Featured Designer
Voice of Color is the brainchild of Josette Buisson, the
inspired color expert behind Pittsburgh Paints innovative color
system. From the traditional to the unexpected, Ms. Buisson and
her team have put together a program that will enlighten you.
Peruse the website and you'll expand your understanding
of color.
Voice of Color has designated Cristina as one of their Featured Designers. Check out their
website and you'll see Cristina's lushly colored interiors and
an article she wrote for design industry professionals. The
Voice of Color's Featured Designers are experienced
professionals who express their own artistic vision of space
and comfort through color. Read Cristina's article posted on
the Voice of Color web site.
Getting Into Your Client’s Head
Environmentalism is in
the air and the color green has become the color of sustainable
change. Pay attention to the news and you’ll observe that
people are thinking and talking about the environment every
day. Our thoughts and conversations manifest in our choices,
and that includes the choice of the color we put on the
wall.
bad. Everything
we see, hear, feel, smell and touch informs our color
perceptions.So how do you get out of your own head and into your client’s head? Nurture your intuition and you can leapfrog your personal preferences and truly hear your client.
Developing active listening skills will enable you to successfully engage your intuition in the process. Listening between the lines of your conversations with the client and observing their reactions to choices will give your subconscious the clues you need to respond intuitively. I’m not saying you need to psychically pull solutions out of the atmosphere, though that would be nice. You do need to be open to ideas that may seem a bit random. Here’s an example: I was working with a couple who were finishing a very complicated remodel of their home. They brought me in to help them create their foundation color palette. Things went well until we got to the master bedroom. They couldn’t agree and their frustration with the remodel and each other was growing. They went to another room to quietly argue, leaving me alone with my color samples. During that time, I started leafing through the samples. The name Mt. Rainer Gray caught my eye. I knew that the couple was very athletic and spent time in the Cascade Mountain range. The color fit well with the existing palette, so I presented it to them when they returned, making a point to say the name of the sample (something I usually don’t do). They looked at the color, looked at each other and exclaimed, “That’s where we met!” Remembering how much they enjoyed each other (when they weren’t remodeling) they quickly put aside their frustrations and agreed on the color.
My solution was a long shot; nonetheless, it illustrates how by observing and listening carefully my subconscious got enough clues to create an answer for my clients. Intuition isn’t failsafe, but is does help. Begin to exercise your intuition by starting with something down-to-earth. Note the color of something your client enjoys regularly: a favorite food or drink, a color they wear often, even the color of their dog or cat can be a starting point. Include that color (or something similar) among their choices and watch their response. People and their perceptions are constantly changing. Clearly observe what is and your mind becomes more open to what might be.
Guiding my clients through change and watching them grow with their choices is a gratifying aspect of my work. Buildings shape how we live our lives and the designs we live with reflect our past and prepare us for our possibilities. Relevant design brings beauty to the process. It’s good work!
See more of Cristina's color consulting work.
