Ronald McDonald House Idea Home 2011

Color The indigo blue in this room (and other Benjamin Moore blues throughout the house) sets a calming, peaceful mood. Blue is a good choice for any room where you want to unwind.

Simplicity By limiting colors to just four hues used in large blocks (on solid-colored furniture pieces, wall paint and the floor via oversized squares created with carpet tiles), we also minimized the visual busyness that can result from too many patterns. A row of cabinets keeps clutter out-of-sight. Both elements create an overall sense of stability, order and organization.

Comfort Old furniture had been donated piece-by-mismatched-piece. We partnered with La-Z-Boy to furnish the room with coordinated, oversized, comfy furniture that encourages families to relax. A large sectional divides the space into two seating areas, offering plenty of room to spread out or snuggle up.

Natural light We left the numerous large windows unadorned to let rejuvenating sunlight stream in and provide a twinkling city skyline view at night.

Small Details A leather ottoman does double duty as a soft, safe coffee table.

The LG flat-screen TV, surrounded by new furniture and a new color scheme, is great for movie night or video games.

Storage Cabinets from Merillat offer organized spaces with multiple tall pantries, roll-out trays, two-sided peninsulas and more. Soft-close doors and drawers reduce noise—important for anyone when kids are around. Large-capacity LG refrigerators hold more groceries than most; easy-access French doors and bottom freezer drawers make finding food easier.

Simplified food prep Energy-saving electric ranges are easy to operate, and the much-used microwaves have an EasyClean coating inside.

Good planning The island and peninsulas also serve as buffet space for donated foodstuffs. Cubbies and baskets hold small snacks.

Wood-look laminate floors and lacquered tables and chairs clean up easily with a damp mop or cloth. Built-in display boxes above the cabinets allow for pretty accents.

Residents come to this cozy escape to curl up with a good book, check e-mail or search the Web.

Texture It's easy to sink into the soft pinwale corduroy and plush faux-suede upholstery on the overstuffed sofa and side chairs. Soft, chunky and fuzzy fibers on the pillow, rug and footstool add warm, homey comfort.

Art Paintings or photos of landscapes and nature help to relax and soothe. They offer a distraction from stressful circumstances—as opposed to abstract art, which can sometimes jar the senses.

Cheer A bee-motif pillow provides a playful sofa accent.

We built a roomy, two-computer station desk unit outfitted with plenty of upper- and lower-cabinet storage, new computers and two ergonomic desk chairs.

We kept the existing wall and floor tile in this public bath to minimize construction inconvenience but installed new fixtures, countertops, cabinets and paint (see next slide).

We freshened the hard-working laundry room with red and gray paint to coordinate with the existing sensible linoleum tile floor. New red handles on upper cabinets continue the theme. Two Energy Star-rated ultralarge, high efficiency top-load washers and two extra-large-capacity front-load dryers handle heavy usage.

Many families travel far from home to get the best medical treatment for their seriously ill children. Sometimes, this separates family members. And for children facing a difficult medical crisis, nothing seems scarier than not having Mom and Dad close. Ronald McDonald Houses, including 45 in the Midwest (such as the one in Des Moines, pictured), provide a home away from home where families can stay close to their hospitalized child at little or no cost.

Ronald McDonald House Charities provides stability and vital resources to families so they can get and keep their children healthy and happy. The Charity could use your help. There are many ways to help families: make a monetary donation; deliver a meal; volunteer at the house; work at a fund-raising event. To find out more about the house in your area and its current needs, visit rmhc.org.

Ronald McDonald House Charities

Replacing old wood interior doors with white doors made an unexpected but incredible difference throughout the house. Even more special was being able to customize the doors with carved hearts to reflect "The House That Love Built" theme.

Jeld-Wen

Furniture in the public rooms had to be comfortable yet durable. Though La-Z-Boy is known for its recliners, we chose the company's newest ultracushy stationary upholstery pieces and case goods to serve the comfort of both parents and children at the house.

La-Z-Boy