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The Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog makes headlines each year with a selection of fantasy gifts for the extremely well-to-do, and 2011 is no exception. If a $420,000 trip to several international flower shows with nine close personal friends doesn’t appeal, how about staying earthbound in a $75,000 hand-painted yurt with a crystal chandelier, designer down-filled pillows and the ambiance of 1,001 Arabian nights?
Rainier Yurts, Seattle, Wash., created the “Dream Folly” at Neiman Marcus’s request, basing the luxury version on its 18-foot-diameter Eagle yurt design. The structure consists of a mixed-grain interior lattice system, a Sunbrella® exterior lining, and a plexiglass door and dome. The roof is vinyl-coated polyester with an acrylic top coat for extra durability. The Eagle boasts several superlatives in design, including the tallest walls, widest windows and strongest steel cables of any competitor.
The biggest part of the Dream Folly’s big ticket, however, may be the furnishings, which include Rebecca Vizard hand-beaded and embroidered pillows, hand-painted linen wall coverings by Coleman Taylor Handpainted Textiles and a Julie Neill Designs custom, hand-crafted crystal chandelier. For each Dream Folly sold, Neiman Marcus will donate $5,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (to let buyers do good while doing well).