Great Room

HANCOCK - The Hancock Arts Council thinks Hancock's got talent. So on Sunday at 4 p.m., the inauguration of the new Performing Arts Center will be held in the auditorium of the Hancock Town Hall and Community Center, 126 W. High St., and all with talent are so notified. "We've been getting requests from people in the community for plays and concerts, and even a group from Berkeley Springs, W.Va.," said Sinclair Hamilton, a councilman and member of the arts council. Members of the arts council have worked hard to restore the old stage, which dates from a time when the building served as the town's elementary school before it relocated to its newer facility in 1977.

For someone considering building his own home, there is no better choice than Mt. Tabor Builders, Inc. Started in 2001, Mt. Tabor Builders, Inc. is a small, honest, hands-on company that builds a variety of projects, employing experienced tradesmen with backgrounds in many different trades. Owner Willie Eby learned about the building trade from his father, Henry Eby, an honest, hard-working, Christian man. Mt. Tabor Builders, Inc. is a customer-oriented company that works with customers from the ground up. This beautiful Cape Cod rustic brick home is located in a rural setting on Mt. Aetna Road.

The Creekstone's exterior embodies what people think of when describing a typical Prairie-style home. You can see it in the low-pitched hipped roof, widely overhanging eaves, and massive squared porch supports. But this an update of that style, so the interior is fully in tune with the wants and needs of a 21st century family. Its lofty front porch boasts a 10-foot ceiling, and inside, the foyer ceiling is equally high. Double doors on the right open into a conveniently located office.

A stepped brick wainscot and matched trios of slender wooden posts emphasize the clean, contemporary lines of the ranch-style Windsor. The entire post and base feature, along with interesting window treatments and projected gable-end detail, gives the home a beguiling Craftsman flavor. Because it's all on one level and has wide hallways, this home could become fully wheelchair accessible with only minor alterations. In this plan, good things come in threes. In addition to the triple posts out front, it has a three-car garage, three bedrooms, and three bathrooms.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - Waynesboro was founded in 1797, but homeowners can rediscover it today at Antietam Commons, a community of single-family homes and luxurious town homes tucked away in the scenic borough. This community captures the historic charm of the area while still offering the convenience and accessibility that make life easy. Homeowners can walk to the grocery store and beautiful Renfrew Park. They can enjoy a hike by Antietam Creek or take a stroll down the picturesque streets of Waynesboro.

Breaking with tradition puts the Strathmore's floor plan more in tune with the preferences of contemporary families. Its vaulted, informal, and naturally bright great room is at the front, rather than in the more customary rear location. From the street, this home looks like a bungalow cottage with a single-level, ranch-style profile. Craftsman details include the gridded window uppers, tapered columns atop stone veneer supports, and decorative corbels accenting the front gable ends.

For THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Smartly designed to make use of all available space, Plan AX-97359 by Home Plans LLC covers 1,380 square feet of living space. Double doors open directly into the great room, where a fireplace creates ambience for the entire space. Additional highlights include built-in bookshelves and a wall overlooking the rear porch and deck. A decorative column introduces the all-purpose dining room, which includes a bright bay window, a French door to the rear porch and sliding glass doors to the rear deck.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Valley Homes and Style Magazine and the Holiday Inn Express are sponsoring an event in the Eastern Panhandle to benefit the Friends of Happy Retreat. On Sunday, April 5, from 2 to 5 p.m., the public is invited to A Spring Fling in the Great Room at the Holiday Inn Express, 681 Flowing Springs Road, Ranson, W.Va. The April 5 date is a change from the date that was published in the winter edition of The Rising Sun, the newsletter of Friends of Happy Retreat.

WAYNESBORO, Pa. - A private paved road entrance takes visitors to this week's beautiful HomeSource Feature Home in Woodcrest outside Waynesboro. Built in 2002, the custom stone and stucco French Country home sits atop a mountain on 3.9 wooded acres, offering westerly views of more than 30 miles and glorious sunsets. The open three-four bedroom floor plan includes three-and-a-half baths, 9- and 10-foot ceilings (some trayed) with plaster over drywall. Numerous arches, a custom wrought iron open staircase, Brazilian rosewood floors and many other extras add to the uniqueness of this home, which includes more than 4,000 feet of finished space.

BIG POOL -- Elegant and stunning describes this country estate just minutes from I-70 on the Pectonville Road near Big Pool. Situated on nearly 10 acres overlooking historic Harding Park, and bordered by 140 acres of the Nature Conservancy, this home's owner will have a rural setting, privacy, wildlife and character. A winding driveway from the west leads to the home of more than 5,900 square feet built in the Greek Revival style. The front entrance portico features two fountains, with six columns supporting the pediment.

Vickie Hrabal bought her Hagerstown home despite the outdated tile colors in its bathrooms. One featured lime green and olive green, and the other, Pepto-Bismol pink and white. What would be a deal breaker to many house hunters was an accepted challenge for the Oak Hill Interior Designs owner, who employed a decorative trick for each room that she uses for many clients on tight budgets: She got creative. Kitchens and bathrooms are typically the most expensive rooms to remodel, and Hrabal, like many of her clients, wasn't eager to spend a fortune ripping out the old tile and replacing it. Instead, she found wallpaper, valances and modern lighting for each bathroom that complemented the tile, and brought the rooms back to present day without the modern price tag. "It could cost as little as $500 for updated color, a new rug and shower curtain that gives the whole room a whole new look," she said.

For someone considering building his own home, there is no better choice than Mt. Tabor Builders, Inc. Started in 2001, Mt. Tabor Builders, Inc. is a small, honest, hands-on company that builds a variety of projects, employing experienced tradesmen with backgrounds in many different trades. Owner Willie Eby learned about the building trade from his father, Henry Eby, an honest, hard-working, Christian man. Mt. Tabor Builders, Inc. is a customer-oriented company that works with customers from the ground up. This beautiful Cape Cod rustic brick home is located in a rural setting on Mt. Aetna Road.

Q: Our son and his two young children are moving in with us after his divorce. We had planned to move ourselves, but now we'll stay put and add a great room for the kids. Our house is Tudor-style, so we want the new room to blend with the old things, such as the woodwork, stained glass and hardwood floors. We were thinking of using reclaimed wood for the floors and woodwork, but my husband hates the thought of "used" wood. Is it a bad idea? A: On the contrary, it's a lovely idea.

BIG POOL -- Elegant and stunning describes this country estate just minutes from I-70 on the Pectonville Road near Big Pool. Situated on nearly 10 acres overlooking historic Harding Park, and bordered by 140 acres of the Nature Conservancy, this home's owner will have a rural setting, privacy, wildlife and character. A winding driveway from the west leads to the home of more than 5,900 square feet built in the Greek Revival style. The front entrance portico features two fountains, with six columns supporting the pediment.

CHARLES TOWN, W.Va. - Valley Homes and Style Magazine and the Holiday Inn Express are sponsoring an event in the Eastern Panhandle to benefit the Friends of Happy Retreat. On Sunday, April 5, from 2 to 5 p.m., the public is invited to A Spring Fling in the Great Room at the Holiday Inn Express, 681 Flowing Springs Road, Ranson, W.Va. The April 5 date is a change from the date that was published in the winter edition of The Rising Sun, the newsletter of Friends of Happy Retreat.

Breaking with tradition puts the Strathmore's floor plan more in tune with the preferences of contemporary families. Its vaulted, informal, and naturally bright great room is at the front, rather than in the more customary rear location. From the street, this home looks like a bungalow cottage with a single-level, ranch-style profile. Craftsman details include the gridded window uppers, tapered columns atop stone veneer supports, and decorative corbels accenting the front gable ends.

A stepped brick wainscot and matched trios of slender wooden posts emphasize the clean, contemporary lines of the ranch-style Windsor. The entire post and base feature, along with interesting window treatments and projected gable-end detail, gives the home a beguiling Craftsman flavor. Because it's all on one level and has wide hallways, this home could become fully wheelchair accessible with only minor alterations. In this plan, good things come in threes. In addition to the triple posts out front, it has a three-car garage, three bedrooms, and three bathrooms.

The Creekstone's exterior embodies what people think of when describing a typical Prairie-style home. You can see it in the low-pitched hipped roof, widely overhanging eaves, and massive squared porch supports. But this an update of that style, so the interior is fully in tune with the wants and needs of a 21st century family. Its lofty front porch boasts a 10-foot ceiling, and inside, the foyer ceiling is equally high. Double doors on the right open into a conveniently located office.

For THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Smartly designed to make use of all available space, Plan AX-97359 by Home Plans LLC covers 1,380 square feet of living space. Double doors open directly into the great room, where a fireplace creates ambience for the entire space. Additional highlights include built-in bookshelves and a wall overlooking the rear porch and deck. A decorative column introduces the all-purpose dining room, which includes a bright bay window, a French door to the rear porch and sliding glass doors to the rear deck.

By CHRISTINE BRUN Creators Syndicate Most city dwellers are familiar with the concept of loft living, a style in which one's home is a wide-open space. Today, remodel plans for small older homes can benefit hugely by adopting loft style. Based on few or no divisions of space, loft living defies the traditional boxed-in aesthetic of the 1960s and '70s. Generally, lofts separate out only the bathrooms - for obvious reasons. Single-space floor plans work well in older industrial-style buildings because the floors above and below are supported by huge beams or consistent pier supports, eliminating the need for load-bearing walls.