Safe, and Now Lovely & Green Too: Before & After's of the CORA Project

Welcome to a special tour of a very special home...the CORA safe home I have been remodeling and refurbishing is almost ready to provide refuge for women fleeing abusive partners {see "What is the Color of Safety?"}. My friend, architect Roger Hagman invited me to work with him on this project.

I think you will love the transformation! First, the happy AFTER pictures. You can compare these with the BEFORE at the end of the post.

AFTER

Three Original Paintings for Safe House Living Room

by Kit Golson and Camilla Calder

A Welcoming Mural in Soft Colors in the Hallway

Which is Now a Play Area for Children

The View From the Front Door

A Comfortable "Mother's Chair" Awaits

in One of the Bedrooms

A Completely Remodeled Kitchen with New Appliances,

Cabinets, Bamboo Flooring, Bottlestone Countertop and Backsplash

Additional Storage in the Large Bedroom

A Sunny, Cheerful & Restful Bedroom

A Former Eyesore Center Hall Turned Into

Children's Play Area

A View Towards the Front Door

A Redesigned Dining SpaceIncludes

Sub Zero Refrigerator and Study Area for Teens

A lot of the design plans... transluscent 3-Form cabinet doors on painted green kitchen cabinets, for example, had to be abandoned because of costs. Likewise the art was not donated; an intrepid artist friend visiting from France, Camilla Calder, stepped up to do two of the paintings with me.

I think we've created a lovely, feminine, upbeat and soothing place for these women to call home while they are transforming their own lives. Especially when you consider the BEFORE pictures, below, of the shelter before we began our work.

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BEFORE

A Dreary Dining Area

The View From the Front Door

A Smaller Bedroom...Where's a Mother to Sit and Relax?

A Center Hallway Used for

Closet Storage with Curtain Doors

A Cramped and Dreary Large Bedroom

Storage in the Largest Bedroom

The home is being furnished with donations from kind people in the community, with the help of Agnes Moser, a designer and friend. {If you would like to donate towards nice new furnishings, please do!}

I am very proud of our local community. The amazing bamboo flooring, Neopolitan by Plyboo Strand was donated by Smith & Fong of San Francisco. All the tile and the amazing blue Bottlestone countertops were donated by Fireclay Tile in San Jose. The General Electric kitchen appliances were also donated. These donations were secured by the untiring efforts of great designers and friends, Annie Cronin, Lilley Yee and Peggy Deras.

I like to think this home will uplift the battered spirits of the women and children who will live there. What do you think?

Kit Golson

elegant sustainable pragmatic

Chic Provence Design

What Is the Color of Safety?

It's not news today that when a woman is abused by her lover or husband, she needs to leave home quickly and unequivocally. Safe houses keep her and her children hidden from view.

I had the immense privilege to design a home for these women and their children. As you might imagine, the budget was not huge. I immediately went to work creating a place that felt comforting, light, happy. I changed floorplans to create places for older children to study and for younger children to simply bounce off the walls if they need to.

Inspiration was found in these beautiful paintings by Kim Parker, with names like "Garden of Hope" and "Beach Garden". Framed prints will hang on the walls.

I created a "Mother's Chair", with a footstool and lamp in every bedroom, where a weary and frantic woman might put her feet up and exhale for just a little while each day, surrounded by soothing seafoam bluegreen and her things.

countertop accent

transluscent 3-Form resin panel

renewable resource bamboo flooring

I chose natural materials...gorgeous bamboo flooring throughout, recycled glass and ceramic countertops and tiles, transluscent 3-Form panels in painted kitchen cabinets, paints without harmful vapor, and Marmoleum linoleum floors....to keep things healthy for the inhabitants and our Mother Earth. Many of these incredible materials were donated by the local community.

I developed a soothing and joyful palette. The main living areas will have a chair rail painted in a semi-gloss to keep cleanups easy; in the living room, dining room, kitchen and kids' area, joyful and happy upper wall colors will be grounded by the neutral of the chair rail and the trim.

The kitchen cabinets will be painted the beautiful green color above, and upper cabinets will be paneled in the leafy green 3-Form transluscent resin panels, with inner lights to provide a soft glow.

I believe that giving these families a lovely home we will elevate the self-esteem of those who might feel a bit hopeless. I think their spirits will soar when they walk into the light-filled and joyously feminine atmosphere.

Benjamin Moore paint colors

What do you think? If you are interested in donating to this wonderful organization, please click here. Your donation is entirely tax deductible.

You will find yourself on the side of the angels if you do.

**Stay tuned for final pictures of this nurturing and comforting space.

We are nearing completion and hope to occupy by July 1, 2009.**

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Kit Golson Design

for elegant, sustainable and pragmatic

Chic Provence Interior Design

Three Color Trends 2009...Who's to Say?

I mean, really. Here are the color trends for interiors put forth by our friends at Benjamin Moore Paints. They derived these palettes from the larger studies by The Color Institute. I'd love to know what you think:

first palette:  Nature's Essence

The basics of nature at its roots...giving a tonal story of whites and off whites, subtly accented with organic green and lichen grey. Keeping things simple in 2009 since our world is in such turmoil, do our homes have to be? Begin with chantilly lace, a very start white, very simple and pure. From there add a bit of grey sky, the soft browns of white sand, the sea haze for a water feeling and pale avocado for a dash of hope!

second palette:  Unexpected Synergy

Sophisticated use of complex colors, these are colors with a darkened undercurrent that makes them warm, deep and rich. These are "liveable" colors for our times giving people a sense of peace, of security and safety. No bright Chinese reds here! We are all staying home a little more these days, and these colors envelope people and hold them close. 

third palette: Personal Imprint

On the other hand, people are also making "billboards" of themselves today. Tattoos. Green hair. Thrift store wardrobe. Individual expressions of belonging to a group. That's what these colors are all about. Unexpected combinations and throwing in colors to change the entire feel. Green is still here, even the young will not let go of the optimism of green. And not just any old black will do with this crowd:  it must be very high gloss and reflective. 

Then there's you and me. What do you think of these colors? Would you use them in your rooms? How do they make you feel?

If you did your own color palette of six colors, what would they be? Do you know why?