One alternative is the Cambria Natural Quartz Counter Tops and the DuPont Zodiac. They look a lot like granite but they look a little artificial to me and the whole allure of granite is that it’s a natural stone even with all the maintenance headaches. I think these products fall in line with Corian. They’re solid surfaces requiring little maintenance but missing the luxurious factor by looking artificial. Yup, Granite will see it’s demise like Corian has in recent years.

IceStone, on the other hand, is one cool alternative in my opinion. It’s made of recycled glass and concrete that provides an entirely different look. Best of all it’s friendly to the environment. Since it uses recycled materials, IceStone counter tops can be used toward getting LEED certification. It’s strong like granite, not as porous as marble, and heat resistant like stone. I like it.

Please, no more granite, maple cabinets, and stainless steel appliances. Granite’s like a hit song on the radio where it’s good the first few times you hear it, but gets annoying after hearing it a gazillion times.

I think I found my new dream gadget. It’s the life|ware digital & home automation control. It controls practically everything in a home which can be the music, lighting, thermostat, television, kitchen appliances, security system, or anything else for that matter. Homes of the future will have a digital network that controls everything and that technology is available today with this product. It makes the Jetsons look ancient.

The controls can be integrated through any device with a Windows Vista Media Center operating system which includes televisions or personal computer. The Life|point Touch Screen Controller is another option that can integrate into your home like any light switch. It’ll just look way cooler.

Disney integrated Life|ware technology into the new House of the Future attraction at Disneyland which is scheduled to open this month. It is ironic that it integrates technologies that are available today.

I’m not too sure of the pricing, but I’m sure it’s not cheap and only the finest new homes will have this technology for the time being. All I know is I want one.

see the slick interactive demo: life|ware

Life|ware at CES 2008

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

One of the biggest trends in luxury homes these days is home automation and Crestron is the leader in this technology.

Home automation systems allow home owners to control the lighting, climate, audio distribution, home theater, security, and intercoms from a single touch pad or from a remote location.

Imagine unlocking your front door for a relative that decided to visit when you’re out of town or having the lights turn on in a sequential manor when you arrive at your home. The Crestron system even stores personal preferences based on your fingerprint through biometric software.

Home automation is wonderful but it does come at a price. An average sized installations run about $50,000 and more sophisticated installations can run much more. Although very expensive, home automation will be a must have feature for luxury home buyers from here on out and become as ubiquitous as granite countertops and Sub Zero refrigerators.

Panasonic has decided to go beyond building consumer electronics and is now building a house to be completed by 2010 called Eco and UD House. A major feature of the house is achieving a Factor 5 energy efficiency without sacrificing quality of living through the use of technology. Panasonic is addressing the issue of global warming head on.

The Panasonic house reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 60% compared to an ordinary home. It uses a fuel-cell co-generation system, which reduces energy use in a household by 20%, solar power generation, and home energy management system that reduces energy use by approximately 10% .

Heat insulation has long been a problem with energy efficiency in homes and this home has solved the problem by utilizing exterior wall heat insulation and heat-insulated doors and windows. With the success of Panasonic’s hydrofluorocarbon-free refrigerator and ever-popular tilted-drum washer and dryer, which clean with significantly less amount of water, every other electronic appliance in the house is energy efficient. Of course, Panasonic had to fill every room in the house with latest and greatest of plasma televisions, retinal scanners, and all the available technology for automation of lighting, window treatments, and music.

Here are some videos of Panasonic’s Ecolife House:

• Cnet
• LuxeTV

In the words of one of my favorite bands, Dubtribe, “Carbon monoxide, acid rain, such greed and selfishness destroy our precious skies, our mother earth. I want my planet back. This planet is mine. This planet is ours. We’ve got to work together.” Today is blog action day for the environment. Having grown up fishing and surfing in Florida, I have a deep appreciation for the environment and its conservation. So I must put up one hell of a post for this day.

I’m proud to announce that the 2008 Green Builder Vision House will be built and showcased in SW Orlando, my favorite place on the planet. The SW Orlando Green Builder Vision House will be built on a gated waterfront site somewhere along the shores of Lake Apopka and unveiled during the International Builder’s Show on February 13, 2008. It is ironic that they build this home on a polluted lake. On the other hand, there are great initiatives to clean up this lake and its in keeping with the theme of bettering the environment.

Homes in the series are built to demonstrate the benefits of sustainable design, construction, and product selection. Designs that work in one climate may be inappropriate for another. So the purpose of the series is to showcase a range of styles, technologies, and products that will work in different regions.

This Green Vision Home will be a 4,900 square foot high end custom home to be built by Westmont Homes to demonstrate that green homes can be glamorous and durable enough to withstand the rigors of being in an active hurricane zone. Water conservation will be one of the key factors in the design since the booming population in Central Florida has created concerns with the aquifer.

The primary source of drinking water for Florida comes from the aquifer and it has been a concern for quite some time. A wonderful explanation of the process of replenishment for the aquifer entitled “Journey of Water“ can be found at the Florida Department of Environmen site. I also found a great post “Protecting the Florida Aquifer” on the Green Homes blog.

Other design features include: structurally insulated panels, non-vented semi conditioned attic space, minimal number of windows facing east or west, optimized air conditioning system with dehumidifiers, storm water run off management, low-e double pane windows, maximum use of recycled materials, innovative foundation and house wrap materials, and an interior design that promotes healthy living.

The Vision Homes Series demonstrates how to be more in harmony with the environment. This planet ours. We’ve got to work together.