Listed by Turkey Sotheby’s International Realty

As patrons wait to sit at one of the coveted 25 spots at the pewter-topped bar, your olfactory sensors kick in, as the tattoo clad waiters, resembling the hipster spawns of Anthony Bourdain and Kat Von D, serve up small plates of truffled egg toast, meatball sliders and decadent mac’n’cheese, tantalizing your taste buds and sending your growling stomach into a state of shock. The décor evokes a nineteenth century machine-age Brooklyn – wire caged filament light bulbs highlight the gratuitously distressed walls of glazed brick and large rusted tin tiles, salvaged from a New York warehouse. The energetically charged, cooler-than-the-cool-kids atmosphere, set to the tunes of Black Keys mixed with psychedelic blues and soulful melodies, reminds guests why playfully fusing the best of comfort food laden American diners with modern European cuisine is one for the books. In this case, one for the audaciously trendy, foodie obsessed, put it on your bucket list of new London restaurants to try, books.

Spuntino
61 Rupert Street
London
United Kingdom
W1D 7PW
http://www.spuntino.co.uk/

The design and contemporary atmosphere of Hotel Q! in Berlin are truly captivating. Challenging the classical spacial “rules”, the architects managed to create folding, distorted interiors. Sand-like and lifted floors contribute to the “odd”, yet appealing feel of this hotel. According to the architects, “the flow of this inside landscape creates generous spatial connections rather than a typical dissection into multiple singular spaces. The topographical treatment of the design problem maximizes versatility of program and creates a continuous flow of form and space. The visitor will discover a narrative that departs from conventional perceptual experience and allows for ambiguous readings of the space“.

Some of the facilities of the hotel include wireless Internet, iPod docking station in all rooms, flat-screen TVs, Nintendo-Wii in all suites, Spa with Finnish sauna, steam bath, Japanese wash zone, massage and cosmetics and meeting rooms. There is a bar and a restaurant at the customer’s disposal, both with a design that seems perfectly suited for a hotel with such a strong personality.

Enter the Cooper Duffle Bag by Tiffany.

The dome duffle is made of natural Italian grain leather with palladium-plated solid brass hardware. The navy canvas lining has two interior slip pockets, an interior zipper compartment, an interior dog clip and a detachable luggage tag. There is a zipper closure, a double handle and 6″ drop.

Cost is $1,400.

The product is in fact an expensive and futuristic version of the classic rocking chair. Its name is borrowed from the stingray fish, a species that also inspired the shape of the design.

The Stingray showcases highly refined details, such as a delicate chrome frame that is hardly noticeable, a pigmented lacquer wood seat and a leather neck cushion of a strong visual effect. The color palette itself is simple and tasteful, making the chair easy to integrated in a variety of contemporary interiors.  When it comes to finding the proper environment for this product , a minimalist decoration approach is advisable.

Stingray won Denmark’s highest design honor (the Danish Design Prize), due to its delightful modern appearance and surprising comfort. The chair can be purchased online here for the price of £2,950-£3,950. By the look of things, we are dealing with a design that is not just luxurious, but also highly appreciated worldwide.

The Barbican Lounge in London was designed by SHH Architects and displays a bold color palette. Bright blue is mixed together with green and red, in order to emphasize on the diversity of the Barbican building.  Wood accents are also present, creating charming visual contrasts. The overall feel of this place thus become warm and highly welcoming.

The interior is animated by a visually striking lighting scheme (developed in collaboration with company .PSLAB), a resin peacock blue floor and colorful furniture by SHH and designer Stefan Bench. The mix of vintage and modern is truly eye-catching, contributing to the originality of this fascinating lounge.

An impressive 14meter-long bar connects the interior with a delightful outdoor terrace. It is here that the customers can enjoy fresh air in a peaceful urban environment. The overall design switches from colorful and playful to sober, but the elegance is a feature that characterizes both the interior and the terrace of the Barbican London Lounge.

The guitars feature Damien Hirst’s iconic splash color design. According to Other Criteria, all profit from the sales of the guitars will go to Flea’s charity, called Silverlake Conservatory of Music. The items not only look great, but they also feature the signature of Flea and  Hirst on the back, with the edition number marked on the base of the neck and the Hirst-Flea logo on the headstock.

Besides the Multi-Coloured Deluxe Spin Bass Guitars, which also come with ’Exquisite Corpse’ drawing by Hirst and Flea and unique photograph of Hirst and Flea holding guitar (photo above), there are also Black and White Spin Bass Guitars and Colour Spin Bass Guitars available (photos below), at lower costs.

All the models are limited edition, come with a very special case and have a great design. You can either practice your skills on them, or hang them on the wall as trophies.

Order here.

Dance has never been an easy life.  Even the success stories bear the birthmarks of penury, if not suffering.  When George Balanchine made his international choreographic debut he was a young man in the south of France, part of an international troupe of glamorous paupers.  Money came with hard work; it left more easily.  The young Balanchine was a man who enjoyed fast cars, good food, and beautiful women, and not in order.  To him these things were not luxuries, but part of a well-lived life.  They were also, like ballet, manners of appreciating beauty, the subject of his art.

As with the artist, so is the enterprise.  Creating a luxurious production on a dance company’s budget is a challenge.  Jewels, Balanchine’s three act plotless masterpiece, premiered in 1967, when the New York City Ballet, Balanchine’s artistic home in the United States, was expanding.  The company had spent its formative years at the City Center for Music and Drama on West 55^th Street.  In 1964 it moved to a much bigger theater on Lincoln Center.  In 1947 Balanchine had played with the idea of a ballet in chromatic partitions in his Palais de Crystal.  There were sections in the colors of gemstones.  Balanchine, who reworked his ideas and ballets as he saw necessary, must have liked the idea enough to reprise it.  A three part rumination on the many aspects of ballet dancing, Jewels is a modern classic, and an audience favorite.  As Lincoln Kirstein, the company’s executive once remarked, “It sounds expensive before the first step.”  Rumor has it the idea of a jeweled-themed was a gimmick.  Balanchine thought the jeweler Van Cleef and Arpels might foot the bill.  Alas, that didn’t happen.

Balanchine did get the help of scenery of designers Peter Harvey the legendary Karinska.  The visuals of each part of the triptych is simple, economical even, yet stunning.  Audiences at the David H. Koch Theater, the New York City Ballet’s home on Lincoln Center, ooh and ah the opening tableaux of each dance, in each case the curtain rising on a stage set with dancers.  Harvey’s scenic design is spare but effective, a setting for Karinska’s ingenious costumes.  Together, the two elements reinforce the ballet’s chromatic theme.  Emeralds appears as a lush jade.  Its female cast wears romantic tutus composed of long, soft green skirts and darker green fitted bodices.  Rubies electrifies the stage with angular patterns of deep red.  Its women dancers wear short, wide-fringed skirts.  The men wear white tights and red jackets.  Diamonds basks in an ethereal white.  The ballerinas appear in traditional white tutus.  They are partnered by men in white tights and white jackets.

The differences in women’s costuming are key, because Jewels is a ballet about ballet.  Its facets celebrate ballet’s Romantic, classical, and American periods.  Costuming is usually a key to the type of ballet is being danced.  A romantic tutu implies Romantic mystery.  A short tutu corresponds with ballet’s classical period.  The fringed skirt means all bets are off.

Commenting on ballet conventions, Jewels is brilliant in its kinesthetic achievements.  It is Balanchine at his best — hesitant, acrobatic, imperial, both individually and sometimes all at once.  It demands intelligence and courage of its dancers.  On the night I attended the performance by the New York City Ballet, Sterling Hyltin and Andrew Veyette danced the leads in Rubies, a wild race with an erotic pas de deux at its midpoint.  The music is Igor Stravinsky’s Cappriccio for Piano and Orchestra.  Ms. Hyltin was convincingly uninhibited and Veyette charmed in the frenetic ballet.  Elements of American vernacular dancing, including Broadway style jumps and tap dancing footwork, appear. 

In Emeralds, the most obscure of the three ballets, Ashley Bouder and Sara Mearns danced the female leads on the night I attended.  They were partnered by Jared Angle and Ask la Cour, respectively.  Emeralds is a dance for two couples, a trio (two women and a man), and ten supporting women.  Set to Fauré, the lusciousness of the melodic line in the music meets dancing rich with movement in the upper body.  The ballet has a refined pastoral mood.  It could be an abstraction on La Sylphide or Giselle, two of the surviving French ballet-pantomimes.

The dancing of Diamonds, the last section of Jewels, hearkens to the Russian classical tradition.  Swan Lake is the most popular example of this style, something Balanchine knew well.  The heart of Diamonds is a pas de deux in the form of Marius Petipa, the master choreographer of the Imperial Russian Ballet.  In a Petipa pas de deux, the ballerina is presented to the audience by her partner, or cavalier.  This is made possible by the pointe, or toe, shoe, a technology which had become more developed by Petipa’s era.  After dancing together, the ballerina and cavalier each dance a solo.  They come together to dance a final coda.

Although each ballet is different the through-lines in Jewels are elements of pointe work and port de bras (motion of the arts and head) — backbends and simple walks on pointe.  The most famous of these are the walks in the Diamonds pas de deux.  Combining the walks on pointe and the upper body, the ballerina walks across the stage, slowly bending over the arm of her partner.  It is an iconic moment in the canon of ballet, and it summarizes Balanchine’s neoclassical approach.  I saw principal dancer Wendy Whelan perform Diamonds.  She was partnered by Tyler Angle.  In this and every other step Ms. Whelan commanded the ballerina role without pointing to it.  She let the choreography speak for itself, demonstrating restraint is the better part of artistry.

The richness of Jewels is intellectual.  For those whose ballet experience has been limited to story ballets with large sets and numerous characters – The Nutcracker comes to mind — Jewels is a healthy next step.  The ballet is in the repertory of the New York City Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and the Miami Ballet, among others.  A film version of the Paris Opera Ballet performance is available on Amazon.

Review by Natalie Axton. Photos by Paul Kolnik.

The NOMAD restaurant is a fashionista’s dream. Black, gold and silver are the hues of choice. Swarovski crystals and eight-foot paintings by artist Lauri Blank hang on the walls and the visual centerpieces are hand-painted, metallic ceiling columns and a seven-foot crystal chandelier. Tufted cream banquettes flank marble tables. The overall effect is one of decadence.

DUO likes to keep the interior lights dim but that doesn’t make looking at the menu difficult. The restaurant uses lights to illuminate the menus. A nice gimmick since you never have to strain your eyes to see the dish selection, but after a while, it can give one a headache. The menu features an array of classic American fare with a twist such as ahi tuna with a wasabi avocado mousse, braised veal osso bucco tortellini stuffed with spinach and ricotta and herb roasted rack of lamb with succotash. The steaks and fish tend to be the best bets. The grilled sweet shrimp roll fell a little flat and didn’t offer the punch we expected.

The restaurant debuted in July and has seen a steady stream of diners since then, mostly for dinner and lunch. The restaurant recently began serving brunch and Sunday dinner as well.

http://www.duonewyork.com/
72 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016

http://www.lookbookcookbook.com/
Jessica Milan

Michter’s U.S. #1 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is made from corn, but unlike so many common bourbons, it is unblended and aged in oak barrels previously used to age other bourbons (a common technique amongst Scotch Whiskey makers).

The result is a surprisingly smooth and slightly sweet bourbon – a drink that will satisfy both bourbon and Scotch lovers. Michter’s Small Batch has a rich amber hue, and a whiff will give you hints of caramel, vanilla and oak. The taste is the best part – full and robust, but smooth and slightly smokey. Tastes of spices, corn, apricots and oak emerge, along with a surprising sweetness.

We recommend Michter’s U.S. #1 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey straight up or with an ice cube or two. It makes for a great sipping whiskey.

A bottle of Michter’s U.S. #1 Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey can be had for around $40-45. It isn’t found in most liquor stores, so you may need to find a specialty shop, or order it online.

Michter’s calls itself the oldest distillery in the United States – dating back to the 1700′s in the Pennsylvania mountains. Michter’s offerings are now aged and bottled by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, but they have created a wonderful lineup of products that any spirit maker would envy.

Fashion houses, celebrities and the anonymous super rich want to own them and the rest of us just want to say we’ve stayed there.

London’s newest and most fashionable hotel bling is Whitehall’s Corinthia Hotel: a shiny new bauble of a five star property ensconced in a hallowed vintage building that once housed the UFO wing of MI6 (it’s true, I heard it from the hotel’s concierge). The heart of the hotel is the dome-covered lobby lounge, dressed to the 9′s with a “Full Moon” chandelier by Parisian designer Chafik Gasmi. You want to talk bling; this baby has over 1,001 twinkling crystals winking seductively as government officials, embassy big wigs and arm candy girlfriends sip gin and tonics or take afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches below.

Upstairs the rooms are lush, Frette linen-wrapped and full of fab extras like Hi Definition TV in the marble bathroom, super sleek electronic hook ups and my favorite: ESPA soaps, scrubs and shampoos in the walk in shower. ESPA fans will want to make a pilgrimage to the hotel just for the new ESPA Life SPA that covers four floors and includes an indoor pool, a vitality pool and–wait for it–an ice fountain.

Downstairs, the hotel’s two restaurants: Northhall and Massimo and the Bassoon Bar are abuzz with London’s Yummy Mummies, MP’s who work nearby and “Dragon’s Den”-like entrepreneurs who clearly feel the Corinthia is the fashion accessory of the moment. Dinining in Northhall is like a trip back in time to the glory days of the Empire with dishes on hand like Goosnargh Duck with Dauphinoise and Buttered Beans and St. Ives Seamed Lemon Sole with Cockles and Clams.

Notwithstanding all the shiny toys to play with, the Corinthia is grounded in luxe hotel 101: spot on service, quality product and a graciousness that reminds one of the old saying attributed to old school Ritz-Carlton staff: “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.”

With a large “à la française” garden, true oasis of peace in the city, Hotel Le Bristol is ideally located on the rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré, one of Paris’ most distinguished shopping streets.

187 rooms and suites filled with sumptuous fabrics and refined woodwork. Vast terraces adjoin many of the suites.

The Gastronomic Restaurant offers exceptional and innovative cuisine by 3 Michelin star Chef Eric Frechon. The Winter Restaurant features the warmth of oak woodwork, and the Summer Restaurant overlooks the garden.

The “114 Faubourg”, the hotel’s new restaurant, located on two open levels linked by a majestic, dizzying, spiral staircase made of wrought iron, is a garden of delights that is open seven days a week. At the helm of the 93-seat restaurant is Eric Desbordes, a young Chef who was mentored by Eric Frechon.

The bar, elegant and spontaneous, welcomes you for an afternoon tea, or less formal lunch or dinner. On Saturdays, informal fashion shows gather real aficionados of fashion and delicacies.

Made of teak and glass like the most magnificent 19th century yachts, the swimming pool opens onto a vast solarium taking in all of Paris. A fitness center equipped with the most updated machines and the Spa are all offered by the hotel to complete its dedication to your well-being.

112 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France
+33 1 53 43 43 00
http://www.lebristolparis.com

This week, the site has been valued at $65 billion, meaning that Bono and his company’s share of the business is now valued at a whopping $975 million.

U2 are already one of the world’s highest-earning groups, pulling in more than $736 million on their recent 360 Tour.

To put his possible wealth into perspective – currently Sir Paul McCartney, is the richest rock star in the world with a wealth estimated at $600 to $750 million.

Found in the affluent Buckhead Village community of North Atlanta, Lowe’s property is a French country-styled home designed by Atlanta-based architect Stan Dixon. The interior boasts a spacious design accentuated by lofty exposed beam ceilings and detailed finishes, with more than 5,000-square-feet of living space. It includes a total of five bedrooms, six bathrooms, kitchen, living room and other standard home offerings, along with a few finer amenities like a finished basement with a wine cellar, cigar room, entertainment area and a private bedroom and bath. The main-floor master suite opens to the rear of the property, which includes a pool, patio and a sequestered cabana area with an outdoor fireplace.

An eighth round pick of the Mariners in 1991, Lowe broke into the big leagues with Seattle in 1997, but was packaged with catcher Jason Varitek in a midseason deal for Boston Red Sox reliever Heathcliff Slocumb. While Slocumb’s contributions in Seattle were marginal at best, Lowe and Varitek would develop into core components for Boston and were instrumental parts of the team’s championship in 2004 – the Red Sox’ first World Series title since 1918. Lowe’s best season came in 2002 when he finished the year 21-8 with an ERA of 2.56, made the first of two career All-Star appearances and finished third in the Cy Young Award voting.

This listing is presented by Bonneau Ansley III of Harry Norman Realtors.

See more Celebrity Real Estate at REALTOR.com

Browse more Atlanta, Georgia real estate at REALTOR.com

Check out the official listing at REALTOR.com

To mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s accession, John Walker & Sons, Scotch Whiskey Distillers, by appointment to Her Majesty The Queen, celebrated the occasion with the bottling of Diamond Jubilee By John Walker & Sons. This is a specially crafted blend of rare malt and grain Scotch Whiskies distilled in and maturing since 1952.

At Royal Lochnagar Distillery, on the edge of Her Majesty The Queen’s Balmoral Estate, David Gates, Grantee of John Walker & Sons’ Royal Warrant, filled the the Queen’s decanter, as well as 60 further editions for sale around the world. Profits from the sale of these editions are being donated to the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST).

Said Gates about the event: “John Walker & Sons was first awarded a Royal Warrant in 1934 by King George V. We are extremely honored that the quality of our whiskies is recognized by this symbol and our commitment to this caliber of quality and service is unwavering. Today in 2012, we are privileged to be able to celebrate The Queen’s remarkable achievement with this fitting tribute, Diamond Jubilee by John Walker & Sons, the sales of which will help to create an enduring legacy for the supreme craftsmanship that it represents.”

John Walker & Sons harnessed the skills of more than 60 fine artisans, including fellow Royal Warrant Holders and QEST Scholars, who created bespoke pieces to present and accompany the whiskey.

The diamond shaped Baccarat crystal decanters stand on a crystal base with six radial legs to reflect the decades of the Queen’s enduring reign, and are adorned with Britannia silver, selected for its purity. Leading Scottish silversmiths, Hamilton & Inches, has fashioned the collars set with a half-carat diamond, the Royal Arms, John Walker & Sons monogram and individually numbered seals.

Each edition includes a pair of lead Cumbria Crystal glasses engraved by Philip Lawson Johnston and a commemorative artifact book, hand bound by Laura West at her Isle of Skye bindery and personalized for each owner by Sally Mangum, Calligrapher By Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen. All the elements will be housed in a chest made by the cabinet makers at N.E.J. Stevenson, incorporating oak from Sandringham to echo the whisky marrying casks and Caledonian pine from The Queen’s Balmoral Estate.
 

The survey, posted by the Verge, provides all sorts of tidbits about what an Apple TV could be. This includes:

• A 42″ 1080p LED flat-panel screen
• Incorporates the Apple iOS, including the iCloud service, as well the ability to stream movies and other entertainment from the Internet
• Fully compatible with the Apps store – letting you play Angry Birds on the big screen
• Integration with YouTube, Flikr and Netflix
• iSight camera and microphone for using Skype
• iPad and iPhone integration, allowing you to use those devices as a remote
• $1499 price tag

All this is nice and intriguing. Best Buy has said the survey was only ‘hypothetical’, but often where there is smoke, there’s fire.

The price tag looks a bit high at this point, but if Apple can fully integrate all their devices wirelessly – computers, iPads, iPods, etc. – with the TV, that could shake up some living rooms.

Coming in at about $3,000, without the lens, the camera is overkill if you’re just looking to take pictures. It takes great pictures, of course, but it’s the exceptional video that the D800 shoots that really makes this camera great.

The D800 boasts a 36.3 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor as well as exceptional ISO shooting capabilities. It shoots in several different aspect ratios, including the standard 3:2, but also a 5:4 (perfect for 8×10 and 16×20 prints). It also has a wide variety of HD videos modes, which plays into the hands of budding filmmakers. The camera reportedly gets up to 30 minutes of HD video in normal mode.

The HD video produced by the D800 is exceptional, especially at the price point. Amateurs and professionals will have little to complain about if they use this camera.

Here’s some video shot by photographer Sandro Miller using the D800:

Nikon D800 HD Video: “Joy Ride” by Sandro Miller from Nikon_USA on Vimeo.

It’s some stunning work.

Nikon will also offer a variation on the camera, the D800E, for and extra $300. Nikon says the D800E model will give you slightly finer detail and enhanced resolution by removing the low-pass filter.