“The latest trend for luxurious interiors is ‘Nature’ and designers are now creating beautiful hand made products from raw natural materials that are also friendly to the environment.

Bathrooms International of Pont Street has responded by launching The Papillon, the ultimate bath made from stone.

This bespoke freestanding bath is exquisitely hand carved from a large block of stone by master craftsmen; the individual character of the rock as well as the inspiration of the mason transform the bath into a unique sculpture.”

Marble always evokes a sense of quality and luxury… and the new marble bathroom suite by IQquadro is no exception.

In stunning black marble known as Black Chelsea, the Amor and Memories ranges have strong visual impact. The Amor bath is shown here – a serene, linear form with a rectangular shape and well-defined corners.

Despite the weak housing market, Donald Trump has recently sold the Palm Beach estate he bought for $US41.35 million in 2004 for $100 million (he came down from $125 million).

The 80,000-square-foot property at 515 N. County Road sits on 6 acres and has 475 feet of unobstructed oceanfront, making the price per linear foot $210,526.

However, the new owner, billionaire and Russian fertilizer tycoon Dmitry Rybolovlev, is actually considering tearing down the mansion and possibly subdividing the property, according to sources.

“Michelangelo: La Dotta Mano” (”The Wise Hand”), is an over-the-top volume of photographs of this Renaissance master’s sculptures and. It is probably “the most beautiful book in the world” and also one of the most expensive, with its retail price of 100,000 euros, (around $155,000).

Using the high standards of the privately published books in the 19th as a starting point, the book’s publisher, Gruppo FMR, sought expert artisans from various fields to create something described as “a work of art in itself.”

Aurelio Amendola’s black-and-white photographs were printed on paper made exclusively for the project. There are detachable reproductions of Michelangelo drawings on handmade folios created according to centuries-old traditions.

And then there’s the cover: a scale reproduction in marble of the “Madonna della Scala”, a bas-relief of the Virgin and Child sculptured by Michelangelo when he was still in his teens.
Six marble sculptors are working on the first 33 limited edition copies. The marble cover was the trickiest aspect of production. “It was difficult to find the right depth, we broke a lot of slabs along the way” said Mr Tamar, the project’s production manager.

Delivered in a sleek black box, the book’s cover is a scale reproduction in marble of the “Madonna della Scala” (”Madonna of the Steps”). It also comes with it’s own stand and a 500-year guarantee.

This isn’t the most expensive book ever made. There are books incorporating precious metals or gemstones that increase the price, like “Dancing With the Bear,” which comes in a diamond-encrusted “special oligarch” edition that ranges in price from $1 million to $6 million.

Luxury publishing in general seems to be on the upswing. “From my experience, it’s growing. There are a certain amount of people who are testing how far the market can be pushed,” said Ovais Naqvi, chief executive of Gloria, a new luxury publisher.

Because production of the Michelangelo book is so labor-intensive, aspiring buyers can expect a six-month wait, the same as for a Ferrari, said FMR’s commercial director.