The rooms are all designed and creatively carved of ice by international artists who have been coming to the area for the past 14 years to make their mark in this land of the deep freeze.

It began meagerly 14 years ago - one room. The 2004 season boasted 50-rooms with 5,000 square metres built of 30,000 tons of snow and 4,000 tons of ice. Best described as a fairy-tale like experience, you enter the ice hotel through reindeer-skin covered doors. Inside, in addition to the rooms, there is a reception area, hall of pillars, Iceart exhibition, Absolut Icebar, Icehotel cinema and an Icechurch. In the evening guests gather in the Icebar before going to bed for a drink “in the rocks” - iceglasses taken straight from the ice of the River Torne.

Icehotel is located in the village of Jukkasjarvi, 160 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Every year in October the artists and local villagers, most from the Sami tribe in the area, begin to build the new ice hotel, which opens in mid-December. Snow canons and front loaders start by forming the snow over the steel sections that are the main structure of the Icehotel. Sections are moved around and replaced by ice pillars put in place to give support to the snow arches.

In December the exterior is complete, molded and created as in years past and then the interior work begins. As the artists create their masterpieces, each hotel room and suite is representative of the artist’s unique dream. Colors play as important a role as the design. Soft reds, blues, yellows and green line the rooms, each boasting a unique sculpture, window design, or interior decoration, candles stand in corners lighting the way to a simplicity unlike you have ever known.

As night creeps into the Icehotel the sound is silence. In this land of the Northern Lights you can truly imagine a world where anything is possible. When you spend the night in the Icehotel you will sleep on a large slab of ice covered with reindeer hides. In addition, each person is given an ultra-warm sleeping bag and most people remark how “warm” they felt during the night even though the temperature is usually a steady five degrees below zero, however nothing compared to the winter temperatures outside, which can dip much lower.

Depending on when you visit, there’s a good chance you won’t get the daylight this far north. I was there opening week and saw about two hours of low light before it grew dark again. This alone gives you the magical feel of being in another world. Everything is by the light of the moon with the snow glistening to shed an otherworldly light.

Most people stay at the Icehotel for two or three nights, but you will only spend one night in the actual Icehotel and the additional nights in the Scandinavian bungalows also on the property.

If you’re lucky you will experience the Northern Lights, more spectacular here than anywhere else on earth. The Sami people of the area call them “the lights that can be heard” their glow in the darkness leaves a magical aura creating a feeling of eternity.

The best way to get to the Ice Hotel is by dog sled from the airport in Kiruna. Nothing compares to the sound of packed ice and the panting of the dogs as they glide across the frozen lake to their destination. An excellent way to explore the wilderness of the Arctic, forests and trees glide by as you become one with the dogs and the frozen world around you.

If you can’t make it as far north as the Arctic Circle then at least get to Stockholm where an ice bar exists down a quiet little street just off one of Stockholm’s main thoroughfares. This ice bar is located in the very hip hotel called Nordic Sea. Very chic, very Scandinavia, but it’s really what is inside that’s currently all the rage.

It’s the world’s first stand-alone ice bar (not counting the one at the Ice Hotel) and it was opened in June 2002. No play on the name here, Icebar is just that, a bar made completely of ice. Even better, Icebar recently partnered with Absolut Vodka for a name change; ala Absolut Icebar.

This architectural wonder is actually located on the lobby level of Nordic Sea and made of ice from northern Sweden’s Torne River. The ice is frozen, glistening and molded to create this expanse of room that holds up to 30 people, all who must, by the way, be ready to survive the non-adjustable temperature inside, five degrees below zero.

While it’s not a place you will want to spend your entire evening, you’ll definitely want to go for a few - only Absolut - drinks.

As you enter the two doors leading into Icebar you will be given a silver cape and shoes to keep you warm. “The capes enhance the experience, create a sense of anonymity and help make guests more receptive to the environment,” says Nordic Sea proprietor Ejnar Soder.

When you step inside the doors your imagination will be stretched to new limits as the lighting soothes and relaxes your mind - a momentary pause in eternity.

From the sculptures, to the bar, to the tables (no chairs - you enjoy the experience standing up) everything is made of ice.

When you order your drink, with names such as Absolut Wolf-Paw (Absolut, Jokk Lingonberry Juice) and Absolut Hot Passion (Absolut Peppar and Passionfruit Juice) you will be served in cube-styled drinking glasses made of ice, complete with a hole in the middle for your chosen blend.

The good news is that if it gets too cold you can step right back outside and find yourself in the Nordic Sea lobby; warm and trendy in its own right and a local favorite.

Icebar is open all year long and has, without question, become one of Stockholm’s most popular places to be seen. With Absolut now a part of the name ice bars are being discussed around the world, but Icebar in Sweden was the first.

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Source: Rita Cook, Travel Examiner

Struggling to sell your London home? Don’t want to drop your asking price any further? Fearful of negative equity? There may be a solution if you look beyond your own front door – and, indeed, your own country – and target foreign buyers.

To many overseas investors, London property is looking pretty cheap right now, and while home-grown house-hunters may be waiting for the credit squeeze to ease, there are buyers from Russia and the Middle East – as well as Americans, including Paris Hilton – who are looking to invest in the London housing market. There are also plenty of continental buyers keen to cash in on the strong euro and snap up a pied-à-terre in the capital.

“Middle Eastern buyers are increasingly looking for a deal,” says Phil Spencer, the Sunday Times columnist, Channel 4 presenter, and head of Garrington Home Finders, which is considering opening an office in Dubai to meet demand from property-seekers in the Middle East.

“It actually doesn’t matter what the property costs – it is very much part of their culture to haggle, so they just want to see a price reduction,” he says. “Owning a property in London will always have status value, and, long-term, it is still the safest place you can put your money.”

Spencer, who has a steady stream of Russian and American clients, has also seen growing numbers of wealthy Indians looking to invest in property, and expects to see the Chinese follow soon.

So, how can you best market your home to an overseas buyer? After all, there’s got to be more to it than conforming to outdated national stereotypes such as gold taps, acres of marble and sunken baths for the Arabs, bling for the Russians, lateral, apartment-style living for the Americans, and somewhere near a good patisserie for the French.

Robert Bailey, who specialises in finding homes for wealthy investors, has some basic advice. “Finishes really are important, whatever the property,” he says. “I would focus on good-quality bathrooms and kitchens.” Wherever they are from, and wherever they are looking, Bailey adds, the super-rich have some basic, specific needs. “State-of-the-art heating and lighting are musts. Good facilities are essential: they want to be able to park their Rolls-Royce Phantom in the underground car park, then head up a few floors to the gym. They want their home to be more like a hotel. Security is also terribly important.”

The clincher, however, is location. Over the years, different parts of the capital have become popular with different nationalities, with enclaves forming and reinforcing areas’ identities. At the top of many Russians’ wish lists, for example, are homes in Mayfair, Bel-gravia and Chelsea, although Hamp-stead, St John’s Wood and parts of Holland Park will suffice.

At a push, they will buy outside London, within an hour’s drive (by chauffeur). A perennial favourite is St George’s Hill, a gated estate in Wey-bridge, Surrey, with tight security.

“Typically, Russian buyers are looking for investment opportunities, so they want to buy only in the best areas,” says Grace Margolies, head of Savills’ Russian desk, based in Mayfair. “It often won’t be their main home, so they want something they can lock up and leave, with 24-hour porters – and nothing on the ground floor.”

Margolies, however, says that she markets properties costing from £400,000 to many millions, depending on the type of buyer – some are older investors, others the younger, trendier Russians about town. And she says that the days of super-bling are pretty much over, with many Russians now preferring sleek, modern, high-spec decor. “They don’t want to deal with builders and interior designers, however, so they’ll choose high-tech, high-quality and ready to go.” If sellers really want to splash out, then pools, hot tubs, cinema rooms and unique, creative design all go down well.

No 15 Culross Street, a classic Mayfair property just off Park Lane, is expected to be snapped up by a Russian. Renovated to create a light-flooded double-height atrium, it has four bedrooms, cream walls, lots of walnut and glass – and no outside space to maintain. It’s on the market for £9.85m. A perfect pied-à-terre for Roman Abramovich’s girlfriend, Dasha Zhukova, perhaps?

Knightsbridge, in west London, is still a favourite with Middle Eastern buyers – who, according to Jonathan Hewlett, London director for Savills, are looking for volume and scale. That doesn’t mean you should rush to install miles of ruched curtains and shag-pile carpets, though: such OTT tastes are on their way out.

Grade II-listed No 33 Ovington Square, for example, is certainly big, with 7,165sq ft of living space, but it has been renovated and redecorated by the developer Richard Moore to cater for the needs of the modern Middle Eastern buyer. On the market for £19.5m, it has seven bedrooms, six bathrooms and a lift to take the owner to the gym and sauna in the basement, as well as a staff flat. The colour scheme is cream and ochre, however, with lots of pale wood and clean lines, and again there’s no garden, just a patio.

If you don’t fancy your chances of flogging your home to a sheikh, then don’t despair. There are other pockets of émigrés all over London, many of whom, unlike the Middle Eastern and Russian part-timers, are looking for family homes.

In this market, schools, embassies and multinational companies can affect who lives where just as much as fancy decor. Americans and Europeans tend to love period housing and quaint garden squares, as well as gardens.

Let the seller beware, however: “Our American counterparts are very demanding,” warns Simon Buhl Davis, head of Savills’ interior-design service, which was set up last year to upgrade properties to appeal to overseas buyers as well as Britons.

Traditionally keen on St John’s Wood, in northwest London – site of the American School – they have a reputation for being fussy. “They want lots of space and are obsessed with easy storage,” he says. “They don’t want to have to bend down to reach things. And they insist on walnut dovetailed walk-in wardrobes.” With the planned move of the American embassy to Nine Elms, in south London, those hoping to sell up in Wandsworth might want to brush up on their carpentry skills and add a walk-in wardrobe to secure a sale.

Flats in South Kensington and Fulham, as well as houses in Clapham, southwest London, are popular with French families thanks to branches of the Lycée, the French school network. “French expats centre themselves on these places,” says the property-finder and estate agent Lorraine Campbell (www.lorrainecampbell.com). “They like everything on their doorstep, and walk everywhere. They are looking for plenty of space – each child has to have a good-sized bedroom – and neutral decoration. And Frenchmen will eat in a kitchen these days.”

Gallic communities are extremely strong in these areas, setting up a whole range of services – women organise sewing and cooking classes, and there are French dentists on hand, along with, of course, essentials such as proper lingerie shops and a decent croissant.

Simon Corringham, director of Faron Sutaria, which has branches in west and central London, has been targeting the euro-rich Germans and Italians in Fulham. “Four-bedroom houses go for between £850,000 and £1.2m in SW6,” he says. “We introduce French families to each other.” Five-bedroom houses on Hazlebury Road, near L’Ecole des Petits, are popular: “The nanny can walk the children down the road.”

Corringham’s other clients have included German rock singers, and Italians after pieds-à-terre. “They can’t stand hotels, and are looking for comfy, spacious flats near the Tube,” he says. “We’ve had cash buyers spending about £500,000 in the area.”

Nor are overseas buyers confining themselves to central London. “As they get to know the country, they are increasingly happy to look further out,” says Crispin Holborow, head of the country-house department at Savills, who recently sold a £4m Cornish house to a client from eastern Europe. “They like the coast and the woods and the countryside,” he says. “One or two are even moving to Scotland.”

“People from overseas are buying life-styles,” Buhl Davis says. “Your property has to look the part and be immaculate. Selling successfully is a battle plan.”

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Source: Times Online Property

All designs have been conceptualized and executed by an in-house team led by Calvin Klein Home’s Creative Director, Amy Mellen. The manufacture, production, sales, and distribution of both lines will be executed by our experienced licensing partners, Alexandre International and Shayne Industries.
Both lines take inspiration from the Calvin Klein apparel and accessory lines, as evidenced in the textures, materials, and hardware. Surfaces are elegant in travertine, parchment, marble, smoked glass, brushed stainless steel, and gold leaf, in unique combinations of matte and high gloss finishes.
The ‘Calvin Klein’ furniture line will be available exclusively at select Macy’s nationwide beginning this January. This line is eclectically merchandised into three key groups inspired by their ultimate use — City, Weekend, and Destination. Each group is delineated by a specific singular wood finish: walnut, whitewash, and teak, respectively. Items in the ‘Calvin Klein’ furniture line at Macy’s will range in price from $850 for a glass end-table to $2,600 for a canopy bed.

‘The curator collection by Calvin Klein Home’ is a more elaborately detailed offering consisting of approximately 65 skus constructed with expert workmanship. Sculptural and sophisticated, ‘the curator collection’ is highly polished, with hand-rubbed, dark walnut-finished and ebonized-finished pieces, accented with leather details and bronze hardware. Some of the multi-functional pieces include a tall chest of drawers with valet doors, a parchment-front dresser, and an elegant, hand-rubbed walnut day bed with all-natural linen upholstered cushion and pillows. ‘The curator collection’ is planned to be available at fine furniture retailers nationwide and range from $1,100 for a cocktail table to $5,000 for a walnut sleigh bed with hand-applied gold leaf. Beginning October 20th, ‘the curator collection’ will be shown exclusively at High Point market on a dedicated floor within the Commerce & Design building, by invitation only.

Additionally, it is planned that ‘the curator collection’ will be complemented by a unique line of decorative pillows designed to specifically complement the collection.

“Strategically, the addition of furniture is very significant for us as it further extends the Calvin Klein Home lifestyle product offering,” said Tom Murry, President & Chief Executive Officer, Calvin Klein, Inc. “I believe our team has done a great job creating collections that are true to the Calvin Klein brand DNA while at the same time incorporating elements that exude warmth and comfort to appeal to a wide consumer base.”

“We believe that Calvin Klein furniture will bring a fresh and modern approach to the current marketplace and serve to enhance the overall Calvin Klein Home presentation at retail,” said A.J. Menozzi, Chief Executive Officer, Calvin Klein Home Furniture and The Next Market, who oversee operations for the new furniture lines. “Speaking on behalf both licensing partners, we are privileged to work with Calvin Klein, Inc., on the development of these exciting new product lines and look forward to growing this business.”

Calvin Klein Home, established in 1995, currently markets licensed products around the world spanning bed and bath, tabletop and gifts, glassware, table linens, rugs, and down.

Calvin Klein, Inc. is one of the leading fashion design and marketing studios in the world. It designs and markets women’s and men’s designer collection apparel and a range of other products that are manufactured and marketed through an extensive network of licensing agreements and other arrangements worldwide. Brands/lifestyles include Calvin Klein Collection, ck Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein, Calvin Klein Jeans, and Calvin Klein Underwear. Product lines under the various Calvin Klein brands include apparel, accessories, shoes, sleepwear, hosiery, socks, swimwear, belts, eyewear, watches, jewelry, coats, suits and fragrances, as well as products for the home.

Phillips-Van Heusen Corporation is one of the world’s largest apparel companies. It owns and markets the Calvin Klein brand worldwide. It is the world’s largest shirt and neckwear company and markets a variety of goods under its own brands, Van Heusen, Calvin Klein, IZOD, ARROW, Bass and G.H. Bass & Co., and its licensed brands, including Geoffrey Beene, Kenneth Cole New York, Kenneth Cole Reaction, unlisted, A Kenneth Cole Production, BCBG Max Azria, BCBG Attitude, MICHAEL Michael Kors, Sean John, Chaps, Donald J. Trump Signature Collection, JOE Joseph Abboud, Tommy Hilfiger, DKNY and Timberland.

SOURCE: Calvin Klein, Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2008

“Fresh hardwood is not available any longer and so I make it a point to recycle old wood,” the designer pointed out.

His factory in Noida is stacked with handcrafted antique furniture made of recycled wood and discards.

The prices of Vadhera’s furniture range from Rs.5,000 to Rs.50,000. He sources his old wooden furniture from villages and royal estates in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Sidhant Lamba, the owner of Strot, a high-end furniture boutique in the heart of the capital, balances traditional with contemporary designs.

“Due to increased levels of exposure to the global standards of furniture design and its relative availability, the Indian homemaker is more aware of what completes the perfect modern home without running the risk of being too different,” Lamba said.

Speaking on the occasion, Parag Kulkarni, Vice-President, Furniture Business, said Wipro Furniture, after establishing its presence in major metros was now focusing on ‘emerging markets’ like Kerala.

The company’s strong in house Research and Development capability has enabled it launch a wide range of products within a short span of time, he said.

“With increasing work demands,today’s workforce is spending more time at work than ever before. It is thus important to provide for a ‘healthy and safe’ seating. Wipro’s new offering Yuva Smart is designed for the smart yuvas of today’, he said.

Pointing out that Wipro products satisfy the latest international safety guidelines, he said Wipro Furniture was keen to partner local and MNC clients who are setting up modern offices in cities like Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.

Kulkarni said that Indroyal, a leading chain of furniture showrooms, would market Wipro Furniture products in Kerala.

Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting Group have a profitable presence in the branded retail market of toilet soaps, hair care soaps, hydrogenated cooking oil, baby care products, lighting, switches and furniture products.

The Comtemporary Modern Office Furniture Design From HomeStyle LB is modern top office. With this modern concept, your office will be felt comfortable and luxurious made whoever wore him will be felt comfortable and felt at home. Enjoy this beauty fully the attraction.

Image via HomeStyle LB

Mahavideh silver furniture:-

Silver furniture is highly ornamental and is available with intricate carvings done on the silver.

To beautify one’s home nothing can be best suited as the collection of silver furniture. Extremely elegant and beautiful example of craftsmanship, it becomes a rare piece of collection that compliments every decor. The perfectly designed silver furniture’s lend an aristocratic look and the traditional style of remarkable carvings revives the contemporary art.

The sparkling finish of silver makes the furniture’s look splendid and stylish. Artistic mixture of ethnicity and traditional touch make the buyers attracted towards it. It is available as silver sofa sets, silver chairs, silver stools, silver coffee table, silver doors, silver swings, silver trolley, silver beds, silver tables etc. Mesmerising designs and eye soothing look, silver furniture is a privilege to have.

Choosing the right decor for one’s lifestyle is important not just for optimal enjoyment but for one’s interior decoration, it acts as an investment. The front porch and garden are entrances to one’s private inside world, as well as, a part of outdoor living space. Bamboo presents its own exquisite style of bamboo decor accessories, which beautifully blends the outdoor and indoor to create a respite for the visitor and a place for the owners to rejuvenate. merinews

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