Top 5 Home Theaters

Home theaters have increased in popularity the last few years and we can see why.  They are a comfortable place to relax, unwind, and get the movie theater experience without leaving your home.  Here are our top five home theaters we're pining for. 


Home Theater #1
Traditional

Traditional Home Theater by El Segundo Home Media Design & Installation Interior Technologies

This home theater has all the features of a classic movie theater from 'back in the day'.  Chandelier ceiling, plush seats, wall sconces, and decorative trim around the curtained screen take us back to yesteryear, but with a stylish modern feel.  Although not cheap, a similar lush purple leather-textured wall paper can be purchased online.  The decorative wall trim at the curtain can be fabricated by a skilled cabinetmaker.


Home Theater #2
The Night's Sky

Traditional Home Theater by San Francisco Home Media Design & Installation VIA – San Francisco 

No more longing for the days when you could go to a drive-in because this home theater brings the outdoor movie experience inside.  Watch a movie in surround sound and comfortable seating while sitting under the night's sky.  Major bonus: no bugs.  The sky effect can be painted, attached with an adhesive mural, achieved by a lighting expert, or a combination of all of the above.  Fiber optic lights would produce effective night time stars.

Home Theater #3
Art Deco

Traditional Home Theater by Los Angeles Home Media Design & Installation Roberts Home Audio and Video Inc.

Say goodbye to wall sconces because this theater sets the mood with lighting that spans across the walls and ceilings.  With the Art Deco detailing on the lights, we're transported back to the time of The Great Gatsby.  These fantastically ornamented lights are offset by dark gray walls, floors, seating and curtains to bring a delicate touch to this chic theater. 


Home Theater #4
Natural Elements

Contemporary Home Theater by Sterling Home Media Design & Installation Encore Custom Audio Video

This home theater takes a tip from Mother Nature by using earth tones and natural textures to create a room that is visually appealing and very comfortable.  The brown leather theater seats are soft and inviting.  The two-tone paint compliments the seats and bring you down to earth.  The highlight of this room is the wave-patterned panels on the ceiling. (They also make an appearance on the walls as pilasters.)  Reminiscent of rippling water, these interlocking panels from Modular Arts make this textured feature possible.


Home Theater #5
Retro Suite

Contemporary Home Theater by South East Interior Designers & Decorators FiSHER iD

From the hip color scheme to the retro wall panels this home theater is swanky.  The purple, aqua and green couches have a dual job: they provide plentiful seating and create visual excitement in what could be a bland room.  The diamond art on the wall provides interest, lighting and possibly sound absorption.  The clean lines of these elements work together to provide a design that stands out from the rest on this list.


Which of these five home theaters is your favorite?  Maybe you have your own ideas for what makes the perfect theater.  Let us know.  We would love to hear from you!

Disclaimer: Southern Cottages House Plans and Michael R. McLeod Architect, PA did not design any of these rooms.  Click the picture to find these rooms on Houzz.

Top 5 Kids Rooms

Sometimes it's fun to go crazy and design the most creative and whimsical bedroom for a child.  And for those of us who can't afford to do something like this, it's always just fun to look and wish.  When I was young I would have loved to have any of these bedrooms.

A colorful indoor gym.

Kid's Bedroom #1
The Gym
In addition to all the color and fantastic lighting, this bedroom has exactly what kids want:  a place to climb, swing, scale, jump and pull themselves up!  This is just what they need to get out their energy and exercise their muscles, all while keeping the living room clean.  (Who's going to want to play in the living room when they have a bedroom like this?!)  Anchoring the gym to the ceiling structure is definitely a must in order to use this.  But let's be honest, if my kids had a room like this, you would probably find me in there playing on that equipment with them! 

 

What do we do with that column?

Kid's Bedroom #2
The Indoor Tree
This is a fantastic use of a column.  Instead of living with a boring column that is required for the structural stability of the building, spruce it up and make it interesting!  This brings so much imagination into the room.  At Christmas you can string lights on it.  You can store your child's stuffed animals in there:  dogs, cats, foxes, snakes, chipmunks, monkeys, or owls.  You can have a picnic under its leaves any time of the year.  The fun is endless!

Bunk beds with a slide?  That's brilliant!

Kid's Bedroom #3
The Bunk Bed Slide
As if bunk beds did not incite enough enthusiasm with kids, adding a slide makes it that much better!  This is a great idea for a vacation house. If your kids are going to be sleeping in a room with 4 or more people, why not mix in some fun and put in a slide?  This gives them a great way to start the day and a fun incentive to sleep in a room with that many people.  Plus, you will not have any trouble getting them to go to their room and play for a while so you can relax.

A loft in the kids room?

Kids Bedroom #4
The Jungle Loft
Kids love to climb and be taller than everything else (especially their parents).  This loft gives them a place to do that!  It's also an exciting location to play or read...up at the ceiling level.  The jungle theme gives them a way to be in the tree tops to feed the imaginary giraffe that's come to play.  Or giggle with the monkeys.  Or they can rescue the cat who has climbed too high and gotten stuck.  And of course, when they get in trouble, that's where you're going to find them.  This would definitely be a favorite spot in the house for any child.

A secret hideout.

Kids Bedroom #5
The Clubhouse
When I was young a clubhouse would have been so awesome!  And one in my room would have been off the charts!  This imaginative idea creates a cool place to sleep or a great locale for your child's clubhouse meetings.  You can imagine the floor is a lake full of alligators that you've got to stay away from.  Or you can go sightseeing above the treetops.  Maybe you can get out the flashlights and have story time in there.  Or have a camping trip every night.

All of these different kids room ideas are on my list of fun ways to decorate a room and inspire play.  Which is your favorite?  Which do you wish you had as a child?  Do any of them inspire you to play and imagine more with your children?  Let me know!

Stacey

Let us help you create a building to serve your needs at www.mcleodarchitect.com.
View our architect designed house plans at www.southerncottages.com.

Disclaimer: Southern Cottages House Plans and Michael R. McLeod Architect, PA did not design any of these rooms.  Click the picture or the caption to find out where I found these pictures.

Top 5 Beach House Names of Topsail Island

The summer has ended and fall is in full swing.  We would like to commemorate the 2010 summer season with a Top 5 list.  There are a number of great beach house names to choose from, but we managed to narrow it down.

Top 5 Beach House Names of Topsail Island

5. Gritty Britches




An amusing name for a common situation after spending some time on the beach.

4. Sandcastle

A name reminiscent of a favorite beach activity.

3.  No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem

A perfect description of the laid-back attitude of the beach.

2.  Summer Daze




A great illustration of your state of mind as you sit and watch the ocean waves come in and roll out.

1.  Attitude Adjustment



      



This name best describes what will happen to you as you spend time on the beach.

Honorable Mentions: 

All About the View


It's what everyone wants when they come to the beach.


Escape Hatch
 

Just like in the TV show "Lost", we all need an Escape Hatch once in a while.  What better place to escape to than the beach?

License to Chill

One more reason to sit back and chill out during your beach vacation.


If you like a beach house name that we did not mention, we would love to know it!  Please leave it for us in the Comments!

**All of these beach houses are available to rent and can be found on http://www.rentabeach.com/.**

Top 5 Outdoor Kitchens

Since it is summer, and a great time to be entertaining outside we decided it might be nice if we gave our top 5 picks of our favorite outdoor kitchens. These types of spaces have become increasingly popular within the last few years and we couldn't help but drool over these outdoor kitchens pictured below. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Outdoor Kitchen #1

Dinner and a Movie View

Forget the movie, you won't want to leave after dinner if you have a view like this! We found this outdoor kitchen at http://www.vikingrange.com/. The kitchen is meant for the most extreme grilling enthusiast. It features a commercial quality gas grill with 41" cook top and rotisserie system. It also includes a 30" charcoal cart with side burners. And if that isn't enough, there is also a gas range with warming drawer. Did I mention the ice machine, refrigerator, refreshment center with a sink and built in cooler to hold all your drinks? After all that eating you'll love being able to sit back and relax and enjoy the view of the Montana mountains in the back ground. Now that's an outdoor kitchen!

Outdoor Kitchen #2

Rustic Charm

We found our #2 outdoor kitchen from an article written by This Old House. We like the idea of a kitchen matching seamlessly into your outdoor environment which was achieved through this kitchen's use of stone and concrete. The kitchen is positioned between the house and the pool witch makes it a central location and great spot to entertain. The owner achieved a rustic look by applying an acid-stain to the concrete patio and kitchen island. They also used painted plank cabinets to conceal all their plumbing lines as well as hide their storage. You might think you're in an old village somewhere in Europe when in reality your in the comforts of you're own backyard.

Outdoor Kitchen #3

Family Fun

Take the pizza deliveryman off of speed dial and enjoy a homemade pizza in your own outdoor wood fired pizza oven. The focal point of this outdoor kitchen is the 8 1/2-by-6 foot pizza oven. But equally impressive is the 53-inch stainless steel gas grill with rotisserie, smoker box, and storage. All the counter tops are built from poured concrete and stained in a rich terra-cotta. Overhead a pergola stands to create shade without blocking breezes. There is even built in halogen track lighting in case you have one of those late night pizza cravings.

Outdoor Kitchen #4

Woodsy Retreat

Our #4 kitchen came from LogHome.com and is perfect for anyone who spends their summers at those cherished cozy log homes. This kitchen stays true to the log cabin feel with all wood accents but mixes a little bit of modern design through its use of stainless steel cabinets and grill. The charm of this outdoor kitchen continues with its three tier chandelier centered over a large table that can seat up to eight of your closest friends and family. Adjacent to the dining area is a seating area with over sized outdoor furniture so you can snuggle up with your loved one on those chilly nights in the mountain or by the lake.

Outdoor Kitchen #5

Tuscan Lite

In most outdoor kitchens the grill is the main focal point of the kitchen, but in this outdoor space the main feature is the table. It's a 15-by 5 1/5-foot slab of Wyoming sandstone that weighs 4,500 pounds. The dining area is enclosed by a trellis that has fabric panels which slide from one side to the other to provide shade during a hot sunny day. Outdoor lighting is used through the space: task lighting under the chimney, strip lighting in a metal rail behind the banquette, and more strip lighting in the trellis over the table. The result is just a glow, very soft, which gives the appearance of dining by candlelight.

Which on the 5 is your favorite outdoor kitchen? Or maybe you have a favorite we didn't feature. If so, send us a link. We would love to see it!