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Pdaphone Comparison

aeptreee — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:21:37 -0700

10 most expensive homes

Monique Marie — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:08:05 -0700

10. Maison de l'Amitie

The kitchen at Donald Trump's Maison l'Amitie house. There's a gargantuan fountain in the driveway out front and 475 feet of oceanfront out back. Perhaps the biggest thing about the home, however, is its price tag: $125 million.Believe it or not, the famous business tycoon also known as "The Donald" ranks lowest on this list. But Trump's beachfront property has skyrocketed in value over the years. He purchased the estate in 2004 from a bankruptcy court for $41.25 million. Maison de l'Amitie is the former home of Abe Gosman, an executive in the health care industry.

Trump's keen eye for real estate is about to pay off: He reportedly put the home up for sale in 2007 for $125 million [source: Wall Street Journal]. The 80,000-square-feet of Maison de l'Amitie feature a ballroom and a conservatory, 15 full bathrooms and eight half-baths [source: WPBF]. And including the main house, guest cottage and tennis house, it has 15 bedrooms. If the ocean is simply too salty for your taste, you can even take a dip in the 100-foot long swimming pool.

Donald Trump's Kitchen

9. Aaron Spelling's Manor

The late Aaron Spelling's Holmby Hills mansion.Legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling's 56,000-square-foot mansion outside Los Angeles, called "The Manor," was sold in 2006 for $130 million. The home was built for Spelling in 1991, with all the bells and whistles the family demanded. The 123-room home, which covers 56,500 square feet of living space, spans 6 acres of prime Los Angeles real estate [source: USA Today].

In addition to the home's 123 rooms, you'll find an indoor skating rink, swimming pools, tennis court and bowling alley on the grounds. It also has some more unusual features, like a doll museum, a room used exclusively for wrapping presents and an entire floor dedicated to closet space [source: Daily Mail]. The grounds even include a private orchard, which might just keep the home's three kitchens fully stocked [source: Luxury Launches].
Spelling's House

8. Hala Ranch

Prince Bandar sold the guest house to his Aspen estate for more than
$36 million.A Saudi Arabian prince boasts one of the most expensive homes in the United States. Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, a former Saudi ambassador to the U.S., owns the 95-acre Hala Ranch (Hala means "welcome" in Arabic), located in Aspen, Colo. The estate seems fit for Abdulaziz, who's been called an "Arab Gatsby" [source: BBC]. The property is located in the Starwood Ranch community. It's replete with 15 bedrooms and 27 bathrooms tucked within 56,000 square feet of living space -- that's larger than the White House [source: CNN Money].

The ranch features heated stables, an indoor pool, a tennis court, private ski trails, a gas station, car wash and sewage treatment plant. The master bedroom even has its own salon [source: Denver Post]. In 2006, the prince put the property on the market with an asking price of $135 million [source: Forbes]. In December 2007, he sold just the 14,395-square-foot guesthouse of his estate for $36.5 million, the highest price ever paid in for a single-family home in Aspen [source: Aspen Times].

7. Dracula's Castle

Visitors to Bran Castle look from the inside the castle into its interior courtyard.Thanks to visits paid by the infamous Vlad Tepes (better known as Vlad the Impaler, or Count Dracula), Bran Castle -- built on 20 acres of a mountaintop in Brasov, Romania -- became a museum in the 1980s. In 2009, it will become available on the market. There's a catch, though -- the castle's current owner, Archduke Dominic Habsburg, is being quite selective about the person to whom he sells it [source: AP]. The asking price is projected to be $140 million [source: Forbes].

The castle was built in the late 14th century as a fortress to ward off invading Turks [source: Bran Castle Museum]. The castle boasts 57 rooms, 17 of which are bedrooms, decorated with handcrafted Old World antiques and furniture [source: Concierge]. The property does have its drawbacks, however. There are the 450,000 tourists that visit the castle each year to consider: One may assume it could take a little while before word got out that it was no longer open for visitors. Plus, the castle has no central heat and gets quite cold. But you'd get to live in the same place where Dracula stayed, which would be pretty cool.

Dracula's Castle

6. Pinnacle

With the views that surround the site of timber and real estate mogul Tim Blixseth's soon-to-be-completed estate, it's easy to understand why Montana's called big sky country. Blixseth is building a $155 million ski lodge -- called "The Pinnacle" -- in the billionaires-only Yellowstone Club he developed. It will be the largest property in the community.

To protect against chilly feet, the home's flagstone floors will be heated, and its bathrooms will include fireplaces beside the tubs [source: Forbes]. While it has only 10 bedrooms, the 53,000-square-foot home includes an extensive wine cellar and a heated driveway to guard against the Montana winters. The home's indoor/outdoor pool is conveniently located near the gym and massage room [source: Forbes]. If you're interested in the home, it may be best to jump now -- Blixseth reports that offers to buy the home are pouring in.

5. Elena Franchuk's Victorian Villa

London's Kensington district, where the Franchuk villa is located. Elena Franchuk, a businesswoman and HIV/AIDS philanthropist from Ukraine, is reported to be the undisclosed buyer who purchased a newly upgraded home in southwest London for 80 million pounds (approximately $161 million). The home is a freestanding, five-story, 10-bedroom Victorian villa, and has recently undergone 10 million pounds (approximately $20 million) of upgrades, including the additions of an underground indoor swimming pool, movie theater, panic room, sauna and gym [source: Daily Mail].

The home served as a girl's prep school until 1997. In 2006, it was purchased by developers for 20 million pounds. The company put in the 10 million pounds of upgrades and reputedly sold it to Franchuk for 80 million pounds. The selling price breaks the former English record for home sales of 67 million pounds (approximately $135 million) [source: Evening Standard].
Girl Prep School at one time

4. William Randolph Hearst's Mansion

The entrance to the famed Hearst Mansion in Beverly Hills, shortly after it was put on the market in 2007. Fans of the epic movie "The Godfather" may be interested to know that the estate where the infamous scene in which a severed racehorse's head shows up in its owner's bed is for sale. The mansion, formerly owned by publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst (the inspiration for the main character in "Citizen Kane"), features 29 bedrooms, three pools and comes complete with its own disco and theater. President John F. Kennedy stayed at the mansion during his honeymoon [source: ABC News].

The Hearst Mansion shouldn't be confused with Hearst Castle of Sunset Boulevard, located a little farther north along the coast. The castle contains 165 rooms, while the mansion has only a mere 29 bedrooms. However, the castle is an established museum, not a home.

In 1947, Hearst bought the 1920s mansion and its 6-acre estate for $120,000 [source: AP]. In 2007, the estate's current owner, who bought it in 1976, put the home on the market for $165 million. The home's buyer will have some notable neighbors, including Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes and David and Victoria Beckham [source: People's Daily].

3. Updown Court

An aerial view of Updown Court, located outside London, England.Billed by the developers as "the most important private residence to be built in England since the 19th century," newly-built Updown Court is bigger than Buckingham Palace [source: Updown Court, Ltd.]. And it's probably a lot more fun, too. The 103-room mansion includes a bowling alley, squash court, 50-seat movie theater and five swimming pools [source: Forbes]. The mansion totals 40,000 square feet and features a 24-carat gold leaf mosaic floor among its 22 bedrooms and 27 baths [source: Business Week].

A heated marble driveway winds up to the mansion, through part of the estate's 60 acres. The staircase in the foyer is said to be modeled after the one found in Gianni Versace's old mansion in Miami. "If Elton John were a house, he'd be Updown Court," said one of the property's developers. He goes on to express doubt that Elton John could afford the $85 million pound estate. Don't feel bad for Mr. John, however. He has his own mansion around the corner, as does the Queen of England [source: The Guardian].

Updown Court

2. The Penthouses at One Hyde Park

An artists rendering of the One Hyde Park development. Each of the four towers features a penthouse selling for more than $200 million apiece.Technically, the world's second-most most expensive home doesn't exist yet. It's being built and is planned to be completed and ready for sale by 2010 -- at the staggering price tag of 100 million pounds (more than $200 million). The penthouse will sit atop the swanky flats of One Hyde Park, a skyscraper development in London's richest quarter. This posh penthouse will be the upstairs-neighbor to 82 other apartments in the building, half of which have been sold for an average of around 20 million pounds (about $40 million), or approximately 6,000 pounds (about $12,000) per square foot [source: Daily Mail].

To protect against unwanted intruders, residents of the building will be protected by watchmen from the British SAS (Special Forces) members and security features such as bullet-proof windows and iris scanners [source: The Telegraph]. The building itself has emergency exits leading to an underground tunnel to the nearby Mandarin Oriental Hotel, but the penthouse's residents could simply mosey to their panic rooms. During less stressful times, One Hyde Park dwellers can bathe in communal spas, play on the squash courts or drink wine in tasting rooms [source: ZME Travel]. Reports of the pending penthouse also include floor-to-ceiling refrigerators and 24-hour room service for when residents don't feel like cooking.

Penthouse

1. Antilla

Mukesh Ambani is building his family a $1 billion home in Mumbai, India.The record for most expensive house in the world will be set officially in 2009, when Indian trillionaire Mukesh Ambani and his family move into their newly built home: Antilla. This record could stand for a very long time. At a cost of $1 billion, Ambani's 27-story tower -- complete with helipad on top -- dwarfs the next most expensive home, both financially and in stature. Forget going to the gym -- the Ambanis will have their own health club. And their friends can drop by in droves because the six-floor garage will hold 168 cars [source: ABC News]. The tower will be 570 feet tall, and mostly glass. The ultra-modern mansion will feature panic rooms, a movie theater and a staff of 600 servants [source: The Guardian].

Ambani is the head of a global conglomerate and the richest man in the emerging Indian economy, which explains why his new home will have more floor space than Louis XIV's palace at Versailles. And because each floor is double the average height, Antilla will technically be 60 stories tall. The towering house isn't too disconnected from nature: Each level will have lush gardens. It seems a refuge fit for a shy man referred to as "a modern-day Howard Hughes" [source: Portfolio].

Decorating Green: Stylish and Reusable Decor Materials

tdamji — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 12:01:44 -0800

Feel like making some changes around the house? Why not consider the environment (as well as your health) when doing so?

Marissa Ponikowski at HGTV.ca’s Green site tells us how to go about this with some important considerations:

Sustainable Materials
Sustainable building and furnishing materials are made from renewable or recycled materials and their harvest and manufacture has less impact on the earth than their non-renewable counterparts. Important criteria to keep in mind when searching for eco-friendly materials to build with:

* Plentiful or renewable – Certain materials, including certified sustainable wood or bamboo, are harvested from sustainably managed sources. Ask your contractor to source out these materials for you. If you’re doing it yourself, ask about bamboo and sustainable wood products at your local building supply store. These products are now going mainstream and are widely available across the country.
* Resource efficient manufacturing – Some products are manufactured with resource efficiency in mind. These processes involve low energy consumption, waste consciousness and green house gas reduction. Look for a special certification label on the product or ask your contractor or material supplier to help you find resource efficient materials.
* Local availability – Using building materials, components and systems that can be found locally save transportation resources and energy, thus minimizing the ‘carbon footprint’ associated with their installation. Finding products that don’t need to be ordered in from another country can be as simple as looking to small, local suppliers rather than international hardware chains for your building materials. When shopping at a large chain, be specific about the type of product you want.
* Salvaged or refurbished – Find materials that have been repaired, restored or saved from another renovation project. Salvage yards and antique stores are a great resource when hunting for used building materials and fixtures.
* Reusable and recyclable – Choosing products that are recyclable or can be easily dismantled and reused adds to their sustainable value.
* Durability – Choosing high quality, durable products means they’ll last longer – and are less likely to end up in the landfill!

Air Quality Control
The quality of the air you breathe is directly related to your health so it’s very important to choose products that don’t release toxins into your indoor air. There is less pollution and environmental impact associated with low or non-toxic building and décor products, so these are always a wise choice. Indoor air quality can be enhanced by using materials that are made with:

* Low chemical emissions – these products emit few or no carcinogens or irritants into the air. Look for low or no-VOC paints and finishes, which are now available from most major paint manufacturers, including Benjamin Moore. Choose solid wood rather than particle board when purchasing furniture - particle board chips are bound together using VOC off-gassing chemicals. Purchase wool carpets rather than synthetic and be sure the fibres are woven or affixed with non-toxic glue, too.
* Low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) assembly – these products are manufactured and installed using little or no VOC-producing compounds. Look for a special certification label or ask your contractor or supplier.
* Moisture resistance – choosing products and systems that are moisture resistant means biological contaminants and bacteria won’t grow in your home.
* Healthy maintenance – look for materials and furniture that are easy to clean and require only very simple, low-VOC and non-toxic cleaning products to maintain.

Lighting
Plan your lighting installations to save energy and the environment by:

* Choosing fluorescent lights and infra-red motion detector light switchers in bathrooms, hallways and storage areas. Use infra-red motion detector lights outdoors as well.
* Installing dimmers instead of regular light switches.
* Planning your addition or renovation to make as much use of natural light as you can. Use energy-efficient windows that let in as much natural light as possible.

Energy Efficient Appliances and Accessories
These days, it simply doesn’t make sense to purchase appliances that aren’t energy efficient. Look for appliances with the Energy Star label – many municipalities even offer a cash rebate for purchasing Energy Star washing machines and dishwashers. When purchasing and installing new appliances, keep the following in mind:

* Manual defrost refrigerators are generally more energy efficient than automatic defrost models.
* Oversize units are generally less energy efficient than smaller models, especially when it comes to refrigerators and dishwashers.
* When placing a refrigerator, be sure not to position it near the stove since it will have to use more energy to cool itself down when the oven is on.

Brad & Angelina’s New Crib

justingirl1989 — Mon, 26 May 2008 04:54:59 -0700

Parents-to-be Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have just purchased a 1,000-acre estate for their growing family in the south of France for $60 million according to E!.

The estate contains 35 bedrooms, a vineyard, lake, forest, moat, swimming pool, billiards room, indoor pool, gym sauna, jacuzzi, and banquet hall. Looks like enough room for the family and then some!

Brad and Angie are expecting twins sometime this summer, adding to Maddox, 6, Pax, 4, Zahara, 3, and Shiloh, almost 2.

“It’s called Chateau Miraval in a village called Brignol, which is near from Aix-en-Provence,” a source tells E!. “And it’s absolutely unbelievable. Brad and Angelina are thrilled, they love the place and have already been furniture shopping to fill the place as it’s massive,” the insider added. “They’ve already spent almost another million on furniture and the whole family can’t wait to move in.”

The Jolie-Pitt clan is reportedly hoping to move in within the next three months.

Congrats on the new digs!

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/05/25/brad-angelina-new-crib/

Couch Burning: An IV Tradition

JessNess — Fri, 04 May 2007 21:33:58 -0700

I have talked about the infamous tradition of Isla Vista Couch Burning. Today in our school paper they had an article about the recent efforts to extinuish this sort of rite of passage for graduates

"As the school year winds down, it seems as though university and county officials can already detect the scent of burnt upholstery in the air.

Last summer, the county government passed an ordinance to try and stop the “tradition.” This spring, foot patrol officers will be wandering the streets - out of uniform - to try and catch perpetrators in the act. And even though the fires burn off campus, the university is ready to discipline anyone caught setting the blaze.

Between worrying about the environmental effects and threatening anyone who participates in the act, community and county officials are all fretting over Isla Vista’s favorite spring-time activity: couch burning.

To try and douse the fires before they start, UCSB and the Isla Vista Foot Patrol are already reminding students that igniting unwanted furniture will also burn a large hole in the perpetrators’ pockets. The bottom line, IVFP Lt. Sol Linver said, is that couch burners will be held accountable.

“Because it has turned into such a problem, the district attorney’s office agreed that there will be no pleading,” Linver said. “There will be maximum fines.”

According to Linver, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s office was prompted to increase the penalties for couch burning and deny all pleas involving the fires last year when 18 people - nine of them UCSB students - were arrested for burning couches. In total, 31 couches were burned last season. The new consequences include a maximum $1,000 fine, up to 100 hours of community service and three to six months in county jail.

To try and catch perpetrators in the act, Linver said undercover foot patrol officers will be used to monitor couch burning this year, and anyone starting the fire or adding to it will be arrested.

“The least consequence is getting caught,” Linver said. “The most serious consequence is that a fire gets out of control and catches a house or car on fire and causes serious property damage.”

Although the black marks that litter the streets of I.V. are scorched into the pavement year-round, couch burning is an I.V. spring rite of sorts. There is no single reason to explain the increase in futon fires during spring, but perhaps the prospect of moving out in mere weeks may make the typical I.V. resident’s filthy couches seem a little more dispensable.

To try and combat the problem, last summer the county passed the “Fluffy Couch Ordinance.” According to Linver, the ordinance is not directly related to couch burning, but makes it illegal for any “indoor” furniture to be left outdoors. At the time, county supervisors said they were trying to remove the kindling for the fires, and thereby keep firefighters from wasting their time and taxpayer dollars.

“Couch burning ties up a fire engine and company,” Third District Supervisor Brooks Firestone said. “It also messes up the roads for bikers and skateboarders.”

Firestone, whose constituency includes I.V., said he voted on the ordinance to try and keep students from making a costly mistake.

“Someone could have some lark and wind up in court,” Firestone said. “It’s infinitely dumb.”

The university is also in on the act, and UCSB students are subject to university discipline, Deborah Fleming, associate dean of students, said.

“There’s a catch-all clause at UCSB,” Fleming said. “Students engaging in activities affecting safety of community are taken into extended jurisdiction.”

According to Fleming, the university’s consequences vary depending on the case, but UCSB has prosecuted several students for couch burning.

Students themselves have also taken action against the environmental consequences of couch burning. Environmental Affairs Board Co-chair Ryan Andersen said EAB discourages couch burning because of its effect on the environment and the toxins it releases.

“Couches are made of plastics and when plastics burn they’re bad for the atmosphere,” Andersen said. “We live in a very ecologically sensitive area since we’re less than a mile from the ocean. When you’re burning couches you do have the potential for embers and debris to go into the ocean.”

Expanding upon the normal official reasons not to burn couches, Firestone said the consequences do not stop at legal penalties or environmental degradation. To demonstrate, he created a list of the “top ten” reasons not to burn couches. Firestone’s top ten includes the following: the fact that couch burning is not cool, and that setting furniture ablaze does not necessarily impress the hot partiers watching."

Yes that is a naked guy jumping a couch fire

Source

10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2.1. and we have lift off

paii — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 01:13:38 -0700

design is copyrighted by owner
Space Shuttle Bunk Bed

The shuttle is an incredible bunk bed, bed / loft or indoor playhouse. Consider your childs imagination after entering the cockpit through the side door or climbing up to the cargo bay on the attached ladder, for a day of adventure. (Cockpit includes 2 chairs.)

With room for 2 twin sized mattresses (one up and one down), there is lots of room for your kids and their sleep overs.

The Shuttle is designed to sit against your bedroom wall. If you want to access both sides and add an additional wing, add $175. You choose the direction it faces in your room.
If you would like more information on this amazing piece of furniture please visit mymoondrops.com

Decor from our Commitment Ceremony

ProperGray — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 14:26:10 -0700

My partner, Chris, and I had our Commitment Ceremony this summer. The inspiration for our decor was a Garden Party at night time in the 1920s- held, funny enough, indoors. We held it on an open stage facility at the Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. We transformed the room with the use of foliage lighting, scent, distortions in scale and other whimsical ideas. From white feather butterflies to floating umbrellas, miniture and full sized white iron garden furniture to tiny wedding cakes- we had a blast. Most of all we had fun with all our friends and family. Let me know what you think!

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