30 Lesser Known Luxury House Items
Luxury Items that make my house into a home
(Originally posted on June 18, 2021 with updates from Dec 2025)
Random Observation/Comment #720: My new favorite thing to do is visit neighbors and look for cool gadgets I can buy. I totally want that Dyson lamp. Yea, they make lamps.
Why this List?
I don’t like expensive things, but I do invest in awesome things that bring me joy and perceived luxury. The most expensive thing on the list is probably the couch. Here’s stuff I have that I’m so glad I invested in. These certainly elevate my house into my home.
If you want to see all of these, I’ve created an Amazon buy list.
Bidet toilet seat – I have both the Korean Lotus ATS-908 ($599.00) and lesser known cheaper Inus brand ($194.99). We’ve been spoiled with heated toilet seat with a bidet since our first place in NY. If you don’t have one, it’s truly a game changer.
Aeropex Aftershokz bone conductor headphones / Aftershokz ($129.99) – I forget I have these on anymore, but I use them all the time. Bluetooth and long battery life to last a whole day. It has been around 5 years and I think this is just a part of my identity now.
Oculus quest 2 / Meta Quest 3 ($250) – Recent purchase, but I love the flexibility without the wires. Still getting my table tennis fix and trying out some really great ideas.
Gas fire place ($$$ + labor) – One button turn on and off is super convenient. This is added in the mortgage and not sure how much it would cost to get it wired up. Adds to the vibes.
Quality chef’s knife ($250-$600) – Just did an upgrade to a beautiful piece recommended at a local shop. I’m also thinking about a Chinese meat cleaver-like blade (got one and it’s awesome).
Scotch set with decanter and bar cart ($99.95) – I don’t have this particular model, but look how cool this looks. doesn’t need to be super fancy, but I do take pride in a well-stocked liquor selection. I’m pretty sure I haven’t washed my decanter in years.
Me undies underwear ($24 per month) – I’ve done a full conversion of all my underwear to MeUndies after a year-long membership. I’ve never been happier.
Long sleeve comfy sleeping shirts and comfy sweatpants ($30) – I have about a dozen of these breathable long sleeve shirts that I love. I believe they’re the knockoff Costco version of the Underarmor winter running shirts. Highly recommend the Uniqulo sweatpants which got a lot of wear throughout the pandemic.
Good hiking boots ($150-$300) – I’ve been wearing the same Salomons since August 2020 from REI. Good traction and easy to put on. I’ve removed tying shoelaces from my life. I would also advise against the waterproof ones because they’re less breathable and stop being waterproof after they crack.
Warm slippers ($23)- I rotate out slippers every 4 or 5 months because I’ve worn them all the time through the pandemic. These $23 ones on Amazon are super comfy.
Comfy throw blanket ($30) on a comfy couch ($7k+) – This just makes my day. Get the biggest size. I can always rely on sitting on a comfy couch (which we got from Arhaus and just love it).
Silk pillow cases ($16.99) and pillow with the cold gel ($34.99) – Great for breathability and always love sleeping on a slightly cooling pillow.
Body pillow ($23.99) and weighted blanket ($39.99) – Just got the weighted blanket recently and you either love it or you hate it. I personally love it. I have always used a body pillow as a blanket.
Sonos Arc, Sub, and Move 2 ($1500+)- I’m not an audio snob, but it’s never a bad idea to invest in a nice sound system. I did get really pissed off at the software UX upgrade that broke everything.
High quality mic setup with Yeti – Not only is this a great conversation starter, but it improves my voice quality with all these zoom calls
Good coffee beans and Jura A1 coffee machine ($799) – Part of the pandemic improved skills is brewing better coffee. Choosing high quality beans and grinding them fresh. We have a ninja coffee machine that I use daily. The Jura A1 coffee machine has been our staple which grinds the coffee beans fresh.
Fake plants ($100+) – Only because I can’t take care of real ones. I think plants are so underrated for liveliness of a space. Even a few air plants hanging up will tie it all together. We bought these locally instead of everything from Amazon
Hammock ($100)- My wife was right – I can fall asleep immediately with this hammock and it has served me well for multiple naps. I have since evolved into other hammocks that hang from different places, but the idea of having one somewhere convenient to pop into is the point of the purchase.
Weekly cleaning crew ($140) – I’m so happy for splurging weekly/bi-weekly on getting a dusting and vacuuming. We still put things away, but this is worth the cost.
Herman Miller Sayl chair ($700) – I spend enough time at my computer to have a comfortable chair in my life
Power gate for car – Out of all the features, this is the one that makes me the most happy. Yes I can auto-start from my phone, but the trunk opens at the touch of a button.
TrueSight cruise control – I have gotten so lazy with driving that I literally use cruise control all the time. The Subaru has True Sight which will set car speed and distance with the car ahead of you.
Central cooling and heating – Growing up in a small house with Asian values of not using an air conditioner, I can’t tell you how awesome it is to have climate control. This is a luxury for a majority of people.
Bath tub and bath salts – I get it now. It’s nice to just soak a bit and listen to an audiobook.
Second fridge ($1000s) – This is my beer fridge. I love my beer fridge.
Smoker/grill ($600-1500) – This will be an upcoming purchase as I realize all Dads will eventually get into some type of meat smoking and grilling phase. BBQing is peak Dad. I’ll probably get an alternative to a Traeger like a Camp Chef or Rec-Tec. edit: It has been 4 years since I wrote this post and I didn’t get a smoker, but my life has been just as good. My neighbors all have one, so I can just keep my backyard the way it is.
Instax film camera ($119.95) – The camera is not expensive, but the film is where they get you. I think it’s an incredible (and quickly expensive) party gift. I get infinitely more joy looking at a physical photo then just a digital one.
Order a chef ($250 per person) – Relatively inexpensive for the per person cost and great for special occasions. We did a 10-person party for less than $2500. 5 hours covering 4 appetizers, 2 main dishes, dessert, and wine/beer pairings. Full clean up and everything.
Daycare in walking distance / Convenient commutes – If this isn’t a luxury, I don’t know what is.
Anti-gravity Brio Massage Chair ($7000) - This is a big purchase, but I do use it literally every day. If I’m on a work call without video and not talking, then it’s probably because I’m getting a massage. edit: still my favorite furniture in the house.
~See Lemons Like Nice Things