Play's the thing

Custom Home, Jan-Feb, 2005 by Shelley D. Hutchins

The owners of this Arlington, Texas, house have three children and a passion for traveling, so it is only natural that they included a room in their new home devoted to sparking their kids' imagination about exotic locales. The client asked builder Michael Wood of Dallas-based Providence Homes to incorporate intricately carved panels found in the Philippines into a tropical-themed activity room.

Wood used the shapely panels to transform an alcove into a clandestine hangout. The panels take center stage as an elegant screen for a lofty daybed that's used as a quiet reading nook as well as a rowdy backstage area. Hanging the curtains behind the elaborate headpiece produces a theatrical effect that motivates the young performers or allows them privacy as they rehearse. Built-in toy storage below the elevated platform is concealed by doors that Wood made to match the mango wood panels. A scored and stained concrete floor stands up to roughhousing while across the room, reed fencing attached to the ceiling echoes the screen's island charm.