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To each its own I say. Some mentioned things they considered luxuies that I have in my house and by far, don't considered it a luxury. So I guess it all depends on what you have verses what you want...not need.
For me, I would love to have a shower with multiple heads and body sprayers. I know you've seen the Koehler commercial for this.
As for kitchen islands, I was a personal chef in another life and have thus cooked in a variety of kitchens, and I can evaluate a kitchen at a glance.
For many of the big homes with huge kitchen islands, it's easy to see that the designer has never cooked a meal or even thought about it much. Huge island, no sink in it, placed directly between the stove and the sink, so that if you have, say, a huge pot of boiling spaghetti that needs to be drained, you have to carry it all the way around the 10 foot island in order to drain it.
A kitchen island that leaves a clear path between stove and sink, or one that has a sink in on the stove side, is a luxury. Most new home that have kitchen islands don't have either.
This is an interesting thread. For me personally, luxury always meant the quality of the materials used inside. Such as:
Real wood trim
Real wood floors
Real wood doors
Marble
Beautiful hand-carved details
Craftsmanship (Where the builder actually took pride in his work and not threw a bunch of junk together that will fall apart within a year or 2)
Basically, anything that's non-builders grade or cheap. I mean, I've seen 500K+ houses with Ikea kitchen cabinets (trust, I can tell no matter how much you dress them up), and though there is nothing wrong with using Ikea, don't try to pass them off as luxury and inflate the home price just because someone threw a granite countertop on top of them. I'm supposed to pay 500K for a house with 3K kitchen cabinets? I think not.
As for kitchen islands, I was a personal chef in another life and have thus cooked in a variety of kitchens, and I can evaluate a kitchen at a glance.
For many of the big homes with huge kitchen islands, it's easy to see that the designer has never cooked a meal or even thought about it much. Huge island, no sink in it, placed directly between the stove and the sink, so that if you have, say, a huge pot of boiling spaghetti that needs to be drained, you have to carry it all the way around the 10 foot island in order to drain it.
A kitchen island that leaves a clear path between stove and sink, or one that has a sink in on the stove side, is a luxury. Most new home that have kitchen islands don't have either.
The scourge of non-functional luxury "furniture kitchens" is everywhere. As if there is a great mystery to making a kitchen work.
I see $250,000 20 year old tract homes with better kitchen flow than a great many $1,000,000 homes with status furniture kitchens.
I know what you are talking about...I was in a home that was 23,000+ SF. It is a monster. It has a kitchen Island that is completely useless a 10'x12' solid exotic granite island. it also has another island. I would say the Kitchen was 2000 SF. The person that built this home spent close to $6 million...and now is trying to get ri of it due to political scandal...
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeJaquish
The scourge of non-functional luxury "furniture kitchens" is everywhere. As if there is a great mystery to making a kitchen work.
I see $250,000 20 year old tract homes with better kitchen flow than a great many $1,000,000 homes with status furniture kitchens.
A house that's built properly you know, from actual bricks, not plywood & plastic.
Yes, the choice of materials and the building technique mark the difference between an ordinary home and a luxurious home.
For example, a luxurious house is a stone walled house, with a timber framed roof, covered with slate or metal shingles. It would have to have walls and ceilings made from hardwood or real plaster, and floors made from wood or tile.
I would consider such a home, even if it were small, luxurious.
This is interesting....I have all of these & don't consider them luxuries, in fact some wonder why we don't get a "nice" house. I have never really lived in a 'new house' other than a rental during and for a while after college. Born & raised in a 1891 Four-Square farmhouse. Now live in a 1905 Four-square and own the 1915 Four-square (with many craftsman/bungalow details) next door and operate it as a Guest Inn.
I love the 9" & 10" wide red oak baseboards, open stairway, columns between the diningroom & livingroom and built in china cabinets.
What would I want different? I'd keep my old houses, but a butler's pantry would be great, as well as a bigger kitchen with more counter space. A bathroom with a heated floor, both a tub and a shower, and 2 sinks would also be on the wish list, and, I'd love to have a fireplace, but will never have even a gas one.
My hubby's mother, to the day she was moved to assisted living last year heated with wood. Through his growing up years he cut down, chopped up, stacked, hauled home, restacked, split, restacked, brought into the house, put into the stove, hauled out the ashes enough wood that he will **NEVER** have a fireplace or stove of any sort. Not messing with the wood is, to him, the ultimate luxury!
Quote:
Originally Posted by ParkerP
This is an interesting thread. For me personally, luxury always meant the quality of the materials used inside. Such as:
Real wood trim
Real wood floors
Real wood doors
Marble
Beautiful hand-carved details
Craftsmanship (Where the builder actually took pride in his work and not threw a bunch of junk together that will fall apart within a year or 2)
Basically, anything that's non-builders grade or cheap. I mean, I've seen 500K+ houses with Ikea kitchen cabinets (trust, I can tell no matter how much you dress them up), and though there is nothing wrong with using Ikea, don't try to pass them off as luxury and inflate the home price just because someone threw a granite countertop on top of them. I'm supposed to pay 500K for a house with 3K kitchen cabinets? I think not.
Just getting ideas what people would consider a rare "luxury" in a home... I would say a well-designed and large open closet with shelving and drawers (almost like an entertainment center, but for clothes).... what do you consider a luxury home upgrade?
The rare luxury would be the location. I would have to say some house with a view. I would take a house on the beach, on a large lake, on a river, in a ski resort, on the golf course, in the middle of a large metropolitan suburb, on a mountain overlooking the city, etc, etc.
You can have a luxurious home but if it's in the midst of lower end houses, it is not much of a luxury to me.
If you are referring to something as part of the house, I would say marble floors and columns, 30 foot ceilings, twin spiral staircases, elevator, jetted tub, heated floors, heat lamp for the bathroom, in ground pool/waterfall, in ground hot tub, waterfalls, built in acquarium, movie theater, indoor basketball court, hand painted murals, marble accented fireplace, arches accented with columns, bowling alley, multi-tiered deck, servant's quarters, bath house, etc etc etc.
Oh yeah. still drooling . I want to add servants and servant's quarters!
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. I want to add servants and servant's quarters!
