I was reading a book about color theory for painters and it made me rethink my consultation process

The book talked about how people see color in context, not in a vacuum. It said a blue looks different next to a green than it does next to an orange. I realized I was doing the same thing with my clients. I'd show them a swatch of a single hair color and ask if they liked it. Last week, I tried something new with a client wanting to go ash blonde. Instead of just showing her the target shade, I held it next to a piece of her own clothing and a photo of her living room wall, which are both warm tones. Her eyes got wide and she said, 'Oh, that looks way grayer than I thought it would.' It clicked that the color she wanted might not work with her whole life. Now I'm bringing in fabric swatches and paint chips to my consultations. How do you guys show color options to help clients really see the final look?

3 comments

3 Comments

ramirez.betty1mo ago

Totally get this! I did the same thing with tile samples for a kitchen remodel. Showing a single white subway tile is useless. I started laying them on the client's actual countertop material. The difference is night and day, and it saves so many headaches later.

the_tara26d ago

Ever try taping the samples to the wall at different times of day? The light change is wild.

derekjenkins1mo ago

That moment when you said "her eyes got wide" is exactly it. You see the lightbulb go off. I do the same with paint colors. A gray chip looks one way in the store, but put it on the wall next to their brown couch and a wood floor, and the whole feeling changes. It stops being just a color and starts being a part of the room.