their newly renovated Pembroke showroom.

Architect Gary Simmons, of Barker and Linberg, said it was important to him and owner Tom McFarlane to give the building on St. John's Road a traditional look.

"It was important to stay traditional and improve the character of the street,'' Mr. Simmons said. "As it took shape, Tom received a lot of positive comments from the community.'' "This building is zoned residential,'' he added. "And we wanted to be sympathetic to the zoning of the area and have a residential look.'' Mr. Simmons said the year-long project involved removing the original flat roof and replacing it with a traditional Bermuda roof.

"It stands apart from the rest,'' he said. "We are really pleased with the building.'' He added that Bermuda needed to revamp more rundown buildings and use them.

While presenting a traditional exterior was one challenge, Mr. Simmons faced a second problem inside, where he needed to find a way to provide a lot of display area within the building's limited space.

"We had to stick with the traditional image while promoting the product,'' he said. "They are selling quality goods for quality building projects and we wanted to project that image by making this a quality project.'' The interior of the showroom now boasts a marble and wood fireplace, a hard wood floor, a beamed ceiling, and a spiral staircase leading to a second floor storage area.

"The owners wanted to display many items within a small area -- therefore the displays are functional,'' Mr. Simmons added.

Customers will also be able to examine an ample selection of kitchen cabinet samples, feel the smooth texture of marble and granite tiles, and test the sturdiness of a functional oak kitchen display.

PROUD OWNERS -- Tom and Carol McFarlane amidst the kitchen cabinets, wood railings and marble and granite samples on display in their Sticks and Stones show rooms on St. John's Road, Pembroke.