The next time you plan to visit Avenue des Champs Elysees in Paris or Monte Carlo for that F1 rally, you would definitely not want to carry a boring old suitcase with you. In fact, most people already would have bought expensive suitcases that not only look great but also add a little bit of glamor to their personalities. In such a situation, you would need something really chic and stylish, like the exotic leather suitcases by Henk. The company recently launched a limited edition of their signature Travelfriend suitcases, which have been built to perfection by experienced craftsmen.

A few months back I wrote a few lines about the Bösendorfer Piano that echoed glamor with Swarovski crystals. Today, I came across an equivalent glamorous piano with intricate glass work. Jon Kuhn, a leading glass artist, has teamed up with the Bösendorfer to jazz up this musical instrument but with his trademark glass work. The Kuhn-Bösendorfer model sports more than 200 geometric patterns and each of them is put together with 100-500 pieces of lead crystal glass of varied shapes and sizes. This classy-glassy edition is as grand as the Swaorvski version but with trace of modesty. This piano will go for no less than $1.2 million.

Now dear, the bejeweled 3G iPhone needs no foreword. However, if the red and white blinged combination is a bit kitschy for your taste, then allow me to bring an understated version of comparable luxury. For those who seek luxury sans gaudiness, Continental is out with a flawlessly ornamented cell phone. If rubies are too hot to handle then grab the 3G iPhone in the most reputable and widely accepted combination of black and white diamonds. Tailored by hand, these precious stones take pride on jazzing up the periphery of this mobile phone. Though faintly ostentatious, it is slightly expensive than the rubied version as this ‘its black, it’s white’ version comes for £3599 ($6,500).

Computer freaks and couch-potatoes belong to that bunch of folks who have their eyes glued to the screens and nothing in this world can budge them. Not to mention workaholics, who use their desks as dining tables. Nojoe Park probably addressed this niche and didn’t want these guys to die hungry. He unveiled his design of the Kitchen Drawer at the Electrolux Design Contest. The concept appliance packs the 4 essentials of a kitchen like a stainless plate to take care of preparing and warming of your meals, an electric stove, a dish drawer and a mini-fridge. The design banks on the concept of saving energy and has different heating levels that can be adjusted to cater your pot size.

What is 34 feet long, weighs 7,500 lbs when empty and is bulky enough to take in another 3000 lbs on its rear? A monster on wheels, Airstream PanAmerica is the answer to the riddle. This extra-large trailer is exclusively targeted at the hardcore roadies and nomads who intend to carry their world along with them. The highlight of this titanic trailer is that its backside has been reconfigured as a garage or a storage area with a fold-down ramp at the tail end. You can drive in your motorcycles, mountain bikes or simply drag in your glass bottom kayak to lock it up for safety. That done with the rear, the rest of the trailer boasts of a luxurious interior, along with all the frills needed to live a life of a luxurious wanderer. Who says you need to give up on all the luxury of living to chase your passion of living-it-out-of-the-house?

Imagine this situation of you having to go to the slickest party in town. You are dressed in couture straight from Paris or Milan, and have an attitude to match. However, your car may not be exactly flattering to your lifestyle, so you would definitely need some bling in your life. This bling may come in the form of diamonds, for we all know that diamonds are forever. Lotus has launched the Lotus Europa, a diamond-studded luxurious car that could make anybody’s eyes pop out.

First and foremost, allow me to brush up your knowledge about an uncommon musical instrument, the banjolele. It is a fusion of the banjo and ukulele and was popular in the era of the ’20s and ’30s. Though in this day and age such ancient string musical instruments are passé, a gilded bajolele has surfaced to revive its recognition. Strummed by the late George Formby, the gold-plated Dallas E banjolele was estimated to go under the hammer for up to £35,000 back in June this year. Later owned by Beatle George Harrison (read Harrison and not Formby), this blinged instrument will be out in the open to honor the former Beatle at Liverpool’s Beatles Story scheduled this month. Bought by a collector at the auction, it was then donated to the Beatles Story. This generous donor intends to bring it to the limelight out of respect for George Harrison and his fans.

We’ve seen executive desks that ooze style and elegance when crafted out of leather, wood or used aviation parts. And to redefine sophistication with a contemporary touch, here is a multifaceted desk sculpted out of a single sheet of steel. Fabricated by a London-based furniture company, Formtank, the 3Fold desk is innovatively shaped to avoid any excess wastage. Using CAD/CAM technology, it actually proves about 4% lesser wastage per linear meter. It also means that this table is absolutely free of nuts, bolts and adhesives. The satin finished stainless steel can also be tinted in a choice of colors to suit your décor.

Time and again the iPhone has been a target of haute couture brands as they grab it to slap it with precious stones to elevate its exclusivity factor. Though the honor of the most expensive iPhone is claimed by Amosu Ultimo Diamond, it isn’t a 3G version. But we do have a few blinged 3G iPhones like Gold & Diamond from Goldstriker, Diamond studded Olympic iPhone and the Diamond-Studded iPhone 3G by Knalihs Athem. The latter being the most expensive jeweled 3G version till date. Today we have one more company that is aiming to revive the union of gemstones with hyped 3G iPhones. Continental Mobiles, well known for its range of luxurious cell phones, has pimped the 3G, 16GB white luxury iPhone with Pigeon Blood Red rubies and white diamonds. Exclusively and intricately handcrafted, this piece of art comes from England for £3099 (about $5,550).

If I had enough money to buy a real BIG TV, I would have never thought of pushing it out of sight when not in use. Such pricey screens can only flaunt your exclusive taste and richness. But some client was keen to keep his 103-inch Panasonic Plasma TH-103PF9EK screen under cover after the behemoth screen does its job in the conference hall. Though we covered a range of TV furniture from FlatLift last year, the XXXL TV Lift for the Panasonic TH103PF9EK has lifted FlatLift to the limelight again. Believed to be the biggest XXXL TV Lift till date, it is sturdy enough to lift the 230Kg screen. Since the client wouldn’t settle for anything else but the Panasonic 103-inch plasma TV, specialists from FlatLift teamed up with Moscow company Corbel to realize his requirement. About 24V synchro-motors can control its speed of 0.80 inch per second. No clue about how much that dude had to shell out for this biggest TV lift.

When was the last time you missed your old phonograph? Not too long ago, we are sure. Though it is very difficult to get hold of these phonographs these days, there are a few companies and establishments that bring us these awesome gadgets from a bygone era and allow us to transport ourselves back in time. The SpJ Alba Turntable by Arcici is one of its kind and comes with a standalone motor house, which weighs 8kg. The turntable is driven by a semi-soft single belt, and running motor voltage is reduced thanks to a separate switch.

This is where you can ruin your riches for nothing! Bringing home a monster emulation that is the king of dinosaurs for $22,000. Sounds like a real freaky way to spend your money. Needless to say who will bring home this T-Rex that stands 13 feet above the ground and measures 26 feet across. You even have a museum stand that could make it 4 feet higher, if those 13 feet don’t go down well with you. A couple more sculptures like this and your house could well be listed as a museum in the yellow pages. Video after the jump.

If you have been looking for a fireplace that flaunts a real fiery look for your not-so-spacious den, then Iittala is at your service. Fueled with ethanol, the Iittala fireplace doles out wild flames. However, you don’t need to lose sleep over its safety feature as these flaring flames are tamed by fire-resistant glass on both sides. Sandwiched in between the glass is the elegant steel body that gives out warmth in a cool style. This work of Finnish designer Ilkka Suppanen also exhibits the company’s well-known glassware expertise. Up for 929 euros (about $1,300), the Iittala fireplace will definitely bring in all your near and dear ones for a warm gathering on a cold, breezy evening.

Via: SwitchedOnSet

With an array of gizmos sporting the gilded look, the current glorious mantra is that Midas-touched gadgets rule the entertainment scene. Welcomed by high-heeled folks, such dazzling over-elaborate doodads may not assist with many innovative features. But they certainly promise to lure you with their uber-rich appearance. Same can be said about the Bang & Olufsen Beo 4 remote control. Goldstriker has splashed it with pure gold (24 carat). This elongated rectangular form shines with its luminous mirror finish. Offered in a limited number of 250 only, this gold-touched B&O remote is easily affordable at £500 ($1000). I penned the word “affordable” with reference to the world’s most expensive remote control in pure gold that carried an exhorbitant price tag of $55,000.

Thanks Kath

There is something really funny about technology, especially for those who can afford anything under the sun. However, technology has not always given us everything we ever wanted. For instance, we still don’t have a car that turns into a helicopter when we need. And we also don’t have a cellphone that could be used as a telescope to spy on our neighbors. However, a designer has created a concept for the Nokia that could very well be the BMW of cellphones. He calls it the Nokia BMW Video Phone.