A modern villa in an ideal location in Montagnola, Switzerland was recently listed on LuxuryPortfolio.com.  I'm a big fan of clean, modern design - as evidenced by the post below this one, I suppose.  This villa is even more spectacular because it combines its modern design, by famous Italian architect Attilio Panzeri, with a pastoral setting.  I really love the photo at right showing the view from the contemporary patio to the mountains in the background.

See more photos and information on this exclusive villa, listed by WETAG Consulting, here.

I recently refinished an old coffee table to try and get a more "natural" look.  While I was somewhat pleased after stripping away layers of old finish, I'm much more impressed by the Timeline Series tables by Grey Design Studio.  The truly natural tables are created using sustainably harvested, wind-fallen lumber. Average age of the fir or cedar utilized in the creation of a table is 590 years - just slightly more historic than my refinished table from the early 2000s.  Natural cracks and imperfections of the wood can be displayed in tables of various sizes - perfect for a clean and contemporary luxury decor.

A grand residence on Manhattan's Central Park 'West was recently listed on LuxuryPortfolio.com.  Located in a classic 1910 Beaux Arts building and accessed by a private elevator vestibule, this spacious (6,600 square foot) yet inviting luxury home boasts amazing views of Central Park through an abundance of oversized windows.  Prewar details abound and mingle with the latest amenities, including a modern kitchen and renovated baths. See more photos and details.

The exquisite luxury home is currently listed at $19,000,000 by Halstead Property, LLC. 

Recently, Michael Saunders & Co (Sarasota, FL) took their Best Opportunities program to the next level – with an email marketing campaign to drive traffic and interest to the unique opportunities in the Sarasota real estate market. The Best Opportunities program is one which identifies aggressively priced properties – i.e. those that are priced below the comparative market, appraised value or their competition, as well as listing the bank owned properties in their market.

The listings can be search from their website and as of today included 28 luxury homes priced over $1M. The recent email marketing campaign spurred property visits by 400-500% and increased overall traffic to the website and interest in their showings within just 48 hours of the e-blast.

This weekend Daylight Savings Time begins and we spring ahead by moving the clocks forward an hour. For those of us in locales with cold winters, losing one hour of sleep is a small price to pay for the promise of more sun and warmer weather on the horizon.

The dawn of spring and summer also means many people will be looking to travel. Crystal Cruises is known for providing outstanding luxury journeys, and this summer they are offering 100 new adventures in the Mediterranean. There are itineraries that include paragliding in Barcelona, windsurfing off the cost of Turkey, hiking in Italy and much more. Crystal Cruises also offers a savings program to help reduce the cost of all voyages, and also a plan that allows 2009 travelers who book this month big discounts on 2010 trips. Lean more on their website.