Decorative Walls

Having significant negative space has been desirable in recent years, but this year creating interest with color, shape and texture is very in fashion.  Warm colors that provide a rich pallet and items that make an artistic statement help to create an opulent and inviting space that ties in the entire design concept for the room. This is not entry level design, choosing the right pieces and having a vision for the room on this scale is usually best accomplished by hiring a seasoned interior designer.

Sculptural Furniture

This beautiful solid bronze chair, created by Kelly Wearstler, embodies one of our favorite designer furniture trends of the year. Expanding on the idea of practical art, this chair not only provides an eye catching piece, but it encapsulates the aesthetic of 2018, a modern take on a functional return to opulence.

Designer Hifi Record Consoles

Timeless style, and the richness and warmth that recall the elegance of another era, but with a very modern feel, record consoles like the EGB2 are providing a gorgeous and functional room centerpiece. These consoles also provide high quality analog sound, far superior to many of their vintage predecessors. These units have been a popular addition to luxury home decor this year and help create a functional room lifestyle for those who want to put an emphasis back on entertaining and conversation, adding a real human touch and ambience.

Gold, Silver and Precious Metal Tones

In a way the economic revival has spurred a return to a more opulent look and feel for home decor. We’re loving the look of one of our favorite luxury designer furniture trends of the year, metallic tones, and specifically tasteful accents of gold. For decades bronze and gold furniture had been a staple until it fell out of fashion in the 90s. Now that people want to again identify with opulence, we’re seeing some great uses for gold in fixtures, hardware and even decorative furniture pieces.

Bookmark our blog for the latest updates, trends and our designer furniture picks.

The post The Best Designer Furniture & Decorative Trends For 2018 | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

“One Stop Vinyl Listening Room Shop”

The first piece you need, and the centerpiece of any vinyl listening room is the hifi record console. This is the meat and the potatoes, it determines a number of factors beyond just the style, but it’s crucial to understand how the quality is going to effect the over all immersion into the listening experience. So for our purposes of creating the ultimate luxury listening room, we’ll start off using our flagship the EGB2 as the example.

So please note that some of the coolest features can’t be see at first glance. Not only does this sonic powerhouse have storage for 150 vinyl records built-in, but it also has one of the coolest features you’ll ever find in any hifi record console, a built-in discrete whiskey bar! Talk about taking the listening experience to the next level. We also include 4 gold-rimmed whiskey glasses, a bottle of one of our favorite whiskeys, and a selection of personally curated classic vinyl records that we know you’re going to love to put this console through its paces.

We can complement this gorgeous luxury console perfectly with our Buckley Listening Chair. The style and comfort are unmatched, once you enter its comfort zone, you will never want to get up. But, here’s where we’ve optimized it for the ultimate listening experience, the chair is set to the perfect height to optimize the range of our record console’s sweet spot, so you can achieve THE SOUND!

Next up, decorate vinyl storage units, that not only look good, but are on par with the quality and luxury or the rest of your listening suite are essential, not that there’s anything wrong with it, but you don’t want to go IKEA on this element, because it can be such a beautiful decorative opportunity and personality piece that ties everything in together. For this vinyl listening room we suggest our JAX Vinyl Storage Unit, made with beautiful exotic zebrawood, available in some gorgeous finishes.

If you have less space or you’re looking for a way to display a curated set of records at time time for guests to flip through, and see what incredible taste in music you have, we offer our Flip Tabletop Vinyl Storage unit. Not only is it one of the most functional and style pieces we’ve come across, but it gives you a way to showcase 35 of your favorite albums, and rotate collections for theme and mood of your gatherings when you entertain.

Last but not least, you need to clean and maintain this precision piece of audio equipment, and considering our custom Groovewasher kit not only matches the incredible style of your vinyl listening room, it gives you the best set of tools to ensure your records sound great, but will give you the greatest possible life from your investment.

The post One Stop Vinyl Listening Room Shop | Luxury Furniture | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

The Flip Tabletop Vinyl Storage Unit is handcrafted with solid walnut with solid brass details. It’s clean simple lines allow the beauty of the natural woodgrain to be showcased. Designed for browsing through your collection with ease and as a beautiful way to display a few of your favorite records. This piece can sit on a desk or table top and hold as many as 35 albums.

Tom Crates Vinyl Storage Unit brings a warm natural touch to any decor. They are handcrafted with reclaimed White Oak, feature dovetail joints, a hand rubbed oil finish and aged brass details. Each crate holds as many as 50 albums, crates can be stacked, flipped and have side handles  to make them easy to carry. The V-shaped front allows for easy browsing and a nice view of your records.

Jax Vinyl Storage Unit is a mid-century inspired design record storage cabinet that will bring a warm natural touch to a modern room. Made from exotic Zebrawood or Walnut it’s simple elegant design showcases the amazing grain patterns of the carefully selected wood and black lacquered legs add to the iconic mid-century look. This unit will hold up to 500 records and makes an excellent addition to any collectors home

Spektor Vinyl Storage Unit lets you browse your record collection with ease and display your favorites with record store style. This amazing cabinet can be ordered in two sizes, the largest holding up to 750 albums. The unit is handcrafted with American Walnut and is a well made lasting piece.

The post Coolest Vinyl Record Storage Units For 2018 | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

Luxury design brand LUNO has teamed up with the Frank Zappa Estate on the creation of the SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition. This uniquely designed record console–only 10 of which will be available for purchase–is highlighted by a solid brass soundwave from Frank Zappa’s “Sofa No. 1” musical composition that is meticulously inlaid by hand and made flush with the walnut door.

The SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition also features a selection of vinyl recordings from Frank Zappa’s extensive recorded catalog, a minibar with Zappa whiskey glasses and space for four liquor bottles, storage for 150 records, a Groovewasher Kit, and a certificate of authenticity (signed, numbered, and dated). The console comes fully equipped with a Pro-Ject Esprit SB turntable, 2.1 speaker system, 100w subwoofer, 2 aux inputs and AirPlay so you can stream from any Apple device. The console design is the newest addition to LUNO’s luxury hifi console range. Featuring top of the line craftsmanship, the unit truly is a work of art.

Each SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition console is handcrafted and hand-wired in Los Angeles by experienced craftsmen and engineers. They are available by request only via LUNO’s website.

“We are big Zappa fans and when our paths crossed, we jumped at the opportunity to collaborate! We immediately went to the drawing board to present some ideas. After months of back and forth concepts, the idea of clipping a soundwave file from a song and applying it to the unit was born. We then spent another several months figuring out how to make that vision come to life. And while it looks effortless, complicated techniques were involved in making it happen. At LUNO, we pride ourselves on innovative designs and we’re extremely proud of the final result and are honored to have created this unit with the wonderful folks over at Zappa.” said Jennifer Farmer, co-Founder of LUNO.

“When I first came across LUNO’s record consoles, I immediately started drooling and knew I had to get my hands on one,” Ahmet Zappa says. “I telephonically stalked LUNO headquarters and was invited over for a visit to hear one of their consoles in all its glory. I was blown away.  Thus began the dream of collaborating. Our goal was simple, let’s make something unique for Zappa fans and all true audiophiles everywhere. Jennifer and Dan were up for the challenge and amazing to work with. We love the end results and I’m very proud of our Zappa LUNO Console. At Zappa Records, we take the manufacturing of our vinyl very seriously and it’s equally important to have an exceptional record player on which to play it. We conduct extensive testing for quality audio control during production and this console–capable of making sweet, sweet audio love to your ears–is being used for just this purpose. From the wood finish, to the original speaker fabric (authentic Marshall Salt & Pepper Grill Cloth, the same one used on vintage Marshall amps), to the brass inlaid soundwave file from Frank’s ‘Sofa #1,’ it’s just what The Grand Wazoo would want for you.”

The post Frank Zappa Estate / LUNO HiFi Record Console Collab (Limited Edition) appeared first on Luno.

They’re calling it Blackened American Whiskey, named after the opening song on their 1988 album, …And Justice for All. It’s only available in select stores in the U.S. this week, in a few cities on their upcoming American fall tour, and can be bought online. What makes Blackened different from all the other whiskeys on the market, other than being associated with Metallica?

“We are obviously not just slapping a Metallica label on a pre-existing mediocre whiskey,” said the band in a statement on their website.

For several years, Metallica collaborated with Dave Pickerell, a Master Distiller with a deep understanding of how sound can shape flavor. Through a sonic-enhancement process known as ‘Black Noise’, Metallica played a curated playlist of some of their heart-pounding music at the distillery, through a proprietary subwoofer engineered by Meyer Sound. By blasting the whiskey with their distinctive music, the low frequency sound waves disrupt and shape the whiskey in the wooden barrels on a molecular level. Not only does this process make the whiskey taste better, it gives it a unique Metallica taste.

Although many people know how to drink whiskey, and may even call themselves whiskey connoisseurs, what’s the best way to drink Blackened?

Metallica’s Blackened American Whiskey. Photo by Lion & Lamb Communications.

Knowing how music and whiskey are two things that people love, we at LUNO collaborated with the Frank Zappa Estate to design and build a limited edition record console. Handcrafted at a factory in Los Angeles, the SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition is just under six feet long and made of American Walnut, with a hand waxed finish. It is equipped with a turntable, a subwoofer, a speaker system, two auxiliary inputs, and can be used to stream music using AirPlay.  On the doors of the record console is a solid brass sound wave, inlaid by hand and embedded into the walnut door. The sound wave comes from Frank Zappa, an artist that Rolling Stone listed as 22^nd greatest guitarists of all time in their top 100 ranking, just 11 spots back of Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, who they listed at number 11.

SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition by LUNO

Frank Zappa’s sound wave from his “Sofa No.1” musical composition, on embedded on the doors of the SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition by LUNO.

The Pro-Ject Esprit SB turntable of the SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition by LUNO.

Zappa’s unique sound wave of his “Sofa No.1” musical composition is not the only inspiration on this record console. There’s also a selection of vinyl recordings from his extensive recorded catalog, along with storage for 150 records. For the whiskey connoisseur, the record console also includes a minibar, with space for four liquor bottles, and some of Zappa’s personal whiskey glasses.

The best way to drink Blackened would be at the end of a long day of work, sitting on custom-built furniture, sipping out of a Zappa glass, and luxuriating in the moment while playing Metallica on the record console. Just sit there and indulge Blackened, forged by sound, as it comes alive within you, like a musical relaxant for your soul. While you feel the music in your stomach, listen to the authentic analog sounds pulsating from the SSKL Soundwave of two musical greats, as they immerse you in an unparalleled experience, within and without.

The SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition and this snug arm chair need an owner!

///

Keep this in mind: LUNO created only 10 SSKL Soundwave, Frank Zappa Limited Edition record consoles. Buy yours while you still can, before people figure out the buzz you get while drinking whiskey and listening to that precious sound.

Keep this in mind 2: Visit blackenedwhiskey.com to see which restaurants and bars near you are serving Blackened.

The post Metallica Are Launching A Whiskey Called Blackened, And Here’s The Best Way To Drink It | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

In Part 1, we looked at design.

In Part 2, we looked at fabrication.

Finally in Part 3, we’ll look at: DELIVERY.

1 – How do you want it shipped?: LUNO deals with many white glove delivery services, but remember that prices depend on your location. From our factory near Downtown LA, we ship to anywhere in the United States or Canada. We can’t determine the shipping price nor the delivery time, so keep that in mind. We recommend the best white glove delivery options for your luxury piece. Your order is properly blanket wrapped, secured, crated, and fully insured. Also, we recommend making delivery arrangement within 14 days of completion of your order.  We’ll notify you when it’s done, so that we have time to decide on a shipping arrangement.

2 – Consider storage options if you need to: If you’re moving into a new penthouse soon or will be away on business, you probably won’t be home to accept your order, right? Once your order is complete, the reason that we recommend making delivery arrangement within 14 days is because after that deadline we typically charge customers a storage fee. Since we don’t have unlimited room to store a lot of undelivered orders in our factory, we’ll have to find someplace secure to store your order until you are ready to have it delivered. If for whatever reason, you feel that you won’t be able to accept your order within the two-week period after it is completed, we recommend that storage of your order be arranged until a delivery time is convenient.

3 – Before you start playing that funky music right, do an inspection: Once your record console gets delivered, we know that you’ll be anxious to start playing some records. But before the fun begins, inspect your order. During transit, things might have shifted, so look closely for any damage. Since you helped design your order, this should be easier than you think. Please, if you see any defects, contact us immediately, and we will resolve the issue. If you accept the record console without inspecting it and you find out later that there is damage, LUNO cannot be held liable.

LUNO makes high end record consoles, stereo consoles, and related audio accessories for the discerning analog audiophile. Our handmade products are built by craftspeople who have perfected the art of creating luxury furniture, as well as sound engineers who know their stuff. We hope that the customization process for designing a record console with LUNO is much clearer for you, and that most of your questions have been answered.

To design your own record console today and get it delivered to you, START HERE.

The post Designing a Record Console: Part 3 | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

That’s why we’re sharing our list of the Top 33 Luxury Hotels for Vinyl Lovers:

33 – The Dean Dublin – Dublin, Ireland

When you’re looking for an upscale and fun hotel in the Irish capital, The Dean is where you want to be. In every room, there’s a Rega turntable, and the hotel has a large collection of vinyl records that you’ll play throughout your stay.

Source: The Dean

32 – The Verb Hotel – Boston, USA

Packed with music memorabilia, a stay at The Verb is like lounging in the history of rock & roll, complete with in-room record players and albums. With its extensive vinyl library, this boutique hotel is oozing with the retro vibes of the 1960s and 1970s.

Source: The Verb Hotel

31 – The Thompson – Nashville, USA

The Gulch is one of the hippest neighborhoods in Music City, and that’s where you’ll find the Thompson. In the lobby is a mid-century record player, and guests can purchase records from the hotel’s minibar. You can order a whisky and buy an album at the same time. On some evenings, DJs host vinyl nights on the rooftop of the hotel.

Source: The Thompson Nashville

30 – The Asbury – Asbury Park, USA

This New Jersey-based hotel by the Atlantic Ocean is a clash between Victorian-era design and rock & roll style. While some rooms have black and white photographs of music legends hanging on the wall, the Soundbooth is where you’ll want to chill. Part vinyl library, part bar, part concert lounge – there’s always something “on” at this happening part of the Asbury. Just check out their listings.

Source: The Asbury Hotel

29 – Rathskeller Suite at Hotel Commonwealth – Boston, USA

From 1974 to 1997, The Rathskeller, locally known as The Rat, was a legendary live music venue in Boston. Today, part of the spirit of The Rat lives on in a suite at Hotel Commonwealth. Vinyl lovers can play records from some of the bands who made the underground venue famous, like The Ramones and The Police.

Source: Hotel Commonwealth

28 – Moxy Tempe – Tempe, USA

Just outside of Phoenix, this boutique hotel has a very youthful business vibe. Thanks to a partnership with Zia Records, Moxy has a record player and a few albums in every guestroom, as well as acoustic guitars. Care for some Miles Davis? Coming right up!

Source: Moxy Tempe

27 – The Distillery – London, UK

If you love to mix gin and music, then you should definitely spend some time at The Distillery. It’s kind of a one-stop-shop: It’s a working distillery, with two bars, a private dining room for tony socialites, and three guestrooms. Yes, you read that correctly, there’s only three guestrooms. All three of them come with a record player for you to enjoy their Rough Trade-curated vinyl collection.

Source: The Distillery

26 – Gold Owner’s Suite at Fairmont Pacific Rim – Vancouver, Canada

This suite is supplied with a custom vinyl collection and a record player to entertain you while you gaze out the windows at the majestic scenery around Vancouver. The mid-century modern interiors are full of sophisticated furniture, luxury finishes, and ritzy comforts that any elite guest will appreciate.

Source: Fairmont Pacific Rim

25 – Vinyl Room at 25hours Hotel – Hamburg, Germany

With over 1,000 records to choose from, the Vinyl Room is part of a larger club and lounge area for 25hours Hotel’s international business guests. Relax while listening to classic tunes from one of a few modern record players. Each record player is connected to headphones for your personal enjoyment.

Source: 25hours Hotel

24 – Haymarket Hotel – London, UK

All the large suites at this hotel feature a record player with a selection of albums. The interior design is luxurious with strategic touches of color, and each suite is a little on the stately side. Haymarket Hotel offers regal hospitality for the vinyl lover.

Source: Haymarket Hotel

23 – Kimpton Shorebreak Resort – Huntington Beach, USA

At this Southern Californian hotel, they don’t only have a record player, they have a recreated, handcrafted, mid-century record player console. On site, there’s a record library full of classic rock and surf tunes from the 1950s and later (yes, of course they’ve got The Beach Boys). Shorebreak’s record library is the perfect spot to get pumped up before grabbing a surfboard and heading out to the water.

Source: Kimpton Shorebreak Resort

22 – Brae – Birregurra, Australia

What began in 2013 as a modest and classy small restaurant in rural Australia, and quickly became one of the top 100 restaurants in the world, Brae has expanded to include a mini boutique hotel with six guest suites. Each suite is adorned with handmade luxury furniture, a cocktail bar, a wine fridge, and a lounge with a record collection and a Thorens turntable. Guests can put on some David Bowie and be moved by both the sound and the landscape.

Source: Brae

21 – Kimpton Saint George – Toronto, Canada

This artful boutique hotel in Canada’s largest city has a TEAC turntable system and vinyl albums in every suite. The hotel curated the albums with the help of a local independent record store, making the Kimpton Saint George a fitting place to indulge in Canadian rock, like Barenaked Ladies and the Tragically Hip.

Source: Kimpton Saint George

20 – Hotel Max – Seattle, USA

With modern hospitality amenities surrounded by Beaux-Arts architecture, Hotel Max is promoted as a place where art and vinyl lovers are specifically catered to. If you’ve ever thought that it would be cool to have a turntable on your bedside table, you’ll experience that on the 5^th floor of the hotel. The doors of each suite on that level feature large photos taken by Charles Peterson, of Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, and other iconic artists. Each suite is inspired by Seattle’s most famous indie record label, Sub Pop Records. Nirvana, and other records can be purchased in the lobby.

Source: Hotel Max

19 – Soho House – Berlin, Germany

At the Soho House, vinyl lovers can do way more than listen to the over 100 records in their library that were curated by The Vinyl Factory. You can even do more than buy records at the hotel’s ground floor store. If listening to Róisín Murphy or Jerome Hadey on vinyl is not enough, there’s also live music at The Store Studio, where an 8-speaker Vinyl Factory sound system handmade by Funktion-One will rock you into a fervor.

Source: Soho Berlin

18 – The Berkeley – London, UK

The history of The Berkeley in London goes back over 300 years to when it was only a coffee house at a site less than a mile away from its current location. Just around the corner from Buckingham Palace, this hotel offers modern luxury fit for a monarch. Their record library is full of the sounds of iconic British artists. Simply order a record player and the concierge will bring one to your suite. The Berkeley sometimes offers exclusive packages which can include concert tickets to sold-out shows, a Revinyl record player, and a collection of albums by the performers.

Source: The Berkeley

17 – Hotel Saint Cecilia – Austin, USA

Inspired by American rock & roll of the 1960s and 1970s, Hotel Saint Cecilia is a Victorian estate with six poolside bungalows, five suites, three studios, and a lounge. In the lobby, you can also visit the retail store, where records and biographies of musicians can be borrowed during your stay. In every room, you’ll find Whetstone Audio Rega RP1 and RP3 turnstiles to listen to the albums of your choice with Geneva sound systems. The hotel also offers private vinyl record shopping services to help you find that one album that you’ve spent years searching for.

Source: Hotel Saint Cecilia

16 – The Chatwal – New York, USA

Vinyl lovers who adore Broadway musicals will be enthused by what the Chatwal has to offer. The hotel has a selection of records from famous Broadway shows from a variety of eras. All rooms have Crosley record players for you to savor your favorite musicals in a cozy, luxury décor.

Source: The Chatwal

15 – The W Hotel – London, UK

The W Hotel brand is known for its eclectic style and vibrant interiors, but its London location is known for its vinyl room service. From a main collection curated by Annie Mac, a legendary English DJ and BBC Radio presenter, guests can choose albums from any genre. They also have a Britpop collection hand-picked by Lauren Laverne, another English DJ and BBC Radio presenter, for all those lovers of Manic Street Preachers, The Verve, Blur, Oasis, and Coldplay.

Source: The W Hotel London

14 – Penthouse at The Ludlow Hotel – New York, USA

When you’re staying in a 1,500 square foot penthouse, with another 1,000 square feet of terrace space, adding music to the mix makes the setting seem even more grandiose than it is. Just put Frank Sinatra on the Technics 1200 turntable and do things your way under a Moroccan chandelier. When it’s done, follow it up with some Bruce Springsteen. And if you really want to feel what an Arnold Wolf for JBL floor speaker can do, wild out on some Run-D.M.C. This penthouse is so nice, we put photos of it twice.

Source: The Ludlow

Source: The Ludlow

13 – The Donghia Patron Grand Canal Suite at The Gritti Palace – Venice, Italy

The Gritti Palace was built in the 15^th century, making it a coveted destination for those in need of a romantic getaway. This Venetian palazzo, home to a wealthy nobleman over 500 years ago, is today an example of premium hospitality unmatched by few other places. Each suite at The Gritti Palace looks as beautiful as the next. Your best choice would be The Donghia Patron Grand Canal Suite. It’s a magnificent space for a love triangle, between your better half, you, and your favorite album on the record player.

Source: The Gritti Palace

12 – The Elizabeth Hotel – Fort Collins, USA

An enchanted modern luxury hotel close to the natural wonders of Colorado, The Elizabeth is full of high-end handcrafted furniture. There’s a grand spiral staircase in the lobby with celestial-like steps bringing you up to your suite. The diversity and detail of the design in this place makes it a very attractive hotel, well worth repeat visits. In-room record players, album collections, and guitars handing on the walls are so carefully placed that they look like artwork.

Source: The Elizabeth Hotel

11 – The Redbury South Beach – Miami, USA

The vinyl collection at The Redbury is curated by Capitol Records and Universal Music Enterprises, ensuring that you’ll be well pleased by any album that you select. The Art Deco interiors are calm, but that Miami vibrance is still present. Discerning guests will never forget the spacious, 12,000 square foot poolside rooftop, with its glamorous views of the South Beach Skyline. It’s a refreshing spot to take in the sun when you feel like giving the Crosley a rest.

Source: The Redbury South Beach

10 – Autor Rooms – Warsaw, Poland

With a library of Polish albums to choose from, Autor Rooms is a boutique hotel that embodies the 19^th century charms of Warsaw. There’s a simple elegance to this place that is deeply beautiful, in all of its four rooms and one common area. Guests can sample Polish recording artists on the hotel’s stereo turntable system.

Source: Autor Rooms

9 – Hotel Zoso – Palm Springs, USA

It’s always party time at this hotel in the middle of Palm Springs. Hotel Zoso is not for buttoned-up party poopers. It has a style of youthful opulence, expressed in the artwork, maximalist wallpaper and carpets, luxury furniture, and chic lighting. If you need a break from the rollicking poolside atmosphere, order a portable turntable and albums for the room. Zoso also has a room-service program that allows guests to choose from 20 Fender guitars, in case gazing up at the skies of the Coachella Valley inspires your creativity.

Source: Hotel Zoso

8 – Ace Hotel – Los Angeles, USA

Inside the revered architecture of the United Artists building in Downtown L.A. is where you’ll find Ace Hotel. Built in 1927, you’ll get a strong taste of old L.A. at this spot, where each suite has its own Ace x Rega RP1 turntable and selection of records. If strumming the Martin acoustic guitar in your room gets tiring, you can go down to the 1,600-seat theatre for a live performance. For the night owls, go up to the rooftop to revel with the poolside crowd and a DJ under the L.A. sky.

Source: Ace Hotel Los Angeles

7 – RYSE Hotel – Seoul, South Korea

At this hotel for high performing creatives at the top of their game, the rooms at RYSE all carry names like Creative, Editor, Director, and Producer. The best room for vinyl lovers is the Executive Producer Suite. At 2,000 square feet, it almost feels like a house, equipped with a DJ table and a collection of albums to complement those in their main library and in the bar below. Some nights, DJ Soulscape is there spinning hits from the early days of hip-hop.

Source: RYSE

6 – Suite 5000 at Mandarin Oriental – New York, USA

Way above Columbus Circle, 50 floors up in the Time Warner Center to be exact, is this 3,300 square foot suite. It is, without a doubt, one of the most expensive hotel suites in New York City. Inspired by the rock & roll history of the Big Apple, Suite 5000 has an extensive vinyl collection. The nightly rate is so astronomical that you should look at it as an investment in leisure time. That’s to be expected for a suite with fantastic views of Central Park and the Midtown Manhattan skyline. Suite 5000 is so exclusive that it’s not even listed on the Mandarin Oriental’s website. It’s one of the open secrets of New York’s luxury hotel world.

Source: Suite 5000 at Mandarin Oriental

5 – The Roxy Hotel – New York, USA

With an in-room vinyl program, The Roxy Hotel caters to your love of music at check-in. You’ll find a TEAC turntable in your room just waiting to be played, and a fine set of Marshall speakers with a sound you will cherish. Even if you don’t like the curated selection in the room, they’ve got a back catalog for you to choose from. If you’re still not satisfied after looking through their back catalog, they’ll recommend three or four vinyl record stores right there in Lower Manhattan. Plus, The Roxy has live music on two floors almost every night. What more can you ask for?

Source: The Roxy Hotel

4 – Hotel da Baixa – Lisbon, Portugal

Named after Lisbon’s most energetic neighborhood, Hotel da Baixa is a charming boutique hotel with a style that is traditional, yet modern. Under the bright lights of their library, they have a fireplace, a collection of books about Portuguese culture and heritage, as well as a selection of albums and a handsome record player.

Source: Hotel da Baixa

3 – Kimpton The Goodland – Santa Barbara, USA

Yes, another Kimpton hotel makes the list! They sure know vinyl lovers well.

The Goodland is a posh surf lodge with a vibe as cool as its décor. With a turntable in every room, you can get in the right musical mood by borrowing or purchasing albums from their record shop. The hotel even collaborated with SONOS to create a listening station for guests to experience.

Source: Kimpton The Goodland

2 – Sir Adam – Amsterdam, Netherlands

The interior design of Sir Adam can be described as the luxury expression of the industrial aesthetic. Artwork from local artists is displayed on the walls of each room, where guests can play any number of albums on a Crosley Cruiser record player. If that inspires you, they’ve also got a Gibson guitar in the room for those composers at heart.

Source: Sir Adam

1 – The W Hotel – Austin, USA

The W Hotel Austin’s Record Room has over 8,000 vinyl records, from a wide range of decades and genres…(we’ll give you some time to recover from the shock, so that it sinks in…8,000 vinyl records). Almost every weekend, DJs rock the Record Room with familiar albums and hits. The wonderful thing about the W Hotel brand for a vinyl lover is that they have in-house music directors in charge of making sure that the right album collections are available at their hotels across the globe. No matter which W hotel that you stay at, the hippest music is being played all the time.

Source: The W Hotel Austin

Honorable mentions:

• John Lennon and Yoko Ono Suite at Queen Elizabeth Hotel – Montréal, Canada

Even though there’s no records to play, this suite gets a mention because it was where John Lennon and Yoko Ono composed and recorded “Give Peace a Chance” during their 1969 Bed-In for Peace protest. Recently, the suite was renovated, but some of the vintage furniture from the era was restored. Staying at this suite is like following in the footsteps of John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Watch this video with English subtitles to get a sense of the space.

Source: Queen Elizabeth Hotel

• Ace Hotel London and New York

Although the New York and London locations of Ace Hotel do not offer vinyl lovers what the Los Angeles location does, the London hotel is next to Sister Ray, a very popular record shop in the city. In terms of vinyl collections, there’s something for everyone at almost all of Ace Hotel’s locations worldwide.

Source: Ace Hotel New York

The post Top 33 Luxury Hotels for Vinyl Lovers | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

How Much Does A Luxury Home Recording Studio Cost?

Honestly, it depends on what you want your home studio to include. A fully equipped, high-end, recording studio in your home with computers, an interface, microphones, soundboards, synthesizers, recording/processing software, and acoustic foam for the walls, will cost between $20,000 and $50,000. If you want a truly professional grade recording studio, where various artists and producers will be coming by to work with, they can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and even up to a million. Then there is the cost of buying musical instruments. The cost also depends on what you will be doing in the studio. If you’re only recording acoustical guitars and vocals, then you won’t need plenty of outputs and inputs. With the help of companies like PreSonus, you’ll have an idea of what you might need in terms of software and equipment.

How To Build A Professional Recording Studio?

No matter the room you choose, you may have to get it retrofitted so that it can be acoustically sound. Again, if you plan on inviting musical artists to use your home recording studio, then you only want the best equipment, software, instruments, and high-end furniture in that space. Building a studio by yourself might not be the best solution, but if you’re feeling adventurous, here is an informative blog post from Produce Like A Pro that shows you how. There’s also E-Home Recording Studio that is worth a look. But suppose you’re not that adventurous or confident in your own technical, design, and construction skills, and there’s no shame in admitting it, we suggest getting a professional studio designer to do it. Next up in this post, we’ll tackle the question about finding designers, but first:

Want to add a HiFi record console to your luxury home recording studio? Order one right now from iamluno.com.

Home Recording Studio Design

Whether you are in America or elsewhere, there are a few companies that are exceptional at building recording studios, for both homes and commercial uses. Sometimes they are called “architectural acoustic design firms.” There is Studio 440 and Steven Klein in Los Angeles, FM Design in Mahopac, NY,  AKA Design in London, Pilchner Schoustal International in Toronto, and many others.

Now before you take the step and build a luxury home recording studio, it’s best to consider the resale attractiveness of your home.

Home Recording Studio Videos

Watch this insightful 19-minute video of guitar expert Tyler Larson giving a 2018 tour of his home recording studio. Larson has taught millions of people online how to play the guitar. He goes into detail about the equipment in his studio with a list of devices below the video.

Watch this 60-second video of the Hexany Audio Studio in Los Angeles. It is used to produce music for video games, but notice how seamlessly this luxury home accommodates four recording studios:

Luxury Home Recording Studios

Now that we’ve given you some resourceful information to help you make your decision, it’s time for some inspiration. The rest of this blog post will show examples of recording studios within or around luxury residential living. As you will see, the one place in the world where there’s a large number of luxury home recording studios is the Greater Los Angeles Area, for obvious reasons. And don’t forget to order a HiFi record console from iamluno.com.

Check out these 38 luxury home recording studios:

1 – Havelock Walk – London, UK

Valued at $3.4 million USD, this 4,500 square-foot, one-bedroom luxury apartment loft, has a soundproof recording studio.

2 – Henry Hall – New York, USA

As a luxury rental building, Henry Hall feels like an elite boutique hotel. It has a VIP lounge, a residents’ parlor, a drawing room, a library, a state-of-the-art training center, and a radical recording studio. All this for affluent millennials who live in Henry Hall’s 225-units.

3 – One Arlington – Chicago, USA

In the northwest suburbs of the Windy City, is a 214-unit luxury rental building, with a recording studio in the basement. It’s nothing sexy, but still an exclusive amenity for a high-end residential tower.

4 – Saint Claire – Lexington, USA

On this 11-acre property in rural Kentucky, with horses galloping around, is a large home that has the allure of a vacation getaway. What you would never know from the outside is that there’s a huge recording studio inside. It has two large isolation booths, and mahogany millwork.

5 – Sound Lens – Markham, Canada

Designed for jazz recordings, this studio has a machine room, and three isolation booths.

6 – Guilford Sound – Gilford, USA

On a farm in Vermont, surrounded by 300-acres of luscious trees, is this residential recording studio known as Guildford Sound.

7 – Raia Private Mix Studio – Westchester County, NY

Although not a recording studio, this mixing studio with skylights and expansive windows is a relaxing man-cave for mix engineer Joey Raia.

8 – Macomber Home Studio – Carmel, USA

Just west of the New York-Connecticut border is this private residence with a 5.1 control room and basement studio.

9 – Canoa Studio – Lisbon, Portugal

In the suburbs of Lisbon is this home recording studio that has a very strong, and warm artisanal feel.

10 – 2 Hard Records – Kingston, Jamaica

In the capital of this West Indian nation, is a private residence with an adjacent recording studio belonging to Jeremy Harding, the genius producer behind Sean Paul and other Jamaica artists.

11 – Life Studios GGD – Rome, Italy

An Italian recording artist wanted this luxury home recording studio for a private villa in Rome.

12 – Black Rock – Santorini, Greece

On the island of Santorini is a luxury villa with a luxury home recording studio inside. The scenery around Black Rock is very inspirational and calming for music producers. In 2017, the BBC voted Black Rock as one of the top 10 places in the world to produce music. Justin Bieber and One Republic are just two of the big names who have made music at Black Rock.

13 – Sonastério Studios – Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Overlooking the gorgeous Minas Gerais mountains in southeastern Brazil is an 8,000 square-foot luxury home for musician-acoustician Bruno Barros. Within this beautiful property is Sonastério, a home recording studio with a 20-foot ceiling height.

14 – Villa Della Musica – Orlando, USA

Inside this gated, 6,500 square-foot, five-bedroom, lakefront mansion is a recording studio and a home theatre. Talk about home entertainment.

15 – Hyperreal Overkill – Toronto, Canada

Within this home is a recording studio, which includes a small live room.

16 – Austin Estate – Austin, USA

On this 7-acre private estate in Texas, the recording studio is just one of many luxury amenities. They also have a multi-purpose media room and a 5-stall stable.

17 – Errol Flynn Estate – Los Angeles, USA

As a standalone building on this estate, the recording studio has a control room, a live room, and an underground audio editing suite.

18 – Grouse Lodge – County Westmeath, Ireland

Michael Jackson and Tom Jones are just two of the music legends who have produced music at the over 200-year old Grouse Lodge. The recording studio has a 900 square-foot control room and two large live rooms.

19 – Brienz Valley Custom Built Home – Franklin, USA

Just outside of Nashville, is this five-bedroom home with a purpose built recording studio.

20 – Mediterranean-style Manse – Los Angeles, USA

This four-bedroom, luxury home has a recording studio with velvet-red walls.

21 – Bow Valley Trail Mansion – Rural Rocky View County, Canada

At 8,487 square-feet, this mansion that is valued at over $10 million USD, has an enormous recording studio, which also includes a sound stage.

22 – Encino Mansion – Los Angeles, USA

Built by Harrison Ford before he became famous, the recording studio in this mansion is no joke, just like the property itself. It’s a 12,015 square-foot, Tuscan villa, with an outdoor kitchen, pool, tennis court, personal gym, wine cellar, theatre, bar, and maid’s quarters. We can’t show you a photo of the recording studio, but take at look at these photos of the main entrance and the wine cellar. WOW.

23 – Napa Estate – Sonoma, USA

Built in 1965, this property is perched almost 2,000 feet up on Sonoma Mountain in California. There are six buildings on this estate, with seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, and nine fireplaces in total. The luxury home recording studio is so big that it even has a lobby. There is a main studio, a control room, a machine room, two isolation rooms, and producer’s suite.

24 – Dorina Place – Los Angeles, USA

This Granada Hills home has five bedrooms. It used to have seven, but two were transformed into a sound room and recording studio.

25 – McKinley House – Los Angeles, USA

Nestled between Venice Beach and Marina del Rey is a cute house built in 1948. The ceiling in the living room is an impressive 17-feet high. The recording studio is in a standalone building in the backyard.

26 – Austin Mansion – Austin, USA

Behind a wrought iron fence is this six-bedroom mansion with four garages. The home recording studio here is hidden away behind a wall, and then behind a media room. When it’s time to produce music, you can literally disappear from view!

27 – Pyramid Place – Los Angeles, USA

In Hollywood Hills, this home was built specifically for owners who are musicians. Two of the six bedrooms in this home are soundproof, so that work from the recording studio doesn’t disturb those trying to sleep. Numerous celebrities have come to parties at this home, and some great music was no doubt produced there too.

28 – Windhaven Drive – Thousand Oaks, USA

Valued at around $13 million USD, this 16,702 square-foot Tuscan-style palace is like a hotel resort. In terms of style, the recording studio is the least impressive room, but with a mansion so luxurious, it’s not surprising.

29 – Trotters Place – Franklin, USA

Separated from the main house is where the recording studio is on this property in Tennessee.

30 – Ashley Ridge – Hidden Hills, USA

Custom built for an entertainment industry producer, this $17 million USD mansion overlooking the San Gabriel Mountains has been home to at least one music mega star. The recording studio is large enough to handle a team of producers and performers. There is even a studio where the star can rehearse dance moves.

31 – Brighton Street – Burbank, USA

The recording studio in this house has a massive control room and live room, with walnut hardwood on the floors and cove lighting.

32 – Morning View Drive – Malibu, USA

With eight-bedrooms and a ballroom with very high ceilings, this home has terrific ocean views, even from the recording studio.

33 – North Valley Road – Highton, Australia

The recording studio in this 30-room house is considered by some to be one of the best private studios in all of Australia.

34 – Flamingo Road – Laguna Beach, USA

This monstrous, $13 million USD beauty of a mansion, offers picturesque ocean views, and 10,200 square-feet. There is a 10-car garage, a 10-person spa, a custom saltwater pool, and a professional recording studio.

35 – Appleyard Estate – Greenwich, USA

This colonial, 10,000 square-foot mansion in Connecticut has a cobblestone courtyard, a three-car garage, a movie theatre, and a very colorful recording studio.

36 – Jellico Avenue – Los Angeles, USA

The best part of this home in Northridge East is the recording studio with its two live rooms, two control rooms, and high ceilings.

37 – Eastbourne Bay – Oxnard, USA

Built only in 2017, this 4,100 square-foot house includes an 18-foot high great hall, a chef’s kitchen, a private outdoor spa, and a recording studio with a sound booth.

38 – Stassi Lane – Santa Monica, USA

Once featured in Architectural Digest, this 5,116 square-foot house, that is valued at just over $5 million USD, includes a Boffi kitchen, a master bedroom with wide views of Santa Monica canyon, and a library. In the basement, there is a screening room and recording studio.

Want to add a modern record player console

to your luxury home recording studio?

Order one right now from iamluno.com.

The post 38 Luxury Home Recording Studios | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

If you’re like many people this time of the year, you’re probably thinking about what to buy someone you love for Christmas, but don’t have a clue what to get them. You know you have to buy them something (because you love them), but you’re not sure what sort of message your gift will send.

Will they think it’s corny?

Will they think it’s cheap?

Will they think your going overboard?

We don’t know, but only you know how far you will go for love. But we’ll try to help you figure out what to buy that special person in your life. We took Cartier’s iconic LOVEbracelet and compared it, in general, to our record consoles. Both are fantastic Christmas gifts for someone that you love.

Here are 3 things a Cartier LOVEbracelet and a LUNO record console have in common:

1 – Both are instantly recognizable products

When you see a Cartier LOVEbracelet, you just know it. Whether it has yellow, white, or pink gold (wow), with diamonds or screws, it’s something that you just can’t mistake for something else. Our record consoles are made the same way. Other companies make record consoles too, but none of them can make high-quality modern furniture like us. Like Cartier, we have the craftmanship that sets us above the competition. When you look at a LUNO record console, you just know it. Both are well made, handcrafted products, that can’t be mistaken for something else made by somebody else.

Cartier LOVEbracelet

LUNO KC27 record console

2 – Both are for men and women

Don’t think that the Cartier LOVEbracelet is just for women. Men can wear them too! And why not, especially if your loved one has a matching one. The same goes for our record consoles. Sure, we blog a lot about cars, cigars, pools, records, and other stereotypical guys stuff. But we know women like those same things too. And they both like record consoles too.

Cartier LOVEbracelet

LUNO EGB2 record console

3 – Both are timeless in appearance

Even though the Cartier LOVEbracelet was designed in 1969, it looks like it could have been created today. For our record consoles, like the EGB2 or KC27, they look like they could have been built 50 years ago, but they still look modern for today. Same for our J2B2 record console. Whether you put something onto your wrist or place it in your home, you want it to age well.

Cartier LOVEbracelet

LUNO J2B2 record console

So what’s it going to be? The Cartier LOVEbracelet or a LUNO record console? Why not both?

Choose from one of our FOUR record consoles today. 12 Days Until Christmas!

It won’t arrive by December 25^th, so Santa’s elves will have to work overtime.

Sucks for them – good for you. Order a record console today at iamluno.com.

The post 3 Things a Cartier LOVEbracelet and a LUNO Record Console Have in Common | LUNO appeared first on Luno.

Paul McClean (Photo by John Russo)

Since 2000, the modern living produced by McClean Design has increased the popularity of luxury architecture and interior design. They are one of the most sought-after firms in the L.A. area for their luxury residential palatial houses. Every one of their projects plays with the connection between indoors and outdoors, with expansive windows allowing for panoramic vistas of the adjacent landscape and the L.A Basin.

All of Paul McClean’s 60-plus projects are distinct, but they all share certain similarities. Many projects take advantage of topography and landscape to provide privacy, and to create spacious basement levels where clients can host private parties overlooking the city. Cantilevered rooms with impressive views can be found in many projects, along with interior courtyards with trees. Other similarities between the projects are entertainment rooms, double-height spaces, infinity pools, waterfalls, reflection ponds, fountains, vegetation walls, and multi-car garages.

Robin (Photo by Simon Berlyn)

Bel-Air (Photo by Simon Berlyn)

Blue Jay Way 1-1 (Photo by Simon Berlyn)

(Photo by Simon Berlyn)

These luxury homes of between 4,000 and 12,000 square-feet in area are flooded with natural light, and mostly feature natural finishes. Clients love the work of Paul McClean for its high-end contemporary style.

You can see much more about the work of Paul McClean’s firm in his new book,  McClean Design: Creating the Contemporary House.

(You can read an L.A. Times interview with McClean about the book here and another article about him in Architectural Digest)

Book cover (Photo by Nick Springett)

So how does music inspire this famous architect as a person and as a designer?  We asked the man himself. Here’s what he had to say:

“Music has been a constant presence in my life since a very early age and I love many different types from classical through to techno.  I am not very musically inclined but that does not stop me from listening.  It inspires me and alters or enhances my mood depending on what I am listening to and how I am feeling.  As long as I have been listening to music though I have wanted to be an architect.“

“I have been fortunate to be able to work in a field that I love and have been successfully running my own firm for the last twenty years.  We specialize in high end contemporary homes and our design process is very intense but also fulfilling.”

“Designing contemporary homes is integrally connected with music for me.  It is very much about movement and pattern.  I don’t think I have ever really designed anything worthwhile without music in the background.  It helps me get into a place where my mind is open to new ideas and where I can visualize connections between spaces and proportion.”

(Photo by Jim Bartsch)

“I often listen to contemporary classical music such as Philip Glass or Hans Richter while drawing.  The ebb and flow of Glass’s compositions seem to flow directly onto the page, repetition and pattern flow through the design with the music building to high and low points in both the design and the score.”

“Recently I have been working on a large home for a family in Thailand.  It was important to the Owner that the home be unique and I was inspired looking at a sheet of music.  The home has been designed as a series of high and low “notes” against a datum similar to how notes are arranged on a sheet.   Perhaps too direct an interpretation, we will see as the design progresses.”

Concept rendering of house in Thailand (Image from McClean Design)

Concept rendering of house in Thailand (Image from McClean Design)

“Much of our work today is done in three dimensions with the aid of computers and design software but growing up in the eighties and early nineties everything was drawn by hand and long hours of drafting late into the night were only possible with the help of a diverse soundtrack not limited to but generally involving U2, Eurhythmics, Kraftwerk, Crowded House, Cocteau Twins and This Mortal Coil among many other favorites.  Maybe it’s time to revisit some of that and see how it might influence the designs we are working on today.”

Follow McClean Design on Instagram

Express your love for vinyl records with a luxury record console to match.

Order one today at iamluno.com.

The post How Music Inspires Paul McClean’s Luxury Modern Designs | LUNO appeared first on Luno.