Is the thought of painting too stressful for you?

<![CDATA[Do you consider yourself an early adopter of technology? Do you get excited about the launch of a new product from Apple or Microsoft or Samsung? Do you even stand in line to be one of the first to purchase the latest and greatest launch?

Conversely, do you find that the colors in your home are the same as they were 10, 15 or 20 years ago? Or, when you finally decide to make a color change do you ruminate about it for weeks or months?

I’d say if the second scenario sounds like you, you’re not alone. Many of my clients are right there with you. They know they need a change but the thought of changing paint colors is daunting.

Why? Well, let me list some of the reasons I’ve heard from clients who are stuck.

1. Painting is a lot of work. Even if I hire it out I still have to move everything into the center of the room and that China cabinet from my grandmother is heavy. Not to mention I have to take down all my art.
2. What if I don’t like the color once it’s on the wall? The last time I painted I made 4 trips to the paint store and I still don’t really like the color. I’m not going through that again.
3. I have vaulted ceilings and all the rooms flow into each other. There’s no real place to change the color. That scares me if I make a mistake.

It turns out that all of them are fears.  Fear of doing manual labor (that might result in a unsatisfying result) and fear of wasted efforts with again, unsatisfied results.

Let’s look at this in relation to your technology purchases.

1. You don’t think twice about standing in line to get your new laptop, iWhatever or phone. It’s exciting but it still takes your time.
2. You don’t worry about not liking your purchase because that brand always puts out products you love. New technology takes some getting used to but that’s part of the fun. You can even pick up a book about your new phone at the store. There are experts to help.

Wait, experts to help? What if you applied that to picking paint colors? Imagine how much less stressful it would be if you had an expert to help you navigate the color wheel. Ahhh.

While I don’t know a single designer who will help you move your furniture, unless you are a blood relative or have something you can use to blackmail them, you can hire one to help with the color selection. Think of all the stress and worry that would be alleviated by hiring help.

Designers have had special training on color theory which gives them a full understanding of how colors work together in your home, how lighting interacts with the colors and how the color will appear in large scale. Additionally, they’ve worked with many many colors and know what works with what type of room and furniture.  They know which colors cast a warm feeling or a crisp undertone, how colors should flow from one room to the next. That alone should lower your anxiety about painting.

So now, thinking about painting should be less daunting than thinking about standing in line for the next gadget.  Don’t you think?]]>