Rooms

Comments: We all probably tend to work too hard these days. This family decided they'd worked enough -- and it was time to play. They designed and built a lower level playroom for all the kids in the family, including the parents, one where they could all feel free to kick off shoes and, well, play.

Color is the first feature the strikes the visitor's eye. The boisterous and fun combination of hues, seven in all, makes the room feel like it was made for the playing child in all of us. Friends will love it, too, as a relaxing retreat to share with a few close people.

We built all the cabinetry for the addition. We chose Hard Maple for its bright, active grain and light color, and then paired it with Black Cherry as an accent, applied in long strings that match the countour lines of lower level's map, as if one were descending through layers of ancient topography.

The cozy space has a main room dedicated to listeners and viewers, with an entertainment center and television screen, shown above flanked by two equipment cabinets for media storage and display niches.

Then when you're craving some popcorn, it adjoins a spacious breakfast bar, shown above. The cabinet underneath stores a microwave and snack supplies. Behind the bar sits a full-wall pantry cabinet with room for oodles of food, bulk storage and housekeeping supplies.

The main room adjoins another part of the basement, but thankfully it can be closed off when the movie must not be interrupted. A heavy slab door that matches the cabinetry, shown in the top photo, slides noiselessly shut to drown out the sight and sound of utility areas of the basement.

Finally, a half-bath sits nearby, with sink and stool -- so you never actually have to leave the playroom!