| Is your luxury home plan luxurious enough? Or are | | | | vista of the great out-of-doors. |
| you falling behind in the race to keep pace? So what | | | | In luxurious prairie plans house and other homes |
| if you have an elegant swimming pool; countertops | | | | designed to blend in to the outdoor environment, an |
| of mottled granite; and your master bathroom | | | | outdoor kitchen is becoming a standard feature in the |
| features a steam shower. Nowadays these features | | | | pool / entertainment / recreation area. In fact, |
| are old-hat and pedestrian. Today's truly luxurious | | | | outdoor entertainment areas consisting of a cabana |
| homes must have whirlpool baths, double height living | | | | with a kitchen including granite countertops, wine |
| rooms with atriums, and of course all stainless-steel | | | | cooler, ice maker, stainless steel grill, and warming |
| appliances in the kitchen. Here are some more ideas | | | | drawer costing from $50- to $250,000 are becoming |
| for designing the luxury home par excellence. | | | | standard in areas with mild year-round climates; and |
| Radiant flooring is sine qua non in cold areas of the | | | | even for summer use in the northern states. Even |
| country. Who can be bothered to put on slippers - | | | | swimming pools are becoming more luxurious, with |
| besides it's more fun to walk barefoot in frigid | | | | cheapo kidney-shape designs going out of fashion as |
| weather. You can keep your feet toasty by installing | | | | $500,000 tiled models come in. |
| an in-floor heating mat under your tile flooring in the | | | | Luxurious homes today, even traditional country |
| bathroom; or anywhere in the house where there | | | | French house plans and colonial revival house plans, |
| are ceramic floors. The $500 / sq. foot cost is a | | | | incorporate "smart-home" features based on |
| pittance compared to how great it feels on the | | | | computers which can cost $50,000 and up. The |
| tootsies! The luxurious bathroom of today also | | | | computer system controls electrical components |
| features towel warmers: for a mere $800 you can | | | | linked to sensors throughout the house which enable |
| have a stainless steel warming drawer with an | | | | the homeowner to control the pool lighting from the |
| electric chassis at the bottom which lets heat rise to | | | | living room; or to draw a warm bath from the |
| warm your towels, with a timer which starts the | | | | kitchen. These systems also have the capability of |
| warming while you are still soaking in the tub, to bring | | | | sending text messages to a cell phone whenever the |
| the feel of the spa into your own home. Also a joy | | | | sensors pick up movement around the house outside, |
| in cold weather is the sauna room, which bears as | | | | which enables the homeowner to log in to the |
| much resemblance to the sweat box of the 1970's | | | | surveillance cameras which monitor the back and |
| as Republican politics bears to the New Deal. The | | | | front yards, garage, and pool area. The computer |
| contemporary sauna room is spacious, is constructed | | | | system also permits the homeowner to make sure |
| of exotic wood lumber, has cushioned seats, and | | | | that doors are locked and adjust temperature in the |
| features one-way glass walls which give a scenic | | | | house, even from afar. |