For many reasons homeowners seek out our color expertise to design a custom color scheme for their home. Many have tried to go it alone, spending a lot of money on paint samples only to be left disheartened. Others have been researching and planning a renovation for years and bring with them references, idea books and folders full of inspiration. We have clients approach us for help because they have had hail damage on their roof and are replacing it—and so they figure it’s a perfect time to update the entire exterior. We also get calls from owners who are selling their home and want it to be in the best possible shape for putting it on the market. Likewise, we get calls from realtors who are trying to aid their clients with added curb appeal that will ensure increased attention and better sales.
For all of these reasons we are the right color consultant and color expert for the job. We work with folks from all over the country and so have developed a mail order system for homeowners to easily use in what could otherwise be a daunting process. We mail or email out a Color Kit that includes a questionnaire that gets to the bottom of what our clients are hoping to achieve with a new color scheme. It allows them to ask themselves questions about color and interiors and their surrounding environment—ultimately giving us great insight into what direction we should take in our design. Also included in the Kit is a guide on how to take photos of the home. These photos will then be used to mark up with color placements in order to give the painter an exact guide for where to paint each new color selection.
When we receive a packet from a homeowner there are several steps we go through in designing a new color scheme for their home. We start with the questionnaire and any references they may have given us. There is a great deal of knowledge we bring to the thought process from our education and experience. This is a creative process that also involves intuition. We have documented a few steps in this process visually—from receiving a package to working with value studies and then finally studying and working with color samples. It is important for us to visualize a home in black and white first—without any preconceptions about where color should go. In this particular case, we had the benefit of working on a home that was completely painted in white. So we were able to start from scratch and do several value studies which give an idea where the darkest to lightest value should go. For example, the base and foundation of a home would look better if it was darker to emulate the feeling of being sturdy and grounding. The windows and porch might appear more inviting and open if they were in a lighter value. These are the kinds of ideas that our mind relays with neutral colored pencils in order to give us a general map of where color should go. After we have that in place we work with color. A great deal of this begins with the givens—whether it is directly from what the homeowner likes or dislikes or it could also stem from what material will be unchanged, be it a roof or a brick or stone. We take all these things into account. When we have a palette of colors that works for the home we then work in detail to make sure that every feature of the architecture is given attention and its appropriate color.
In the end, we want a home that our client is going to love coming home to everyday. It may not be in our particular taste or style, but it is perfect for that home and the people residing in it. Working with homeowners is a favorite part of our business and we’ve been doing it for decades. We have designed for every architectural style and for every kind of client in all parts of the country. We take great pride in our work because we know you do too.
