When we begin the process of consulting with a homeowner on a new design scheme for their home's exterior, we look at their photos first—or in many cases, here locally—we visit them at their home so we can see it in person. Our clients are tasked with providing us with a visual story of their home—and they usually do a thorough job as it is something they look at and notice daily.
We try to really take in and imagine what this home looks like—both as a whole composition and also in its parts and pieces. The architecture reveals itself and therefore so does its story. This is the place where our design direction takes off.
The first thing we do is ask ourselves, "What is this house trying to say?" There is always a prominent message and our path to color is inherently grounded in this statement.
With this story in mind, we then investigate what the homeowner has relayed to us in their questionnaire. They have responded to questions on color, mood, surrounding environment and desirable degrees of detail. There are usually more clear responses about what people don't like and that can be just as helpful.
Our next step—the critical one and the true design challenge—is to take that initial story and translate our client's needs into that. Our goal is always to have our homeowner be happy everyday they come home—but we also are architectural color experts and ultimately hope to present the true message of what that house can be. It is a wonderfully unique and creative solution that is required and that we strive to provide for our clients—AND is the reason why our role is so important as Storyteller/Consultant/Designer.