Do I really need a colour consultant?
Colour consultancy can be a really useful tool to streamline your choices, create a cohesive design-led scheme and improve your communication with your decorators. We chatted with our in-house Creative Consultant, Raluca, about all things colour and how we consult at Paint the Town Green.
What is colour consultancy?
With colour consultancy we help our clients navigate the wonderful world of colours and its myriad of choices, which as exciting as they are, can sometimes feel overwhelming. We help clients chose colours that reflect the way they want a space to make them feel.
How does it work?
Before every consultation we ask clients to answer a few questions:
- Is the space North or South facing?
- What is the size of the space?
- How will they be using the space?
- Which members of the family will be using it most?
- What furniture will there be?
- Do they have a vision or ideal concept of how they would like their room to look?
- And most importantly, how do they want to feel when using the space? Uplifted? Relaxed? Focused?
The answers to all of these questions help us not only to assess technical details such as light and best paint finishes that will ensure longevity, but also to get a sense of how our clients want to live and what their vision is so that we can then advise on colours that will bring them joy and that they’ll love living with day after day.
For the colour consultation we have a site visit (or a zoom, if preferred by the client) where we talk through colour options from multiple paint brands and advise on unique combinations that will make a space reflect the owner’s taste and wants. We follow up with a document listing all the colours suggested, and wallpaper options if we think that is a suitable choice.
Why does colour matter so much?
We might not realise it but colour has a real impact on the way we feel and the way people perceive a space. It’s a well-known fact from nature that red, for instance, means alert or danger, which has then been translated into our societies for instance by using a red light to alert us to stop or that there is a danger ahead. Red creates a response of tension and used in a room it will create the same effect. It can also create an uplifting, happy, effect used in the right quantities and combinations (think the red and blue stripes of a parasol on a sky-blue background), but it can also be tiring if used too much. Blue, however, is soothing and helps the mind focus – just think about how we feel when looking out at the sea on holiday. The colours we use in our homes impact the way we feel and can influence the way we behave. Forget about trends when it comes to colour. It’s important to follow your instinct and choose colours that you are naturally drawn to and create the mood you want to feel when you’re in a particular space.
What is the top mistake that people can make when it comes to colour?
Going against natural light. Sometimes clients think that if a room is dark, you must paint it white, and that will make it brighter. It will actually make it look dark AND grey, and that’s even worse. Or that ceilings should always be white if we want the room to feel taller. That’s a myth. In our colour consultancy, we explain to our clients that painting a room with little light in a warm colour that we take from walls through to ceiling will make it appear balanced and calming as it complements the natural light. It will also make the room seem bigger because you lose the line between the walls and ceilings that normally draws attention to where the height stops. These are just a couple of the myths that we help clients move away from and find a solution that best complements their space.
Colour consultancy is free of charge to all decorating clients or charged at £150 per consult. You can read more about it here. Please email [email protected] or fill out our contact more to get in touch and explore the possibilities for your space.