I'd tell her that the colors are along the lines that you said you didn't want so can't use them, and ask if she could adjust them for you (and maybe include another alternate palette, totally in line with what you said you wanted). Since you've also found a palette yourself, she should be able to give you her thoughts on them also, since she's already spent some time thinking about your home. All within the agreed time/price, I think, since she didn't include anything from your own preferences for the space.

She didn't say anything about why she went with the blues and grays anyway?

That's what I think, anyway :)

Tough one, because the situation involves another person's feelings!

If she is astute, she will "get the message" if you pay her and don't say a thing about her colors.

If she asks, say something like, "I thought your palette played up the outdoor grays, and I was looking for something more sunny and cheerful. Thank you for your time, the process helped clarify my design ideas." Or something along those lines. :-)

IMHO, I do think you are obligated to reimburse her for her time, but you are not obligated to follow her recommendations at all. And if she is a professional, she would truly appreciate honest and unbiased feedback. It will only help her improve in the future!

~Lynne

I am sorry that the process didn't work out and you ended frustrated. Both the posters above, however, got it right. Pay her. Cut your losses. If you are up to it, you might ask her WHY she delivered such grayed out colors. (It is possible, for example, that she thought that this pallete was necessary with your existing furniture.) Or you could ask her for feedback on the colors you selected. But, mostly, just move on. Remodels, sadly, are full of these dark money pits.

Perhaps you should ask if she accidently gave you another clients color suggestions, since you know you asked for no grays/blues and that is ALL you received. Then see what she has to say? Sounds to me like she didn't design FOR YOU. Perhaps she had a busy week and pulled out a previous project for a quick "custom pallette"?

I'm not sure I'd be happy to pay for such blatant ignoring of my personal request for my home. After all, you have to live there. I'm sure that she could find alternate colors for you, rather than the very ones you requested not to use. Hmmm. Strange. Anyway, if you've found colors you like, I'd just move forward without a designer. If you are unsure, perhaps you could ask her opinion on your colors. But at this point, I think I'd be finding another designer to give feedback (maybe even GW members!! LOL). I wouldn't be able to trust her judgement any longer, if it were me.

Sorry this happened. Perhaps grays/blue cooler tones do look good in your home. But if you don't want them, there must be another solution?! Seems she ought to have found it, or explained why she could not.

Yes, that's EXACTLY what happened to me. I had gotten a designers name from someone, not close, but someone who had given classes in design.

All I asked for was some guidance for colors for the downstairs. I had the upstairs picked out. I knew what palate I wanted to use but I did not know the SHADES & how they look on the wall. She was $125/hr. I thought with my already chosen colors & clear description of the shades I was looking for we can do it in 2 hours. She "chatted" about things & then got down to business. I should have realized that the clock was ticking even when she used the bathroom-lol.
She gave me some suggestions. The next day I went to a BM store & got samples. I hated ALL of her choices. None were going to work. The Cream was too yellow, the Sage too bright etc.

I sent her an email telling her that none of her suggestions were going to work. That I wished we had a more fruitful meeting & asked her to send me the invoice.
The invoice was for $570 for absolutely NOTHING.
I paid it & never answered her next email.

If it were me, I would have at least discounted the bill or tried to rectify the colors.

I chose all the colors myself. I would not recommend her to anyone. Lesson learned: there are good & bad professionals in all fields. Also, IF there is a next time (doubt it), I will specify in writing what is expected i.e. 6 color choices picked out to the owners satisfaction in 2 hours etc. I realized that professions like that cannot be given a free reign of time or you'll go broke. I have to answer to productivity at work & so should they.

Thank you all for your wise advice and support. I think I will do exactly as you did, dabunch, and email her that nothing will work and cut ties now. I hope it won't be $570, but if I keep trying with her the bill will only go up, and she has already shown me that she has a vision for the house that just isn't at all in line with my own. She did the colors for my friend's house and they are really pretty--I just don't know what happened with this one.
The lesson for me is that I just have to trust myself, I guess. I tried a different designer earlier in the process and he didn't listen to a word I said, so I cut ties with him too (oh now you are all going to think I'm impossible to work with, but I'm not...really!! You can ask the architect and the contractor LOL)
Thanks again everybody!

houscrzy,
You are not difficult to work with. You need good guidance, not someones taste pawned on you. You figure a "professional" can save you time & money. They should have a quick solution to your problems. That is why they are called professionals & you're paying them big bucks. In this entire house building scheme I learned that I do things better than professionals, because I CARE!

My kitchen guy came over after the house was finished (new construction) & brought over a cabinet door. He gave me more suggestions in 3 minutes then the designer in hours.

I was open to suggestions, but didn't get any from the designer. The kitchen guy suggested that I paint the trey ceiling a different color, which I did. It looks great.

I can walk into a house & choose colors for you, pulling colors from your art, rugs etc in minutes, because I don't have to live with the colors. For myself, it's an agonizing process, especially the higher walls because if I don't like the color, I have to pay the painters for color changes, too. The rooms I painted myself were no big deal.

Guess I'm confused why one would not know that a designer's suggested colors do not fit with expectations and defined tolerances while the designer is there working. Or, why one would be left with just one "set" of options if at the end of the appointment there is still some uncertainty.

Sounds like these folks are walking in and just looking at your "stuff". The stuff isn't what's important. I don't even consider art, rugs or anything else until the very end. It's important, but it's not critical.

It's funny because I have had clients have all their samples neatly lined up on their kitchen table waiting for my arrival and I walk right by it. We go walk around the space and talk. And talk. And talk some more. I have had clients expect me to walk in and just decree that "this room should be X color" and when I do not, they are a bit surprised.

There should be some discovery about your color expectations and individual tolerances. Some defining of what it is that you want the wall colors to DO for you and your space. Talking. Sorting and handling real color chips, not just looking at a fandeck.

I'm gathering these folks are dropping some color names and numbers, not even providing large chips or samples, and then leaving you to fend for yourself from that point forward.

If that is indeed the process, I don't quite understand it and certainly can see why it doesn't work out so well in the end. Sorry that's the way the color chips fell for you this time, sounds like you've made some progress on your own which is happy news! :-)

If indeed you told her you did not want grays and blues and she did it anyway, she is not a good designer and doesn't deserve to be paid anything!!! She was infact wasting your time =ing $$$. PERIOD!

I can completely relate to your experience, and I could have written this post myself. Our designer was supposed to help us with paint colors for our new construction, throughout the entire house. My preferences are also for warm colors, for the same reasons you mentioned, except our long winters are in the state of Wisconsin.

Anyway, I hate gray. I find it to be a cold color no matter the shade. It reminds me of concrete. I can handle it for the exterior of a home, but not the interior.

This designer refused to choose a shade of gold/warm tan for us, which is what I wanted in our main living area. She just didn't like that color as well as deep browns. I like brown, but that's not what I wanted. She also chose shades of gray for our mudroom area - yuck! She reluctantly accepted the red I'd chosen for the kitchen, as I told her that was a color I was sure about. She also "helped" us choose tile for the floors, etc. And after arrogantly insulting all of our suppliers in person, embarrassing us, she charged us $800 - for absolutely nothing!

We did not use any of her choices in the end. She simply refused to listen to things we wanted - to work with us. No, she had all the answers, she was right, and that was it. I guess it was her money and her house. It was a total failure.

We ended up paying the bill and ignoring her offers to assist us with lighting and other things. Our painter helped us choose most of the colors in our house. She had so much experience that she was very helpful. We ended up with BM Wilmington Tan in the main living area, at her suggestion, and some great shades of brown for our bathroom, cream for our master bedroom, and SW Blonde in the mud room, which all look great now.

If you do not like the colors, you shouldn't use them. Different people have different preferences for color, and unfortunately, your designer failed to LISTEN to you. It is sad, and unfortunately, you will end up on your own unless you feel like risking lots of money in the hopes that another designer might listen and work with you, rather than on his/her own.

If I were you, I would either pay the bill in full, telling the designer you are dissatisfied and will no longer use her services or recommend her to others. Or, you could offer to pay her half, with the other half payable when she does select colors that are warm, as you requested. This would give her the opportunity to make things right.

So sorry you experienced this.

Jan

I tend to agree with camin. If you told her up front (did you? it's not clear) that greys and blues were not what you wanted, and she suggested them anyway, then she was not listening, and she wasted your time. She should not also waste your money.

What did you decide to do?

I once had a "kitchen designer" come in for a consult. I had done all my homework, and had my design carefully drawn out on graph paper. He looked at my design and laughed. Laughed! What a way to make a good impression, hunh?

I should have thrown him out right then. He looked at the space and I explained my needs and my restrictions, he went away and came back with a drawing that -- guess what? Looked just like my drawing!

I wasn't paying him -- he was paid by the cabinet company -- but I'll tell ya, laughing at my drawing didn't earn him any points at all.

I complained about him to the cabinet company, and they said they wouldn't use him again.

Knowing about design isn't the only qualification for being a designer. They must be able to LISTEN.

When I used a decorator our first meeting went like this ... she asked me to gather a couple of pictures from home decorating magazines that have colors and/or furniture styles I liked and explain to her what it was about the picture that I was drawn to. Then she had me come into her office where she had a big pile of fabric swatches in all colors and patterns. She had me go through them and put them into 2 piles -- which ones I liked and which ones I did not (along with a short explanation about what it was that I did and did not like). After about 5 minutes, she said she already knew which colors and tones I liked because there was definitely a pattern. After a visit to our still-under-construction home, she was able to choose a color palette that fit with our style. She tweaked the colors a little depending on the natural light in the home, but that palette that I was naturally drawn to runs throughout. As for furniture, she would show me 3 or 4 different styles to choose from and then pick a fabric (sometimes from the samples that I chose on the 1st day).

A decorator who comes to your home and designs their own palette without taking into consideration what colors you are naturally drawn to is a waste of time and money.

Hi...did she come out with fandecks and look at the chips in your home or just leave you with numbers and names? I guess what I'm trying to find out is whether both of you looked at the colors in your home and discussed them?? If not? I don't get it lol.

IF she came back to you with suggestions later, I'd nicely say, "I know I was pretty clear that I didn't want any gray or cool tones and given that is what you came back with, I don't believe it was very helpful and I'd appreciate not being billed. Thank you."

BTW, I am a designer and if this happened to me (which it wouldn't....it's called LISTENING and also understanding color complexities which she might not) I would offer to come back, start over again with the colors and get it RIGHT at no charge. I don't need ANY unhappy clients out there.

It takes soooo little to make things "right".

OH...this isn't about "etiquette" it's about a business relationship. I'm sure that's how she's looking at it!! lol.....

Hi--I met with her at my house and showed her all of my choices for tile, cabinet, countertops, as well as the paint chips for colors I had thought about using in the house. Everything I had picked out was in a warm tone range. She suggested a grey-blue for the master at the time and I said "I'm really not a blue or grey person." Master color she suggested was, you guessed it, blue-grey.
I definitely could (and should) have been more definitive and clear about my preferences up front. But the other thing that bugs me about this is that some of her choices were just SO unlivable(not the blue, but she wanted to paint my son's room this really chilly dark grey and his bathroom another shade of grey)--as I said I've had a couple of friends look at them and they too just said they couldn't believe some of the colors on there (meaning a piece of paper with little paint swatches on it--it is supposed to be "preliminary", but since we're so far apart on color, I'm stopping this now). I was just pretty shocked by how awful I thought they were, and my friends and family felt the same way.
I have emailed her and told her that I'm not able to use her colors and to send me her bill for the agreed upon 2 hours of time. I'll keep you posted.

Hi again.....Actually without resorting to screaming, I'd take this as "pretty clear" from a client:

"I'm really not a blue or grey person."

I hope she has the class to not bill you...I wouldn't.

I bet she bills you.

Since I'm sure you're an honorable person, you'll probably pay what she asks.

But please, for the sake of all of us, when you send the payment, please send a letter explaining that you will not be using any of her colors, and that you will not be recommending her to anyone else, and WHY.

Otherwise she'll do it again to one of us.

if the colors are not actually blue or gray, but just have a gray tone to them, can you take the color palette to the paint store and look at the same shade, from a different set of paints...if you are at home depot, you go up a shelf or down a shelf with the paint chips, depending on how bright or how grayed you want the colors...KWIM? the combos might be good, if you can get the gray out. if she actually picked blue or gray, i would pay her as little as you agreed to and not respond to any further phonecalls...kren

funcolors,

I hate to say this , but I did expect her to point me to the correct shade of Sage, Cream & Beige in 2 hours, based on my description. My house was a clean slate. Remember, I had the colors already chosen. The shades were an issue. There is a BIG difference in Greens ;)
I didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars & weeks to find the perfect Sage that is why I wanted her to nudge me in the right direction. Her visit was fruitless, I ended up spending A LOT of money & time to get the perfect shades that I liked.

When I say that I will be painting my Entry a Cream, light to medium color, almost like a Sandy Cream, with not too much Yellow or Peach, as a decorator, wouldn't you know where to steer me? Sheesh, I can. I have gained so much experience with this painting, that I became an expert over night-lol
She said that she was very familiar with BM paints-NOT.

I helped my sis choose colors for her house. She loves them. I learned on MY WALLS. I listened. Asked her what colors she liked & helped her. I explained to her that it's more important to use colors that she liked, rather than what is IN, because she has to look at her walls 24/7. She thought she wanted a Beige for one of her rooms with Beige tile. I gave her an option of what Beige & Beige will give her vs using a color opposite of Beige...I learned that from experience. That is the type of guidance I wanted from my decorator.

mclarke,
there is no easy way to handle this sticky situation, but just to pay & cut the ties. Technically they spent the time. Our frustrations were that they didn't produce. I would be ashamed to accept money when I would know darn well that the necessary goal wasn't reached, but that's just me.

just curious what shades of gray she chose - do you have the brand / color name?

Hi--Update is that I emailed her and told her that none of the colors would work for me, and since I'm under time pressure, I would just choose them myself, and to send her bill to me. She sent me a pretty chilly email in return saying that I needed to remember that my house had a lot of windows so that dark colors wouldn't look as dark with a lot of sunlight shining on them. Gee, thanks--I never would have thought of that! And by the way, we're in Seattle--let's just say that the sun does not shine every day!
Ummmm--she didn't give me any names of paints, just little bitty swatches. She had 4 colors of brown with a grey undertone for the main rooms, 2 colors of grey for my son's room and bath, a blue/grey for the master, and a purple/grey for my daughter's bath. I'm sure somebody would like any one of them, but somehow having the entire palette in that range just seemed overwhelmingly dreary to me. I could try posting a picture of the swatches, but I don't think you are all really that fascinated with this story!
Anyway, I think she'll bill me (I reminded her in my email that we had agreed on 2 hours, so we'll see). And I'll pay. And I won't make this mistake again!

thanks for the update. the palette may look nice, but if that's not what you want, then it doesn't matter :)

I would not worry about hurt feelings...I think that decorators who use that against you are taking advantage of you. As said earlier...this is a business transaction. I know that your home does not feel like "business" to you, but it is in this case. You said "I don't like blues and greys" and she gave you blue and grey. I would have asked why she gave you blue and grey after you'd stated your preferance otherwise, and given her a chance to correct the error. Instead she got her hackles up and now you'll pay for her services (or lack there of) and think that you won't need a decorator again, which is a sad reality in the profession I'm learning.

I have designed my entire home, and in the process, just to have a professional view, I paid a designer to check it out, and made it very VERY clear that I wanted their opinion, and wasn't paying for them to kiss my arse :o) I found two decorators who kissed my arse...and one real designer who was honest. She and I had a couple lovely debates about the why's of a couple of choices, and she won one of them, (she was right) and I won her over on the other (I was right) heh heh I wanted that honesty from her and was happy to pay her for it.

I like her, but if she'd have kissed bumm..I'd have probably kissed the entire theory of a designer/decorator away and never bothered again. Thank god I found a real one!

I did learn that there are definately two types of decorators. One type does one type design. I had one idiot telling me to chip the wood beams in my 1980's home so it would have an old world feel like a European castle....ok honey it's a 1980's townhouse! She argued with me for fifteen mins about adding legs to my shaker cabinets...I DON'T WANT LEGS! and finally I thanked her for her time and kicked her out.

I've seen her portfolio...it's all carved up beems and legs. She loves old world...and she does old world everything.

Then you find a real designer. They might have an old world kitchen, and might love that style above all others, but they can also do a 2010 kitchen for you, or the best retro kitchen you've ever seen. They're professionals who enjoy style in all ways, even if it's not the one that they prefer at their home :)

I think you got decorator number one. This chick loves blue and grey and wants it everywhere because it's currently popular. Sure you hate it, but you hired Miss B&G so she gave you B & G. What you needed was a decorator or designer with a full color wheel :) Who also had working ears :)

I am not paid to design anything, but I feel quite comfortable spouting my design advice for nothing LOL (Ask my friends...I've done all of their colors). My personal preference leans towards earth tones. I think god made gold for me and me alone to spread across the world. He wanted me to do gold in every shade and tone possible, but he wants me to spread gold. Now my dearest friend however thinks my golds are horrible. The little poop insisted on green. GREEN!!! For gads sake....so I found a fabulous green for her :) And she loves it, and I had a blast using the other colors on the paint wheel (heck I didn't know that there was anything below the gold section...heh heh).

I live in Alaska but come from the Pacific NW. I completely understand your choice to avoid grey and blue. I don't are for those tones myself, partly because of the location. I think I lean towards the autum colors because I like to embrace the richness of our season's, but not the drearyness (that's not a word) :oP I want to capture a lovely afternoon, not a cold evening. I have enough of those!

Honestly, she didn't even provide you with color names or numbers...you have nothing to use...I'd have to think before I cut a check myself, but you do what makes you feel good...and maybe cut and paste this thread for her :) Maybe she'll contact a real designer and ask how to pick colors for her next client, instead of pulling out her grey blue pallet.

Now...I must MUST ask a little off topic (maybe) question....I read one post...

"funcolors: Sounds like these folks are walking in and just looking at your "stuff". The stuff isn't what's important. I don't even consider art, rugs or anything else until the very end. It's important, but it's not critical."

Honestly...can you explain that to me? I can understand that if you're going to replace all of my "stuff" but in my home, the furniture, rugs and art are all integral to the design...the colors are pulled from these sources (ie in my library we have huge art pieces which are photographs by a friend...and famous photographer...they're cats from the wild. Our paint color was chosen specifically to highlight those pieces and compliment the furnishings" You wouldn't have looked at those???? Splain???Please, I"m not trying to be obnoxious but I just don't understand what you meant?

My dining room would be another great example. I collect venetian glass, which has been incorporated into the design (via adding cabinets in the walls with lights on the glass). The gold paint (who'd a thunk) I chose is specifically picked to highlight the glasswork...

I live on a lake...most people expect blue and green because of the lake. Are you looking to the outside to make these choices if you're not looking at my "stuff"?

(I'm a design student and I want to understand your theory....sorry to pick your brain but you confused me) :oP

Houscrzy, I'm in the Seattle area too. If my house were done in the colors she recommended I think I'd commit suicide. I have no blue in my house and I hate grey or grey undertone to anything. IMO you're absolutely right --and perhaps some people posting here don't realize what it's like to live in grey here 9 months of the year, year after year as we Seattle-ites do, and how short our days are in the winter months. Maybe if we were in Phoenix we'd feel different about grey and love it's cool mood, huh?

My current house had grey undertones in everything, even the white trim, when I bought it. I've been slowly replacing all of it with warmer undertones, which unfortunately included painting the fireplace (though I fauxed it to look like brick, just a warmer tone). The carpet is the last biggie to tackle. It's a greyed out beige that makes me want to slit my wrists in the fall, winter and spring.

I'm so sorry that she didn't listen to you. She should have, and she should take responsibility for giving you the very colors you said you didn't like. She should have worked with you on the colors you told her you wanted, helping you pick the right shades and suggesting some good warm accent shades.

I have to wonder if she's even lived in this area for long. I would think it's pretty basic that most folks living in hot areas of the country can appreciate grey and other cool tones a lot better than we who live in "grey land." We Seattle types need all the sunshine we can get to tide us through our very short winter days where it's pitch black when we leave for work, pitch black when we drive home from work, and steel grey all the time in between. E-hugs to you and go for the warmth and sunshine in your home. I don't think you'll mind it during the week or two of hot weather we get a year.

It sounds like you might do better with a good friend or two willing to spend a little time with you on your color choices?

Hackles up? You're not dealing with a "pro" here and I would NOT pay her since she deliberately went AGAINST your wishes....not only that, she's now defending her choices with what appears to be a pretty weak argument.

Would you email her back and ask her WHY she is defending color choices that you stated you DO NOT WANT???? WHY is she so inflexible? Why, are you as the client, not being listened to?

I just moved from the Seattle 'burbs, and I loved the colors my lady picked for me-so I thought I would pass them along! My DR was BM Flowering Herbs and the LR was BM Standish White. Kitchen and FM was BM Ladyfinger. And they all worked really well with the dreary gray days!

Maybe she was thinking of bringing the outside in and therefore choose the colors accordingly. I know a lot of designers go ahead w/ their visions because after all, THEY are the one w/ the expertise....not the homeowner (not to say it's right or wrong ..but)

When my brother showed the paintchip for this color. I think, how drab & ugly. But seeing it in action you'd never thought grey can be so soothing & organic.

{{gwi:1677324}}

and I bet you'd not pick this green/grey for a bathroom just by looking at the chip ...how murky & depressing. But w/ all the details together ...how glamorous.

{{gwi:1878198}}

If you don't like the palette then you shouldn't have to live w/ it. However, i think, at times when you listen to another voice it helps us think outside our box.

Another solution might be to compromise...write her a check for l/2 her time and state why. I think that would be fair.

Bellaflora,

Your pictures are a perfect example of how beautiful ANY color can look when put together with the right furniture & accessories.

HONESTLY, I would love those colors in YOUR house, not mine. I am NOT a Blue or Grey person. I have been to many homes where the decor is beautiful but not my type. I can sit & enjoy it while visiting, but I NEEEEEED warm colors to feel good in my house.

Looking at those pictures, makes me want to put on a sweater. It gets cold in my neck of the woods-lol
I totally understand where the OP is coming from.

Perhaps, that's the problem with decorators; they love ALL colors & try to fit your needs into what's IN, instead of what the owner likes for their home.

Colors evoke certain feelings in people. There are warm & cool tone lovers out there. I had this joke in my previous developement. I noticed that most, not all of the Black haired people preferred the Grey tones/houses. The Blonde haired people preferred the Beige. That seemed to be the case of the owners. Wierd, but true.

Bellaflora,

What a beautiful color! Can you provide me with the name of the paint and color? My master bath has white carrera tile also. The psint would be perfect.

dabunch: :-) I have dark hair but love the colors of creamy white, chocolate, parchment, olive green, russets.

My point is to ask the Op to keep an open mind. Left to my own device I would pick the same colors over and over and over again houses after houses after houses. Maybe it's a good thing because those colors give me comfort like a bowl of warm oatmeal (or grits or whatever..)

But sometimes I listen to other's vision and was pleasantly surprised.

I would never paint DR black but looking at texashottie's room gives me pause. I would never consider grey for a child's room but after painting DS' room sky blue after blue after blue I'm thinking of doing it in Parma Gray. I hope it would be sophisticated enough for a 7yo ;-)

However, if you don't like the colors then don't use them.

I think I can understand why she suggested those colors. A lot of time designers use nature as reference point for their color. If you live in pnw it makes sense she picks blue & grey tone to mimic the sky color and the counter point would be the warmer wood tone, shots of orange or chartreuse. Like wise, in a beach house you'll see a lot of pale blue, light sand, and in Colorado ski chalet, pure white, silver, shots of chocolate.

I think she's taking the quality of light into consideration. From my personal experience, in our last house (desert house w/ lots of bright intense sun), warmer colors work great and blue & greys seem ghastly. In this house (close to beach) blue & grey & bone seems to work out better. My favorite yellow turn garish on me but the greyish green which never worked before turns out fabulous.

It's not to say that you cannot have that Tuscany farmhouse and all the warm colors in the middle of Aspen but most designers would just go w/ nature instead of fighting it...

my 2c anyway. ;-)

houscrzy, what a horrible experience. The colors she suggested sound very sophisticated and maybe suitable for a New York Manhattan apartment but not for a family home in PNW. I hate that she didn't listen to you or respond in a professional manner. I'm sorry she didn't explain her choices in her letter and instead acted defensive - which just reinforces the idea she maybe isn't very good. Lots of windows when the weather is dark and gloomy outside does not make for a bright and sunny room LOL.

Bellaflora - those are stunning paint colors? What are the names?

Sky: the 1st one is Ashwood by Dunn edwards. I don't know/forgot the name for the 2nd one.

I think DE wells grey is similar, or maybe F&B french gray.

I just can't understand why you didn't make known to the decorator what colors you do like....it seems like that would be the first thing I would tell a decorator. No criticism intended, but perhaps you were not forthright enough with what you did and didn't want...or perhaps she didn't ask the right questions.

Igloo, I am so glad you asked! :-)

I did not say I don't look at "stuff" at all. It's just not my first priority. People first, light second, structure and stuff last.

OP's situation is a great example. Sounds like the designer's argument for her color choices were based solely on her evaluation of the inherent light, atmosphere.

It is very important, and it takes a certain skill set, to find the right range of wall colors to partner with inherent light and resulting atmosphere. However, the selected wall colors have to be in alignment with identified client expectations and design goals too.

It has to be a combination of people, light, structure and stuff. Isolating and focusing on just one area of that strategy *might* fit the expectations and design goals best -- that can be the case sometimes, i.e. a picture is the focus and the wall color is chosen with that as a priority.

Usually, when someone is struggling or looking for that "wow" factor, it is a matter of carefully considering all three areas (people, light, and structure/stuff) to bring it all together and truly design with color so it meets expectations and desires and is overall a good fit for the space.

On the back of my business cards, it reads, "I customize environments and create unique atmospheres. Your exclusive color strategy goes beyond choosing pretty paint colors." Designing with color is different from just picking out paint colors. Sometimes just picking out paint colors is good enough, and that is typically, what most designers/decorators do.

However, there are homeowners who *know* that there is more. The typical methods of color leave them a bit flat, unsatisfied. The colors in their house all "match" and "flow", but they are never quite right for them. They can't quite put their finger on what's "wrong". All the decorator color tips and tricks were sought out and followed. The room was duly 60-30-10'd, the palette was repeated room to room, the values of the wall colors were kept consistent, they didn't mix warm and cool colors, etc. etc. etc., but it still isn't them, what they envisioned the space would look and feel like.

Those people can see the possibilities, feel that color can have more meaning and *do* something for them in their environment. They just don't know how and the staid methods of color simply do not cut it for those people. Sometimes you need to go deeper and more complete.

It all depends on individual expectations and tolerances, and defined goals and objectives. Allowing "stuff" to be the immediate go-to method for choosing wall colors is not the approach that I find most consistent, reliable, or successful. Might be the fastest and easiest, but it is hardly the only or best way.

Hi-
Jellyben--thanks for the color ideas--I have a big box of BM chips in the back of my car so I will take a look.
Bellaflora--yes I do think that is why she picked those colors--to bring nature inside. But there is a lot of GREEN outside; it's the Pacific NW--I like green, but alas no green.
And yes I hired her so that I might get a different perspective, as I too tend to go for the same colors over and over. So that's in part why I didn't say "you must pick a green for this room, and you must pick a taupe for this room etc." As I said before, I should have been more definitive, but I did tell her what I didn't like and wanted to see what she might come up with that I wouldn't have thought of. So it's a bit of a rock and a hard place--too directive and what's the point of hiring a new perspective. Not directive enough and you get all brown-grey!
This weekend, an artist friend kindly looked at the colors that I had picked out with me. She tweaked things a little, had some great suggestions, and to my amazement came up with a blue (with grey in it!) that I like for my daughter's room (the 10 year old who wants to paint her room eye-popping turquoise--we'll see if I can get this alternative past her!) So I am open to new ideas and suggestions, and I certainly think a good designer can bring a lot to the project. I probably could have had an extended conversation with this designer and reached some kind of compromise. The trouble with that is--it's on my dime! I just don't have the cash right now to pay for two or 3 more hours of conversation at $125 an hour to get there when we are starting out so far apart.
I'm going to try to take a picture of the swatches and post it just for kicks. You're all going to love it and tell me I'm an idiot for rejecting it, I know!!! :)

It seems as if every one and their Aunt Sally is purporting themselves as color consultants these days. I think I need to share a few things. Maybe put a bit of reality and perspective to what a real color consultation can be like. I've been consulting exclusively color for about five years now. I don't do window treatments or pillows. I only do color. I've learned a lot about the process over the years and like to think I keep getting better at it, but am always looking for ways to improve and streamline.

I might also add that the odds are better if you can find an independent color designer who specializes in color and doesn't sell paint for anyone.

If someone is really good with color, good at consulting people about color specifically, it doesn't take hours and hours to define and identify what needs defined and identified. If it does, then there's a problem. Introducing new ideas and giving fresh color suggestions is just part of the job and is a given. I always manage to slip an unexpected color or two on the table for consideration. Soft nudges into new color territory is what I like to call it. ;-)

My appointments average two hours and we can get as much as 5,000 sq. ft done in two hours or a complete exterior. I don't charge by the hour, I charge a flat fee per project. However, two hours is about the max most people can take at one time, especially if it's an entire floor or home. Much past the two-hour mark and the energy starts to wane. If it is a large house, I split it over a couple days time because the pace truly can be intense.

I follow up a few days later and we finalize the color schedule. I rarely need to make return follow up trips out to a house. It has happened, but not often - one involved a color blind DH which made it more challenging than usual. When I leave, the color decisions are a done deal. Large chips and/or samples are left (or ordered for asap delivery) for the client to play with and look at and get used to -- get EXCITED about new colors!

Every now and then, there's a follow up phone call or two because something comes up, but that's all included in the original price. It's usually not *that* much more time tacked on.

Should you have been more definitive and clear about what you wanted? No, not really. IMO, not your responsibility. She just needed to ask the right set of questions and listened to what you did -- and didn't -- say in the narrow window of time that everyone could stay engaged and energized about the color tasks at hand.

Thanks for the explaination Funcolors :) I think I'd enjoy working with you on a project!

I first read your statements too extremely in that it seemed you ignored the "stuff". The explaination makes so much sense though and I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.

I wonder what you'd choose for the "me" you met and then the "stuff" heh heh oh and let's throw in the light (or lack there of) as a bonus round. Here in Alaska it's rather challenging to think of light when decorating. I do of course, but you have to consider the location in Alaska very carefully. Juneau is more like Seattle...a bit dreary in the winter and fall, but lovely in the Summer. Anchorage sees less sunlight than Juneau, so you have to consider the lack of sun when decorating. But then again, we're full sun, 24/7 for a couple of months in summer, which complicates things :)

In the house in texas I did use a great deal of soft blue and then pulled in deeper tones. In a very HOT climate, the blue in the master suite felt very comfortable to me. Here in Alaska, I guess I see enough Blue in our ice bergs, and I don't want to see it at home. It's a lovely color mind you...but just not for me. (Which sucks because I'm sitting on several very high quality carpets from that tx house that I can't use because of the blue's).

Here I guess I embrace the season we don't have much of, fall :) I find those colors read well in both the glaring sun and the dreary winter.

I would agree with you that when you go into some homes where they followed all the "right" formula's it still dosen't feel "right". I'd say though, that for 90% of the population, they're fine with the right formula, (heck half of them just want beige or white) but my favorite decor isn't just about the "right" formula, it has much more to do with individuality in colors, but then follows with a smooth flow and both color and texture in color are taken into consideration.

When I get the place done and can post pictures...I'd love to have your honest opinion :) Mind you...we could all be dead then (it's a slow project LOL) but if we finish ohhh in the next six years..I want you to tell me if they work or not :oP