This is a brilliant and humorous infographic by Martin Cajzer. Click the image for a bigger size.

Some nice Photoshop work by the agency Conexão from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

If you read this blog from time to time you know I’m a sucker for luxury apartments and houses as well as good design. I’m also deeply in love with New York City which is why New York penthouses and townhouses pop up on this page sometimes. I’m not in real estate, but the industry has fascinated me ever since I read Pulitzer Prize winner Independence Day by Richard Ford. The book deals with the life of real estate agent (among other things) Frank Bascombe and his family issues and although the reviews are torn for this book, I absolutely loved it. Together with American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis they are perhaps the strongest inspiration for my novel The Wake-Up Call. I recommend all three of them :)

Anyway, let’s get to the point…(cough)…penthouse.

It’s in TriBeCa and covers 10 000 square feet. Now I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves (more pictures and details here)

Brilliant and slightly repulsive ad for Pilates with Gerda by Concept Istanbul. Above is the butt bag and below is the belly bag. But it should really be the other way around I guess.

The copy is Carrying too much weight?

Here’s a series of funny ads for Axe Anarchy done by BBH London and found at Adsoftheworld.com

This is nuts, but kinda fun. Props to OK Go and Chevrolet for pulling it off!

For a measly $100 000 a month you can rent this fantastic 13 500 square feet penthouse in the Tribeca area of New York. I was considering it, but when I saw that it only has half a basketball court, I got very disappointed so Lenah and I will keep on looking for the right place. If you’re interested you can check out the details and some more pictures at Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate (direct link to the apartment page).

Both Lenah and I loved the grand city of Rome so much in November that we’re going back in May. And we got tickets to ATP Masters Rome too :) (At least I’m happy about that :)) A must-visit place.

But there sure are beautiful houses. Just look at Lisa Vanderpump‘s (from The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) “house”. Lenah and I are doing plenty of Hollywood and celebrity research for my upcoming novel (set in the Hollywood celebrity world, Rome and New York) at the moment and it’s quite interesting. I’m working hard whenever I get a free moment and I hope to release the novel named Hollywood PA on April 1st (not as an April fools joke!).

I will post more information about the upcoming book over the next two months, it’s a humorous take on the Hollywood lifestyle and also a love story with a twist. It will be interesting to see what people think of it when it’s released. For now, please enjoy these photos of Beverly Hills housewife, Lisa Vanderpump’s fabulous ”house”.

The latest and final cover of The Wake-Up Call will be Etienne Bugeja‘s beautiful take on the story. Big thanks to him for putting loads of effort and passion into this design. I also want to thank Daniel Jacobsson and Joakim Wiborn for previous versions. They were all great, but I in the end Etienne’s version is the best at depicting the book in my view.

The Wake-Up Call will be out in print in March 2012.