Amy Krane Color
You’ve spent weeks on Pinterest creating boards and months on Houzz researching trends. You’ve sought out every blogpost on color you can find and you’re still stuck choosing paint colors for your home. What now? A color consultant can help.
Why should you hire a color consultant
Millions of people proudly wear the badge of DIY’er. There’s a deep feeling of satisfaction in getting things done yourself and the added (perceived anyway) bonus of saving yourself some money. But sometimes one doesn’t have the skills, time, vision or confidence to make certain design decisions and what seems like an additional expenditure can turn into a money saving act. The money you may spend on testing 10’s of colors or even worse having to repaint over a mistake means money well spent on a color specialist.
Would you fix an appliance yourself, draw up blueprints for a new addition or design a piece of custom bespoke furniture? Hiring people who have trained in the specific field you need can make the difference between a disaster and realizing your dreams.
What are color consultants?
People whose expertise is specifying color come from many different backgrounds. While most interior designers consider color a subset of what they do, their training in color is often limited in scope. It seems obvious that the main role of color for your home is adding beauty. But it’s much more important than that. If you find the right color consultant you’ll find a professional who has a background in the functional application of color in the built world. Their choice of colors will help create the atmosphere you’re seeking. They will create flow and cohesion in your home. If they are astute listeners they will forge an environment which expresses who you are specifically and uniquely. In a perfect world their training includes and goes beyond esthetics resting on the foundation of science as well. They will choose colors to further your design goals and create the style of home you want; colors which advance the function of each room. If you’re looking for serenity in the bedroom, creativity in your home office, conviviality in your living room, color consultants have the expertise and knowledge to get you there.
Amy Krane Color
How do I hire a color consultant?
The internet has made hiring professionals easier than ever. You can use the websites of organizations which train color professionals like the International Association of Color Consultants or IACC-NA who list members who have trained with them. You can look on design oriented social media websites like Pinterest or instagram and search #colorconsultant. And of course there’s google. Check out portfolios and online reviews then make a call. Ask how they work, what they charge and what they need you to do to make your consultation as effective and efficient as possible.
Prepare for your consultation.
To make that appointment worth its weight in gold do some prep work. Have a think about how you want your home to feel, what types of colors and specific hues you like and don’t like. Pull some photos of interiors or exteriors which exemplify what you like. If you and your spouse or partner will be attending the consultation together make sure you have figured out a way to make joint decisions which don’t create disharmony between you or slow down the process because your consultant is keenly sensitive to getting all you need done in your session so you feel you got your money’s worth. If you’ll be working on a new build or addition, have samples there to work with. Things like cabinet colors, flooring and countertop samples are essential to have on hand. Color viewed on computer and phone screens are notoriously inaccurate and not to be relied upon to choose colors.
Amy Krane Color
What do they charge?
Most color consultants charge a flat fee per room or exterior or charge by the hour. Some might charge a flat project fee. Most consultants are sensitive to the market in their area and price accordingly. Chances are a consultant in NYC and Cleveland will not cost the same as the cost of living is different in each city. Having said this many consultants offer virtual or remote services across the nation. This process can be highly successful and a call to a designer located in another State might just be the right move for you if you identify with their work and like what they bring to the process.
At the of the day hiring a color specialist is no different than hiring any other kind of specialist. They offer expertise where you may not have enough.
