Stepping up with color

Introducing color to your home is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to transform your living space. Color can lighten a dark room, inject vitality, or be used to create a more contemplative environment.

The San Francisco house shown here was extensively remodeled to better suit the needs of a young family. It utilizes a variety of materials and Kelly-Moore Enviro-Cote low-VOC paints.

Architect Melissa Serrao from Serrao Design/Architecture says an uninhabited basement area was converted into a light and airy children's bedroom and play area, and a master suite. As well as introducing skylights and glazing in several places, most interior walls feature either full-height or clerestory windows in both clear and translucent glazing.

"In keeping with the need for durability and the modest budget, the material palette uses simple yet revealing finishes to accent form and function," says Serrao. "Millwork and window walls are a combination of painted wood and clear maple. The composition, color and materials interact to provide subtle playfulness. Furthermore, color is used to guide you between and through spaces"

Serrao says the main orange stair wall has a presence on two levels and becomes a focal point for the house.

"We chose Kelly-Moore paints because we could get the exact custom shade we wanted in low-VOC paint. This low-fume, environmentally friendly paint is well suited for a house with young children, and it fitted with the owner's desire to use green products wherever possible."

For information on Kelly-Moore colors and paint types, contact Kelly-Moore Paint Company, freephone 1 888 KM Color (562 6567). Website: www.kellymoore.com.

To contact Serrao Design, phone (415) 824 2234.

Story by: Trendsideas