Intense colors, bold shapes and lush fabrics give the small living room the feel of great comfort. The red chairs are vintage 1950 wingbacks covered in cashmere; the circa-1940 sofa is covered in French textured cotton (both fabrics from Pierre Frey). To the right, the floor-to-ceiling mirror is a distressed-black reproduction of an Early American classic sized for the room; in front of the mirror is a 19th-century Early American sideboard (both from Les Piafs). The coffee table is an old Scottish naval trunk and the silver tea set belonged to Kelley Moore's mother.

Comfortable, cozy, pampered, protected.

Real or no, such memory-dreams can fill us with emotional warmth on days that seem bleak, unforgiving and harsh.

And so it is at Ken and Kelley Moore's Craftsman bungalow, a modest place tucked into a quiet street in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood. Married just over two years, the 30-ish couple (plus resident dog and cat) is in the process of creating a home that embraces the belief that year-round holiday comfort can conquer almost all.

To support this admirable philosophy, the pair chose cranberry-with-a-shot-of-merlot color for the intimate dining room. In the pale-green living room, a down-stuffed antique sofa and wingback chairs covered in rich-red cashmere fairly beg to be taken for daily granted. In the kitchen, the original-to-the-house fir cabinets have been stripped back to their humble beginnings when things — well, when things seemed simpler.

This dining room is warm, intimate and festive - the perfect setting for a holiday feast. Cranberry-with-a-shot-of-merlot color contrasts with the creamy-white box-beam ceiling and signature Craftsman moldings. The dining chairs, reproductions of curved-leg Louis XIV originals, are covered in gold-toned cashmere fabric from the Pierre Frey collection. They are topped with custom-made "maid's caps" fashioned of vintage French fabric. The chandelier is French crystal from Jean Williams Antiques, Seattle.

But make no mistake: This circa-1913 home may seem simple at first glance, but it's extensively layered with color, pattern and texture.

The same goes for what looks antique; often, "vintage" pieces are built-to-scale reproductions designed specifically for the Moores' compact interior.

The couple was also intent on striking a balance between the relatively feminine (as in French floral fabrics, balloon window shades and "maid's caps" on the dining-room chairs) and gentleman's "smoking-parlor" masculine (as in strong colors, bold shapes, accessories kept to a minimum).

The fact that the original architectural integrity of the house was intact was a huge bonus.

Besides personal shelter and nurturance, the lush environment serves another important purpose: The house is used as a work "set" by Kelley Moore, who designs and produces special events. As the owner of the firm "Red Letter Day," Moore assists high-profile clients (translation: media, film, sports, corporate and social all-star personalities) who want up-front assurance that their event is in good hands (last summer, one of Moore's challenges was arranging the purchase and on-time delivery of custom-made table linens from Latvia for a lavish, 250-guest wedding).

Feminine and functional, Kelley Moore's home-based office features chairs that are reproductions of a French original, from the Theodora Collection (hand-painted by Kelly McCombs Newton). To the far left, next to the leaded-glass doors, is a painted armoire from the Roberta Schilling Collection.

"When a client comes to my home, I want them to feel as if they're well taken care of," says Moore. "It helps build professional trust."

On the other hand, Moore wanted her husband to feel comfortable, too. This was a challenge, considering he was extremely proud to have furnished his previous "bachelor pad" with goods from the Salvation Army. "I'm more of a kick-back guy, but it is inspiring to live in such a beautiful creation," says Ken Moore, a program manager in the consumer-software division at RealNetworks and a musician. "If this place was frilly, I wouldn't feel as comfortable, but I'd say this style is relatively accommodating to the male gender."

In contrast to the formal-ish "public rooms" on the main floor, there's a more casual environment upstairs. There's the master bedroom (nothing but crisp, plain, white cotton), a "cabin room" (a dark-paneled hideaway that houses a television, stacks of books, Ken's cello, and a collection of guitars), and the "secret room." Hidden behind a bookcase that swings open is a 500-square-foot bedroom the couple hopes to use some day as a children's nursery.

Throughout the process, the couple counted on the expertise of Kelly McCombs Newton, an interior designer and the owner of Les Piafs, a "vintage" boutique in Seattle's Belltown district.

Burnished fir cabinets are original to the glow-box kitchen. The 19th-century Early American table at center was custom-built to size.

Under McCombs Newton's direction, a team of in-house seamstresses covered, upholstered or otherwise transformed each sofa, chair, pillow, lampshade and window covering into an individual work of art.

"In a sense, her style reflects my personality," says Moore of McCombs Newton. "When I first walked into her store, I saw things that had history . . . things that told a story. It was a warm, intimate place and it had exactly the feeling I wanted for our home."

Moore also wanted to work with McCombs Newton because she didn't want her house to look like everyone else's. "Being a designer of events, I want to create things that are unique," says Moore. "People don't want to see the same thing over and over at a party or in a home."

Indeed, individuality is the hallmark of McCombs Newton's work.

"A beautiful piece of fabric is an inspiration and the beginning of a work of art," says McCombs Newton, a fine artist as well as an interior designer. "Most people decorate the way they dress, in solid colors rather than colorful prints. They intuitively know they want to use color, but they don't necessarily know how to do it. I help them explore the options."

"Essentially, it's about creating warmth and vibrancy. It's about using color to express one's personality," she says.

The Moores wholeheartedly agree. "Emotionally, I can see raising my children here," says Kelley. "When our parents or friends come to stay," says Ken, "it's comforting to know they're going to feel at home."

Victoria Medgyesi is a writer who regularly reports on home design. Benjamin Benschneider is a staff photographer for Pacific Northwest magazine.