John Wilbanks Photography
Example of a classic boy playroom design in Seattle with beige walls

A vintage map detailing the traditional territories of Native American tribal groups acts as window shade and homework inspiration. Photos by Photo Art Portraits

Photo: Sarah Greenman © 2013 Houzz
Eat-in kitchen - traditional eat-in kitchen idea in Dallas with a farmhouse sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets and stainless steel appliances

This guest bedroom was designed for a happy couple that would frequent the lake home, especially in the summers for a month at a time. A balance of dark teal and soft coral balances the the soft wall color and White Dove accents.

Todd Wright
Example of a mid-sized eclectic enclosed medium tone wood floor living room design in Other with a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv

Inspiration for a kids' room remodel in San Diego

Richard Herman is in the hospitality business and owns several upscale hotels in Florida and in other states as well as cattle ranches in both Florida and Missouri. Their farm in Ocala is by farm their most unique. The property serves as a 4-H demonstration project for the purpose of children’s education. They have been working with the Academy Prep of St. Pete which is dedicated to inner-city youths that are selected on the basis of need and achievement. Wife Diane spends her time on the farm raising Gypsy Vanners, a diminutive draft horse named after the job they did in Eastern Europe, pulling the wagons (vans) for gypsies that wandered across the continent. On the Ocala farm, there are several mules with a unique profession. Richard had visited the Hearthstone display at a Log & Timber Home Shows at the Orlando Convention Center many years ago. He was impressed that Hearthstone had stayed in touch with him over the years by mailings, invitations to shows, and periodic phone calls. When the time came to start serious consideration of the design of barn, Hearthstone responded promptly and professionally to Richard and Diane’s requests for information and a review of their ideas for their barn, which would serve as the centerpiece for their new farm. They wanted a multipurpose facility that could accommodate an educational environment and a large hall suitable for the fundraising events for his charities. Richard wanted a barn that reflected the look and feel of barns built at the dawn of the 20th century. Besides the rustic chicken houses and vegetable gardens, they have completely renovated a 1020’s era farmhouse to be as historically correct as possible and serves as the entry to the farm. “They very careful to feel us out, get comfortable with our capabilities, and be convinced that we could perform as promised,” said Project Manager John Ricketson of Hearthstone. Design Process There were some initial drawings that gave us a start on the basic shape and size of the barn. From there, it was a process of narrowing down the uses of each area and the spans that could be achieved. The barn was going to have the traditional “board & batten” exterior siding and a metal roof. There is a cantilevered ‘hay hood” on the north gable end above the large sliding barn doors that open into the foyer and horse stalls. The wings house a combination of areas, beginning with the large restrooms to accommodate crowds for events. Other parts of the wings have garage areas for the farm vehicles, feed room, tack room, wash rack, storage, offices, and smaller restrooms. Keeping with the look and feel of the turn of the century, Hearthstone developed a process for giving the timbers a surface texture that mimicked the circular cuts of timbers that had just come out of an old sawmill. This was easier said than done. Randy Giles guided his millwright (Wolfgang) in designing a machine that would do this effectively. The barn was delivered in October of 2014 and was erected over the course of two weeks, thanks to a hardworking crew (Eric Foster) and near-perfect weather. After the Hearthstone crew completed the erection and roof dry-in, it was time for the local carpenters to step up and install some light conventional framing on the gable ends before applying the roof fascia and exterior board & batten siding. Next came the big sliding barn doors, plumbing, electrical, heating, and cooling. Large rustic fixtures were hung from the great hall roof timbers. Exterior The board & batten siding was cypress and allowed to turn color naturally as rain hit it and the sun started working on it with UV rays. This method causes a much grayer look closer to the ground and less so where the roof overhang provides protection. The North end has some large limestone boulders and planters arranged around the pad with tall pampas grass. The planters provide casual seating before events and during outside receptions. The entire area was sodded with lush St. Augustine grass and split rail fences were added to enclose the barn area. The corrugated metal roof was a special order material that immediately rusted after being exposed to moisture. The layer of rust protects the metal from the elements. Interior The board & batten theme was carried throughout most of the interior with the timbers left natural to show off the circular saw texture. All of the tongue & groove decking was shipped in advance to allow the local painter to pre-stain it with a dark brown transparent stain that is a beautiful background to the light color Eastern White Pine timbers. “Everything was unique in this project” said Project Manager John Ricketson. “The setting on a small demonstration farm close to Ocala, the multipurpose design, the circular saw texture on the timbers.” The Hermans are very proud of their farm’s outcome. Richard sent a note to Randy Giles, owner of Hearthstone: “The Barn is fantastic, not a single problem, period. Next month, we have Jo Dee Messina coming in to help with a fundraiser for a local center for abused kids. Folks love the farm, ...... but that barn gets all of the attention. I would encourage you to use me as a reference for your sales team, feel free to extend my cell phone to any prospective purchasers.”

The large, bright Rose City is a classic representation of clean schoolhouse-style, which, despite the name, has never been limited to the classroom. From kitchens to bathrooms to Hollywood sets, this pendant suits many applications. Try it with a small globe, a wider shade with a flared profile, or a drum-shaped shade with room-commanding proportions.

Kids' room - kids' room idea in San Diego

Looking towards the 2 way mirror in the craft room. Scott Moore Photography
Mid-sized transitional gender-neutral carpeted kids' study room photo in Atlanta with gray walls

Separate conversation areas allow the students to gather and enjoy the outdoors, while providing them with comfortable seating. Exterior Designs, Inc. by Beverly Katz New Orleans Landscape Designer

Home office featuring water views, oversized Shucco windows and a radiant heated polished concrete floor.
Inspiration for a large modern freestanding desk concrete floor and gray floor home studio remodel in Other with white walls

Kids' room - transitional kids' room idea in Dallas

Inspiration for a transitional kids' room remodel in Dallas

Kids' room - transitional kids' room idea in Dallas

This Jersey City, NJ space was the first permanent ‘home’ for the yoga studio, so it was essential for us to listen well and design a space to serve their needs for years to come. Through our design process, we helped to guide the owners through the fit-out of their new studio location that required minimal demolition and disruption to the existing space. Together, we converted a space originally used as a preschool into a welcoming, spacious yoga studio for local yogis. We created one main yoga studio by combining four small classrooms into a single larger space with new walls, while all the other program spaces (including designated areas for holistic treatments, massage, and bodywork) were accommodated into pre-existing rooms. Our team completed all demo, sheetrock, electrical, and painting aspects of the project. (The studio owners did some of the work themselves, and a different company installed the flooring and carpets.) The results speak for themselves: a peaceful, restorative space to facilitate health and healing for the studio’s community. Looking to renovate your place of business? Contact the Houseplay team; we’ll help make it happen! Photo Credit: Anne Ruthmann Photography

Inspiration for a contemporary galley open concept kitchen remodel in San Francisco with flat-panel cabinets, dark wood cabinets, white backsplash and stainless steel appliances

Inspiration for an eclectic living room remodel in New York

These portable partition walls are constructed with acoustical ribbed fabric and heavy foam cores. Available in several stylish colors, the VersiPanel is a popular studio partition or office divider due to its superior sound-dampening capabilities and attractive looks. Unlike other partition walls, the VersiPael meets the floor directly from end to end, keeping sound confined. Constructed of multiple small panels, the VersiPanel may be arranged in a serpentine "S" shape, or add a couple optional VersiFoot accessories to create "C" or "L" shapes, which are often used for setting up recording or testing spaces. The flexibility in arrangement options allows the VersiPanel to be used in a variety of applications, such as recording studios, offices, or classrooms. Link several units together with the attached magnetic end pieces and place behind a podium for a stylish and sound-focusing backdrop. The VersiPanel can be rolled and velcroed together for easy storage. Available in two sizes: 6'6" High x 8'8" Wide 6'6" High x 12' Wide