Has anyone used an interior designer just to help with colors?

[clh2]

I am having difficulty trying to decide what color(s) we should have our kitchen painted so that room coordinates with our family room (navy and beige walls). I would love to see a cranberry color on part of the walls, but don't have any great breaking spots to then incorporate a nuetral color as well.

So I am wondering, have any of you just used an interior designer or decorator to help out with color ideas?

Thanks much!

 

[Otimon]

Have never used a designer so can't help you there. How about painting your kitchen white and just add touches of cranberry (or whatever color) to cabinet door knobs, kitchen pictures, flower pots, etc. If you have open space between your cabinets and the ceiling there are many objects you can put up to go with your other colors. Much easier to change should get tired of it in the future.

Good luck. I'm sure whatever you decide will be just right!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

I have someone that I use by the hour. She had some incredible ideas for our 2 bathrooms and bedroom remodel. We had water damage between our walls and had to completely gut 2 baths. Luckily the insurance co. of the contractor paid for our remodel. Long story.

I had a 2 week old and was not up to making logical decisions. She was great.

Lori

 

[babylisa4]

We just built a house and I did have an interior designer help with the colors. I had never used one before so didn't know what to expect. Just thought they might be bossy and I'd end up with stuff I didn't like. I will tell you that mine helped me soooo much especially with the colors. The ones I have I love and would never have chosen them. My walls a called pueblo clay(kind of a taupe with more gray hues than gold). I have lots of cranberry accents. My cabinets are sort of a worn looking taupe finish. I can't believe what a difference having someone help me with colors made though.

 

[Robinrs]

I've never used one, and won't because I consider myself ONE...

Lowes' has a great Virtual Painter on it's site that I've used for my sister's home and mine. They allow you to "paint" a room without making a commitment. http://www.lowes.com/lkn?action=pg&p=Promos/paintvizsplash.html&rn=none Click on "Click Here to Visualize your own look!" It even helped my son to pick a color for HIS room!

 

[RUDisney]

I asked a friend of mine for help in selecting draperies and wall colors in 1997. She made up some story boards with sample colors on them and we selected what we wanted. Then she started telling us other ideas she had for our house. Well, they were just too good, so we had to use them. Cha-ching!

By the time we got to talking to the seamstress, we had spent a bundle and had finished our first floor, with the exception of the kitchen. When the seamstress quoted us $4,400 for curtains for 3 windows, we decided that the shears that were already there looked lovely.

We haven't regretted anything that we've done in the house and we are very thankful that we used our friend's advice. The house has appreciated significantly in 10 years and she is a big part of the reason for that.

 

[arminnie]

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Yes, several times. I am the kind of person that cannot pick out white paint on my own. Do you realize how many variations of white there are???

I hired a designer by the hour in CA - I think the bill was about $130 and it was the BEST money that I spent. She gave me references for painters and workmen who saved me a bundle.

When I moved here I used the design services from a paint store. It was free but I bought the paint from them. My dining room is sort of a cranberry color and looks GREAT. I would have never picked the colors that the designer came up with in a million years. She was never pushy though. In fact she insisted that I buy a 1/2 pint of the colors and test it on the walls to be sure that I liked it.