Photography by Jennifer Hughes
Transitional kitchen photo in Baltimore with shaker cabinets, marble countertops, stone slab backsplash and stainless steel appliances

It was arduous to find space for sleeping, reading, sewing, writing, painting and sitting - all within a 168 square foot room. Success depended on creative use of every nook and savvy space planning. There were two closets, so one was repurposed into a small office area. The mesh bins are used for storing sewing materials or other craft supplies.

John Gillooly/PEI
Enclosed kitchen - traditional enclosed kitchen idea in Boston with an integrated sink, flat-panel cabinets, white cabinets, stainless steel countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash and stainless steel appliances

This closet was lined with cedar, which added character to the room. We removed the doors and left the cedar intact. To avoid nail holes the existing clothing rod was used to hang items with large iron "S" hooks. The petite desk provides a work surface for letter writing, using a laptop or tablet, or a craft area. A Thonet style chair tucks neatly into the space. Small portable tables with shelving and wire baskets were used to store supplies and display decorative accessories.

Lauren Edith Andersen
Inspiration for a 1960s home design remodel in Seattle

Desk: Sanctuary Writing Desk Office chair: Fair Harbour office chair Accent Chair and Ottoman: Anastasia Collection Rug: Pearl Area Rug photo: thebelmontranch.com

Desk: Sanctuary Writing Desk Chair: Fair Harbour Office Chair Accent Chair and Ottoman: Anastasia Collection photo: thebelmontranch.com
Mid-sized farmhouse freestanding desk medium tone wood floor study room photo in New York with beige walls

A requested color palette of vibrant red and raspberry pink was complemented with cool whites and cream. Striking pattern in the lush window treatments sets the stage. The improved furniture layout maximizes all available space and now supports the requested eating area, writing desk, TV watching/lounging location and a small sleeping alcove. Rugs are intentionally omitted to adhere to the safety principals of Design for Aging in Place. The striking custom fascia cabinet packs a storage punch with concealed mini-fridge, microwave, food pantry and pull out shelf for the printer. To support this fashionista’s need to expand her wardrobe storage, classic white custom cabinetry provides hanging storage, full length mirrors, decorative columns that open to store costume jewelry and ample shoe storage drawers. Photography by David Van Scott

Click to Zoom MAGNOLIA HOME - CHURCH PEW HEADBOARD - QUEEN (No reviews) Be the first toWrite a Review ST:461560 Sale Price: $799.99 ADD TO CART Available In King Queen DESCRIPTION SPECIFICATIONS ITEM DESCRIPTION It's easy to see the inspiration for this nostalgic Church Pew Bed with its pew shaped wings around shiplap headboard panels. It has an inviting worn-in character with its distressed toffee-colored Bench wood stain finish. This headboard is also available in King size. Also available in Jo's White finish by custom order. Bolts to any standard metal frame. - Flat crown with rolled top rail. - Horizontal shiplap headboard panel. - S-curved wings inspired by church pew shape. COLLECTION FEATURES The beautiful Magnolia Home line was designed exclusively by Joanna Gaines to convey her fresh, unique design style that embodies her lifestyle of home and family. Each piece falls onto a specific genre: Boho, Farmhouse, French Inspired, Industrial, Primitive or Traditional. Painted finishes and wood stains are offered that replicate the look of age-worn vintage patinas. This piece is part of her Farmhouse genre, which is welcoming, comfortable and timelessly fresh. It features charming details such as scalloped trim, farmhouse-style turnings and age-worn finishes. Farmhouse is a nostalgic look into the way things used to be; how people worked with their hands, came home, ate well, and rested. It's a story of times past, how things used to be made, how they used to look. This style is the simplicity and timelessness of the past.

This article is posted here with the consent of the author. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, view, or opinion of Crestron Electronics, Inc., or of any of its employees. Crestron Electronics is not responsible for, and does not verify the accuracy of, any of the information contained in this article. By Jeff Singer The “smart” revolution began several years ago with smartphones (a.k.a phones) and has extended in recent years to thermostats, doorbells, alarm systems, and kitchen appliances. Smart devices are so ubiquitous that the term “smart” is overused to the point that it is almost meaningless. Companies are eager to jump on the bandwagon and claim their products are “smart,” and consumers proudly claim they have a smart home because they have lighting control. Misconceptions about smart homes are prevalent and create confusion in the marketplace. This can have deleterious effects on businesses and underserve consumers. Here are seven of the most popular misconceptions about smart homes: 1. Apps are smart Apps are convenient and easy to use. Yes, it seems there’s an app for everything. People expect to be able to download an app and do just about anything. App developers and many companies do not disavow consumers of this myth. On the contrary, they promote this idea with carefully worded descriptions. The promise of having the world at your fingertips for $1.99 is very enticing. Although it sounds too good to be true, it is also too good to pass up for many people. This leads to undervaluing home control and disappointment when the apps don’t work, which undermines confidence in our industry. The fact is that apps are not smart. They do not control anything. They must connect to and communicate with a control system or cloud service that processes, prioritizes, and executes commands. That’s the real magic and what most people do not understand. 2. Smart devices work together With so many smart appliances and devices on the market today, it’s understandable that the average consumer might think that they actually communicate and work together. This is simply not the case. Smart devices are not that smart. They are designed and manufactured by different, often competing, companies. There are no national or industry standards governing these products. Even if they all operate using Wi-Fi® communications, that doesn’t mean they work together. Some companies promote a home control platform, which unites different devices from different companies – in theory. The platform is yet another third-party software totally dependent on other companies developing APIs and writing control modules for their hardware to run on that piece of software. The devices are not independently compatible. Also, when updates are made to either the hardware or the software, functionality may be affected for some period. That’s a nice way of saying the device or system won’t work and there’s no way of knowing for how long. 3. It’s a DIY project Which brings us to the next myth, which is that the average person can do it themselves. Unless you are a skilled professional, I would not advise taking on a smart home project. You want to make a light turn on and off with your Alexa® or Google Assistant™ virtual assistant software, go for it. A smart home takes much more planning and expertise. I have no problem changing a light bulb or hanging a light fixture in my dining room; however, I am not going to rewire my house. I may change the flush valve in my toilet, but I’m not going to replace the pipes in my house. You get it. Integrating devices and systems, establishing different zones, creating scenes, designing the UI with a balance between control, feedback, and simplicity – all takes experience and skill. 4. Need a programmer to make changes Early adopters may have experienced the pain of trying to make a simple change or update to their home control system. Years ago, if the cable provider changed the channel line-up, the homeowner would have to call the dealer or programmer to make an appointment for them to come out to the house to reprogram the system. The system wouldn’t work as expected until it was updated, which often took several days and beaucoup bucks. Not anymore. Technology has evolved so now it’s easy for system owners to change favorite channels, create scenes, rename buttons, update images, and more. While a professional is needed for the initial installation and setup, the system is easy to manage once it’s up and running. This makes life so much easier for both dealer and customer. 5. Tech becomes obsolete quickly Similar to updating the UI, updating firmware or hardware used to be a stressful process. A smart home should be intelligent enough to update itself. Apps don’t become obsolete. Updates are constantly pushed out from the cloud, making them better all the time. The same is true for a good smart home system. New features, functions, and device support gets added in the background consistently, so the system you installed (or purchased) yesterday gets better over time. Swapping out decorative elements, such as keypads, dimmers, and touch screens is also seamless. When a new device is added, all the settings are pulled down from the cloud and it just works. No system interruptions. No sunk costs. No imposing house calls. No surprise bills. 6. Lighting control saves energy and money Lighting control is one of the most popular smart systems, but it takes more than just one system to make a home smart. On the surface, it makes sense that if you dim the lights ten percent, then you save ten percent of energy costs. If the shades are raised during the day to take advantage of sunlight so the lights don’t need to be on (or at least not 100%), but that causes the room temperature to rise a few degrees, which triggers the air conditioner to run longer and more often, was energy usage (or cost) reduced? A smart home integrates all the various systems and technology to optimize comfort, convenience, safety, and sometimes energy. 7. Home technology is easy to hack Security is at the forefront of people’s minds these days. Personal identities are stolen; email accounts hacked; private photos publicized; and more. A smart home must outsmart those who don’t respect privacy. Crestron control systems adhere to the strictest security standards. The same Crestron control system that goes into a home is also installed in secure government and military facilities, global banking institutions, hospitals, and other mission critical applications. When installed correctly by a trained professional, a Crestron smart home is the gold standard for security, comfort, and convenience.

Custom Councill Bedroom with writing space by Peg Williams- Drapery Specialist for Hendrixson's Furniture. Councill Furniture used throughout the project highlighting some of the finest handmade furniture made in the USA.

Whiteboard - Blackboard Custom designed - an old school blackboard has been combined with new school whiteboard. The blackboard is also magnetized. One son's college desk was painted black and reused in this space. A red milk crate functions as an amp stand.

Custom Councill Bedroom with writing space by Peg Williams- Drapery Specialist for Hendrixson's Furniture. Councill Furniture used throughout the project highlighting some of the finest handmade furniture made in the USA.

A full size wall unit accommodates a computer desk while also maximizing storage space. Custom designed, the unit makes the most of the wall space available in this uniquely shaped room.

Montana Antique 3-5" Random
Large mountain style living room photo in Other

A requested color palette of vibrant red and raspberry pink was complemented with cool whites and cream. Striking pattern in the lush window treatments sets the stage. The improved furniture layout maximizes all available space and now supports the requested eating area, writing desk, TV watching/lounging location and a small sleeping alcove. Rugs are intentionally omitted to adhere to the safety principals of Design for Aging in Place. The striking custom fascia cabinet packs a storage punch with concealed mini-fridge, microwave, food pantry and pull out shelf for the printer. To support this fashionista’s need to expand her wardrobe storage, classic white custom cabinetry provides hanging storage, full length mirrors, decorative columns that open to store costume jewelry and ample shoe storage drawers. Photography by David Van Scott

Custom Councill Bedroom with writing space by Peg Williams- Drapery Specialist for Hendrixson's Furniture. Councill Furniture used throughout the project highlighting some of the finest handmade furniture made in the USA.

Custom Councill Bedroom with writing space by Peg Williams- Drapery Specialist for Hendrixson's Furniture. Councill Furniture used throughout the project highlighting some of the finest handmade furniture made in the USA.

A requested color palette of vibrant red and raspberry pink was complemented with cool whites and cream. Striking pattern in the lush window treatments sets the stage. The improved furniture layout maximizes all available space and now supports the requested eating area, writing desk, TV watching/lounging location and a small sleeping alcove. Rugs are intentionally omitted to adhere to the safety principals of Design for Aging in Place. The striking custom fascia cabinet packs a storage punch with concealed mini-fridge, microwave, food pantry and pull out shelf for the printer. To support this fashionista’s need to expand her wardrobe storage, classic white custom cabinetry provides hanging storage, full length mirrors, decorative columns that open to store costume jewelry and ample shoe storage drawers. Photography by David Van Scott