expensive 1-bedroom apartment for sale..."(read more)
Apparently a 2 story penthouse in Monaco was sold for only 305 million $ by an Arab Sheikh. Also this bedroom looks amazingly decent in consideration of the price for the whole penthouse.

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Another bedroom from the very same appartment looks even more decent. So the "justification" for the incredible price of this penthouse may be the location rather than a precious interior...

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Of course there are a series of extravagant rooms and bedrooms which are populated by the vips of the film and music branch. It may be nothing new to hear about the preferred style of Mariah Carey which would do justice to any royal diva:


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To be continued at another time...
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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

GUEST POST: Fire Glass

Here is a very interesting guest post by Emily Micucci about Fire Glass. This is an intriguing way to add some magic to your garden or terrace and add some alternative lighting:

Fire Glass


In my opinion, the best way to furnish a gas fire pit or table is not with faux logs or lava, but with decorative fire glass. Smooth fire glass beads, designed to withstand white hot temperatures, electrify the scene in your outdoor living space. You’ll introduce a vibrant pop of color, or an iridescent pool of crystals, depending on the hue you choose.

Assuming you already have a fire feature to fill with fire glass, you can get right to the fun stuff. Choose a fire glass retailer that offers advice on how much you’ll need, as well as detailed product information. Often, fire glass retailers will give you criteria for calculating exactly how much glass you’ll need, based on the size of your fire pit or fire place. This is ideal, since you don’t want to order more than you need.

Next, make sure you choose a color that will have the most impact on the setting. Here is a beautiful example from Houzz.com. The cobalt blue is so striking.

Japanese Cottage modern landscape

For a coastal retreat, I prefer a more pastel look—something that emulates the color of water.


Of course, you can always take the neutral route. White, silver or gold create a glowing ambiance perfect for virtually any setting. I love the sparkling gold set-up shown in this photo, courtesy of firepitglassrocks.com.

Fire glass lasts for years without losing its luster, so even if you’re not convinced by these gorgeous examples, look at it from a practical standpoint. It’s always beautiful, never cheesy, and looks like a lake on fire when you flip on your gas fire pit!

By Emily Micucci, my firepits.com

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Thank you, Emily, for this lovely post.
Here are some more pics about fire places of this kind because I find them very inspirational:


Japanese Cottage modern landscape

Japanese Cottage modern landscape

Fire pit and spa modern pool

Coastal Influence mediterranean patio

Hookah Room mediterranean patio
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Now look at this view:


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And for indoor use:

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