Treehouses? Been There, Done That

	A Pint-Sized Palace

Take note, parents: Setting up a backyard swing set just doesn't cut it anymore.

When building a custom home, more people are looking for ways to create specially designed spaces for their children. The options range from kids' offices and libraries to art studios and soundproof music rooms.

Increasingly, there's plenty of space for design ideas to take shape. Today's average home is around 2,500 square feet, but custom-built homes can run up to a roomy 8,000 square feet. That's almost big enough for a bowling alley. (Hey, why not?)

An architect in New York had a client that built an indoor hockey rink for his son, complete with a Zamboni ice-resurfacing machine. Then the daughter got interested in figure skating. It only made sense to build a training room adjacent to the rink. "Parents just want to give their kids things they didn't have growing up," the architect says.

So forget about finishing the basement with cheesy wood paneling. Here are some design ideas for homeowners who want to give their kids the dream rooms they never had:

Home offices: These are becoming almost standard in high-end homes. The dedicated spaces for homework are equipped with computers, of course, and the furniture is no longer a wooden desk or an old dining table. These rooms are being outfitted with state-of-the-art Herman Miller (MLHR Quote - Cramer on MLHR - Stock Picks) workstations. This award-winning office furniture maker started in the '30s and is known for its sleek modern style. One Herman Miller workstation will set you back about $3500.

Old-fashioned chalk boards are -- dare we say it -- antiquated. Smart boards are the hottest classroom technology. These interactive white boards hang on a wall and display the computer's image. It's touch sensitive and allows you to control commands by simply touching the board. The workstations are wired for computer, video and telecommunications, transforming them into multimedia centers. No word on whether a deluxe children's office improves grades.

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