[Lisabeth Gutierrez]

Hi everyone,

Would you be kind enough to give me your impressions on working with a color consultant. I am about to graduate in an interior design program and started my own business with a strong focus on color consulting. Have you worked with one before?

I try to help my homeowners through the angst and indecision they feel when painting. Would having a consultant work with your clients be of help to you?
I appreciate your advice as I try to create a service that is of help to both client and contractor

Beth

 

[Tmrrptr]

Working with a designer is a great bonus.
Helps confused owners, relieves me of responsibility!
We advise professionals every chance we get.
r

 

[Lisabeth Gutierrez]

I'm glad to hear that you like working with a consultant. We can take over the psychologist duties for each job and let you get the job done.

Do people often change their minds about colors, either having trouble deciding in the first place or wanting to redo after the job's done?

 

[Tmrrptr]

Beth, in my own case, by far most folks have a color already selected and are firm in that selection, even if it is dreadful.

Most repaint the same color or perhaps a minor tone difference in one room.

20% ask for our help selecting a colorchange and we will only advise what is being used in high dollar limited production homes in our area.

We refer them to 3 interior designers we have worked with in the past.

Among those who have selected a "different" color, there is frequently a change soon as they see a significant sample on the wall.

A redo after the work is complete is rare, but does occur.

In a most recent situation, it was a nice, conservative color, but there was a problem when the season changed and reflected light from a redwood deck caused the pigment hues in the wallpaint to go quite purple.
The client found it objectionable.

Another past case, was a newly purchased home, with a designer selected color that did NOT look right to the client when a wall was painted.
Problem was again reflected light off the carpet, which in fact, was being changed to a different color, also selected by the designer.
Situation was resolved when I went back and re-tarped the room to cover the offensive carpeting to show what the room would look like otherwise.

We are frequently asked to do kermit the frog green or pink or purple in bedrooms and I love it... we know we'll be back for a color change soon!

For really fun people I have a small feng shui book I carry in the truck.

r

 

[slickshift]

Do people often change their minds about colors, either having trouble deciding in the first place or wanting to redo after the job's done?

Yes...sometimes when it 1/2 done
I wouldn't call it often, but it happens

 

[slickshift]

Would having a consultant work with your clients be of help to you?

In some cases, yes

Essentially, I am often playing at 'color consultant' by default

 

[Rich]

Beth...I haven't worked with one before because I don't know any. But now I do :thumbsup: and you're not super far. PM me and we'll swap info. What's your work area going to be?

 

[George Z]

We have been working with two of them.
We give them 1-2 leads a week and they do likewise.

Nice not to worry about the colour schedule.

 

[Lisabeth Gutierrez]

Tmrrptr wrote: In a most recent situation, it was a nice, conservative color, but there was a problem when the season changed and reflected light from a redwood deck caused the pigment hues in the wallpaint to go quite purple.

Thanks for the feedback! These kinds of color interactions can be tricky. The redwood deck story was something I've never heard of before and I'll always remember it. It's a mine field out there when you're choosing color!

What surprised me most was that people paint the same color or quite close to the same. I suppose that people who call me have already decided they want a change, but aren't sure how to proceed. That appears to be a minority of clients. Could it be that the others are too afraid to even consider a change? When I'm in the paint store and see the stunned customers staring at all the choices with a glazed look in their eyes it makes me think they want to try something new, but don't want to make a mistake.

Thanks again for all the great insights.

Beth

 

[Lisabeth Gutierrez]

GeorgeZ wrote : We have been working with two of them.
We give them 1-2 leads a week and they do likewise.

Hi George,

I've decided to move to Toronto! It sounds like a wonderful relationship that you have developed. My goal is to build that kind of symbiosis with my local paint contractors.

How do your clients feel about using a consultant when you first suggest it? Do they resist the added expense? My bet is that they are thrilled by the results

Beth

 

[George Z]

GeorgeZ wrote : We have been working with two of them.
We give them 1-2 leads a week and they do likewise.

Hi George,

I've decided to move to Toronto! It sounds like a wonderful relationship that you have developed. My goal is to build that kind of symbiosis with my local paint contractors.

How do your clients feel about using a consultant when you first suggest it? Do they resist the added expense? My bet is that they are thrilled by the results

Beth

We get requests for consultants through our website
http://ecopainting.ca/color_painting.html
so they are pre-sold.
They love it and so do we.

 

[Dave Mac]

I have had desighners want 5 to 10 percent of the job, the refer our way

 

[George Z]

I have had desighners want 5 to 10 percent of the job, the refer our way

So, add it to the price.
5% up to $200 maximum for one of ours.
But she sents us back 10% of her consulting fees.

The other one gets a lot of leads from us, she doesn't ask.

 

[Tmrrptr]

There's the percentage again!

5 or 10% would be OK by me to resolve the few problems I've had with significant color changes. The indecision and stress as the client vacillated back and forth until finally coming to a conclusion was difficult for us, AND was time lost.

Everything goes quicker when specs are well thought out and defined.
r

 

[welovepainting]

When I tell our clients we will send in a decorator to help with colors they are absolutley floored. They think its wonderful and so do I... Most of our customers dont have an eye for color or they just need a professionals opinion.

 

[Dave Mac]

So, add it to the price.
5% up to $200 maximum for one of ours.
But she sents us back 10% of her consulting fees.

The other one gets a lot of leads from us, she doesn't ask.

I do, and much prefer it this way, the other ways i have had bad experience with, is that, when the desighner wants to act like a gc and cut my a check, i will not do that way ever again. The ones I have delt with cant handle a change order, and have gone bankrupt not paying me,

But with the right combo of people its a win win ,