Complimentary Color Consulting
South Shore, South Coast, Plymouth & Boston areas
House Painting > Complimentary Color Consulting
Complimentary, In-Home Color Consultation
We hire South Shore designer and owner of Gables Design, Kate Rafoth, on your behalf. She will help you find colors that coordinate with your existing furnishings. There is no extra charge for us to send Kate to work with you, and the results are usually stunning.
Kate has a degree in interior design and was Sherwin Williams’ color expert before working with us. She is skilled in choosing exterior and interior color schemes and whole-house color palettes, allowing the paint colors to flow seamlessly between rooms in an open floor plan.
Complimentary color consultation.
Kate Rafoth is a trained designer who was the color expert at Sherwin Williams earlier in her career. She is now the owner of Gables Design and we hire her to work on your behalf.
"Kate helped me choose colors for both my exterior and interior. What's funny is that all of the colors are ones I was considering already, but Kate helped me tweak them to be a little bit darker and gave me the confidence to make the final decision."
- Leah G. | Duxbury, MA
FAQs about color consulting:
Here are some frequently asked questions about working with a color consultant to help you choose interior and exterior colors.
“I need help choosing paint colors!”
Once you accept our proposal, let us know if you’d like to work with Kate, who can help you narrow down colors to a few paint choices that will work well with your furnishings. She will never push you into colors you’re uncomfortable with but will help expand your options to colors you might not have chosen without guidance.
Kate is a designer on the South Shore, and we pay her to work with our clients at no charge.
Why use a color consultant?
Many customers get stuck choosing a color and can’t move forward. You’ll be living with your paint colors for years, so being thrilled with them makes all the difference in your happiness.
Can’t I choose paint colors myself?
Ordinary people without design experience tend to choose colors that look fine on the color samples they get at the paint store but appear much darker or brighter when painted in a whole room. That “baby pink” from the sample chip can look more like “bubblegum” when painted on all four walls.
Neutral colors are tough to get right, too. Whites have undertones that are hard to read on the small paint chips. Pick the wrong white, and the walls can look dirty or gray. Color Consultants are trained to see the color nuances in whites and neutrals that the average person has trouble seeing.
Without a designer’s help, you’ll likely be able to get a good “first read” on the paint color, but you’ll likely have trouble determining the undertones that will cause your home to look “too blue” or “too yellow” when the project is done. Having someone to help you choose colors allows you to drill down in the color family you like to a color you’ll love.
Even if the color you choose is the exact color of a friend’s house you love, it will look different since the lighting in your home is different.
I like the paint color on the home’s exterior at 334 Main Street. Can that color be matched for my home?
Yes! All you need to do is provide the address.
Do color consultants help choose interior and exterior colors?
Yes! Most color consultants, including the one we hire on your behalf can help you chose both interior and exterior paint colors.
How much does it cost to use a color consultant?
Free if you accept our proposal. We hire Kate on your behalf for an hour, and pay her bill for you.
If you’re not having us manage your painting project, check Google for local designers on the South Shore and Boston area – usually, you can find a designer for about $100/hour.
How can I visualize what the colors might look like?
If you’re still choosing between a few paint colors, have your professional painter paint a few swatches for you so you can decide while they are preparing the surfaces for paint.
Paint renderings:
If you’re considering choosing new colors for your home, mention that to your estimator during your free quote. He or she will snap a photo of your house or rooms, and we’ll provide free paint color renderings that allow you to visualize your home or space after it’s painted.
Will the paint color look different when it dries?
Yes, you can only judge the color after the paint has completely dried.
What if I don’t like the paint color I chose?
Stop the professional painters immediately. It’s easier and less expensive to stop the workers before they apply more paint than to have to repaint your whole project.
Is there any “rule of thumb” when choosing new paint colors?
The most important thing to consider is how a color makes you feel.
Choose ten paint colors from a fan deck and describe how each color makes you feel. You’ll likely be drawn to the colors that make you feel positive emotions.
"Having Kate to help me choose a navy blue paint color for my beige home has made all the difference in how I feel when I drive in the driveway."
- Jeanne M. | Canton, MA
Want Free Color Renderings? Just let our estimators know at the time of your quote.
We want you to be able to visualize your home after it’s painted. At the time of your quote, you can let our estimator know that you’d like our office to create a paint color rendering. The estimator will take photos at the time of the quote, and you’ll have your rendering in a few days.
Exterior Paint Color Tips and Trends
Drive through various neighborhoods and take note of appealing exterior paint color schemes and adaptability to your own home. For example, driving down Main Street in Hingham or Washington Street in Duxbury will give you a wide palette of historic New England colors.
Define the entry. Use your front door paint color as a “Welcome” sign to your home. Typically your front door should be very visible in contrast with the rest of your home, so visitors know where to enter. This is why red and black front doors are so popular.
Most importantly: Exterior colors should always coordinate with your roof color. If you look carefully at your roofing shingles, you’ll see tones and flecks of green, gray, beige, and even maroon. Use your roof’s undertones to help choose your main exterior color. This is more important than it may seems.
Interior Paint Color Tips and Trends
Determine the mood you want to create with the room. Warmer tones tend to be friendly and inviting. Cooler tones create calm and relaxing spaces.
Think about ‘flow’ and how the colors of neighboring rooms will work together. Very dark to very light transitions, or transitions from rooms with highly contrasting colors, can either be jarring or invigorating. Open floor plans can be tricky, using a designer to choose colors that work together helps the open floor plan not look choppy.
Keeping the trim all one color provides continuity as you move from room to room. Stark white in a semi- or full-gloss creates a very formal look.
Check out the most popular colors in our area – we update this color list every 6 months.
Schedule your free, detailed estimate appointment now!
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