Taste of Tuscany

Authenticity is everything when you are designing a home to a specific architectural style. For this house in a California wine-growing district, it was a Tuscan look that determined the design, the materials and the color of the walls.

Architect Chuck Peterson says the house features 18in-thick stucco walls, large porches and overhanging eaves that help keep the interior of the house cool and shady, in keeping with the style.

Interior walls were hand plastered for a textured look, and finished with two coats of Kelly-Moore paint in Fun in the Sun.

"This is an earthy, straw color, which has a natural look, reminiscent of dried grass and sunshine," says Peterson. "It provides an ideal counterpart to the hand-hewn, dark-stained timber beams, the large fireplaces and the owners' rich wood furniture."

Peterson says he appreciates the way the paint color changes with the light, just as it would do in a traditional Mediterranean villa.

"In the shadows it has a deeper, almost yellow look, while in the natural daylight it appears much lighter it enhances the character of the house."

Peterson says he specifies Kelly-Moore paints for most of his projects.

"The company has a very strong presence in California and is well respected not only for its paint products, but also for its service and availability. I also like the fact that Kelly-Moore will customize colors to match a particular shade."

In accordance with government regulations, the flat interior wall paint used throughout this house is environmentally friendly. Kelly-Moore 550 Acry-plex low VOC paint is a low-fume and low-odor paint, which is particularly suited to use on textured surfaces. Because it is water based, the paint easily washes out of brushes and rollers.

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 architect Chuck Peterson, phone (707) 527 9091. Email: cpaia@sonic.net.

Story by: Trendsideas