When Josh Breckman and Sara Paddock first stepped into this 3,850-square-foot Colonial in Maplewood, New Jersey, Sara almost stepped right back out. “The entryway was so brown and dreary, I didn’t want to go further,” she says. The house, built in 1927, had dark wood accents in every room, drab paint on the walls and an awkward flow. Josh, a software engineer, convinced Sara, who works with adults with special needs, that they could turn it into a bright, happy home to share with their 10-year-old son, Miles. Designer Sarah Storms helped the couple transform the interior, painting the wood trim (there are 12 different colors in the house now) and filling each space with funky patterns and tons of personality. “Eventually those old-home details became the things we love most,” says Josh. “We have a century-old built-in yellow phone booth in our hallway — how fun is that?”

Unlike the dated interior, the outside of the house was already charming with brick, white siding and a tree-covered yard. The robin's-egg blue door (Bathe Blue by Sherwin-Williams) adds a pop of personality.

With wood stain on the floor, molding and door, the unique arches and trim blended into a sea of brown.

“We wanted it to be immediately apparent that this is a happy house,” says Josh. White walls and a sunny yellow front door did the trick. For the arches, Sarah chose a darker stain. “The thought was, ‘Let’s really make these arches sing,’” she says. A rainbow Missoni rug from Stark matches the stair runner.