At a Sherwin-Williams paint store, she spotted the business card of color designer Mary-Frances Cimo. "I called her, we talked, then we spent a good three hours together," Stretlien says.

The biggest challenge Cimo faced was finding a way to introduce rich colors while still creating a harmonious palette that flowed from one room to the next. "It's so open; you see other areas of the home from almost every vantage point," she says.

In addition to complementing the Stretliens' furnishings, the colors also had to work with coppery-toned tile in the kitchen and master suite.

Using the Sherwin-Williams Concepts in ColorTM series, Cimo created a color palette inspired by water, trees and the natural environment the Stretliens were accustomed to in the Midwest.

The dominant hue in the great room is a soft, sage green (Meadow Trail, SW 7737) wall that extends up into the second floor. An accent wall that houses the fireplace is dressed up in a warm, light brown (Mesa Tan, SW 7695). For the kitchen, Stretlien knew she wanted some shade of blue. To complement the rusted-metal color of the kitchen tile, Cimo chose a deep, smoky blue-green (Still Water, SW 6223). As accents throughout the home, she added earthy shades of tans and russets. "There's not a white space left," Cimo says.

Now the couple's colorful interior definitely stands out among the other loft-style homes in their community of 22 Parkside. "Our color scheme is unusual; almost everybody else has gone in a really contemporary direction," Stretlien says.

Visitors almost always comment on the colors, she says. And what they say pleases her greatly. "People consistently say it feels homey, comfortable and warm. That's what we were after, and I'm thrilled. It's still dramatic-looking, but now it's our home."