A Blessing for Your Beloved's Feet

I can't believe I missed this one. As you know, I love the bling and the glitz, so what could make me happier than Swarovski Crystal flooring and 24 carat gold cork mosaic? These luxury floors were featured in the Designers Corner at the DOMOTEX 2008 show in Dubai at the end of May.
As I'm still speechless I give you Elite Choice's breathtaking review:

Colors indicate one’s mood and add to this the touch of bling to witness a beguiling upshot. The case in point is well exemplified by the latest offering of Swarovski-Crystal carpeting and 24k gold cork mosaic at DOMOTEX Middle East 2008 in the ‘Designers Corner.’ This seems to be the come-back of reigning days of Moghuls and Emperors, who can’t compromise but to have a filthy-rich lifestyle. Installing this gold-bathed flooring would enlighten your sense and bring warmth to your abode. I strongly believe that this opulent offering is not everyone’s cake as would tune well with the manors feeding guests with gold or silver spoon. Feel free to give your wild imagination a shape that maintains the durability of this flooring. It would surely be a blessing for your beloved’s feet.

24 carats too late

I just ordered the smokey grey veined tiles for the downstairs bath; special order so I have to use them. And now I see these 24-karat Gold & Platinum tiles from Design Tale Studio. If only I'd waited a day! And it would have gone beautifully with that gold and diamond Teknobili faucet I mentioned last month.
This is a limited edition of 150 and and according to the website it's priced at only 1,700 euros or $2,651 (the exchange rate is a killer right now). Do you think that's for a 12"x24" tile? I'm afraid to ask. Just imagine how impressed your guests will be when they see you used that one accent tile!
It's not happening in my little powder room, though. I prefer to wear my gold, not decorate my house with it.
via Trendir

What downturn in the housing market?

Carol Polsky, the journalist who wrote the story on our house for Newsday has written another article on home renovation. But this time, we are talking extreme luxury. It seems that more people are discovering that one $100,000+ kitchen just isn't enough. There is a trend towards second kitchens in high-end homes - that's one for the family and one for the caterers! And guess which kitchen will have the more expensive cabinetry.
Check out the article here.

Custom Copper Shower

The Expo catalogue arrived yesterday and fell open at the bathroom page, and there was something I'd never seen before, never even knew existed: a copper shower.

It spoke to me enough to make me tear up the plans for the master bath and install copper instead. Before I go down that route, though, several things occur to me: Wouldn't the copper get too warm for comfort if you're taking a long hot shower? How do you clean a copper shower? What stops it turning blue? How much would a 48"x36" beauty cost? What would Greg the Plumber say?

A bit of research later and I had the answers to some of my questions, the cost starts just shy of $3000. And there is a no-tarnish option. But...... will it fit in with my cool house? What other fixtures (towel rail, toilet holder etc) and tiles would look right with it?
So many questions. Here are a couple more: Has anyone seen a copper shower in real life? Better still , has anyone got one?