Archive for the 'Luxury Indulgences' Category
Luxury Home Management: Ask for the Butler
The Butler is back in demand-and in short supply.
The worlds growing number of plutocrats with their enormous mansions and expansive lifestyles are actively seeking household managers to oversee the care of their luxury homes and lifestyles. These enormous residences require ongoing care, along with coordination of property and grounds service providers ranging from pool service technicians, to dog groomers and trainers, to maids, gardeners and arborists.
Contemporary butlers, or Household Managers as many are called today, are better educated than their historic peers. Todays servant is likely to possess accounting, computer, and technology skills along with knowledge of property maintenance, home entertainment, menus, cooking, clothing care, and the ability to attend to the care of antiques, fine china, silver, art, automobiles, home and personal security, communications and a score of others details.
A college degree might be helpful, as would specific training in Household Management. One of the better-known butler training programs would be that offered by the Starkey International Institute for Household Management in Denver, Colorado.
Benefits of employment in this home management field might include free room and board at the luxury residence, possible travel, and annual salaries that range from around $70,000 to over $200,000.
A tip of the top hat to Robert Frank and The Wall Street Journal.
You may also wish to read:
Variable Range Pricing for Homes
Easy Feng Shui Tips for the Luxury Home
read comments (4)Aviara’s Argyle: A Restaurant for Four Seasons
The Argyle Steakhouse at the Aviara Four Seasons Resort in Carlsbad, CA has been a favorite with golfers, locals and visitors since it first opened in 1991. The views over Aviaras Arnold Palmer signature course and the beautiful Batiquitos Lagoon provide additional year round ambience to what is already a very wonderful restaurant. Until December, 2006 the Argyle served only breakfasts and lunches.
It is now much more.
The Argyle had long been a personal favorite for leisurely weekend breakfasts and relaxed business lunches. But now, since 
December, 2006, the Argyle has the added disctinction of being the only chop house in Carlsbad serving dinner with views over Aviara golf and Batiquitos Lagoon sunsets. Soft jazz floats through the dining room, furnished with red leather-topped tables complemented with offerings of Hawaiian red sea salt and Laguiole steak knives.
The new evening menu, created by Chef Kurtis Habecker, offers a variety of fine seafood and fowl, with a primary focus of beef from noted sources, including the highly-marbled American version of Kobe beef named Wagyu. Side dishes are delightfully traditional and a wickedly decadent dessert menu is available for the courageous. There is also an extensive complementary wine list.
Lunches range from $12 to $25 and dinners from $25 to $78.
The Argyle at The Four Seasons at Aviara is located at 7447 Batiquitos Drive, Carlsbad, CA and reservations may be made by calling 760 603 6908.
Luxurious Intuitive Homes
Peering into the future, it is nice to imagine a home that is smart in every sense–and inviting to all.
Sunset Magazine and Popular Science recently team-conceived the Idea House, the House of Innovation , in Alamo, California. This intelligent $5 + million home provides a trajectory of design and technologies that will end up in homes of tomorrow. It is loaded with sustainable materials and innovative ideas. This Idea House has drywall that is paperless and prefinished plank hardwood flooring that locks into place for fast, glueless and nail-free installation.
What do we like best?
- Air quality filtration system systems that filter particles down to one micron.
- Windows that turn translucent with the flip of a switch.
- Wine vault that maintains a bar-scanned inventory of both wines stored and wines comsumed.
- Family Center (just off the kitchen) with informal dining table invites gatherings, homework, projects and snacks.
- Kitchen as a news-gathering center and meeting spot. Web-accessed security monitoring views the entrance path, pool and patio areas. There is a family computer in the corner and a dedicated counter-mounted computer dedicated to foods.ot
- Robotics that vacuum the carpeting, mop the floors and mow the lawn. (Can you say FUN???)
Trends in decor?
- As a counter-balance to the high tech functionality of the home, nature inspired hues dominate throughout. Look for colors ranging from tawny summer yellows to taupey jute to deep sunset purple.
- A return to dining rooms that are visually separated from the kitchen, tied together by dark hand-hewn floors.
- Bringing the outside in and vice versa. Look for enormous glass doors that slide inconspicuously into the wall, turning the great room into an extension of the rear garden. The garden, in turn, offers casual seating and additional room for entertaining.
- In the master suite, look for vanity mirrors mounted above translucent windows to provide for private natural lighting.
It is a worthwhile journey to go through both sites and see for yourself this remarkable home! Unfortunately, it is no longer for sale and has been sold. It was listed by Peggy Cortez with Alain Pinel Realtors and closed just before Thanksgiving to an undisclosed buyer. The 6500 square foot luxury home was offered at a price close to $5.3 million and exchanged hands for an amount reported by the agent to be close to the asking price.
Sleeping under the Stars
by: Roberta Murphy
in the luxury of your own bed and awakening to blue skies and scattered clouds.
Sounds like heaven to me.
And it might be a reality for a luxury camper, or someone clever enough to commission magical artwork from a talented artist such as Rip Read.
Sleeping under the stars is now a possibility because StarMurals Startist, Rip Read, has returned to Southern California from his sojourn in Cabo San Lucas. The only artist in the world creating these amazing effects, Rip has now introduced his new Day & Night murals that are an ideal enhancement to the sleeping area(s) of the luxury home, yacht or one-of-a-kind luxury passenger jet. Or how about bed and breakfasts, childrens rooms and living areas? The possibilities are limitless.
The Day & Night Sky is Rips original design: A beautiful blue sky and clouds by day that transforms to a clear desert or mountain starlit sky that glows subtly all night. The stars are invisible by day (just like the real thing), and then come to life at night with thousands of hand painted stars that bear Rips signature twinkling and movement effects.
All of Rip Reads starry skies have this element of œmovement resulting from his five-dimensional painting process. The results allow one to rest in bed and have that delicious sense that the ceiling has been removed revealing a clear and starry night sky beyond.
Rip Read is a self-taught artist and former entertainer. His enduring fascination with astronomy and art and extensive research into painting technologies, have resulted in a remarkable technique and process that accurately mimics the real night sky as it might be seen in ideal conditions.
Rip Read can be reached, seen and heard via his website or:
Ofc: 310.691.2359
Cell: 310.498.5778
Email: rip@starmurals.com
For additional reading about terrific products, ideas and luxury home finishes, read:
Gotta-Haves for Luxury Homes
The Snoring Room
The Cooktop That Cannot be Ignored
Totally Hide the Bedroom TV
Switchable Mirror Glass Windows
Sonos: The Expandable Sound System
Haute Refrigerators for Cool Kitchens
The Venetian Plaster Master
What is a Luxury Home?
Yoga at the Chopra Center
I have staked out early mornings as time for myself.
No real estate clients, no family, no phones, no intrusions. That slice of time belongs to me. Six mornings a week, in the cool, quiet hours before dawn, I arise, shower and head down the hill to the La Costa Resort and Spa for an hour or so of yoga and meditation. It is more than the ritual; it is the place.
Behind La Costas gated entry is the healing and energizing haven that has become dear to my heart: The Chopra Center. Seven days a week, the center holds early 
morning yoga and meditiation classes that are also repeated as evening classes certain days of the week.
In addition to a menu of treatments, the center also dedicates about three weeks of each month to their Perfect Health program. Designed by Deepak Chopra MD and David Simon, MD, this weeklong program is keyed to individual needs and includes:
- Primordial Sound Meditation
- Daily yoga classes
- Daily Group Meditation
- Customized Ayurvedic massage treatments
- Nutritional plans and guidance
- Panchakarma Detox and cleansing therapies
- Mind-Body medical consultation
- To to rest, rejuvenate and be a friend to your Self.
I have had the opportunity to meet a number of Perfect Health participants. Most said the experience was one of the most powerful ones of their lives. One dentist said it was the best thing he had ever done for himself.
For additional information, visit the Chopra website or call 888 736 6895.
