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Man Cave Chic0

I have found the quintessential element for a Man Cave – a  man cave of any theme.  My addition embodies gusto, a devil-may-care attitude, and with luck, comfort.  It is something that I deem important when preparing to view a 55-inch wide screen HDTV, something that asserts authority and dignity—with a little cheeziness thrown in for luck.

Presenting: the  James T. Kirk’s Captain’s Chair from the original U.S.S. Enterprise.

Sporting a hefty weight of 215 pounds and measuring 41-inches tall x 42-inches wide x 39-inches deep, this chair isn’t for wimps.  Hell, just getting it into the house is a chore best left to a gang of pissed-off Klingons!

The chair swivels (of course—what good Captain’s Chair wouldn’t?) and is made of wood with a leather seat cover.  The armrest buttons include:

*Shuttle operation controls;

*View-screen activation;

*Red and yellow Alert;

*Jettison pod; and

*Various audio clips from the show.

There is no indication that the “View-screen activation” would actually interact with a giant HDTV, and the rest of the buttons seem more for fun than function.

If they were real, I’d be terrified to find out what happens when you hit the  “Jettison pod” button.  All I can imagine is my van launching out into the street at 60 mph.  Gah!

The production of this chair is limited to 1701 (get it?) pieces.  And to get it, you’ll be voyaging where few wallets have gone before for a chair -  $3000!

Egad!  You could get quite a bit of Romulan Ale for that kind of cash.  But then, where would you sit to drink it?

by John Barker

Written by editor on May 6, 2010 at 3:59 pm
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Extreme Changes Coming0

We recently reported on one of the many Extreme Makeover families facing foreclosure. Now it looks as though the show is going under construction.

Don’t start yelling, “Move that bus,” just yet. This makeover will probably take more than 7 days. However, changes are coming. The Wall Street Journal says that producers plan to scale back the show a bit. So instead of giving away mini mansions, recipients may actually receive houses which they can afford to live in.

“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has always strived along with our volunteer builders to create not only ‘extreme’ homes, but homes that work for the owners for years to come,” a show spokesperson said. “As always, we are striving to build greener, more affordable and environmentally responsible homes, and redoubling those efforts for years to come.”

 

So a bowling alley isn’t green? Probably not. Apparently, it’s also not very cheap to maintain. As a result, many Extreme homeowners have been struggling with tax and utility bills.

 According to producers, the show will attempt to downsize — in square footage as well as amenities. “I think our hearts were in the right place, but we just got carried way,” says Tracy Hutson, one of the show’s on-camera interior designers. “It can be extreme without being the biggest house you’ve ever seen.” They will also continue to look for economic and earth-friendly products to incorporate into each home.

By Rachel Cericola

Photo Credit: © ABC/Bill Matlock

Written by editor on April 7, 2010 at 1:06 pm
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HGTV Dream Home: We Have a Winner!0

We all like to think about our dream home – and Myra Lewis can stop now.

Myra, 63, was recently crowned the winner of HGTV’s 2010 Dream Home. She has the type of life story that makes for a 2-hour episode of Extreme Makeover. How’d they miss her? It doesn’t matter because now she’s got something better than one of those 7-day quickie builds.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the home that Myra shared with her now-25-year-old son, Chris.  They bounced around before renovating the ravaged home, which now serves as a rental property. Chris is autistic and pursuing a degree in fine arts.

Myra’s new address and brand new Pueblo-style home is located near Santa Fe, New Mexico. We were ogling over the beauty that’s inside and out just a few weeks back.

 And Myra doesn’t just get the house – it’s actually part of a $2 million prize package, which includes a 2010 GMC Terrain and $500,000. Other housewarming gifts include a 5-day wireless forecaster, a Cuisinart food processor, a countertop popcorn machine, a few Bobby Flay-branded goods, a baking set, and much more.

“I’m blown away,” said the emotional winner. “I’m blown away. This is just unbelievable!”

She isn’t kidding, either. Myra’s name was picked from more than 40 million entries.

And there’s still another chance!  The HGTV Green Home is under construction in Plymouth, MA, and the sweepstakes begins in April. 

By Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on March 26, 2010 at 3:21 pm
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LeBron Loves Furniture0

According to Home Furnishing Business, sports superstar LeBron James has signed a deal with American Signature Inc. He won’t be playing on the company’s basketball team. Instead, he will be designing furniture.

Wait… what now?

That’s right; apparently, LeBron loves sofas. However, will you love LeBron’s sofas?

Well, the Cleveland Cavaliers star won’t be the only one picking patterns and deciding whether or not you get a matching ottoman. Longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson and LRMR Marketing will also be heavily involved.  Because, well, they aren’t busy hawking McDonald’s, Nike, and State Farm, all while trying to score a championship ring.

To show some goodwill and good faith, American Signature sealed the deal with a little remodel on the teen room at the Oak Cliff Boys & Girls Club of Greater Dallas, as part of James’ annual NBA All-Star playground initiative.

“I am proud to be partnering with American Signature and sharing my family’s lifestyle with fans and consumers everywhere,” James said. “This is an exciting opportunity and I look forward to the upcoming launch in the months to come.”

We’re excited to see whether LeBron’s creations will provide some extra legroom.  The initial line is expected to launch this summer.

By Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on March 24, 2010 at 1:39 pm
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Okvath Family Faces Extreme Foreclosure2

In 2005, the Okvath family received their dream home from the good folks at Extreme Makeover. Unfortunately, it looks like they aren’t going to be able couldn’t keep it.

 

According to the East Valley Tribune in Gilbert, Arizona, the Okvath family is the latest in a line of Makeover families currently facing foreclosure.

ABC’s wrecking crew picked the family because of 8-year-old Kassandra, who has been battling cancer since 2003.  If that wasn’t reason enough, dad Bryan lost his truck-driving gig for missing days to be by his daughter’s side.

All the little girl wanted was a few tweaks to the University Medical Center in Tucson, Arizona. The Makeoverteam granted Kassandra her wish — and threw in a brand new 5,346-square-foot Spanish Colonial-style mansion for the family as well. The home features six bedrooms, five full bathrooms, a movie theater, hardwood floors, granite countertops, a 3-car garage, and ultraviolet-light air and water filtration systems.

Now, like many Extreme Makeover  ”winners,” the family is struggling to keep up with the costs of maintaining the property. Mom Nichol says that last summer, the electric bill alone ballooned to a whopping $1,800 a month. The family took out a $405,000 loan to make a few energy-friendly adjustments. Unfortunately, it was just too little, too late. “We were living beyond our means,” she told the paper.

The Okvath family first put the home up for sale in late 2009, asking for $1.9 million. At last look, the price had dropped to $699,000. If the family can’t find a buyer by May, the home will go to the highest auction bidder.

By Rachel Cericola

Written by editor on March 23, 2010 at 11:51 am
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Don’t Just Stick It Anywhere0

All hail the miracle of Duct Tape! This stuff is probably the most versatile material on the planet (with Legos coming in second).

You can do practically anything with Duct Tape – also known as Duck Tape. These guys, the MythBusters, researched some of the legends of DT.

And then, just to make sure, they built another canon. . . after they made a boat.

Captain Kirk could’ve used some Duct Tape when fighting the Gorn. Hell, all he had was bamboo and hemp:

Thanks for sticking through the advertising. Sticking - get it!? I’m here all week! Try the roast beef!

Not all uses of Duct Tape involve explosions, as our next guest shows:

He probably left his Duct Tape canon in the car.

I want the beer helmet.

by John Barker

Written by editor on March 21, 2010 at 9:53 am
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Take out the Trash0

I’m a Star Wars junkie, and R2-D2 is my favorite character to collect.  So it is with profound respect that I say this: I always thought R2-D2 looked like a little garbage can.

And now, he actually is a garbage can:

 

 

This little R2 unit is made of durable vinyl and has a removable interior can with a handle to get the trash out once you put it in.  Simply step on his center foot and his head pops up—which is pretty much what I imagined would happen if I ever stepped on the real R2’s middle foot anyway.  Too bad it doesn’t beep whenever you throw something away.

If you don’t have the space for the full sized version, a smaller desktop model is available as well.

The amount of detail on these garbage cans is impressive.  They are so realistic that if they existed in the Star Wars universe, there would be mass confusion.  Real droids would probably cease to function simply because their circuits would be clogged with half-chewed Dagobah Mud Cake, Jingloo Melon rinds, and Klatooine paddy frog bones.

by John Barker

Written by editor on March 20, 2010 at 9:19 am
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Jennifer Aniston: Covergirl0

In the March issue of Architectural Digest, which hit the newsstands on February 9th,  actress Jennifer Aniston talks freely about her newly remodeled single-level home that “vibrates with the love that created it.”  The magazine brags a photo spread of the house  by Scott Frances.

Originally, the house was designed by architect Harold W. Levitt and built on a hillside in 1970, overlooking the city landscape.  Aniston has named the house Ohana, the Hawaiian word that means  extended family.

In the project, which was started a little over 2 ½ years ago, Aniston collaborated with designer Stephen Shadley, who has teamed up on similar projects with celebrities like Diane Keaton and Woody Allen.

Shadley had heard about Aniston’s house and was delighted to work with her.  Aniston called the team she worked with true “master craftsmen, who poured so much of themselves into <the> creation.”

Shadley expressed how lucky he was to have such a team with so much creative freedom; it was  “a project without a problem.” 

The article reveals that Aniston has turned the guy part of the master bathroom into a spa area with a soaking tub.  The bedroom features a wool-and-silk shag carpet. A platform bed rests in the room with a TV at the foot. What do you think Jennifer Aniston watches on TV before she goes to bed at night?

The article also features Aniston’s walnut dining table that seats 24 and a Thai gong to summon her guests to dinner.

by Kenna McHugh

Written by editor on February 12, 2010 at 12:07 pm
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The Brits and a Fridge0

I’ve laughed belly rolls listening to Karl Pilkington on the The Ricky Gervais Show, a  monthly BBC podcast series. Some of the funniest things come out of his mouth. I won’t repeat them here because, well, profanity, but outrageous, believe me. 

The bald Pilkington has become something of a cult personality and a couple of his more notorious comments on the show have been plastered on t-shirts the very next day after being aired.  But like everyone else, the guy has his share of home improvement challenges.  Here is he is discussing a broken down fridge and the repairman.

Pilkington has said that  if his success with Ricky Gervais ended,  he would enjoy working in the property maintenance sector, either as a DIY handyman or a construction site manager.  His credentials: a passion for paintbrushes and building materials, along  personal home improvement at  his flat in London and his home in Kent.

I think I’d prefer this as his next project.

by Kenna McHugh

Written by editor on February 6, 2010 at 10:27 am
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Brad and Angie0

The rumors about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie never end:  on, off, and on again.  Who can keep it straight? 

According to TMZ , Pitt’s recent-ish purchase of a $1.1 million estate in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles proves that . . . .

Splitting up?  Nope.  Expanding their compound?  Yep.

Celebrity Real Estate Homes reports that Pitt purchased this estate from the late Anne Tyler Sherman in August of 2009.  The 3232 square-foot house sits on a 10,759-square-foot lot.  Sporting two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a large main room, a bonus room, a stone fireplace, and a bar (complete with a “secret cave”—which reinforces my belief that Brad Pitt is Batman), Pitt managed to purchase the house for $400,000 below asking price. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/superkas83/ / CC BY 2.0

While some folks thought this purchase was meant to be his new batchelor pad,  in fact, the acquisition of this property completes the family compound, which is close to 2 full acres in size.  Four other properties adjoin the recent purchase, including a 1915 Craftsman-style home (5,760-square-feet) on a 43,268-square-foot lot; a 1,653-square-foot home on .13-acre; a 2,454-square-foot house on .29-acre; and a 1,534-square-foot-house on .15 acre.  

The total amount spent: $4,933,500. 

With all of this property at hand, Pitt, Jolie and all their kids, have plenty of room to spread out.   They can be on again, off again, and it barely shows.  Maybe an overnight guest  – the other would never know.

by John Barker

Written by editor on February 4, 2010 at 12:00 pm
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