Homeowners Find Unique Design Solutions

Updated January 23, 2015

Dining room bar — These homeowners didn't use their living room, so their designer/remodeler turned it into a functional space to fit their lifestyle. (Photo courtesy of Beyond Design)

With the help of designers and contractors, homeowners get new rooms that fit their special requests.

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Remodelers and interior designers try to live by the mantra, “the customer is always right.” So when a homeowner decides they want a bar instead of a living room, they find a unique solution to make that dream become a reality.

While not the everyday job, it’s not entirely uncommon for contractors to think outside of the box and design a room that fits a homeowner’s lifestyle or hobby. Check out some of these unique home solutions remodelers and interior designers cooked up for their clients.

Bar and game room

A homeowner told Kathy Tufts, owner of highly rated Beyond Design in Clifton, Virginia, that her family mostly lived in the back of their house and didn’t do anything with the front two rooms. They thought about updating the dining room and living room, Tufts says, but decided that would be throwing a lot of money at rooms they didn’t regularly use.

During her interview, Tufts found out the parents like to entertain, and the kids enjoyed playing chess. As a result, she created a pub and a game room.

family game room — Photo courtesy of Beyond Design

Built-in refrigerator

David Schneider, owner of highly rated Schneider Kennedy Design located in Newbury Park, California and St. Louis, pushed this refrigerator back into the garage to give his client a little more square footage in the kitchen. It makes the fridge look more like a built-in appliance.

Home brew on tap

There’s something especially unique about this bar Schneider built in his client’s basement. The homeowner is a craft beer enthusiast and does some home brewing. He keeps his kegs of home brew in a commercial-sized refrigerator in the garage.

Schneider found a way to plumb from the garage to the basement, so the kegs of home brew in the garage supply the taps on the bar.

bar and pool table — Photo courtesy of Schneider Kennedy Design

Custom kitchen

Highly rated Taylor Made Custom Contracting of Jarrettsville, Maryland, had no qualms about fabricating custom cabinetry from a tree on the homeowner’s property. The consumer also wanted to incorporate vintage touches into the kitchen, such as using a Queen Atlantic coal stove.

green vintage stove — Photo courtesy of Taylor Made Custom Contracting

Functional structural beams

Suzanne Taylor, marketing manager for Taylor Made Custom Contracting, says that instead of covering structural beams in this basement, they incorporated them into a unique design.