Indulge: Pens, furniture, hybrids

It came from Camelot
In 1963, President Kennedy famously came to the aid of German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer at the signing of the Golden Book in Cologne—when Adenauer didn’t have a pen, Kennedy offered his personal Montblanc Meisterstück 149. Half a century later, the legendary writing instrument company is commemorating the 35th President with a pen named in his honour. The latest addition to Montblanc’s Great Characters collection, the John F Kennedy pen reflects many facets of JFK’s life and career: The three rings around the cap represent his three brothers, for example, and the pattern is inspired by the first footsteps on the moon. And of course, the clip is engraved with Kennedy’s initials. The JFK pen will be available in three models—a fountain pen ($1,035), a rollerball ($880) and a ballpoint ($805)—and in early 2015, Montblanc will debut another Kennedy pen, the 1917 edition (so named for his birth year), featuring a moon quartz emblem on the cap and rhodium-plated 750 solid-gold nib. And so the pen has been passed to a new generation. …

Brass steamer trunk
Price: Rs 1,63,125
This antique brass and wood steamer trunk has interiors of vintage leather and suede. Make it a statement piece by surrounding it with muted colours, or placing it on a rug of deeper hue.
pinakin.in

Courtesy:   Better Interiors











Venus Chair
Price: Rs 1,10,000 (chair)
Rs 6,975 per metre (upholstery)
This Venus chair is crafted out of mirandi and teak wood, has arms upholstered in tan leather and the Timbaktu fabric, with printed images of camel trains, in red detailing. You could also opt for a recoloured version of the fabric.
apartment9.in









Régence chair
Price: Rs 3,98,850 (for the chair)
The Bergère à Oreilles Régence chair with the Jungle City-themed prints is part of the Renoma Collection from Ateliers Philippe Coudray. Pair it with the Régence ottoman.
Courtesy:   Better Interiors

Maurice Renoma’s original photographic work has several sources of inspiration: Mythology, the seasons, poetic legends and even street art. For Ateliers Philippe Coudray, Renoma has superimposed these surreal images onto 18th century chairs, lending them a signature modernity.
ateliersphilippecoudray.com

Gondole dining chair
Price: Rs 2,40,000
This 18th century Gondole dining chair is crafted out of beech wood, and covered in a photographic print in true Renoma style.
Courtesy:   Better Interiors

Hybrid tests for wealthy clients
The next stage in Ferrari’s client-funded FXX programme is hybrids. It rolled out the FXX-K in Abu Dhabi, a track-only model with a total power output of 1,050PS (860PS from its conventional 6.2-litre V12 engine plus 190PS from an electric motor). Ferrari doesn’t say how many FXX-Ks will be made but they are unsuitable for road use and don’t meet any racing regulations. The cars in the programme are owned by wealthy customers, called Client Test Drivers, who leave the cars in Ferrari’s hands and turn up to drive them only at closed test sessions at circuits around the world.
Courtesy:  Overdrive


Shipmaker of dreams
If you are Heesen, the Dutch builder of one-of-a-kind, James Bondesque superyachts, it doesn’t hurt business to accept a high-profile challenge every now and again. The company’s breakthrough creation came in 1988, when American automobile tycoon John Staluppi asked founder Frans Heesen to build the fastest yacht in the world. And for every knot its top speed went above 51 knots, Staluppi would pay a $200,000 bonus. (For every knot below, he would deduct $200,000 from the price.) Staluppi’s luxurious, 141-foot Octopussy reached more than 53 knots. Heesen has now constructed more than 170 custom yachts, incorporating everything from comfort features like foldout side ‘beach’ platforms and floating wet docks to serious tech like the new Hull Vane, a subsea wing that harnesses wave power to produce added thrust. And the challenges keep coming. The owner of the 230-foot Kometa, a fast-displacement hull tour de force unveiled at 2014’s Monaco Yacht Show, decided— with construction long under way—that he’d prefer 30 knots to 27. It was too late to alter the existing power plants, so Heesen got creative, retrofitting ‘Kometa’ with a third, jet-boosted engine. Welcome aboard, Mr Bond…