The living room is the heart of your home, and it’s also your most versatile space. While kitchens are for cooking, dining rooms are for eating, and bathrooms and bedrooms are self-explanatory, the living room is the only space dedicated entirely to relaxation and enjoyment—whether that’s decompressing with a good book or entertaining company.

As temperatures drop in the Northern Hemisphere, homeowners are looking for creative ways to bring their outdoor activities in where it’s warm. From sports facilities to home theaters to spacious places to gather with loved ones, it’s never felt more important to focus on the interior spaces that support year-round hobbies.

With a little ingenuity and creativity, these homes succeed in bringing typical outdoor activities to the indoors, letting homeowners continue to recreate no matter the season.

We recently explored why a luxury rental might be your next real estate investment; now let’s take a closer look at a country with a thriving luxury rental market and hear directly from our local area experts there.

From a light-filled Parisian apartment to a timeless fieldstone home in Washington DC, these are this month’s four featured notable properties for sale over $5 million.

In desirable settings from West Coast to East, these distinctive, expertly appointed home bars prove that sometimes, the best spot for a festive nightcap is home sweet home.

The dining room is an important hub in any home. It’s where families gather, where friends linger late into the evening after a dinner party, where holiday meals take place and school projects are constructed. The dining room is the space where eating, drinking, and communal living happen, and its décor should reflect both the comfort and significance of connection.

These seven dining rooms range from eclectic and contemporary to classic and sophisticated, each serving as an inspirational space no matter the occasion. Find the room that speaks to you, and bask in the glow of this integral home gathering point.

Most dreams of living “la dolce vita” involve an escape to the Italian countryside, but this magnificent 12,247-square-foot villa in Southern California affords a more approachable stateside version of the sweet life. The centerpiece of the 4.18-acre property, ensconced in the rolling hills of Montecito, is a home of majestic proportions and style, enveloped by stately cypress and native trees and dramatic, colorful grounds.

As the landscape of the world continues to change every day, people are looking closely for investment opportunities. Placing their quality of life at the forefront of their decision making, some of these investments will inevitably mean relocation to a new home – and potentially even a new country. In this continuing series we’ll explore destinations around the world with benefits like residency and citizenship by investment programs, tax incentives, and more, as well as hear from local experts throughout the Sotheby’s International Realty® brand network along the way.

In Paris in 1908, Albert Dupuy revolutionized cooking with his invention of the La Cornue oven. The tradition of excellence and elegance continues today, in ranges made by hand, in labor-intensive processes undertaken by specialist craftspeople. The results are both exceptional appliances and eye-catching works of art.

With the proliferation of home rental sites like Airbnb and VRBO, it’s never been easier to rent your house for the additional revenue and flexibility afforded by letting a space on a short- or long-term basis. Homeowners in peak markets make an average of $20,000 a year by renting out their homes—and that’s just through Airbnb.

Home sales in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) were up again year-over-year for the fourth month in a row. Our Members made 10,563 sales as reported through the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s MLS® System in October 2020. This was up by 25.1 per cent compared to 8,445 transactions in October 2019.

Whether in the piazzas of Italy or the rushing falls of Niagara, water has the power to draw the eye and set a dramatic scene. From fountains to infinity pools to moats, water features also serve to augment our homes, and it’s the rare property that can’t be improved with the addition of aquatic art. Look to these five exceptional listings that lead by example, making the most of their grounds with architectural fixtures.

One of the benefits of owning an estate is being able to offer guests their own truly private space. Whether in California’s wine country, on the banks of a Long Island lake, or on a historic street in Santa Fe, these welcoming guesthouses encourage visitors to relax in comfort and seclusion.

Much like petits fours at the end of a delicious meal, an extra room can often sweeten the deal when deciding on a property to add to your portfolio. Whether for business, in the case of a home office, or pleasure via a home theater, make the most of the extra square footage by introducing one of these additions to your home.

A glimpse of the idyllic outdoor spaces that envelop this elegant residence might immediately bring to mind a villa in the French countryside. With their orderly layout, timeless pea gravel, manicured plantings and trees, iron-trimmed French doors, and classical fountain—all overlooked by dreamy balconies—they have a decidedly romantic, Old World feel, but the location is as modern and New World as they come—a desirable thoroughfare in the fashionable Bird Streets of Los Angeles.

As the landscape of the world continues to change every day, people are looking closely for investment opportunities. Placing their quality of life at the forefront of their decision making, some of these investments will inevitably mean relocation to a new home – and potentially even a new country. In this continuing series we’ll explore destinations around the world with benefits like residency and citizenship by investment programs, tax incentives, and more, as well as hear from local experts throughout the Sotheby’s International Realty® brand network along the way.

New York penthouses lead the list of the world’s most expensive and rarest properties. Barely a hundred penthouses number amongst the more than 2,300 upscale NYC apartments currently up for sale. And the prices for these properties are no less astonishing than the views from their terraces; the most expensive penthouse available in New York today is listed for $90M, and 50% of the rest lie within the $30M-75M range.

Fall’s the time for sweaters, apple cider, and scenic drives to enjoy fall foliage. In locales from West Coast to East, these estates offer private showings, allowing for appreciation of autumn’s colors without leaving home.

Health-minded homeowners are converting basements and garages, and allocating square footage in their houses to state-of-the-art workout space. And for equipment choices, the options are endless.

With a never-ending supply of technological advancements and screens seemingly around every turn, modern life often pulls people away from nature. Fortunately, looking up at the stars never ceases to amaze, especially when a postcard-perfect backdrop and ideal conditions are combined with world-class stargazing facilities.

From remote desert moonscapes to exotic islands, these are the best places on the planet for catching views of galaxies far, far away.