If you’ve ever had to stand in front of the hundreds of tiny little squares in a paint store and try to pick the perfect colour for your home, you’ll know that it can be extremely overwhelming.

A PEEK AT MY CLIENT AND HER PAINT CONSULTATION

That was exactly how my client Jodie felt recently when she booked me for a paint consultation. She needed help selecting a paint colour for her kitchen cabinetry as well as her walls. She knew she wanted a dark colour to create some drama in her kitchen. The fear of making a mistake had taken control. She was afraid of going too dark or choosing something that didn’t work with the fixed materials in her space.

I know a lot of you experience this fear when you’re making paint decisions. We hear all the time from designers “it’s only paint” but when you’re paying a painter that’s not really accurate. There are a lot of labour costs involved in a project like this. It’s essential to get it right the first time. A mistake will result in either an expensive round of corrections or even worse, you’ll have to live with the mistake. Your kitchen is the hub of your home. If you make a mistake in paint selections in the kitchen you will be reminded of it daily.

FIRST, WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND YOUR UNDERTONES

Paint has the power to transform a space and usually for a small outlay of money. For more info on this, read my blog post here. The reason that most homeowners end up with colours they don’t love in their homes is because it’s not just a matter of picking a colour you love and slapping it on the walls. The paint has to complement the fixed materials that exist in the room already. If you go to the paint store with nothing but your cute self, there’s a very high chance you’re going to pick a colour that won’t work.

You need to take a sample of all your room’s fixed materials. In a kitchen this could be flooring, countertops, backsplash tiles. If you’re painting a living room, family room, etc you need samples of the fabric in the room, particularly if you have a grey or beige sofa as well as the artwork. For most homeowners that’s not a viable option. Most of us don’t have a sample kit of our home’s finishes neatly tucked away somewhere.

That’s why a paint consultation is well worth the money. At Pamela Lynn Interiors, we work a little differently.  I come to your home with large paint board samples and paint colour decks.  We will examine the fixed materials in place while looking at the undertones and really figuring out how to enhance what you have and add new colour.  The large paint board samples will help you visualize the right colour in your space. As a Certified Colour Expert, I will ensure we select the right colour for your space the first time.

Have you ever walked into a space and felt something wasn’t right but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it? You look at everything in isolation and think it all looks nice but somehow it’s just not cohesive? I can almost guarantee it’s an issue of undertones.

LOOKING AT FIXED MATERIALS DURING JODIE’S PAINT CONSULTATION

Jodie’s flooring was not being replaced so we had to take our cues from that. Her tiles have a yellow undertone so it was essential that any colour we chose work harmoniously with that undertone.

Since she was looking for a bold colour, I immediately knew this was going to be either a green or blue that she’d select. Blue and green work well when yellow undertones exist in the space.

I pulled out my large 9X11 paint board samples of dark colours. It’s easy to narrow down which ones are the right choice and Jodie found it helpful to get an idea of what the colour is going to look like, against her floor, wall colour and appliances.  It did not take before Jodie fell in love with Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Grey (2062-20).

Jodie plans to replace her countertop material but wasn’t quite ready to make that change so I chose an off-white quartz that also has a yellow undertone.

A pure white would be too stark against the floor tile and it would have created one of those situations I described above. In the end, Silestone Et Dor was the winner and when Jodie is ready to make the change there will be no question as to whether this will work. This will be the last piece in what has evolved into a beautiful, updated kitchen that she and her family can love for many years.

You can see that Gentleman’s Gray is an absolute winner in Jodie’s kitchen. The entire space looks more modern and even though it’s a deeply saturated colour, it really looks brighter than it did before.

WHAT’S IT LIKE TO HAVE A PAINT CONSULTATION?

If you’ve never had one or known someone who had one you might have previously thought a paint consultation was unnecessary. I hope you can see now that it can be the difference between doing it right the first time and repainting again (and again and again) until it’s right. And yes, there are homeowners who have called me after painting their walls multiple times without success.

When you inquire about a consultation we will schedule a free Discovery Phone Call. We will discuss the area you are looking for expert paint advice on, then arrange an appointment time.

On the day of our appointment I’ll arrive with large colour paint boards and paint chip decks. We’ll tour your space to gain an understanding of the look & feel you are hoping to achieve in your home.

During the visit, I will answer any questions you may have about the best colour, where to start and stop, what paint finish is best and what kind of paint to use.

All of my consultations are 90 minutes and at the end you’ll have the confidence to move forward with your project. I’ll also leave you with my Paint Sheen Guide. This will help you understand the various sheen types and which works best in which application.

Ready to move ahead with your paint project? I’d love to hear from you!

If you’re not quite ready for a paint consultation but you need to buy new paint, there is an alternative. Purchase some samples from Hello Paint that you can stick to your wall and remove easily when the decision has been made. They’re made with real paint in the exact colour you’re considering, easy to attach and easy to remove.