JustLuxe.com featuring Bobby Berk

JustLuxe is a luxury Web publication providing objective analysis and information to affluent consumers of luxury goods, services and travel.

JustLuxe provides content and insight into 40 categories, including luxury travel, luxury modern home furnishings, yacht and aircraft charter services, vacation real estate, fashion and news and trends. With three distinct sections – FineLiving, LifeStyle and Luxury Travel – JustLuxe serves as a valuable resource guide to more than 2.1 million affluent readers monthly.
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They provide information to assist with valuable purchase decisions such as chartering a yacht, joining a destination club, purchasing a jet membership card, or buying luxury real estate. Their writers conduct interviews with industry executives, analyze product offerings and review the Web sites of leading companies to ensure their readers have up-to-date data to make informed decisions.
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From fashion and style to food and spirits and modern home décor, the JustLuxe FineLiving section is the insiders’ guide to what’s new and hot. Review the Best of Luxe, read the latest fashion trends, plan your next dinner party or shop for new furniture within our FineLiving section. Also, get great advise on home design from Bobby Berk who is a featured writer on Justluxe.com
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Bobby Berk’s Favorites for Winter Bedding

Home Decor: As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops for those of us in snow country, I look to anything I can to warm it up inside until the planet tilts back to longer days and warmer nights.

Spoil yourself with bedding - its a great way to take the chill off winter nights - whether by myself or with someone special. I like bedding that seduces me - rich palettes, sumptuous layers, and smooth, inviting touches.

Bedding maker Matteo brings us something special this season, their new line DUE. Meaning two in Italian, Matteo’s DESIGN UNDER CONSTRUCTION line uses great italian fabrics with unexpected stitching, reinterpreted ticking and fantastic washes that make their sheets, duvet covers, pillow cases and throws soft to the touch but sturdy enough to make me want to stay in bed all day!!

For me winter is all about nesting. This is the time of year I’ll spend most at home, and most between the sheets! My bedroom is my sanctuary, where I go to rest, to recharge, and to give myself those stolen moments before I face the world. What better place to really spoil myself? Indulge with me - in colors like Night, Ash, Pewter and my favorite, Fig. These dark greys and browns are sophisticated and chic, perfect to underlay accent pillows in bold jewel colors and fiery oranges and reds, or even metallics for a sharper look. Regardless of how you accent them, these dark and delicious hues are subtle yet stunning.

What I love about bedding for winter is that I use layers on my bed just like I use layers in my wardrobe. DUE’s best dressed bed is the WASHED SATEEN for sheets and pillowcases. Of the collections in the line, look to Americana for great quilts, Fireside for a throw that beats any scarf your closet has to offer, and Thermal for those in-between layers. Building from the mattress up, I like a sheet, duvet, quilt and a throw. I build my nest from the bottom up, and I use it as my safe haven in the storm of urban life that I love so much. Engulfed in the toss of fabrics, I have three different kinds of pillows to create different sensations of softness, support and embrace. Three different sizes, encased in DUE’s subtle prints and strong patterns from the Pinwheel, Botanica and Nova collections.

So this winter cozy up in the bedroom where it all starts and ends - the BED! Great bed linens will make both your day and your dreams better. Wake up to warmth, come home to the crush of inviting texture and dive in, to awaken tomorrow recharged and ready to hit it again!

And if your nest is for two, all the better. You’ll keep your bedmate in bed longer and happier with a bed dressed for two! Do it up, do it right, and allow yourselves to linger

LivingHomes Announces National Availability of Ray Kappe’s Green Prefab

Fabulous prefab design just became more accessible as LivingHomes has announced that homes by award-winning architect Ray Kappe will be available at lower cost on a national scale. The six Kappe designs now available nationwide come chock-full of all the green features that LivingHomes are known for, delivering high quality design in a sustainable package.

According to founder Steve Glen, the wood–framed models (which are preferable in cold weather) are 30% less expensive than the steel-framed versions. That means you can have a 1,700 square-foot, two-story home for $392,000 or upgrade to a 3,100 square-foot home for $698,000.

Some specific sustainable features included in all LivingHomes models are: recycled steel and/or sustainably grown or reclaimed wood, automatic mini-duct air distribution and ventilation systems, recycled wood/bamboo siding flooring, recycled glass tiles, photovoltaics, formaldeyhde-free and low-VOC finishes, paints and stains, high-performance windows with recycled frames, and low-flow bathroom fixtures with grey-water plumbing.
by Evelyn Lee, 01/14/10

Modern Baby Bedding for Pizazz

Plenty of parents and caregivers today are tired of all of the traditional merchandise for kids today and are searching for modern baby bedding that is new, fresh and exciting. They are looking for the cutest designs because they are disappointed by the lack of design-conscious nursery options available to them. They often find that the traditional designs consisting of baby animals and cartoons is not only overrated but also old, outdated and boring. What kinds of designs are they looking for and which ones are they finding?

The really successful modern baby bedding designers are coming up with contemporary designs that are actually not necessarily new but are re-designs of the past. Contemporary looks actually are revamps of retro designs, and although there may be some variation and updating of colors that are used, for the most part the core of the retro look remains unchanged. Bold colors and smooth clean lines are characteristic of both the retro style and ironically the modern styles. This type of design flows from everything from sofas and end tables to baby bedding, and the true measure of a great design today is when kids love them and adults really do enjoy them, too.
In addition to the bedding, parents today are searching for the furniture that will show it all off: cribs with straight, smooth slats as opposed to the more decorative spindle cribs, changing tables combined with armoires instead of the traditional shelf tables and more. Products that appeal to young minds and eyes while fitting with the overall beauty of a nursery is essential, and with a little bit of digging you will be able to find everything you're looking for and more on the Internet.

Overall, parents and caregivers want a nursery with decor that is as beautiful, special and original as their new child is, and from linens to toys to furniture, many are not fine with the thought of settling for second best or generic. Look for sturdy construction, good high quality materials and attractive designs when you are looking for anything for the nursery. Some of the best designers only have their designs put on products that are very high quality, and most of the most popular looks are simple geometric shapes, thick stripes of bold colors, solid colors and light patterns that do not have an overabundance of detail. If you are searching for the best in modern baby bedding, your best place to start may be looking to the past.

The Best Contemporary Furniture

Trying to find the best contemporary furniture stores can sometimes seem like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but the good news is that by following a few simple steps, the task can be made a lot easier. Some of what makes furnishings the best is not only their looks but also the quality of workmanship and their sturdiness, or dependability. You will always want to consider what types of materials are used to construct different pieces. Will you choose natural wood? Veneer? What about silicones, rubbers or plastics? Chrome or metal? Do you need materials that are very strong and sturdy or those that are less durable but less expensive? There are tons of different choices, and if you want to mix and match them you will have to carefully coordinate the pieces to make sure that your selections look really good together instead of thrown together.

You will want to be careful with this decision because choosing the cheaper things right off the bat can seem like you are getting a good deal and saving money, when in fact in the long run you may end up spending a lot more money. Using pieces that are constructed of cheaper materials often will break sooner and worse than sturdy, strong materials, and these pieces of course would have to be replaced. Weigh your options with your budget to get the best products made of the best materials that still are within your budget.

There are also different fabrics that are used for different grades of furnishings, ranging from steel, cashmere, Italian leather and others like polyester and cotton. There are also many others, some new and some traditional, that appeal to a lot of people today like synthetic leather and microfiber. All of the materials of course have different excellent properties and also some drawbacks. There are also many items today that have new twists on old materials to them, such as tempered safety glass and flame resistant fibers. Although sometimes these materials make contemporary furniture slightly more expensive sometimes but those who pay for it agree that the cost is well worth it. For example, shoppers who have young children often are more than willing to pay extra for safety glass as opposed to thin, breakable glass.

In the past, safety was often compromised and sacrificed for style, but these days furniture shoppers don't have to make a decision; they can have both while still staying within your alotted budget when you are shopping for contemporary furniture.

Shopping at the Best Modern Furniture Store

Many people really love shopping at a modern furniture store that stocks modern and contemporary pieces of all kinds at wholesale prices, and others just feel better shopping full price places for unique pieces that are high end, fashionable and more exclusive. Either way, you will want to shop at the place that provides a great selection of furnishings that is within your budget to fit your personal style and needs.

Luckily, many businesses out there have been in business for years, some of them have even been around for decades. Even before the introduction of the Internet, there have been plenty of specialty shops that had exotic pieces hidden in their showrooms, tucked away waiting for the right buyer to come along. This aspect hasn't really changed much, but what has changed is the medium that people use to find those great pieces. People now shop at modern furniture stores that are located across the country, day or night, anytime without even having to leave their own house. It is for this very reason that the best modern furniture store of course is the Internet itself. How do consumers get the most benefit from shopping? What things in an online retailer should they look for? How do they know they are getting the best products for the best prices?

Many of the most popular and most visited websites are those that carry the work of top designers, and others are those that work with manufacturers both local and global. The most posh distributor websites will feature the works of German, Spanish, Italian and American craftsmen and will back up their pieces with excellent guarantees and service for their customers, too.

Websites of the companies that offer a huge variety of living room furniture should have several models on display online of sofas, chaises, loveseats, daybeds, lounge chairs, entertainment centers, lamps, tables and more that are appreciated by even the most discerning shoppers. They also should probably have a large inventory of piece for the dining room, since that is one of the main rooms of the house as well. Dining sets, tables and chairs of all kinds, shapes, materials and styles, buffets and sideboards and hutches are just some of the pieces that they should certainly carry several models of to show their customers. These shops and websites should also have tons of different bedroom sets for you to look at too, in case the bedrooms are rooms that you want to include in your house overhaul. Just be sure that no matter which rooms you want to redecorate that you take your time looking through the inventories of plenty of modern furniture stores online.

Nester Stacking Boxes - Space saving ideas for space challenged homes.

Like Russian nesting dolls the Offi Nester Boxes fit inside of each other for easy transport and shipping. The small footprint also cuts down on the amount of packaging needed for shipping. Each box is finely crafted in molded ply creating simple and versatile storage. They can be used stacked for book storage or if used as singles they can function as small tables. Sold only in sets of 4.

dimensions: 15l x 46w x 15h

Modern Bedding by Dwell Designers

The company responsible for the fabulously popular Dwell bedding is DwellStudio, which was born as Dwell Home Furnishings in 1999. Although the company is a young one, it quickly proved itself as a leader in the fashion and design industries with its fresh approach to vibrant and modern textile designs. The company was created by founder and creative director Christiane Lemieux, who was later joined by Joshua Young, who is her husband and Jennifer Chused. Together the group of experts has created the ultimate collection of affordable, beautiful, classy designs that will long be the par that many other companies will struggle to live up to. There are already several students and smaller companies who try to replicate some of the looks that DwellStudio has come up with, but sometimes as everyone knows there is just nothing quite like the real thing.

The brand is a firm believer in tradition, and the Dwell bedding is produced in a family-owned factory in Portugal, which also happens to be one of Europe's finest textile mills. The marriage of tradition with trendsetting in modern styles is part of the reason for the success of the company's expansion in the last decade-plus since it was first created. Much of the fame for the teams' products is owed to the attractive designs that are used, and part of the fame also lies in the luxurious and high quality fabrics that those designs are placed on.

The design and dedication to quality that the group provided quickly gained them a devoted following and in no time, they were considered to be one of the most innovative design companies on the market. The collections grew and eventually spread to include kids designs, tabletop fashions and others in addition to the Dwell bedding. They have a full line of baby, children, tabletop and bed linen collections that are out, and they are consistently marked by a signature use of color and quality construction along with attractive conceptions.

Although in 1999 the company started out as a home furnishings designer, in November of 2007 the company became known as DwellStudio, changing its name to encompass the different lines of design that focus on tabletop, children, baby and more. Aesthetically attractive designs, using clean shapes, bold yet simple colors and design ideas that push the envelope in a tasteful and classy way are all characteristic of the company that is responsible for the wildly popular Dwell bedding that millions of fashion fans and design divas constantly clammer over.

Check out our Manhattan Crib & Dresser on ABC's "Modern Family"

How much do you LOVE ABC's Modern Family? I know I look forward to it every week. It's such a great comedy that really represents a real life family for once. I find myself talking like Sofia Vergara during the day. She is AMAZING! I absolutely love the accent of her character Gloria. She's always so funny and sexy all at the same time.

Tonight's episode touched on Cameron and Mitchell trying to ferberize their baby which Cameron just couldn't handle. The need to comfort their darling daughter finally ended in a scuffle in her room where you get to see her great modern baby furniture that you can get at Bobby Berk Home. The Manhattan Crib and Dresser is a must have for your modern baby and it's price to not break your budget.

Best Tips when Shopping for Modern Home Accessories

Introducing the best modern home accessories into your house is an excellent way to improve the look and the value of it, not to mention the style and comfort, too. Sometimes trying to keep a house interesting and up to date with the latest fashions can be stressful, expensive and just plain exhausting- that is, if you don't know what to look for or you aren't sure where to look. Whether you are able to afford the time and money to decorate the entire house at once or you are looking instead to decorate one room at a time, there are a few fail-safe tips you can follow to try to keep your costs down while bringing your style up.

First of all, there are several different types of modern designs in home accessories that can really spice up any and every space in the house, so you will want to get a good idea of what your choices entail before you make any final decisions and purchases. Keeping things interesting and trendy is important, and you'll first need to decide if you will be trying to focus on a specific motif or theme or if you will just be collecting odds and ends and trying to blend them together. Whether you are looking to incorporate a new country kitchen or you are dying to create the ultimate geometrically balanced contemporary living room, a good idea is to look through websites, magazines and publications to find ideas that you think will fit not only your house but also your personality too. If you already have furniture that you love that you want to highlight and complement, look for carpets and window treatments, wall art and just a few little modern accessories to place here and there. A lot of the distinctiveness of knick knacks have to do with the shape and color of them- solid shades and simple designs are key to contemporary success.

Those knick knacks can only do part of the job of completing a room makeover, because in order to highlight them you need to create the right type of ambiance using lighting for the right effect. Ambiance and lighting, whether it is accent lighting or room lighting, adds depth, character and finesse to the house. Be careful when it comes to the size of everything you want to put into your house; items that are too big will quickly make even the best laid-out room look stuffy and cluttered, and furniture that is too small will make a room look incredibly bare and unfinished, no matter how many things you add into the space. With the right amount of effort and the right amount of attention to detail, creating your own perfect look with modern home accessories can be fun and very fulfilling.

Beautifully Made Modern Kids Bedding

One of the most popular things to shop for on the Internet today is modern kids bedding. No trying on clothes and guessing of sizes to bother with, this is part of what really makes online shopping great, simple, and convenient. Having the right products for your child at bedtime is important, right down to the last little accent pillow. Not only can having the right modern kids bedding transform the entire look of a room, but it can also transform bedtime into an adventure too.

Many parents scour the Internet, the library, magazine articles and friends for tips and tricks on how to help their child go to bed without a fight every night. Few of them may realize that a new modern kids bedding set, if not an entire newly decorated room, will do just the trick. The right theme, the right colors and the right characters can make all the difference, and if a new bedroom does not completely resolve the problem, it is sure to help ease the struggle when it is done correctly. Shopping with quality manufacturers for quality products at quality websites will give your child the spark they need to feel comfortable in their rooms, and you will get the peace of mind knowing that the top designers and manufacturers use the best materials and the safest techniques, keeping in mind that their reputation is on the line.

There are a lot of shoppers and consumers who are tired of the same old safari animals and cartoon character designs who are searching for something simple, refreshing, bold and new. These qualities make up the epitome of modern kids bedding, and fortunately thanks to the Internet there are tons of websites of companies that offer products that would be perfect for anyone, and although some of them are high-end stores with high-end price tags there are plenty of websites that provide really excellent modern kids bedding that is durable, functional, beautiful and enticing to the little ones. Some of the most popular patterns of today are classic motifs with a simple, clean spin. Race cars, tug boats, princess themes, pets and more are enjoyed as fresh new looks. Geometric shapes are hugely popular today too, to go along with the simply-shaped furniture that is custom of contemporary design today.

There are tons of different pieces of furniture and accessories to match all of the most popular styles by designers like Dwell and others, and these include everything from lamps and wall art to dressers, desks and bookshelves. As long as you are shopping for modern kids bedding, why not shop for the rest of the bedroom too?

Top Ideas for Remodeling your Kitchen without Going Broke

Any kitchen is capable of turning heads and making you feel like a grand chef, and even the smallest kitchens are capable of being transformed by highlights that will fit. If you have come to the sudden realization that your kitchen probably isn't all that it is cracked up to be, one of the first things you might wonder is how much a make-over is going to cost you. Of course the cost completely depends on how much you need/want/can change, so if you are on a budget, as many of us are today, you will need to make some choices about the most important things that you can update that will make the biggest impact on the room with the smallest impact on your wallet.

If you really have no faith in yourself to pick out what needs to be done in your home and you need some help, you can ask a remodeling contractor what his/her ideas are for quick fixes. Weighing what you can do with what your financial situation allows is important, and you can doe many things from painting walls to changing window treatments to overhauling with all new appliances and changing the floors.

There are some focal points that are found in every kitchen that are almost always necessary for remodeling successfully. Kitchen cabinets may be one of the most obvious features of a kitchen, so take a quick look at yours- you may be surprised at what oak cabinets might to to replace those white panel board ones from the 1980s. If you can't afford new cabinets, can you refinish them? A little bit of sanding and different stain can do a lot, especially if the cabinets are structurally sound. If nothing else, you may want to consider just changing the hardware (the knobs, handles and drawer pulls) to spice things up.

Take a look at your counters: if you can afford it, why not update those? Granite counter tops are super popular but pretty pricey. If you have a small kitchen though with not a lot of counter anyway, you may be able to swing it. If not, there are many other gorgeous options, including faux marble and granite. Along with the counters, check out your sink. Have an old, scratched up porcelain one? Why not consider a stainless steel sink to boost your design?

As long as you are focusing on the sink, you might want to revamp your backsplash area. If your wall is painted there, consider adding some stone tile above the sink- this can entirely change your entire look for the kitchen, but since it is only a small area it won't cost you a fortune to accomplish, either. Designing on a dollar can be fun and pretty easy as long as you stick to small areas that can make a big difference.

Home Decor Ideas Using Fabulous Wooden Blinds

One of the most popular types of window treatments these days is using wood blinds, for a lot of different reasons. They are easy to clean, they are durable, they are fashionable and they provide a nice, warm and natural look to a room that other types of more traditional blinds cannot. There are those made of real wood and those sets that are made of faux wood; the faux wood sets are indistinguishable from those that are real, and they also are less expensive. There are many people who still prefer the genuine article, though. The versatility of wood blinds spans across several different motifs and decor themes, three of which are Asian, Southwestern and Tropical.

If you are looking for a great way to top off your Asian decor, wood blinds can bring a room together that is decked out in styles characteristic of Thailand, China and Japan. The main factor in the Asian decor is the fact that much of the material that is used consists of natural materials like bamboo, and simplicity in geometric design is key. Wood blinds give just the right amount of natural substance and simple lines to a room, so if you want to accent your space with more ornate and colorful decorations that are custom of the region, there is plenty of space to do so.

The Southwestern style that is so popular today is a blend of modern, American Indian and Spanish design, and just as natural materials was the key in Asian design, earth tones is the key with Southwestern styles, especially with desert hues of browns and reds. Many people like to accent their space with little splashes of turquoise, which also happens to provide a fabulous accent color for wood blinds. Rough textures like terracotta tile and adobe walls set off smooth, rich wood blinds nicely, complimenting a room that might be filled with Southwestern style furniture. Rough fabrics with splashes of different colors are customary of this type of furniture.

Finally, if you are interested in more of a tropical theme for your space, like Asian decor this theme leans heavily on natural materials like rattan, bamboo and wicker. Brightly colored walls offset by dark wood blinds give rise to this classic look, and are also inspired by nature. Brown woods, bright colors like tropical flora and orange sunset-like shades are common. The furniture you will want in your home will need to be grand and ornate but simple in design at the same time. Here's a little extra tip: there is no place in true tropical decor for a ton of little knick-knacks. Large wall decor and beautiful large plants in planters are more capable of completing your look, especially when they offset those beautiful wood blinds at your windows!