Be very careful. I hired a designer at 150 an hour. I put a cap on ten hours. I wanted her to help me with the (dreaded) backsplash, kitchen window treatment and kitchen chair cushions. Long story short, she gave a lovely presentation with the professional board display, but I didn't use any of it! Not even the fabric for curtains! If I would do it over, I would have asked around and possibly seen work of the designer. So say, if I liked what they did in your house, not that I would copy it, but maybe the vision would be similar. Have you seen the Color me Happy blog? Some people here have used her. She is in Vancouver but evidently can help you with photos and talking to you on the phone.

You can start by taking a lot of pictures and then going to ethan allen, pottery barn, or your local benjamin moore store. They have decoraters that may be willing to help. I would look through magazines and collect pictures of spaces that appeal to you. After a bit of research, I think you could probably get an interior designer to help you finalize the color plan for $100.

In my area you can hire a designer specifically to do color consultations. According to their websites, the going rate is $150.00 for 3 rooms, but I have seen people run specials for $99 for three rooms.

Also, the lady who owns our local Benjamin Moore place does color consultations. I am thinking about using her myself : )

I'll second what southernfrenchie said. Best thing I ever did was hire a Benjamin Moore color consultant. She got me past my fear of color. Now I feel completely confident in making my own choices.

I think local Ben Moore dealers have lists of people who are color consultants...but I could be wrong. (The woman who worked with me was a friend...so I had no trouble finding her.)

I would think all the "stand alone" brands have something similar. You could call your favorite local paint store and ask about "color consultants."

If a Google search for your area didn't turn up any leads, definitely call your local "real" paint store. The independent paint/decorating type stores usually have more flexibility when it comes to their association with color consultants so the most popularly known name brand paint destinations, like SW and BenM, aren't the only options.

I had a Benjamin Moore Consultant come to the house. For $100 she picked colours for every room in the house and I get a discount on the paint.

I still love all the colours she chose and even phone the store to make sure she's in when I'm choosing a new colour. I plan on having her out to the house again when it's time to repaint the exterior.

Picking colour is my weakness so it's very liberating to know that Cindy always picks the right one.

Thanks for the ideas. I will definitely be checking out my local real paint stores!

I did hire a consultant for color - worth every penny