Couple give contemporary home classic touch

Visitors to Don and Diane Kelly’s home in Sunset Hills feel like they’ve embarked upon a European tour. The décor, a reflection of Diane’s years in the travel business, flows from elegant Italian to French Provincial with a dash of classical Greek.

When they built the home in 1979, they liked the proximity to Spokane and to the airport. “It was like living in the country but close to downtown,” Kelly said. As the area around their home grew and developed, she decided their home should evolve as well.

Changing the home from contemporary to classical, Kelly put her degree in interior design to use. She chose a soft sage green paint for the living room, adding white crown molding and classic pillars. The huge cathedral ceilings are difficult to paint, so she made sure she truly loved the color.

The panoramic floor to ceiling windows are adorned with Dupionni silk draperies.

Wanting to soften and warm the look of the home, Kelly had all the rectangular archways rounded, including the two niches that flank the fireplace. She chose a deep purple paint for the niches and added white molding to complement the adjoining Doric columns.

Upstairs, Kelly converted a small bedroom to a walk-in closet, enlarging the master bedroom suite. “My husband said, ‘This room has been red for a while – what’s wrong?’ ” Kelly said with a laugh. She loves the hollyhock red shade of the room as well as the view from the east-facing windows.

“When I lie in bed, all I see are blue skies and treetops,” she said. They also get a great view of the city fireworks from the deck just off the bedroom.

Kelly’s favorite area is the combination dining room, kitchen and sunroom. This spacious room sparkles with cheery yellow paint and white woodwork. “This is where we live,” she said. Originally, the space was an outdoor glassed-in porch perched next to the dining room. It was rarely used, so they found a better way to utilize the area.

With seven children and 18 grandchildren, Kelly said, “I sure could use space inside when 32 people come home for dinner!” So, four years ago they incorporated that space into the dining area. A cozy fireplace, sofa and chairs adjoin the kitchen. “It’s always nice to cook in a pretty room,” she said.

Kelly advises homeowners to attend home tours and see what’s new and to find creative ways to change their décor. “You don’t have to keep what you started out with,” she said. “You update your wardrobe when styles change. You can update your home as well.”