Jewelry shopping has already seen a hit this year due to the recession, but nevertheless, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” still holds true. Even Barack Obama will agree with it, and that pretty much explains his choice of gift for his wife, Michelle. The US President-elect has selected a rare £20,000 gold ring made by Italian designer Giovanni Bosco for his wife to say “thanks for your support.” The Harmony ring is made of rhodium and encrusted with diamonds. A spokesman at Giovanni Bosco said: “Our American distributor has contacted us and has asked us to provide details on the Harmony ring. It is our top of the range piece and made from rhodium and encrusted with diamonds. Our agent in the United States was asked by Mr. Barack Obama about the ring because he wants it as a thank you gift for his wife Michelle for her support the last two years.”

Via: DailyMail/Luxist

Appearances are always deceptive, in that what we see isn’t always how it’s meant to be. Similarly, this speaker setup made in glass isn’t at all fragile like the glass itself. Made in heat-resistant glass cones, the $167,500 (16 million yen) “Harion” speakers are break-resistant. Made by Japan’s glass maker Hario and 23 different subcontractors, the beautiful speaker setup is composed of two mid-range speakers, a central speaker, couple of tweeters and a sub woofer. The hand-crafted speaker setup took three years and eight months to actually become the glass wonder that it is, and could take a little longer to break. So you rich nerds out there don’t try breaking it, for it’s going to break your pocket, but put it there in your abode for the endless reign instead. And, if you aren’t of the ones who appreciate listening to music, try the Hario fully functional $3500 glass violin then, and play that expensive music yourself.

Via: 3Yen

Holiday season is perhaps the time when people don’t mind digging deep into their pockets to buy gifts for their family and friends. With Christmas around the corner, the BC Liquor Store is all set to vend off its limited edition bottles of Remy Martin Louis XIII Black Pearl that will make your Christmas celebrations come alive. Priced at $35,000, the Cognac will be available at the 39th and Cambie Street outlet, Canada. The extremely limited edition liquor bottle is wrapped in a special case, keeping the oozing treasure safe and intact. And why not, as it’s gonna be the most expensive bottle of brandy sold by the BC Liquor Stores. Christmas is always big, so make it LARGE this time.

Via: FinancialPost

 The economy is in doldrums but that doesn’t mean there is any limitation to living off well like there’s no tomorrow. So, even when the most expensive estates are going down on their listings at reduced prices there are gentleman like this Great Dane owner who has recently splurged a staggering £250,000 approx. $3,82,213 for a doghouse complete with spa and plasma TV for his pampered pocchies in his estate near Cirencester in Gloucestershire. The world’s most expensive kennel has been commissioned by a lady surgeon at the exclusive 550-acre Lower Mill Estate on the Cotswolds Water Park, near Cirencester. And, it features temperature-controlled beds with sheepskin linen, automatic dispensers, climate-controlled environment, an 18in-deep spa, a £150,000 sound system and a 52-inch plasma TV. The two dogs will each have a bedroom with large windows which overlook their own private playground. ‘Dog-vision’ webcams allow their owner to monitor their pets. There will be a sophisticated retina scanner installed at the front door to stop the envying neighboring pets from intruding. 

DailyMail reports, “Plans for the kennel, and for an adjoining house for the dogs’ mistress, have been approved and building work is to begin at the Lower Mill Estate in the spring”. The owner of the estate said, “the house and kennel were designed to the specifications of a female surgeon who wishes to remain anonymous”. So, if you have been planning to keep a low-key affair this Christmas then this might motivate you to raise a toast even in these hard times.

Pimping up roadsters with gold and other precious stones has become a trend these days. And Robert Espinoza is the man this time who has completely revamped his Pura Onda, the pure-bred ‘64 Chevy Impala SS. Pura Onda is a three-time World of Wheels champion, Super Chevy national champion and Grand National Rocky Mountain champion. The championship car was banned from competition by Lowrider Events in 2001, after it reached its limit of Sweepstakes wins. Now, the redone Impala SS reminds you of gold and just gold. Everything in the car, from the woofer magnets to the seat brackets, has been given the gold treatment. The roof is done with right amount of gold foil and pin striping. If you take a look under the vehicle, you will find that 90 percent of the parts are dipped in gold.

Pura Onda is an eternal piece of art and lowriding history. We have no idea about the money gone into the revamp of this head-turner, but we do know one thing, that it’s done with gold.

The latest offering from the house of Geneva Lab is worth some space here. The new GenevaSound Home Theater in black offers a simple, elegant and integrated home theater experience. Combining a theater sound system and a TV stand, the new GenevaSound has a piano-lacquered wooden cabinet that will complement the decor of every modern living room. Moreover, the system eliminates clutter and complexity as all the audio and furniture needed for home theater has been integrated into one streamlined sideboard of thick, hand-lacquered wood. Other salient features include 2.1 surround sound with Embracing Sound DSP technology, an all-digital 700-Watt amplifier, seven speakers, a 12-inch subwoofer, an integrated iPod/iPhone dock, a radio receiver and a CD player. Hook up your iPhone or iPod to the GenevaSound and get ready for the ultimate in the home theater experience. Yours for $3,999!

Via: Unplggd/GenevaLab

Ramon Soler, a pioneer in the world of the bathroom fixtures, has an amazing shower that gives the users all the benefits of HydroChromotherapy, combining water, sound, light and color. The Hidrocom shower touts a flow of just 12 liters per minute, with complete HydroChromotherapy programmes. These less-than-two minutes’ programmes can be repeated as often you wish to. There are three chromotherapy programmes, including Wellness, Anti-Aging and Play Bath. The bathing experience gets even better as the users will be able to listen to the radio or their much loved tracks. The included smart touchpad helps you operate the Hidrocom system with the utmost ease. Based on scientific color theory, the Hidrocom shower has varied mood lighting options that make for the perfect balance, harmony and wellbeing.

Via: Trendir

Living in a luxury treehouse certainly brings out the child in you again. Now, the New Zealand Yellow Pages are building a restaurant that is 10 meters up on a redwood tree. A dinner at this tree-restaurant will be a totally fascinating experience. Presently under construction on a site north of Auckland, the design of the restaurant is taken care of by Pacific Environments Architects. This treehouse concept gives an expression of childhood dreams and fairy tales. The inspiration for the project comes from nature itself – from the chrysalis/cocoon safeguarding the emerging butterfly/moth. A 60m tree-top walkway helps you reach the restaurant. The restaurant has ample space for 18 seating people and staff and it comes complete with a bar. Kitchen facilities and toilets are at the ground level.

The acrylic sheeting fixed to the roof under the fins ensures protection from tough weather conditions. The stylish lighting within the walkway and up-lighting within the tree house sets the perfect mood for the visitors. More pics after the jump.

Maingear Computers, manufacturer of high performance custom computers, has launched the next generation of luxury gaming PCs – the F131 and ePhex. These rigs are now powered by Intel’s Core i7/ i7 Extreme Edition Processor. Wallace Santos, CEO and founder of the firm, said that this revolutionary new chip is going to change the way people look at multitasking. Customers will enjoy high definition video, 3D and gaming to its fullest with these machines. The two systems benefit from the ability to take on games with HyperThreading support across 8 cores. Both of them share almost the same specs, including Intel X58/ICH10R platform and up to 12GB of high performance Low Latency Triple Channel DDR3 memory. While the ePhex comes with NVIDIA 3-Way SLI or ATI Quad CrossFire X Support, the F131 features NVIDIA SLI or ATI Quad CrossFire X Support. Pricing for the F131 performance PC and the ePhex luxury gaming PCS starts at $1,999 and $2,999 respectively.

Via: PRWeb/Maingear

If you have always dreamed of a customized, ultra high-tech, inviting and luxurious home theater, here is a treat for your eyes. There is a fine line between home theater and design marvel. We have seen some truly incredible home theater setups in the past, and today we are here with a list of the 12 most luxurious home theaters. Watching movies takes on a whole new level in these luxurious home theaters. Let’s not waste any time and take a look at these magnificent and lavish home theater setups...

12) Pirate-themed Home Theater

What happens when a hardcore Pirates of the Caribbean fan visits Disneyland? He goes home and builds a home theater just like a movie set from Pirates of the Caribbean. That is exactly what Paul Konold has done; he converted his home theater into an all new experience room. The home theater has its arched walls painted with murals from the Disney “Pirates” experience. The entire project is a DIY, with Paul spending about $30,000 to make it a resounding success. More here.

11) Titanic home theater

A Tennessee couple docked a Titanic replica in their high-end home theater. The 20-by-14-foot theater comes equipped with a custom-made 120-inch screen and Tru Audio surround-sound speakers entrenched in the room’s pillars and ceiling. The ceiling is actually a flamboyant dome that flaunts 1,230 fiber optic light strands to enrich you with a night-sky-like experience. More here.

10) Indiana Jones-themed home theater

A small number of torches, an idol and a little technology helped turn this Indiana Jones-themed room into theater quality. Although the setup doesn’t tout very impressive AV gear, it does feature the Nazi-loving monkey from the original Raiders of the Lost Ark, a gold idol, a 1/2 scale ark from Raiders, and replicas from Last Crusade, such as the Grail, and a set including an Indy-ish jacket, hat, whip and torches. The A/V equipment includes Lutron’s Grafik Eye system for theater lighting. It has a big screen, NEC’s HT1000 projector and custom painting. Prop replicas from the Indiana Jones movies are there throughout this modded home theater. More here.

9) Cyberdyne Cinema home theater

Here comes a Terminator-inspired home theater setup dubbed Cyberdyne Cinema. Darren Mortenson, the fellow behind the incredible theater setup, has designed it to look like a sci-fi set, which features variety of pieces from both sci-fi and horror film genres. Most of the equipment is placed on glass shelving within the recessed A/V shelving at the front of the theater, which gets obscured when the gargantuan 159-inch Da-Lite screen is activated. Other than the Terminator connection, the room also features a life-sized Darth Vader, letters from Viggo Mortensen (Aragon from the The Lord of the Rings trilogy), and other memorabilia. More here.

8) Italian-styled Golden home theater

This Italian-styled Golden home theater was commissioned by Kim Banducci and custom installed by Future Home of Los Angeles, California. Banducci, without any prior knowledge of interior designing, planned all of her home’s interiors from top to bottom. Attention has been given to every single detail of this elegant private screening room outside of Los Angeles. She reincarnated the memories of her Italian honeymoon, grand villas and duomos while designing the ceiling of bronze, brown, taupe and gold. The looks of the custom theater are so simplistic with its monochromatic color palette and minimalist add-ons. No word on how much money was put into the whole project, but the upshot is really a classic. More here.

7) Star Trek Home Theater

Fantastic details and designs! This anonymous owner seems to be one big sci-fi buff. The owners originally thought of having a traditional home theater, but when Jay Miller, president of Acoustic Innovations, noticed that their client was a collector of vintage video games, he came up with one neat idea. The upshot was a theater, bar and ready room, measuring a total of 70-by-22 feet. Jeff Hoover, dream maker and president of Audio Advisors, said that the sci-fi theater has motion-activated air-lock doors with series sound effects, and a Red Alert button on the Crestron TPMC-10 controller.More here.

6) Batcave Theater

This is for the Batman fans. The client in the case of the Batcave Home Theater was a retired naturalist. The Batcave theater features 8 motorized black leather recliner, Stewart Filmscreen 110″ Electriscreen, Sony G90 Projector, Pioneer DV79 DVD Player, Crestron STX-1700 Control System, Crestron STX-1700 Control System, and a horde of other high-tech equipment. More here.

5) Nautilus home theater

The Nautilus home theater was created to bear a resemblance to the interior of the submarine of the same name from Jules Verne’s classic novel “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.” To avoid simply copying from the 1954 Disney adaptation, Dallas-based architect Michael Malone worked himself on Verne’s original vision of Victorian opulence. Working in tandem with custom integration specialist Audio by Design, the Nautilus Theater is fully automated using a custom AMX control system. More here.

4) Five-in-One home theater

This one is a state-of-the-art home theater built by builder Aaron Vitale of Vital Building & Enterprises in his own home. The striking feature is a 35-by-45-foot theater space that rocks a large 144-inch Draper screen that fetches video from a high-definition Sharp projector capable of 720p and 1080i resolution. Two Paradigm Signature S8 tower speakers and two Paradigm 15-inch subwoofers can be spotted behind the fabric grilles and to the sides of plasma screens. Interestingly, there is not a rack of power amplifiers, but just one B&K AVR507 S2 audio/video receiver that pumps out 150 watts per channel. The cost of all this flawless gadgetry is nearly $100,000. More here.

3) Goldmund’s million-dollar high-tech home theater

A Goldmund home theater is not about gold and crystals, but craftsmanship. Their equipment shares simplistic European styling. Let’s take a look at what Mark Rosen’s ultra-luxe home theater is composed of. His luxe system includes a Mimesis 24 Universal Preamplifier, Eidos 36D Universal Player, four Telos 2500 Universal Mono Amplifier, Epilogue 1 Satellite Speaker Pair, Epilogue 2 Woofer Section Pair, Epilogue 1&2 Frame Assembly, Logos 1 Active Speaker Pair, Logos Foot Stand Pair, Goldmund Speaker Cable(x4), Goldmund Power Cords(x8), and Lineal Digital Audio Cable (x7). The total system cost arrives at a whopping $497,093. All of Goldmund’s ingeniously engineered audio components are made in Geneva labs. More here.

2) In-house Cinema

The gaudy setup at a house in Austin, Texas, touts 24-karat gold gilding details, hand embroidered fabric seats and genuine antique candle holders. The magnificent CAT/MBX speaker system hides behind fabric grilles chosen to pass sound well and to complement the decor. They have used the Crestron touchscreen to bring down the lights and fire up the home theater system. The theater hosts an amazing set of 24 12-inch subwoofers. The main equipment cabinet is concealed behind a set of curtains in the back right corner and stores the brains of the home theater system - the multi-room audio system, and the home automation system-five racks of gear. The cost of all this unblemished gadgetry sits at a cool $3.4 million. More here.

1) $6 Million Home Theater from Jeremy Kipnis

The music engineer, producer, classical music lover and now the creator of a gigantic home theater system, Jeremy Kipnis sure knows his entertainment. His latest home entertainment offering is not only filthy posh, it’s actually quite a bargain for $6 million. The list of key components is so long that it gets hard to describe each and every one. In short, the Jeremy Kipnis’ home theater looks to be the Big Daddy of custom home theater setups. More here.