Summer is almost here and so is the time to throw baller outdoor parties and have more fun in the sun. What better way to ring in the season than with a versatile outdoor lamp by Vibia! Wind, designed by Jodi Vilardell, is a day and night outdoor lamp that won the Wallpaper Magazine’s Design Award for 2012. Atypical from a lamp design standpoint, Wind masquerades as a parasol during the day allowing you to relax in its shade and as a lamp at night allowing you to bask in its light.

The material used in its construction is fiberglass rendering it rugged without compromising on its light and breezy aesthetic. The fiberglass weave and the acrylic diffusers ensure that the lighting is diffused and soft, creating the perfect ambience for a baller evening party. The lamp also features a swivel screen that allows you to change directionality based upon individual preferences.

The lamp is part of Vibia’s range of outdoor floor collection and is a stylish alternative to the traditional backyard outdoor lamp. From a design perspective, the lamp is a fusion of the traditional and modern. The design is inspired from traditional Asian parasols although the materials used in the manufacture are modern. This functional fusion lamp will be a welcome addition to any baller patio, pool or backyard.

Wind is available in three colors – a basic white that will blend in with almost any surrounding, a colorful and vivid orange and an eye-catching green that will no doubt make you stop and take a closer look. Pricing information is available on request. For more information, please visit the Vibia website.

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Spring is officially just a few weeks away! Don’t you just love the season for its friendly weather, outdoor fun, and not to forget — all those baller grilling and barbeque parties that you plan to host (weather beckoning, of course)! An even more pertinent question to ask here is whether you are ready for some sexy Spring entertaining with your culinary expertise and gear? Speaking of luxury entertaining, here is one piece of gear that will speak volumes of your luxe prowess and add oodles of panache to your already macho personality – A Swedish Reindeer Leather Apron curated by Jeren Gulickx from Bole.

Bole is a fourth generation leather tannery and saddle manufacturer from Sweden who retains the distinction of catering to the Royal Family of Sweden. Their leathers are prepared using the ancient bark tanning technique. Here, the leather curing process takes place in vats with Spruce wood barks. The beautiful cherry tan is imparted through this special though vintage technique that is now only used by few tanneries worldwide.

The Bole leather apron will be an heirloom that can be passed on to future generations. Strength and ruggedness are a hallmark of reindeer leather – in fact, reindeer leather aprons have been in commission since the 50s and Bole tanners wear them all the time as a form of protective clothing. Reindeer leather is also supposed to offer better heat protection when you are grilling away and is less likely to catch fire. Being real leather, it will also grow better with the passage of time, thanks to the release of natural oils with normal wear.

Being part of a limited edition series, only 30 leather aprons – each bearing a unique number, are being produced. The gorgeous leather apron is accompanied by a $840 price tag – just fit enough for a baller. Whether it is a gift for Dad or simply a Spring season indulgence, one thing must be said – these macho reindeer leather aprons will definitely be a head turner or conversation starter.

Discover these limited edition aprons by clicking here.

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Okay – so you already have a fireplace and chimney in your living room where everyone huddles together to soak in the warmth on a chilly winter evening! However, we don’t think that’s reason enough to stop reading further. Especially, not if you love the warmth that a fireplace provides and would love to take it with you from one room to another – wherever you go. For all the fireplace lovers, allow us to suggest the Adena Wall Mount Fireplace from Pureflame. Not only is it environment friendly but it also possesses loads of aesthetic potential by virtue of its unique wall mount feature.

The Adena fireplace is just like a painting that you can hang on your wall – the only difference is that this painting will keep you warm. The eco-friendliness of this Pureflame fireplace gives it a huge advantage over competing brands. The fireplace burns a plant-based ethyl alcohol biofuel.

The fuel is supposedly non-toxic and does not emit smoke or odors. In fact, Pureflame’s biofuel emits steam and carbon dioxide – in volumes comparable those of human exhalation. They say you need less than a liter of biofuel to provide heat that lasts two to five hours (statistics based on burn time). If you ask us, please treat these results with a pinch of salt. After all, they are based on the room size, existing temperature, fireplace model and flame size.

With that said, the Adena fireplace does look promising based on the newness of the wall mount feature and the eco-friendliness of the fuel used. It also ranks high on the list when compared to conventional fireplaces due to the portability feature. It seems just perfect for contemporary living.

There are four varieties of wall mount fireplaces starting at US$649 and going all the way up to $879. For more information or to place an order, please visit Seattle Luxe.

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Vacation homes truly have a charm of their own. And owning one not very far from home sounds enticing to many a baller! That’s also the reason why we selected the spectacular Point Grey Home in the Canadian province of British Columbia that’s on the market for a cool $19,600,000. If you’ve got the cash to spare, you may want to consider this gorgeous property on 1988 Drummond Drive, Vancouver. The sprawling 12,184 square foot, four bed and eight (five full and three half) bath mansion – custom built for its owners also includes an 896 square foot two storey designer cottage that will have you oohing and aahing at its design and attention to detail.

The main level features an open floor plan with oak hardwood flooring all over. On this level you will also find the living room and an attached office/library. One can enjoy beautiful views of the outdoor swimming pool complete with landscaping from the dining room and family room. The chef’s kitchen, also on the same level, features Bianca carrera marble counter tops, Italian micro tile flooring and state of the art kitchen appliances.

On the second level, there are three en suite bedrooms and a deluxe master bedroom with attached his/her baths. Another prominent feature of this home is the basement that has an unusually large wine cellar fit to store 1,600 bottles, a large recreation room, theater room and a fully functional gym room and separate steam/sauna facilities. Further, if you love cars and are a collector, the home has an attached 4 car garage and a 6 car detached garage to house all your beauties. Gardens complete with fruit orchards, vegetables and herbs decorate the outdoor space.

The property is perfect as a vacation home or for plain everyday living. Further, if you love entertaining, this home would make an ideal venue for throwing lavish parties with its chef’s kitchen, breathtaking poolside views from the dining room, and the grandiose wine cellar. Whether it is an indoor party or an indoor cum outdoor one, this home would play the perfect host – we’re sure you can tell by simply looking at the images and let your imagination do the rest of the talking.

The listing is held by Winnie Chung of Royal Pacific Realty. Click here to know more details of this beautiful property.

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It’s 2012 and retro is still in. Did we not warn you last year that this trend is clearly here to stay and boy, were we right! Speaking of music technology, with the newest gadgets spread on every shelf in every store; don’t you sometimes wish that you could seek comfort in something from the past? If you’re looking for a guitar amplifier and want one that reflects the ‘old and vintage’ theme, Fender’s Pawn Shop Special amps promise to rewind back to the time when electrified sound was the ‘in’ thing. The two models – the Greta and its macho counterpart – the Excelsior have been referred to as some of the unique tube combo amplifiers in Fender’s history.

One look at the amps and you begin to realize that they are so reminiscent of finds at a hardware flea market or a vintage thrift store – except that they are far from being thrifty. The 13 watt Excelsior combo amp has a brown Vinyl jacket and a grille design in the shape of an ‘E’. It has a 15 inch ‘Special Design’ speaker, top and bottom loaded control chassis with two 12 AX7 preamp and two 6V6 output tubes. The unit is capable of producing tones that border on the ‘polite’ at one end to absolutely ‘raucous’ on the other. Other noteworthy features include a 6.3mm instrument input, a microphone, an accordion, a tremolo circuit with controls for speed and a volume control. And the suggested retail price is a cool US$400.

The bold red and tinier Greta amp features a 12AT7 output and 12AX7 preamp tube with a 4 inch speaker. The output is just 2 watts. The Greta amp is dressed to impress with right red front and rear wood panels. To add a little extra oomph, there’s also golden metal on the top and sides. There is an analog VU meter on the front portion of the amp that indicates clean/overload tone. Gold volume and tone knobs finish the amp stylishly.

So if you’re feeling a little nostalgic, you already know where to head to! Click here to learn more about the Greta & the Excelsior.

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