There seems to be more and more of a need for online color consultations. I’ve had several calls and emails recently from such places as West Palm Beach, FL and Arkansas requesting color help. (There must not be as many color consultants out there as I had thought. Good for me!) So what these frustrated homeowners want to know is: 1) Do you offer online color consultations? and 2) How does it work?
The answer to the first question is, yes, we offer online color consultations! I would like to say first and foremost that a live, in-person consultation is always best; so if you live in the Atlanta area, I want to come to your home. But for people in other areas, I am here for you online.
Why is a live consultation best? Because I will see and notice things standing there looking at your home that I may not notice in online pictures. For instance, when Crystal in Arkansas sent me the initial pictures of her home, I noticed her brown roof. Since she was painting her brick (hooray!!!!), it was crucial we selected the right white for the body of the house that tied in well to her roof. (But you knew that already, right?) As the consultation began, I mentioned her brown roof to which she replied, “My roof is not brown.”
Brown or gray roof???
She actually sent me a number of photos and the roof read the same in all of them. But she kept insisting her roof was gray, not brown. While we were on the phone I had her walk outside, take a few more photos and send them to me. Sure enough, in those pictures, the roof read gray.
While I’m on the subject, please be aware that the small roof palettes you use to make a selection for your home (like those shown below) look NOTHING like the roof when it is installed.
All that to say, you can see the danger of doing a color consultation online; but as long as we talk through all colors on the phone to insure that what I am seeing is a true read on the hues, we can make wise color choices.
Getting back on track here, I want to explain the process for an online color consultation.
- Step 1 – We will schedule a day and time for the consultation which will last for one hour. At the appointed time, I will call you.
- Step 2 – You must have a Sherwin-Williams fan deck in hand for the consultation. Why Sherwin-Williams? I was initially trained on the Sherwin-Williams fan deck and know their system best. Most of my color tools are in Sherwin-Williams colors. Also, Sherwin-Williams is a corporate operation. They have stores everywhere. If you don’t have one of their fan decks, you will need to get one. It can be either the older (black) version or the new (gray) fan deck. The new one is best, but we can also work with the old. During the consultation I will refer to specific colors in the fan deck, depending on the direction you want to take with your home. Having the fan deck in hand, you will be able to see them.
Yes, I staged this photo a bit with my coffee cup. Sorry about that.
- Step 3 – Prior to the consultation, you will send me several photos of your home. Obviously, I will be looking at them and asking questions during our time together.
- Step 4 – Just prior to the consultation, I will invoice you for the job. My fee for a 1-hour online color consultation is $195.00.
- Step 5 – The consultation ensues.
Here is an unsolicited testimonial I received recently from my client in West Palm Beach:
“Patsy, you are wonderful. The consultation you provided is exactly what I was looking for. I will send you completed pictures. I’m going to tell everyone I know about your services.”
Thank you, Judy! Where are those “after” shots?
So that’s how it works.
I hope to have several photos of these homes soon to share with you. In the meantime, I’m here if you need me.