by Roberta Murphy

A television on display in a well-appointed master bedroom? Banish the thought!

It is a bedroom appliance never seen in home decor magazines, model homes or in Feng-Shui-directed abodes. At the very least, bedroom televisions are hidden in cabinets because sleeping areas are seen as sacred sanctuaries and spaces. Yet, how many of us watch television while in bed and wish we could totally hide the evidence?

MK1 Studio has been slaving for a decade to develop their underbed Television Lift. According to their site, a 50 inch panel with amplifiers, DVD and VCR players, subwoofer and seven channels of surround sound can be totally concealed beneath a King-sized bed. Queens will accommodate a 42 inch panel with all the same accessories as the King.

How long does it take to deploy? Only 45 seconds from the time you touch the button. Moreover, the screen can be swiveled so that it can be viewed from outside the bed.

Still not a believer? Watch the video:

See the Underbed Lift in action.

by Roberta Murphy 

It is with blushing embarrassment that I admit to still listening to a vintage Sony Jukebox which holds 100 CD’s, and that I bought my own personal i-POD less than two years ago. (Are these confessions allowed in a luxury home blog?) There is hope, though, for audinosaurs such as this writer.

 A couple of week’s ago The Tomato’s Jim Cronin suggested I take a look at the Sonos Digital Music System. He is positively in love with his little Sonos, which can provide the same or different music for each room in his home—and has the capability of expanding to meet his needs.

Aha! A small and superb sound system that can expand from one fortunate room to a Donald Trump manse is worthy of further research. I headed over to CNET Reviews, and discovered spectacular reviews from users who love the  Sonos ZP80 bundle.  They rave about its sexy design, ease of set-up, and the wireless color screen remote which allows the owner full control of music from any room in the home. Moreover, the highly popular and subscription-based Rhapsody is seamlessly integrated into the Sonos system. No PC required! (update: Sonos now supports both i-Tune and Napster subscriptions).This means you can tap into thousands and thousands of songs the moment you turn on your Sonos—whether from your own music files or that of the Rhapsody service.

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by Roberta Murphy

I recall a blustery night in the mountains at Big Bear Lake, when we spent a long evening in our kindly neighbors wine cellar. Rare for Southern California, it was located underground. The comfortable cellar had gorgeous stone walls, comfortable seating and a magnificent mahogany bar. Stacked and buried within this deep paradise were thousands of bottled wines.

A few bottles were ordinary, many were extraordinary and some were reserved only for the Gods.
We were privileged to taste some of each. It was a cellar and a night to remember. But that is a topic for another article. Here we shall focus on wine storage and available solutions.

The smaller and basic wine refrigerators offered as an option by some San Diego home builders and widely available in many stores serve short term needs for wine loving consumers. These are fine for wines that will be enjoyed within a year or two.

For more serious long term storage, you may wish to consider an investment in a larger and more complex unit. Wine refrigeration of this sort will likely offer an aluminum interior for cold conductivity and a pebbled finish for humidity preservation. These higher-end units may also feature wood racks or wood-framed and moveable wire grids.

Choices for wine storage can range from Liebherrs handy wine-fridge-within-a-fridge to the La Cache cherry cabinets for larger collections. The selections and choices are plentiful and many can be seen at the Wine Enthusiast site

And of course, there are always dedicated rooms and cellars for these bottled treasures that invite oenophiles and their friends to relax and share stories in the company of fine wine.

An eye and cork-popping kitchen needs lots of space for chilling out–and intuitive appliance manufacturers are producing ahead of the curve.

The latest refrigerators are wired and interactive, where the cook can watch a cooking show, or refrigerated storage drawers can be switched from fridge to freezer with the flip of a switch. The options are exciting, but the first step in deciding which refrigeration system to choose begins with determining how much cooled space is needed.

How to determine how much refrigeration (sans freezer) is suggested? Multiply the number of people in the household by five, and you will have the number of cubic refrigerated needed for that particular home. If you are a Costco or other warehouse club shopper, you might want to up the multiplier to six–or even seven. On the other hand, if you live near a farmer’s or Whole Foods Market, you may shop daily for your sustenance. In that case, use a multiplier of four.

Who is offering the latest in home refrigerators? Subzero would likely lead the pack with its ($12,000) sleek stainless 3×3 refrigerator and freezer compartments. Thermador would be not far behind with its divisible refrigerator and freezer compartments that can be independently installed throughout the fortunate kitchen. Finally, Samsung enters as a finalist with its side-by-side configuration featuring four compartments, each with its own thermostat.

Need to switch from fridge-to-freezer in a flash? This Samsung beauty allows the two bottom drawers the flexibility to make this switch!

For additional fun and reading, read:
What’s Hot/Not in Homes this Year
The Illuminated Bathtub