Wondering if it’s time to hire a color consultant? These pros are experts at zeroing in on the right colors for a client’s space and style. Some color consultants run businesses devoted to helping people choose hues; others are interior designers, decorators or architects who offer color consulting as part of a range of services. If you need to choose exterior paint colors, come up with a whole-house palette or just feel overwhelmed, a color consultant might be the pro you need to help you come up with a beautiful color palette for your home. Here are 10 times it makes sense to invite a color consultant to guide you through the process of choosing colors.
Debra Kling Colour Consultant
1. You Need to Pick an Exterior Color
Depending on the type of paint and surface, a double coat of exterior paint can last a decade — or even longer — making the colors you choose important. A color consultant can work with you to find a color combination that works with your home’s architecture, the neighborhood setting and your personal sense of style. For the New York state Colonial shown here, color consultant Debra Kling paired pale mint green siding with rich hunter green shutters and white trim for a new spin on the classic green-and-white combo.
Amy Krane Color Consulting
2. You’d Like Help Stepping Out of Your Color Comfort Zone
Whether you feel ready to take a big, bold leap out of your comfort zone or a tiny step, a color consultant can meet you where you are — and then give you a gentle nudge to explore further. In the master bedroom shown here, color consultant Amy Krane kept the walls simple in white, and then custom-mixed a lilac hue for the ceiling, giving the space a peaceful vibe with a modern twist.
Clean Design
3. You’re Starting with One Piece You Love
Have a rug or piece of artwork you’ve fallen in love with? A color consultant can use that one special piece as a jumping-off point for a color scheme for your space. Getting the surrounding colors right will help your room look and feel in harmony — and ensure that your favorite find is the star of the show.
Niche Interiors
4. You Need Help Reaching a Compromise
Trying to decide on paint colors for yourself is hard enough, but when you must factor in differing opinions from a spouse, partner or fellow residents of a shared building, the challenge becomes even more complex. A good color consultant can listen to each of the stakeholders involved and then diplomatically help find color options that may appeal to everyone. Sometimes simply having an objective outside opinion is enough to dispel tension and get everyone working on the same side.
emily lauderback stewart design and renovation
5. You Need a Whole-House Palette
Deciding on paint colors that work together throughout a home is particularly challenging: It’s important to give each room its own character, while keeping in mind how each space flows into the next. The Seattle-area Craftsman home shown here is a good example of this concept — kitchen and bath designer and architectural color consultant Emily Lauderback selected a range of hues that work together and complement the Craftsman architecture.
MMI Design
6. You’re Remodeling
A major remodel is a great opportunity to rethink your home’s color scheme. Whether you hire a designer who also offers color consultations, or you bring in a separate color consultant, getting a pro’s take on the palette while you’re still in the process of redoing your space will make things run more smoothly.
Amy Krane Color Consulting
7. You Have a Historic Home
Whether you want to accurately reproduce the original historic colors of your home or nod to the history while moving in a more modern direction, a color consultant can help. In the renovated 1800s Victorian shown here, Krane created a rich color palette that is in keeping with the mood of the historic home yet is up to date.
Shannon Malone
8. You’re Not Sure What You Like
If facing the paint aisle leaves you feeling completely overwhelmed, it may be worth hiring a color consultant to help guide you through the process. You don’t need to know what you want before bringing a color consultant on board; in fact, this pro is an expert at helping you discover which hues resonate with you and which turn you off.
Color consultant Nancy Pepper in Ojai, California, helps her clients discover their color palettes based on the four seasons. In her own home, seen here, she chose rich, vibrant hues that bring to mind autumn and a hint of winter.
Colorific
9. You Just Want to Make a Decision Already
If you’ve got drawers stuffed full of swatches but don’t feel any closer to making a decision about that paint color, it may be time to call in a pro. A color consultant can take charge with confidence and give you the guidance and expertise you need to (finally) pick a hue you love.
Nicole Arnold Interiors
10. You Need to Pick Paint Colors Quickly
Have a move-in date on the calendar? A color consultant can help streamline the process of picking paint colors while maintaining a thoughtful approach — so you can get all of the messy painting work completed before moving day and focus on getting settled.
Laura Gaskill March 10, 2021
Post a comment