Times change.  People change.  Things change.  Two amazing homes from different eras located in prestigious Highland Park, Texas show that while times may change, luxury living is always in style. The homes are equally exquisite, in the $8,000,000-plus price range, and located just over a mile away from each other.  What they offer is similar, yet different.

The first is a Colonial Revival originally built in 1937 that has been meticulously restored.  Although updated, the home retains its pre-war charm with elegant chandeliers, rich wood paneling and a beamed cathedral ceiling in the kitchen, along with many other features.  The stately columns welcome you home to warmth and luxury. The property also includes a pool house, guest house and greenhouse.

This exceptional custom home, built in 2001, also invites you in through a columned exterior, but the luxury world you enter is quite different.  While taking some cues from an earlier design period (columns, intricate fireplace mantels and moldings) this home has a more modern flair.  In place of the beamed ceiling kitchen is a more contemporary design with stainless steel appliances.  A wine room and game room can be found in the basement.

Both of these beautiful residences listed by Dave Perry-Miller & Associates are treasures of their (or any) time period.

When I first heard the term "BeoVision," I thought it referred to some sort of keen eyesight needed to defeat Grendel.*  I was wrong (certainly not the first time).  BeoVision 7 is actually a revolutionary entertainment system from Bang & Olufsen, the Danish company that has been creating cutting-edge, high quality products since its inception in 1925.  The BeoVision 7 is sleek and sophisticated, yet powerful enough to exceed your sound and picture expectations.  It comes with an integrated DVD player, choice of loudspeaker, and an HD screen with "VisionClear" technology that adjusts the picture based on surrounding light levels.  The screen itself can be turned and tilted with one touch of a remote button.  No word yet on wether the waterfall in the background of the picture was created naturally or sprung to life after appearing on BeoVision.  Stay tuned.

Check out the Bang & Olufsen site for more remarkable audio/visual products and telephones.

*Yes, that's a Beowulf reference.

Thomas Blood, along with two other men, attempted to steal the Crown Jewels of England in 1671 and was captured.  The board game Outrage! dares players to succeed where Blood and his accomplices failed.  The game board depicts the Tower of London, which players must navigate to steal and make off with the historic jewels.  My head started to hurt going through all the rules (I'm more of an UNO guy...nice and simple) so I don't know all the ins and outs, but I'm sure it's a fascinating experience.

The Deluxe version of Outrage! holds the Guinness Record as "most expensive board game in the world."  The board rests on a polished mahogany cabinet with drawer that holds all the game pieces.  The replicas of the Crown Jewels include a miniature St. Edward's Crown with rubies, sapphires and emeralds; a small 18 karat gold Prince of Wales' Crown; and Jewelled Sword of Offering with real jewels.  All for 7,995 British Pounds, or about $16,000 US.  At that price, you may want to build your own tower to protect the precious game.

Handcrafted from natural wood, the Madera bathtubs from WS Bath Collections bring a unique sophistication to the modern bathroom.  They are functional works of art that certainly display what WS calls a "pleasure of beauty, design and elegance."  The wooden tubs are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be sculpted from a variety of woods, from beech to walnut.  I just hope there is some sort of no-splinter guarantee (ouch!).

Theoretically, the Madera tubs could also be used to toss an extremely large salad or hold a ridiculous amount of fruit.