Complimentary Color Consulting

FAQs about our Free Color Consulting Service:

Here are some frequently asked questions about working with our color consultant to help you choose interior and exterior colors for your home.

How do I work with your designer?

Our designer Kate Rafoth can help you narrow down colors to a few paint choices that will work well with your furnishings. She will never push you into colors you’re uncomfortable with but will help expand your options to colors you might not have chosen without guidance.

Kate is a designer on the South Shore, and we pay her to work with our clients for free.

Why use a color consultant?

Many customers get stuck choosing a color and can’t move forward. This is why 20% of our customers take advantage of our free color consultant. You’ll be living with your paint colors for years, so being thrilled with them makes all the difference to us.

Can’t I choose paint colors myself?

Ordinary people without design experience tend to choose colors that look very light on the color samples they get at the paint store but appear much darker or brighter when painted in a whole room. That “baby pink” from the sample chip can look more like “bubblegum” when painted on all four walls.

Neutral colors are tough to get right, too. Whites have undertones that are hard to read on the small paint chips. Pick the wrong white, and the walls can look dirty or yellow. Color Consultants are trained to see the color nuances in whites and neutrals that the average person has trouble seeing.

Without a designer’s help, you’ll likely be able to get a good “first read” on the paint color, but you’ll likely have trouble determining the undertones that will cause your home to look “too blue” or “too yellow” when the project is done.  Having Kate help you choose colors allows you to drill down in the color family you like to a color you’ll love.

Even if the color you choose is the exact color of a friend’s house you love, it will look different since the lighting in your home is different.

I like the paint color on the home’s exterior at 334 Main Street. Can you match that color for me?

Yes! You’ll let us know that you like the color at home across town, and we’ll have our designer, Kate drive by the house.  She’ll then consider the lighting and shade of your home and choose a color that will make your home look the same color.  What’s interesting is that the color you end up with may or may not be the exact paint color as the home you liked, but it will LOOK like the exact paint color once Kate considers the shade and sun your home is exposed to.  And yes, all of this is free once you hire us to paint for you.

Can CertaPro’s designer help me choose both interior and exterior colors?

Yes!  While many designers can help you choose interior colors, Kate also specializes in helping you choose exterior colors.  You won’t believe the difference a few subtle touches of paint make to the outcome of your exterior.

Will your designer push me into trendy paint colors?

When we were interviewing designers, it was super important to us that the consultant had a demeanor that was open-minded and low-key – we didn’t want the consultant to push their taste onto our customers, but rather work with our customers’ tastes to choose the best palette for them.

Most of our customers are so happy with the result that they mention Kate by name in our reviews.

How much does it cost to use a color consultant?

Free if you’re a customer of CertaPro Painters of the South Shore, Plymouth, and Boston areas.

If you’re not our customer, check Google for local designers on the South Shore and Boston area – usually, you can find a designer for about $100/hour.

How can I visualize what the colors might look like?

Sample the paint color first.

If you want us to order you large Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore paint samples (for free!), just email us at [email protected], and we’ll have them mailed to you. Just let us know the names and numbers of the paint colors. This is a free service we offer to anyone – even do-it-yourselfers!

CertaPro offers free color paint renderings even before you hire us!

If you’re considering choosing new colors for your home, mention that to your estimator during your free quote.  He or she will snap a photo of your house or rooms, and our designer Kate will provide free paint color renderings that allow you to visualize your home or space after it’s painted.  All of this before you even hire us!

Will the paint color look different when it dries?

Yes, you can only judge the color after the paint has completely dried.

What if I don’t like the paint color I chose?

Stop the painting immediately.  It’s easier and less expensive to stop the painters before they apply more paint than to have to repaint your whole project.

Is there any “rule of thumb” when choosing new paint colors?

The most important thing to consider is how a color makes you feel.

Our color consultant Kate will have Clients choose ten colors they like from a fan deck and then ask them to use words to describe how each color makes them feel.  Try this yourself, and you’ll see that certain colors can be eliminated immediately.