Room of the Day: Playing Up Color in a California Lounge

Who wants to hang out at the mall? Not these teens. They relax with their friends in a colorful former family room off the entrance of their parents’ updated Danville, California, ranch home. Designer Kristin Rowell and her team from ScavulloDesign Interiors used a smart high-low design approach to create a fun space that speaks to all the family members and their tastes, which combine loves of music, athletics, reading, design and travel. The teens and their friends can lounge and watch movies, and everyone can get together for jam sessions on the drums and guitars. Plus, the home’s kitchen is way better than any food court.

Photos by John Merkl

The homeowners wanted the almost-200-square-foot space to be a bit edgy and colorful. The existing oak hardwood floor and the light gray paint on the walls provide a neutral backdrop for the layers of color.

“We knew we were using vibrant colors elsewhere, so we wanted the wall color to give the eye a place to rest,” Rowell says. “It was a color pulled from the range of neutrals in the wallpaper.”

The kids’ guitars hang on the back wall to both save space and serve as wall decor. The wall was modified with painted cabinets and drawers for easy-access storage, with a wrapped stainless steel top that Rowell says “has a fun vibe but is also user friendly, since you can just wipe it clean.”

The large 3D “Love” artwork in the corner was part of a local store display that the homeowners persuaded the store owners to sell. It’s a mixed-media piece that combines a piece of thick cardboard with metal letters.

Wall paint: Thunder, Benjamin Moore (ceiling: matte finish; TV wall: semigloss; trim and doors: satin); flat-screen TV: Toshiba


The edgy European silvery gray and lime-green wallpaper used behind the sofa was a splurge. “It’s pretty powerful and would be too overwhelming to do the whole space in that wallpaper,” notes Rowell. “It gives you that effect of texture, and you get its full weight of importance when you do only one wall.”

Wallpaper: Serie Limitee, Elitis; sectional, arching lamp: Crate & Barrel; assorted pillows: CB2; wall art behind sofa: Dolby Chadwick Gallery



Neutral curtains dressed up with color-blocked segments (including green, orange and turquoise) hang from a hospital drapery track that runs around two sides of the room. The draperies block out light for movie nights and also hide the new pocket doors that separate the lounge from the home’s entry (seen at the far end of this photo).

Rowell says the arching lamp over the sofa provides both task and accent lighting. “When you turn all the lights off for movie night, it allows you to come and go from the room,” she says.

French doors lead to the pool and backyard.

Window coverings: custom, Susan Lind Chastain Fine Sewing Workshop; round entryway mirror: Vernazza Mirror, Gregorius Pineo



Candy-filled jars and flowers were inexpensive ways to add more fun color.

Canisters, vases: Crate & Barrel and The Container Store



The ottomans have a fun bull’s-eye fabric left over from the family’s more modern San Francisco pied-à-terre. They offer an extra place to sit or place a tray of snacks, and the colorful material helps hide spills.

The area rug with the large graphic print is light enough to be moved around easily — important for this space, since a massive drum set (not pictured) is a regular feature in the room.

Ottoman: custom, Sutter Furniture of San Francisco, with Osborne & Little fabric; area rug: Ikea


A hanging bubble chair feels like the perfect finishing touch. “It adds that mod element,” says Rowell. “You can tuck it into a corner, and it doesn’t take up too much space.”

The design team consulted with a contractor to make sure the ceiling could handle the weight of the chair, which instantly draws the attention of anyone who enters the room. “Adults, kids, everyone wants to sit there,” says Rowell.

Chair: Eero Aarnio


This floor plan shows the furniture layout and space planning for the lounge, and where the large drum set usually sits. The colorful touches and relaxed vibe make the space inviting for the teens but still comfortable for the parents.

“For this space we were definitely thinking outside of the box,” says Rowell. “We didn’t worry about matching the rest of the house. We tried to make it feel custom, but on a budget.”

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