Spencer Kimball is a 36 years old software engineer working at Google, that owns an amazing penthouse loft in New York City. The guy moved in 2004 from San Fran to Manhattan and paid some $3.8 million for the 3,000 sq ft top floor of 682 Broadway which he later renovated (another $3.3 million) together with the good folks from Rangr Studio to create a more airy interior, an extra-large kitchen area for entertaining, a stunning staircase and an outdoor living room. Add the panoramic views of the city and the Kimball loft has everything you could wish for.

Looking for that perfect sofa in your living room but can’t find something to match the modern minimalist interior theme you went with? Check out the new Agura Sofa by Hisae Igarashi. Designed for SAJICA, the unique sofa and ottoman (which by the way, acts very well as a coffee table) are made from pure Japanese Igusa that not only makes it an eco-friendly product, but also adds elegance to the whole set. Other than looks, the Agura sofa is supposedly capable to adsorb the humidity in the room and can purify the toxic substances in the air, such as formaldehyde. Warm in the winter and cool for your tush during summers, the minimalist Agura sofa and ottoman will be shown at the upcoming IMM Cologne show in Germany. Guess that’s when we’ll know more on how much it costs.

The folks from Gartner Trovato Architects have been commissioned for coming up with this contemporary house in Bayview, NSW, Australia, and by the looks of it they sure managed an astonishing job given the fact that the building is located on a 1,200 sqm block of land with a significant fall from the street. Having three floors, the Bayview House allows for cross ventilation and solar access to all rooms — the main living spaces (kitchen, dining and living areas) are at the upper floor, the master suite is on the middle floor along with some guest rooms and an artists studio, while the lower floor is where all the home entertainment stuff happens. Certainly wouldn’t mind a two weeks holiday in Bayview — love the modern furniture, the clean lines and the amazing views of the surrounding landscape.

If you’re among those who’d think that a bunch of shipping containers have been transformed into a lavish residential space, you’re in for a big surprise as the Wood Block Residence stylized by Chadbourne + Doss Architects is an arty display of concrete, metal and wood. The result is a wonderful abode adorned with dark walls, exposed beams, tan wood ceiling and dark floors in perfect unison with the lush, green vegetation that provides a natural backdrop to this home on the Mercer Island, Washington. Floor-to-ceiling glass, a screened patio, the clean interior with a wooden deck and a rock garden to the side, all seem to be conjuring up a wonderful mansion.

Creative architects from nimmrichter cda have utilized wood to the fullest when cladding this highway home, dubbed as House Sigg. Located in Dietlikon, Switzerland, the external appearance clearly signifies that there’s no dearth of wood in this part of world. The three floor house has a garage and an equipment room in the basement; the ground floor offers ample space for an eatery, kitchen and a living room. Equally inviting interiors include wardrobes, complementary furniture and a profusion of timber, of course. Since privacy of the homeowner should seldom be compromised, the bedrooms and bathroom are there on the first floor. You’ll surely like a fairly smaller swimming pool, provided with altogether a different meaning as a lush green lawn borders it.

Seattle-based Tyler Engle Architects have been in charge with redesigning this Park Side condo sited along Stanley Park and English Bay, in Seattle. Keeping with the company’s vision for simplicity, the creative designers have paid special attention to bringing as much natural light as possible. The result is a revamped living area with almost melting lines of differentiation, a rare authoritative ambiance and a worth-adoring modern living space, decked with chicly stylized furniture (see that semi-circular sofa and the revolving office-chair), ample lighting fixtures, profuse almirahs and the creamy settees. Looks like the perfect mix between comfort, spaciousness and crisp detailing.

French designer Julien Bergignat is at it again, this time with a rocking chair that will sway you with a sense of comfort and amazement. Dubbed Tracy (quite a funny name) and created with material found locally, the chair is comprised of a steel base (taken out of an old tractor) and a pine-wood structure. It’s a great example of cool carpentry recycling that has turned discarded objects into a work of art, promising to redefine your home interior with a new meaning. And you’ll find it worth admiration for its unique lounger like comportment and the sliding shape it comes with. Upholding the French tradition of finding comfort in basic values, this inimitable chair deserves a place in your abode.

Ready to have a splash into the unmatched natural beauty of the Mexican beaches with luxury resorts lining them to entertain the lavish clients? If yes, then Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya, about 26 miles south of Cancun, deserves an honorable mention in the list of resorts that seek to harmonize luxury and nature together. Set amid 36 acres of tropical forests, overseeing the Carribean Sea and other freshwater lakes, the fabulous hideaway lets you grope on the remains of the ancient Mayan civilization. You’ll sure love the glorious spa, the steam room, swimming pools, mobile sun-recliners and the straw bale house, which the architect Gilberto Borja regards as the focal point of its tradition. Completely sold, to say the least!

With Christmas just around the corner, it’s a fact that everyone rolls, bends and twists to come up with the best decoration for the holiday season. Same seems to be the case with the world’s most expensive gingerbread house (in Gothenburg, Sweden), where the big day is gonna be nothing short of special, as the home-shaped delicacy with a chocolate & sweet pasta frame, gingerbread exterior, marzipan plates and caramel windows is definitely mouth-watering.

With an impressive ceiling height that stretches at 50 cm, an entrance leading into the main building with rooms stuffed with gourmet materials, an English-rich styled library, a crystal blue lake with a marzipan bridge site and a carport with room for the two cars, bidding for the year’s yummiest abode ever starts at 35,000 SEK, or close to 3,000 Euro.

Have you ever seen leopards, dragonflies and parrots looking at you from a Christmas Tree? Apparently that’s what John Galliano, Christian Dior’s creative director, had in mind for his festive tree to replace the traditional tinsel and twinkling lights with frosty wood with twisted branches. The venue is the grand Claridge’s Hotel in London where both Claridge’s and Dior will seek to blend ‘impeccable heritage, inherent glamour and contemporary thinking’. And by the looks of it, they’ve done a great job. Standing proud in the hallway, it’s a sort of surprise for the bystanders like you and me. We’d term it as an absolute novelty, Christmas decoration with a difference, to say the least.