How to Work With a Color Consultant
Learn how to work with a color consultant! If you are about to begin a home renovation project, consider hiring an interior designer to help improve the functionality and value of your home. Often people’s homes are their most valuable assest, so why not treat it as such? An experienced interior designer can do so much more than just help make your home look nice, as noted in this article written by Houzz Contributor Lisa Frederick. For more tips and inspiration, visit Houzz.com.
If you were building a new home or remodeling an old one, you’d probably rely on a bevy of professionals to get the job done right, from architects and contractors to interior designers and artisans. But would you think to hire a color consultant? These pros, who help you choose a color scheme that creates the mood you crave, can be vital in making your habitat feel like home. They also have a finger on the pulse of happening colors and future trends.
Here’s how to find, partner with and benefit from a color consultant, start to finish.
Find reputable sources. Color consultants don’t always have formal training, though some have completed a certification program. Most have a background in the visual arts, graphic or interior design, or paint manufacturing. Browse the directory of professionalson Houzz or your local chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers. Some home stores and paint retailers, particularly higher-end ones, have color consultants on staff. Once you have a handful of names, contact them to assess which one seems to suit your needs and personality best, and ask for references.
Next, compile examples. Create a Houzz ideabook of your favorite inspiration photos; take a peek in your closet; go to your local home center and pull paint chips. Sort your samples into the same three piles as your list: like, dislike, neutral.
Even if you’re 100 percent sure about the colors you do and don’t want to live with, a consultant can help you combine your favorite shades in unexpected ways, or juxtapose them so that they complement one another to maximum advantage.
After the meeting, the consultant will put together a proposed palette, with ideas about placement, finishes and other factors. She or he will suggest specific paint colors — even some to be custom mixed — and options for other surfaces.
Budget ample time and money. To budget costs for the job, ask the consultant for an estimate of the hours needed for your project, then give yourself a cushion of 10 to 15 percent more in case complications arise. Rates vary widely according to location and other factors, but in general, color consultants earn anywhere from $75 to $200 per hour. Some also work on a flat-fee basis.
Be open to suggestion. Your consultation will go more smoothly if you place your trust in the pro you’ve hired. Convinced that bright tangerine won’t work in your guest bathroom? Not so fast. If the consultant encourages you to try a specific hue, follow the advice, even if you’re on the fence. Odds are you’ll end up loving it (and if you don’t, paint colors are a snap to change).
At the same time, if the consultant is enthusiastic about a shade you really can’t abide, feel free to stand your ground and find a compromise. After all, you’re the one who has to live with it.
Copyright Houzz Contributor Lisa Fredericks.
Let us help you choose the right colors for your home’s paint. Whether it’s interior, exterior, or both, and even if you are going to do the work yourself, we will give you professional advice that will help you avoid expensive (and ugly) mistakes! To learn more about how to work with a color consultant, please view our color consulting service page here.