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ART AND ARTISTS Wilson credits Laura Musgrave, the visitor center's services manager, as instrumental in helping make the vision a reality. She took the initiative to bring the right craftsmen on board. Creative ideas arose as new people joined the process, and Wilson says the design continued to evolve on the fly, even throughout construction. For example, Tennessee Barn Project builders made the reception desk's surface with Galvalume metal roofing from an old barn. White striped sections in the surface originate from where the wood was nailed to the barn's rafters. The craftsmen put the metal through a press to flatten it and sealed it with a clear gray finish. In the area where a television monitor was to be mounted to the wall, the craftsmen transformed the inlay into a work of art with thin strips of colored wood. The mottled detail's various colors were carefully selected from various barns to create an effect that blends into the aesthetic of the wall, yet stands out visually. On one side of the reception desk, floating shelves suspended by a narrow steel tube from the overhead beam cantilever off one side of a wood-wrapped column. Toward the back, Wilson designed a set of wooden shelving tailored to the exact sizes of brochures to complement the floating shelves. Another artistic highlight is a local photographer's stunning image of the Carnton cotton plantation that covers one wall, showing a place that had a significant role during the American Civil War's Battle of Franklin. MULTIFACETED PROGRAM "Every inch of this place serves a purpose," Wilson notes. "We left it open so people can move all the way around the center, and the spaces are versatile to handle many different scenarios." First and foremost, the center is meant to educate visitors about the county. Areas are separated into different functions. The front half welcomes tourists to the reception area, where a flat monitor incorporated into the top can be an interactive map or remain as counter space. Behind the reception area, a second desk has storage below covered by a Verdigris finish. The countertop allows staff to wrap gifts or peruse brochures and maps with visitors. Also, the center hosts community events, and this space holds hors d'oeuvres during receptions and artists' jewelry during Franklin's monthly art crawl. The retail space houses items like shirts and coffee mugs to help fund the organization. A nook near the front allows visitors to browse through books and plan trips. iPads available for checkout for interactive tours line one wall, and another wall has a chalk board and metal boards for messages, flyers and event notifications. The center also sports a musi- cal "picking corner" where any- one can take a guitar or banjo off the wall and play. "It's not at all unusual for someone to sit down and start playing. Everyone loves to hear it," Wilson says. "This high-level project really benefits the community and offers visitors a view of Franklin and local talent." QR KJ Fields writes from Portland, Ore., about remodeling and design. 20 May 2014 QR ForResidentialPros.com PROJECTS: Master Design Solutions Local history and artistry is on display throughout the center. Floating shelves are suspended by a narrow steel tube from the overhead beam. A picking corner allows visitors to test their musical skills with a guitar or banjo. QUR_18-21_MDS514.indd 20 4/28/14 10:00 AM