Finishing touches?
What can you add to a house that has it all? Quite a lot more, actually, says JENNY COAD
ith celebrities posting pictures of their perfect properties on instagram, no wonder mere mortals are hankering after home cinemas, walk- i n wardrobes and wet-rooms. From £500,000 treehouses to £52,000 wine cellars, these are the latest musthaves for those with cash to splash ...
HOME CINEMAS
Big screens are big news. But if you want to keep up with the Joneses, you need a home cinema. Dig deep. One of the most opulent basement home cinemas — installed by building company Symm in a Knightsbridge townhouse — includes tiered banquette seats and a curved cinema screen.
‘it has become popular to convert a room into a “nightclub” setting with deep sofas, mood lighting, a cocktail bar and 85 in tV,’ says Symm’s director Angus gibson.
COST: Starting price for a large Smart screen tV with surround sound, fully fitted, is £15,000. A projection home cinema room will set you back in excess of £250,000 ( symm.co.uk).
WHO HAS ONE? David and Victoria Beckham installed one this year.
BRANCHING OUT
treehOuSeS have moved on since enid Blyton’s Secret Seven built their den in Windy Woods. Blue Forest, a luxury treehouse company based in Sussex, fits its lofty perches with bespoke upholstery.
the company will fulfil your every treehouse fantasy, whether it’s a high-tech den with spy gadgetry or a place to work in peace.
For children, Blue Forest’s Adventure Clubhouse treehouse has secret tunnels, rooms hidden behind bookcases and a zip wire. Access is via a climbing wall, net or ladder, as well as a trapdoor ( blueforest.com).
COST: Prices start from £20,000, but the ‘sky’s the limit’ says Blue Forest director Simon Payne. ‘We have had private treehouse contracts for in excess of £500,000.’
WHO HAS ONE? Prince Charles has had the treehouse at highgrove restored for Prince george.
TOP SECRET
SeCret passageways might sound clandestine but they are fitted for security, not romance. that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun, though.
‘We sell more bookcase secret passageways than any other type,’ says Steve humble, president and founder of u.S.-based company Creative home engineering. ‘they are often activated by pulling on a book, using a hidden finger print scanner or twisting a certain bottle.’
COST: Secret doors cost from £1,597; panic rooms can Be up to £638,000 ( hiddenpassageway.com).
WHO HAS ONE? Actress Sandra Bullock was reported to have hidden from a stalker behind a safe door in her wardrobe.
WALK-IN WARDROBES
gOlD-PlAteD hanging rails, handbag carousels — the modern walk-in wardrobe is truly magical.
‘We built a his-and-hers wardrobe to accommodate more than 700 pairs of shoes and 100 trouser belts,’ says helen reekes of furniture company Neville Johnson.
COST: A bespoke dressing room will cost £40,000 to £100,000, says interior designer Katharine Pooley ( katharinepooley.com). Prices for a walk-in wardrobe by Neville Johnson start at £3,000 ( nevillejohnson.co.uk).
WHO HAS ONE? tamara ecclestone’s wardrobe is reported to have an aisle for eveningwear, another for gymwear and a jewellery boutique lined with hermes leather.
DIVINE WINE ROOMS
theSe days, it isn’t just what you drink but where you store it that marks you out among your peers. Forget wobbly wine racks, you need a specialist cellar.
Spiral Cellars creates concrete rooms — up to three metres below ground — with ventilation systems designed to keep bottles at the perfect temperature. its largest spiral cellar, which costs £52,000 (plus VAt), is sealed with a trapdoor and can store 1,870 bottles.
‘We recently installed two spiral cellars side by side in a Chelsea home: one for wine, the other for cheese and preserves,’ says director lucy hargreaves.
COST: From £19,000 for a 1,000bottle cellar ( spiralcellars.co.uk).
WHO HAS ONE? Delia Smith and Superman actor henry Cavill.
A SPA OF ONE’S OWN
imAgiNe being able relax in your own spa after a day at work. Bespoke furniture company William garvey specialises in chic wet-room teak wood. its four-person Jacuzzi comes with wifi and apps — so you can use your phone to set it bubbling before you get home.
COST: William garvey baths start at £3,590, plus VAt.
WHO HAS ONE? Fashion designer Donna Karan has several.