Using a brush-on or peel & stick paint color sample to view color choices in advance is the best way to help choose color. However, several important considerations may be overlooked by clients, including:
- Natural and artificial lighting conditions
- Décor and home furnishings
- Surrounding colors in a space
- Paint finish (e.g. gloss vs. matte)
All these elements and more are important when it comes to selecting paint color.
In addition to offering their clients a range of Benjamin Moore color tools including the Benjamin Moore Color Portfolio® app, painting contractors can help clients select the best color for a job by working with a design consultant.
In this video, we see how painting contractor and owner of BLC Painting, Brooke Cambridge, partners with a local design consultant to ensure each of her painting jobs is a success.
Why Work with a Design Consultant?
“Great quality paint and design come together when you’re using a high-end product,” Cambridge says. “Both are very important when it comes to the quality of the job, the outcome, and the long-lasting durability of the paint.”
From professional cabinet painting to entire kitchen color transformations, Cambridge says working with a design consultant takes the guesswork out. She encourages others to look for the just-right design partnership, and to find “a designer who can back up colors, finishes, and so forth so down the road, we know that we made a slam dunk.”
How to Work with a Design Consultant
Cambridge partners with design consultant Paula Gaull of New Leaf Redesign, offering BLC clients a complimentary color consultation with the designer in their home.
After this one-hour color consult, Gaull sends Cambridge’s team a very specific color schedule for each room, including finishes, to provide a roadmap for the painting contractor’s team.
“I would definitely recommend that other painting contractors consider using a designer and working together with them,” Cambridge says. “I think it’s a great benefit for our company.”
As for how Gaull approaches the design side of a painting job, she considers the client-designer consultation a vital part of the color selection process.
“A lot of it is just really getting to know what the client wants,” Gaull says. “Some people want to relax in the space, some people want to feel energized in the space. You get one shot to get that right.”
How to Approach Color Selection
“A lot of people do have this fear of going anywhere but white with color because white feels really, really safe,” Gaull says. “There’s always a lot of factors that will come into play when you’re choosing colors. Usually it’s elements that are fixed in the house: what color are their floors...what color is their granite or their quartz counters? And you need to kind of look at the undertones of what’s staying in the room and pick something that will coordinate with that.”
Go with High-Quality Paint
Both Cambridge and Gaull credit the quality and consistency of Benjamin Moore paint for making their jobs a success. Cambridge cites high-quality products like Benjamin Moore’s Regal® Select Interior paint and AURA® Interior paint as go-to choices for successful painting projects.
“We like to use Benjamin Moore paints for several reasons,” Cambridge says. “We’ve used them since we started out. They have great color retention. Their coverage is amazing.”
Stick with a Brand You Trust
Gaull emphasizes the importance of consistently using the same brand of paint for the best result every time.
“Stick with a brand that you know, understand, and trust,” Gaull says. “The more you work with one brand, the more you’ll understand how the colors work, how they’ll look on a wall, how certain colors will work with other colors. That will give you more confidence when you’re picking colors, so you won’t have to redo anything.”
Where You Can Get a Benjamin Moore Color Consultation?
Many Benjamin Moore retailers offer professional color consulting, available either virtually or in person. Visit your local Benjamin Moore retailer and ask about color consulting services within their network of painting professionals.
About the Video Series
Benjamin Moore teamed up with Fine Homebuilding® for a video series exploring how real-life painting contractors achieve success. Watch more videos here.