Guide to fab decor

Redecorating your home! You went to the best of showrooms, picked up furniture and furnishings. But still that feeling of great ambiance, that smell of luxury is missing and you cannot figure out why.
Let’s see. First impression is very important. Luxury is an experience which conspires to seduce your senses. The tag of being expensive, making it a luxury is a bygone era. What was luxury yesterday is a necessity today, hence making luxury subjective to individuals. None-the-less “living a luxury life” will transform your imagination to opulence and elegance. Luxury home is not just a big space with good amenities, it is a sum total of dedicated services to every need that sets apart luxury homes from others and transform the lifestyle.

So start with your entrance door and let it make a statement. Entrance door speaks a lot about the person staying in the home. Entrance door should definitely be tough with good withstanding to rain, scorching sun and intruders but yet it should be elegant enough to make a first impression. The main door can be done in wood, or veneered or even being in metal. But it has to offer a certain amount of resistance to the wear and tear. Choose the handle and hinges which describe the aura of the home. It is always advisable to extend the design of the chawkhat on the walls by wooden paneling or stone cladding, so that the door gives a larger and louder image. Even a contemporary minimalistic house should have an inviting, versatile and beautiful door. As you enter a house, luxury is described both visually, aromatically and audible distinctly. The dark wooden flooring with silk rugs, a luxurious couch, with overfilled cushions, an interesting light fixtures are all picture perfect for a peaceful abode. Just a few simple steps would add that extra tint of luxury:-



Add flowers to get freshness into the home. They add unmatchable beauty and liveliness and are soothing both visually and aromatically.

Candles specially aromatic ingrain in memory and add an associate to the experience of pleasantness. Besides being inexpensive, candles are stunning.
w Lighting plays a make or break role in the interiors. Besides artificial lights, sunlight is important for the spirit of the room. Adding dimmers to light where ever possible is an economical way to change the mood of the room.

Colours are known to have a profound effect on human mood. The neutral tones inspired by nature is a safer choice for luxury interiors.

The mattresses is an essential part of your bedroom. Add extra cushions and pillows to your bed in various sizes. The number of cushions in all cases make the bed look welcoming. Buy bed sheets which are soft and appropriate to your mattresses size. The best choice is white or soft pastels. Soft rugs placed besides your bed have two added advantages. Besides making the room look warm, they act like an insulation between your cold feet and the cold floor.
A decluttered clean look is visually pleasing. Keep all the clothes, books in their proper places.

For your bathrooms, invest in the oversized plush towels. If possible add a towel warmer as the feeling of warm towel after the bath can only be felt and not described.

Source: asianage.com

Bentley’s life in luxury’s fast lane means 200 mph

Some cars seem bigger than life, and the Bentley Continental GT Speed is one. Behind the graceful winged B badge on the nose sits a twin-turbo W-12 engine that cranks out 616 horsepower and drives this deliciously beautiful coupe through all four wheels to a top track speed of 205 mph. It’s a supercar with traditional British luxury, but without the flash of a Lamborghini or Ferrari.

In spite of its twin-turbo power, this Bentley can be used every day, although I did feel a bit silly taking it to the supermarket. All-wheel drive gives it outstanding traction that I sampled during a recent snow. Equipped with winter tires, the car scrambled through the snow like it was dry pavement.

The Continental GT Speed, with a sticker price of $229,340, is the second-most expensive car I’ve ever driven, exceeded only by the Rolls-Royce Wraith. Thanks to the good folks at the U.S. office of Bentley Motors for trusting me with it for a week.

Bentley is a British company with a proud performance history. W.O. Bentley built his first car in 1919. Autocar magazine reviewed that car and said, “For the man who wants a true sporting type of lightbodied car for use on a Continental tour, the three-liter Bentley is undoubtedly the car par excellence.” Those words would be just as fitting today as they were then, and they were the inspiration for Bentley using the Continental name. The Volkswagen Group took ownership of Bentley in 1998.

Mash the throttle and the W-12 responds with a rush as constant as water from a fire hose. The thrust feels endless, given the fact that the GT Speed whooshes to 60 mph in 4 seconds and continues to the vaunted 200 mph mark. It buzzes the highway like a low-flying personal jet, and anything less than triple digits feels like slow motion. One of my friends described the acceleration as that of a carnival ride.

COURTESY PHOTO COURTESY PHOTO The engine was created by merging two narrow-angle V-6 engines on to a common crankcase. The four rows of three cylinders loosely resemble a W.

Fuel economy is rated at 13 mpg in the city and 20 on the highway and requires a one-time $1,700 gas-guzzler tax. I averaged 16 mpg in mixed city and highway driving. The transmission is an eight-speed automatic that can be shifted manually.

Open the door and you’re greeted with white-letter gauges, glittering chrome trim, quilted leather, cross-stitching on the leather steering wheel and knurled chrome surfaces on everything you touch. You sink down into the car like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes. The smallish side windows, big dash and center console give asked if she should wear pearls. I laughingly suggested a mink. When I dropped by her house, she came out wearing a big smile and her mother’s mink collar. At the end of our ride, she left the mink in the car for others.

The Continental GT is also available with a 500-horsepower V-8, an engine that is likely to be popular because it consumes less fuel but provides performance only a few ticks slower than the W-12.

Putting more than 600 horsepower to the pavement requires a suspension designed expressly for the task, and brakes that are more than a match for the engine and the car’s 5,115 pounds. The Speed’s front disc brakes, nearly 16 inches in diameter, looked as big as pizza platters behind the delicate 21-inch wheels, but they erased speed with incredible ease. Carbon ceramic brakes are optional.

The Speed sits slightly lower than the standard GT, and the suspension has more aggressive tuning. The ride, even in Sport mode, is surprisingly compliant, given the low-profile tires. On the highway, the car glides, yet never floats.

The backseat is tiny, with very little legroom, but I had friends who did squeeze in for a short distance.

¦ Price: The base price was $217,000. Options included contrasting stitching, carbon fiber dash panels, red brake calipers, a rearview camera, heated steering wheel, valet key and leather on the shift paddles. The gas-guzzler tax was $1,700. The sticker price was $229,340.

Luxury lifestyle firm moves to bigger premises in Northampton

Luxury lifestyle retailer The White Company has announced it is relocating to a new warehousing and distribution centre in Northampton. 

The company is moving from Brackmills Industrial Estate to larger premises at Aviva Investor’s Swan Valley Distribution Park - also home to brewery giants Carlsberg - due to continued business expansion.
It has taken 191,114 sq ft of warehouse space on Cob Drive, on a 20-year lease, with a ten-year break.
The White Company specialises in supplying everyday luxuries for the home and began life as a 12-page mail order brochure.

Today it has more than 50 retail stores.
CFO for The White Company Phil Clarke, said: “The White Company has made a decision to relocate its existing premises within a five mile radius of its current location in order to protect the current distribution and contact centre teams and to demonstrate a real commitment to invest in our people in Northampton.”

Swan Valley is comprises 154,603 sq ft of warehousing space and 31,474 sq ft of offices on a self contained site of 8.2 acres.

Mike Green of Aviva Investors, said: “Swan Valley is one of our flagship distribution parks and we expected strong interest in this unit.”

The industrial estate now boasts an impressive list of tenants including major brands such as Carlsberg, Levi’s, Morrisons, Royal Mail, J Sainsbury and BMW.
The White Company is set to complete the move later in 2014.

Source: northamptonchron.co.uk

Maria Sharapova Presents Personalized Porsche During Sochi Olympics

Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova happens to be from Sochi where the Olympics are currently in full swing — so of course she paid a visit to the epic event. And to spice things up a bit the Porsche Brand Ambassador brought a personalized ride: the Porsche Panamera GTS “by Maria Sharapova." Taking full advantage of the Porsche Exclusive customization program, the athlete’s Panamera is painted in classic Carrera White, an appropriate color for the winter games.

The Panamera GTS, one of the sportiest models in brand’s acclaimed four-door range and the top non-turbo offering, comes equipped with a naturally aspirated 4.8 liter V8 engine good for 440hp at 6,700rpm. It accelerates from zero to 60mph in 4.2 seconds and reaches a top track speed of 179mph. The base price of the GTS in the U.S. is $113,400, while options can add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost.

Some of Sharapova’s custom details on the car include black LED main headlights, tinted LED rear lights, black tailpipe covers on the sports exhaust system, and black 20-inch Panamera sports wheels with red brake calipers. Inside you’ll find extended espresso leather trim with decorative cream colored contrast stitching and carbon fiber accents. The instrument dials and vehicle key are painted to match the Carrera White body color. The front and rear headrests are embossed with the Porsche crest and the armrests are customized with the “Panamera GTS” model logo, while the carbon fiber door guards feature “Maria Sharapova” lettering.
“Creating and specifying a very personal Porsche Panamera GTS was such an exciting undertaking,” Sharapova says. “It opens the door to a whole new design sensibility and allowed me to bring my own personal aesthetic. It’s an ingenious melding of the design world with automotive personalization.”

Source: justluxe.com

Major Development in Spanish Boating Deregulation

Spanish marine industry association ANEN held its annual conference at the Barcelona boat show in Spain last week (Nov 2010) against a backdrop of a significant step ahead in boating regulation. From January 1, 2011, new legislation will have major repercussions and contribute to facilitate recreational boating in Spain.

First and primarily, vessels under 12m (39ft) in length will be exempt from the need to be matriculated. As long as the boat carries the CE mark, completing a simple form and producing the purchase invoice will suffice to obtain a registration certificate. Obtaining the three legal documents on sea-worthiness and radio communications that have so far been required will no longer be necessary. This applies to both charter boats and those for private use.

Also regulated by the new decree, charter boats will not need to be listed under the movables property registry with a significant saving in cost and time. Regarding electronics on board, SOLAS VHF and emergency energy source will not be required unless for off-shore sailing. In all cases the installation of electronic devices on board will no longer have to be authorised or monitored by government. Read below for advice in advance of any deregulation.

Boat Documents you need onboard:
One of our members was stopped by the Guardia Civil and asked for his documents. What follows is his experience and advice on what documents you need to produce if you are stopped.
“My boat is a 5.7m sailing boat which is Spanish registered. To satisfy the Spanish authorities the documents you need are:-

The certificate “Permiso de navegacion – embarcaciones de recreo”. This replaces the old “Licencia de Navigacion” which was a green book.   The new certificate is valid for 5 years and then has to be renewed.  The current cost for my size of boat is €17.23.
The certificate “Certificado de navigabilidad para embarcaciones de recreo de esora menor de 24 metros” issued by the Ministerio de Fomento.

Insurance documents:
Titulo del Patron.  I presented my Titulo card from which the Guardia Civil took down my details. After the meeting with Oscar (Torrevieja Port Master) he was satisfied that my ICC qualification would also qualify as the Titulo del Patron under the order (I think EU directive?) “FOM 3200/2007 of the 26th October so de titula extranjeros”. (I think this is accurate but it is very difficult to read Oscar’s writing!)  It’s unlikely the Land-based Guardia Civil know about this anyway.
(I also have a cerificate “Registro Maritimo Espanol” which is the registration certificate although I was not asked for this.)

As I did not have all documents on me I was given a Denuncia, a copy of which follows:-
Basically the first page asks for the date of the Denuncia, the date which I took the boat out, what type of boat and engine and where I was when the Denuncia was given (On the water in sight of the coast, in port in my berth, Navegando viniendo dede del mar and fondeado o amarrado al Muelle.

En materia de documentacion
1. La embarcacion NO esta matriculada
2. La embarcacion Si esta matriculada, pero la matricula no figura en las amuras:-
3. Matricula en las amuras incorrecta
4. No lleva Rol, Licencia de Navigacion u otra documentacion a bordo.
5. No lleva a bordo el certificado de navigabilidad o esta caducado
6. Rol o licencia de Navegacion sin despachar: fecha ultimo despacho
7. Titulo de Patron insuficiente, no presenta o esta caducado.
8. No presenta el Seguro de resonsabilidad Civil Real Decreto 607/99 de 16 de Abril.
I failed on points 4, 5 and 8
En materia de seguridad
1. Exceso de personas a bordo
2. Equipo de salvamento incompleto
3. Bengalas Caducadas
4. Equipo de radio    Sin Licencia     Sin Radiobalizas o Radiobaliza
I failed on point 3 – flares.  I showed the GC my radio licence as well. They didn’t really want to see it but said that an English certificate is not recognised anyway!
En materia de navigacion:
1. Navegacion Nocturna o fondeo sin luces reglamentarias
2. Fondeo en canales o lugares prohibidos
3. Navegar dentro de la zona de bano balizada exclusivamente para uso de banistas
4. Navegar en zona de bano a velocidad superior a 3 nudos
5. Indiquese la distancia a la playa oa otra zona del litoral
6. Indiquese la velocidad de la embarcacion en navegacion nudos
7. El incidente suposo peligro o riesgo para los banistas y bienes
8. Con Lesiones

Thankfully I didn’t accumulate any failures on these!
I was also asked if I had life-jackets, which I do, but they didn’t ask to see them.
Since then I have found out what safety equipment is needed on board. Apart from the known requirements (life ring, jackets, first aid kit  flares (!!) etc….) you also need an air horn and mirror.

Source: sailingmarmenor.com