Inside the Color Consultation Process

Even if you’ve already decided that the interior or exterior of your home needs new paint, the next step is to choose the right colors! From personal preference to simple utility, color choice can be a tough decision – and gets even more complicated when you start considering accent walls inside, or different colors for shutters, soffits, or trim for the exterior of your house. Now, consider just how many shades you see in the paint store… Slight variations in similar colors, different sheens, and a bounty of options that can quickly become overwhelming.

Fortunately, professionals known as “color consultants” have the just the expertise to ask the right questions, cut through the noise, and help you select the best colors for your project. These pros work in a variety of ways, depending on how much assistance you need and how you go about planning your upcoming paint project.

In some cases, people still like to visit the paint store (or paint section at the hardware store) to get ideas about color even if they plan to use a professional painting company. Most of these paint departments have color consultants on staff, and many of them offer their services in-store for free! They will be able to walk you through options, offer insight about how various colors work together, and provide recommendations based on your preferences. This isn’t the in-depth version of color consultation, but it will definitely point you in the right direction!

The more involved version of color consultation includes direct communication with a professional consultant either in person, over the phone, or via email (or a combination thereof). Most expert color consultants charge anywhere from $75 to $150 per hour, but when you sign a proposal with CertaPro, we offer such services as part of your overall project pricing – which means no additional cost for consultation!

Whether you find a consultant through your professional painting company or hire your own, in-depth services not only take your ideas and preferences into account – they’ll also use their expert understanding of light, mood, and complementary hues to design just the right palette for your project. During an in-person visit, they may look at a variety of factors: how the sun comes into a certain room, what plantlife you have around your house, how your neighbors’ homes are painted, where windows are placed, a room’s features (like hardwood floors or unique designs), what kind of siding you have, and many others.

A color consultant then uses all of this information, in addition to the preferences and ideas you’ve already discussed, to make expert recommendations about color choices, sheens, and possibilities for accents. These are only suggestions, of course, and you always have final say about the decisions.

While color consultants provide a valuable service that can bring a painting project to the next level, there is one potential downside to watch out for…

Because they want to create stunning results with both interior and exterior projects, color consultants will often have bold ideas. These ideas might sound amazing while you’re discussing them, but adding colors, features like accent walls or uniquely colored shutters, and other fine details also add the overall project costs. Keep an eye on your budget as you consider additions to the project. Your color consultant may be full of ideas, but be careful to maintain a balance between the looks you want and a project price you’ll be happy with.

Remember too that color consultations can be as involved as you want them to be. From simple questions about which tone of blue to use in your bathroom to designing a whole new look for the exterior of your home, you determine the scope of the consultation.

To get started planning a new look for your home, from repainting a single room to tackling the entire house – including color selection and advice about what will look best for you – contact CertaPro today!