Inside Coldwell Banker Global Luxury’s Inaugural Best of the Best Guide

Status, exclusivity, originality, craftsmanship, and, more recently, wellness. The word “luxury” has so many definitions. What has remained constant is luxury’s association with the finer things in life — the extraordinary things that inspire our joy, our love, our experiences, our memories.

Coldwell Banker Global Luxury® Property Specialists are on the frontlines of these finer things every day — to the tune of $288 million in daily luxury property sales* — and naturally encounter the very objects that elevate a home above all others in the marketplace. These products, creature comforts, materials and design elements have been thrust into the spotlight for the very first time by the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury program in a shoppable guide called “Best of the Best,” which launched today, just in time for the holidays.

Carefully curated from survey insights gathered from Luxury Property Specialists worldwide, Best of the Best defines the most desirable amenities in a luxury home today and sheds new light on the must-have room comforts and features heading into 2024.

“Luxury Property Specialists are true ambassadors of the luxury lifestyle,” said Michael Altneu, vice president of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury. “Thanks to their insights, consumers can now bring beauty and value to their own homes by directly shopping the curated collection of on-trend luxury products. These products truly represent the ‘best of the best,’ just like the homes they are so often found in, and are worthy of celebration.”

Here’s a closer look inside Best of the Best 2023:

• What today’s most desirable homes have in common: Must-haves include a chef’s kitchen with unique features and tech-enabled appliances, multi-functional indoor-outdoor living spaces that provide a seamless connection to nature, spa-like bathrooms that bring an oasis into the comfort of home, and advanced smart home technology that controls, automates and optimizes functions such as privacy, security, entertainment, lighting, temperature and landscaping, accessible from anywhere.

• Two kitchen islands are better than one: Double-duty kitchen islands are the leading feature in chef’s kitchens.

• • A double kitchen island with ample space for cooking, gathering and entertaining is the most important kitchen feature according to Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Property Specialists
  • A centerpiece of the luxury kitchen, elegant oven ranges and designer appliances provide sophistication with superior function
  • Statement range hoods with pops of color and unique design features that add style and personality

• Creating a staycation experience: Cabanas and natural water features are the most popular additions to luxury backyards. Two-thirds of Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Property Specialists surveyed agree that the biggest trend in luxury outdoor spaces is the merging of indoor and outdoor living. The must-have amenities in indoor-outdoor living spaces include:

• • State-of-the-art cabanas and pergolas offer resort-style comfort and relaxation in one’s backyard
  • Water features, from heated swimming pools to waterfalls, fountains and plunge pools, provide an oasis-like atmosphere that every luxury buyer seeks
  • Outdoor living areas that serve as extended entertainment spaces such as sitting rooms, outdoor bars, expanded chef’s kitchens with pizza ovens and built-in grills, expansive gas fire pits and movie screening areas under the stars

• A bath is not a true sanctuary without a freestanding soaking tub: Having a spa-like bathroom with unique wellness features is top-of-mind for luxury homeowners. To have a spa-like bathroom, one must have:

• • A freestanding soaking tub is the leading trend in luxury bathrooms that epitomize elegance and relaxation, allowing one to lean back comfortably and be fully submerged
  • Hydrotherapy showers that offer a spa-like features with massage jets, customizable water pressure and a wide range of shower spray functions
  • Designated treatment rooms with spa-design elements such as heated floors and towel racks, and infrared saunas

• ‘Living well’ means wellness tech: Wellness products, from advanced air purifiers to human-sized sound therapy pods, are the top tech products in luxury homes. The key to smart home living is having a seamless integration where the technology enhances not only the home itself, but also the well-being of its inhabitants. Having technology that satisfies luxury consumers’ personal wellness needs are significantly reshaping the modern luxury home. To own a smart home, one must have:

• • Human-sized sound therapy meditation pods that gently mix body vibrations with immersive music, serving as a personal sanctuary to relieve stress
  • Tech-infused fitness equipment including immersive smart gyms with touchscreen mirror displays virtually bringing a variety of fitness experts into the home
  • Smart thermostats that allow complete control over the temperature of the home with voice command functions, real-time air quality monitoring and sensor technology that helps conserve energy
  • Advanced air purifiers that guarantee a near 100% particle-capture efficiency rate to eliminate pollutants in the home’s air, easily controlled from an app

Hydrow Rower

More luxury trends and treasures, in packages large and small, are waiting discovered at CBGLBestoftheBest.com.

* To become a Luxury Property Specialist, affiliated sales associates must attend the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury® program certification course and apply for the designation with documentation showing they have three (3) qualifying transactions in a 24-month period, the earliest of which must be within three years of the latest certification course. The threshold for luxury properties is determined by the top 10% of sales of the listing ZIP code.