Yesterday I had the incredible opportunity to attend a house tour on Long Island. This wasn't just any house tour - this was the Ronald McDonald House tour sponsored by the wonderful Kravet family, Anthony Baratta and New York Cottages & Gardens Magazine.

I urge you all who can stop by to see it, to please do so. Bring the children - bring the family. These amazing transformations were made possible by the talented designers, contractors and volunteers who tirelessly donated their time and their talents to this amazing project - as well as the hundreds of companies who donated their products to help transform a wondrous, but tired looking haven for those families in need.

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Over the past 27 years The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island has helped over 18 thousand families stay together while their children undergo necessary and often extensive medical treatment. Whether for a night or a year, these families are guaranteed a bed and a roof and a safe place to be. The price for a night's stay is a mere $25 and if a family cannot afford that, they pay what they can, and even if they can't pay, they won't be turned away. The Ronald McDonald House understands the importance of keeping families together with their children.

The first Ronald McDonald House opened in 1974 when Fred Hill, a former football player with the Philadelphia Eagles, sought to find a place for families of hospitalized children after his own daughter was treated for Leukemia. The house was a partnership between the Eagles and Philadelphia area McDonald's restaurants. There are currently over 300 Ronald McDonald houses in the country. Each one is an independent not for profit corporation and responsible for raising its own funds and maintaining its own operation facility.

The Ronald McDonald House of Long Island was the realization of a dream for Lyn Jurick, a trustee of Long Island Jewish Medical Center and Irving Klein, a prominent McDonald's owner, when they met with Dr. Philip Lanzowsky, Chief of Staff at Schneider's Children's Hospital. Together with 11 others, the house was opened on September 29th, 1986. The house originally had 18 rooms and after a $5 million campaign, the house expanded in 2005 to a 42 bedroom facility that also boasts 8 kitchens, 5 laundry facilities, 2 kosher kitchens, a library and numerous indoor and outdoor common areas. In 2009 the children's playground and playroom were renovated.

Now we can add Project Design 2013 to the house's rich history. With the help of design industry powerhouses such as Kravet Inc, and and New York Cottages & Gardens, the original 18 bedrooms, kitchen, breakfast room and 5 common areas have undergone a complete re-design under the guidance of Anthony Baratta who was the original designer for Ronald McDonald House of Long Island. It is the hope that the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island can open up a second location on the campus of Stony Brook University to help, comfort and support more families in need.

The following designers have given of themselves tirelessly and selflessly to renovate the house:
Amanda Nisbet Design Inc., Anthony Baratta LLC, Bunny Williams Inc., Danielle Colding Design, Delrose Design Group, Drake Design Associates, Drew McGukin Interiors,Dwell Studio, Eric Cohler Design, Kate Singer Home, Kim E. Courtney Interiors & Design, Mabley Handler Interior Design, Margreet Cevasco Design, Matthew Patrick Smyth Inc., Meg Braff Designs, Mehditash Design, LLC,Michael Herold Design, Michael Tavano Design, Mr Call Design, Nick Olsen Inc., Pappas Miron Designs, Suzanne Costa, Tilton Fenwick LLC, Vasi Ypsilantis Young Huh Interior Design.

The following companies donated to kitchen, bathroom and laundry room design: Trove, Brizo, Subzero, Wolf, Grohe, Glass Baby, Hansgrohe, Axor, Duravit, Circa Lighting, Curry & Company as well as others. I am simply mad about the tiles in this kitchen! Below the newly transformed breakfast area is warm and inviting and filled with detail - look at the patterns on the chairs to the patterns on the ceilings! Margarite Cevasco and Vasi Ypsilantis worked on the kitchen area together and contributed about $40,000 of their own money to the project.

And below the magnificent laundry rooms... I know it's so wrong to say this, but wow - I have laundry room envy!

They were in the midst of shooting themselves... their pictures, I am sure will be far more superior to mine!

Below is an example of one of the original bedrooms.

It sort of reminds me of what a Holiday Inn or a Howard Johnson's might or might have looked.

And now, the reveal... I would like to add that while I would love to showcase each room, there's simply not enough time or room. I've done the best I can to walk you through and hope that you love all the transformations and can get a sense of the time and dedication spent on these rooms.

The bedroom below is fun and youthful and energetic and whimsical. Michael Tavano designed this room to be cheerful and yet soothing. I wish I had thought to take a picture of the armoire in the room. I later learned that Mr. Tovano removed the room's closet and replaced it with the armoire that he purchased from Behr's, a nearby furniture store. The piece has significant importance as the Behr's once had family stay in this Ronald McDonald House. The Behr family was more than happy to donate the armoire, which Tavano describes as "serendipity at work!"

I loved the whimsical lamp filled with marbles. I think I made a silly comment when I saw it - "Now, I know where my marbles have gone!" I think he politely laughed at my bad joke. I chuckled to learn that the glass lamp cost roughly $40 at Home Goods, but over $250 was spent on the marbles!

I'm not a sports fan, let alone a Mets fan, but I was instantly taken and mesmerised by this Mets Room created by Matthew Patrick Smyth. What sports fan adult or child, wouldn't love this room filled with whimsy, fun, and a great sense of nostalgia? Bright, cheerful and colorful, Matthew Patrick Smyth used ordinary everyday items to create an extraordinary effect. Most of the keepsakes - the cards, pins, and photographs were purchased through ebay. I was so taken with the colors and energy and all the wonderful memorabilia that I completely forgot to ask him what inspired him to create this room!