Exterior Color Consultations

It Takes Guts to Paint Brick

Posted by Patsy on October 1, 2012 1 Comment

Recently I had the privilege of working with yet another wonderful client who needed help on an exterior transformation. (Being an Atlanta color consultant is so much fun!) This homeowner had just expanded her home and, in the process, realized she couldn’t match her existing brick. What was she to do? Paint it, of course! Here is what her home looked like originally:

ranch home in Dunwoody with drive under garage

Dunwoody Home – before

Isn’t that a beautiful, picturesque setting? When I got there that day most of the structural changes had been made, but Jeannie needed help with a color palette. Since the brick was going to be painted, the “unchanging elements” of the home we needed to work around were the gray roof and warm stone that had been added around the front door. Jeannie knew she wanted a lighter body with a darker trim. We decided to go with gray hues that had a slight green undertone. Here is the palette we decided on that day:

Brick: SW 7051 – Analytical Gray
Trim: SW 7053 – Adaptive Shade
Shutters: Black Alder (a Sherwin-Williams stain)

Ready to see the new look?

Dunwoody home transformed with painted brick.

Dunwoody Home – after

Dunwoody home in Analytical Gray and Adaptive Shade

Dunwoody Home – after

Isn’t that the coziest little cottage you’ve ever seen? I love the new stone and “build-out” at the front door. The decision was made to paint the garage door the same color as the brick since the homeowner wanted it to “disappear.” If you want a garage door to stand out, paint it in a contrasting color.

While it took guts for Jeannie to paint her brick home, the transformation would not have been complete without doing so. Way to go, Jeannie! She is now working inside and has already painted her interior fireplace brick, but that’s another story for another day.

If you need to update your home, either inside or out, call Patsy at 770-843-2307 to schedule a consultation. Color never sleeps.

Coastal Breeze Seafood Grill

Posted by Patsy on August 28, 2012 1 Comment

Several months ago I received a call from a new restaurant owner in Buford, GA. He had purchased an existing facility that had been out of business for some time and was now looking to open a new restaurant with an entirely different look. He needed the help of an Atlanta color consultant. Mike had gotten my name from a former client, Erik, who I had helped with a color palette for his restaurant some months prior, but that’s another story for another day.

When I arrived that day for the exterior color consultation, here is what I saw:

Restaurant – Before

Restaurant – before

The owner wanted a drastic change for this seafood restaurant near Lake Lanier. I went to work and came up with a color palette featuring Sherwin-Williams paint colors: Body – Turkish Tile, SW7610; Trim – Pure White, SW7005; Roof – Grizzle Gray, SW7068. Are you ready for the “after”? Take a look:

Coastal Breeze painted in SW Turkish Tile #7610

Coastal Breeze painted in Turkish Tile, SW7610

Coastal Breeze trimmed in Pure White, SW7005

What do you think? Isn’t it AMAZING what a coat of paint can do to completely transform a building? While the trim was painted, I believe the owner decided to stay with the original roof color. I think that was a good call, don’t you? The shimmery gray looks great with the rich watery blue. If it ain’t broke…

As great a transformation as this was, we weren’t through. Several weeks later I received a call from Erik, the guy who had give Mike my name to begin with. Erik say, “Hey Patsy, I need your help with the restaurant up at the lake. When can you meet me?” Huh? Why was Erik calling me to help with Mike’s property that had just been painted? As it turned out, Mike had decided he had enough on his plate without opening a new restaurant in Buford and had since sold the restaurant to Erik, who was looking for a new challenge. So now we had come full circle and I was back to working with Erik.

When he and I later met at the restaurant, it was to begin work on the inside. Here is how the restaurant looked “before”:

Restaurant with Jaws – before

Isn’t this fun? You gotta love Jaws greeting you as you pop through the front door, but Erik was ready for something else. Shown below is the new look:

The new Coastal Breeze with a fresh look

Coastal Breeze done in Pantry Peach, SW3106 and Creamy, SW7012

Quite a difference, huh? While I selected paint and stain colors, Erik’s wife did the decorating and his mom worked on window treatments. It takes a village. Plus, the carpenter, Brian, worked night and day on recreating the bar. Here are the before & after shots of that area:

Restaurant Bar – before

Coastal Breeze Bar

I think Brian did an outstanding job! While he worked his magic on the redesign, I selected the bar stain — Bright Cherry, SW3109 and the color for the accent wall — Brandywine, SW7710.

This was such a fun project! I want to thank Erik for letting me be a part of it as his Atlanta color consultant. The new restaurant, Coastal Breeze Seafood Grill at 5390 Lanier Islands Parkway in Buford, GA, is now open and ready to serve you! Here’s a link to their website. Erik treated me and my family to lunch a few months ago, so I can testify personally that the food is GREAT! If you see Erik, tell him Patsy sent you and let him know what you think of the new look.

Coastal Breeze Seafood Grill

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Commercial Color Consultations, Exterior Color Consultations, Selecting Paint Colors | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, Brandywine SW7710, color consultant, color palette, exterior color consultation, Pantry Peach SW3106, Pure White SW7005, Turkish Tile SW7610

Is Yours the “Pink House” on the Street?

Posted by Patsy on July 21, 2012 3 Comments

Earlier this year I received a call from a new Atlanta homeowner who needed the help of a color consultant. The remodeling was almost done, but he couldn’t decide on paint colors for both interior and exterior. Here is what I found when I arrived that day:

Salmon Exterior – before

While this “salmon” exterior works well with the unchanging elements of the home — primarily the roof and stone – it was time for an update. I mean, who wants their home to be known as “the pink one”?

As we began the color consultation, the homeowner informed me that he had already met with one designer who tried to steer him in a direction he didn’t want to take. See below:

exterior colors the homeowner was not happy with

Exterior Palette #1

People often ask me, “Patsy, how do you go about selecting exterior paint colors?” Here is the process:

Take note of the “look and feel” of the subdivision or area.
Notice the colors of the houses on either side. The home I’m working on should not be a duplicate of either of those color palettes.
Ask the homeowner what direction he/she would like to take. In the end, it’s his home and he should be happy with paint color selections.
Always work from the unchanging elements of the home. You may have seen colors on a home down the street that look fabulous, but will those colors work with your brick, your stone and your roof?
Finally, working from color palettes, look for the best blend of hues to marry the unchanging elements of the home.

While the sample colors painted on the windowsill and body in the photo above were not bad choices, they simply were not the direction the homeowner wanted to take. (Refer to point #3 above.) He was looking for something much warmer and more inviting. So what did we select? (Please notice I said “we.” I am not there to “dictate” colors to my clients, but to guide them through the process and prevent them from making costly mistakes along the way.)

This Atlanta home has gone from Salmon to Blonde.

After – SW6128 “Blonde”

Isn’t this lovely? Since the homeowner knew where he wanted to go all along, it was simply a matter of finding the right hue of “sunshine” for his home. The body is Sherwin-Williams 6128 “Blonde” and the trim, SW6126 “Navajo White.”

The moral of the story is this: always listen to your client. Determine the direction he wants to take, then gently guide him toward making the best choices. If he’s headed in the wrong direction, explain why that’s not the way to go; but in the end, it’s his home. He must be happy with the color selections. In this case, the homeowner knew he didn’t want the dark, brownish gray body the first consultant tried to steer him toward, but was very pleased with the results of the “honey” hues.

Credit: “Before” shots taken by Mallory Pearson, who was assisting me that day. Thank you, Mallory!

If you are having trouble selecting paint colors for your home, either interior or exterior, call Patsy, your Atlanta color consultant, today! 770-843-2307

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Exterior Color Consultations, Selecting Paint Colors | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, Blonde, color palette, exterior paint colors, Navajo White, professional color consultant, Sherwin-Williams

White Raisin Does the Trick!

Posted by Patsy on June 21, 2012 6 Comments

I absolutely LOVE doing Atlanta color consultations. It seems that during the fall and winter I do more interior work, while in the spring and summer there is more of a call for exterior consultations. I’m sure this has to do with the weather. Regardless, I have some beautiful before & after pics to share with you today.

Superior Pro Painting Company in Marietta uses me as their Atlanta color consultant when they have clients who can’t make a decision on color selections. This happens quite frequently. In May I consulted with their new clients, Eric & Amy. While Amy had a very specific idea of the direction she wanted to take with her home, she was having a hard time finding the right hues to carry out her vision. Here is the picture she used as her inspiration:

Exterior colors - yellow body, white trim, black shutters

Amy’s Inspiration Photo

Isn’t that beautiful? While most of my clients have an “idea” of the direction they want to take, very few of them are as specific as Amy was that day. Here is what her home looked like when I arrived for her color consultation:

before photo of two-story traditional home

Eric & Amy’s Home – before

What you can’t see in this photo are the various shades of white and yellow that Eric & Amy had painted on either side of their front door. I have found that many homeowners spend a small fortune on “sample” cans of paint trying to find just the right hues before I arrive. I pulled out my Sherwin-Williams fan decks and 8 1/2″ x 11″ sample sheets of colors and we went to work. Here is the palette we decided on:

Body – White Raisin #7685
Trim – Dover White #6385
Accent – Tricorn Black #6258

And the final result?

Exterior done in White Raisin, Dover White & Tricorn Black

Eric & Amy’s Home – after

Isn’t that amazing??? I can’t get over how striking the yellow is set off by the black and white and how we were able to nail Amy’s vision. I applaud her for having such a clear picture (in this case, literally) of where she wanted to take her home. Then it became just a simple (?) matter of finding the right shades, tints and tones of the yellow, black and white.

Thank you, Amy, for sending the before & after shots for me to share with my clients! Job well done!

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Exterior Color Consultations, Featured Project, Selecting Paint Colors | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, before & after pictures, color consultation, exterior consultations, Sherwin-Williams, Superior Pro Painting

Another Exterior Paint Transformation

Posted by Patsy on June 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

Several months ago I was contacted by a homeowner looking for an Atlanta color consultant. (He actually found me on Twitter! Another social media success story.) He needed to have the exterior of his house painted but wasn’t sure which colors to go with. In the photo below you can see that the original colors for both siding and trim were a creamy yellow:

50's ranch home before being updated with a fresh coat of paint.

“Before” Photo by Kate Staley

This well maintained 50′s ranch is as pretty as a picture, but needs a stronger tie-in between brick and paint colors. The homeowner already knew he wanted to use some red in the mix. As always, we were careful to work from the “unchanging elements” of the home — in this case the charcoal gray roof and brick — and came up with a color palette of grays using a deep blue/red as an accent.

This home has gone from a creamy yellow palette to grays.

“After” photo by Kate Staley

Here’s a tighter shot with a better view of the correlation between brick and the new color palette:

“After” photo by Kate Staley

And what did this frugal homeowner do with the aluminum screens when he didn’t want to spend big bucks paying for new windows? He painted them, of course! How resourceful!

I absolutely love the way the gray and red plays off of the tones in the brick. Having lots of 8 1/2 x 11″ color samples in my tool kit helps tremendously in selecting the right shade of red, gray, or whatever is in order for any given job. A special word of thanks goes out to this gentleman for sending me the before and after shots of his home so that I could share the new look with you.

Are you about to paint your home, either interior or exterior, but have no idea which direction to take? Professional help is available! Call this Atlanta color consultant today to schedule your appointment. 770-843-2307 And remember out motto: color never sleeps.

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Filed Under: All About Color, Exterior Color Consultations, Selecting Paint Colors, Social Media | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, color consultation, color palette, social media, Twitter

Don’t Be Afraid Of a Colorful Front Door

Posted by Patsy on June 18, 2012 2 Comments

A couple of months ago I got a call from homeowners in Alpharetta requesting an exterior color consultation. They wanted a bit of a change to their current look, but weren’t sure which way to go. When I arrived, here is what I saw:

Rustic Exterior - before

In the above photo you are seeing only a portion of the home. It is lovely being quite large and rather rambling, positioned on a golf course. Dave & Joanne were ready to warm up the color palette, but weren’t sure which hues to choose. I told them the same thing I tell all my color clients, “We always work from the unchanging elements of the home — in this case the roof and stone.” I got out my Sherwin-Williams color palettes and we went to work.

Being an Atlanta color consultant I always request that my clients email me before and after photos. Most of them forget. (Yes, I forgive you!) In this case, Dave & Joanne were faithful to contact me several weeks later with the shots. Here is the “after”:

After a color consultation, this Atlanta home was ready to be painted!

Rustic Atlanta Home - after

How do you like the new look? We used Sherwin-Williams “Sand Castle” #3006 for the siding, “Tavern Taupe” #7508 for the trim and “Black Fox” #7020 for the window sashes. And you’ve gotta love the warm, inviting front door! We chose the color based on the deep orange tones in the stone and went with “Sierra Redwood” #7598. Had it not been for the brightly colored front door, the change would’ve been very subtle; but Dave & Joanne were up for a little drama and I think the final results are fantastic! They were great fun to work with and I’d like to thank them for their follow-up email with the before and after photos attached. It’s always great to see the end result!

If you are about to paint the exterior of your home but are struggling with color selections, give me a call. I will come to your home with color palettes, two large notebooks full of 8 1/2 x 11″ color samples, and a form to write up our selections for your painter. Don’t have a painter? I can help with that, too!

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Exterior Color Consultations, Featured Project | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, color consultation, exterior color consultation, Sherwin-Williams

Is Your Home “In the Pink”?

Posted by Patsy on January 3, 2012 4 Comments

In today’s Atlanta market it’s difficult to sell any home, but nearly impossible when the exterior paint color has a pinkish hue.

Several weeks ago I met with a new client in Duluth for an exterior color consultation. Alina and her husband had been trying to sell their beautiful two-story home for a number of months. While the home is in immaculate condition both inside and out, there was still a problem. Take a look at the “before” photos below to see if you can determine what needed to be corrected:

Duluth Home - before

Yes, as lovely as the home was, the exterior paint color had a definite pinkish hue. Alina knew this was something that needed to be corrected in order to sell the home. So how did this color consultant work with the homeowner to determine which palette to go with? Here are the steps we took:

We drove the neighborhood to determine the right “look” and “feel” that would be appropriate.
We took note of the homes on either side and across the street from this home, being careful not to duplicate their colors.
I pointed out the unchanging elements of Alina’s home — namely the charcoal gray roof and stark white window sashes — which we had to work from.
Knowing that the current trend is toward gray, we came up with the palette shown below.

While Alina loved the new palette, she still lived in fear of the colors turning pink on her. After several reassuring phone calls, she took a deep breath and had the house painted by Bill Siegel with CertaPro. Shown below are the final results:

two-story home with new gray color palette

Duluth Home - after

Duluth home with Sherwin-Williams gray color palette

Duluth Home - after

Now the home is no longer “in the pink” and Alina is thrilled. Here is what she had to say in a follow-up email: “Patsy, it’s STUNNING!!!! Pictures don’t do it justice. Just the look I envisioned. You are a genius. Thank you so much. Now I don’t want to move!!!!”

I want to thank Alina for her testimonial and for allowing me to share her story and photos with you. As the home was painted only a few weeks ago, to my knowledge it is still on the market. If you are looking for a beautiful, spacious home in Duluth, you might like to put this one on your list. Here are the particulars:

7040 Sweet Creek Road, Johns Creek, GA 30097
Sugar Mill Subdivision
6 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 1 half bath
Contact: Lynn & Mitch Wieskopf, Harry Norman Realtors at 770-418-0990 or mwieskopf@aol.com

Is your home “in the pink”? If so, you need professional help! Call today to schedule your color consultation with Patsy.

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Color Trends, Exterior Color Consultations | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, color consultation, color palette, Duluth color consultant, professional color consultant

Atlanta Color Consultant Doubles as Marriage Counselor

Posted by Patsy on October 17, 2011 Leave a Comment

Can this marriage be saved???

Over the weekend I received an email that went something like this: “Patsy, my Sherwin-Williams store recommended you to help me with my costly mistake when we had the exterior of our home painted. I need your help to correct the color I’m struggling with. My husband, on the other hand, loves the color. Would you help us with a compromise?” I had to smile. Believe it or not, I receive similar requests rather frequently. (I did two exterior Atlanta color consultations this past Saturday where the husband and wife couldn’t agree on the colors! I’m considering adding “Marriage Counseling” to my list of services.)

"My husband likes the colors, but I don't. It's a serious problem in our marriage!"

So how do I help save the home and the marriage? Here are the rules that apply when selecting exterior paint colors for your home:

Note your surroundings. The colors you put on your home should be in keeping with the general “look” of the other homes in the area. Case in point — this spring I saw a home in a beautiful million dollar subdivision. The homeowners had just spent BIG BUCKS on massive exterior upgrades with impressive results, but they broke rule #1. Their home looked like something that would belong on Sea Island rather than the Atlanta country club community they were in. The look was completely out of place.
Stay true to the architectural detail of the home. If your home is contemporary, you probably don’t want to use “old world” colors.
When selecting exterior colors, always work from the unchanging elements of the home, such as brick and stone. And please don’t forget to take the roof into consideration!
Since most exteriors are in the “neutral” category, you MUST take note of the undertones of those neutrals. This is crucial. If you are unaware of how to read undertones, then you may end up with a pink house!

Do you not feel qualified to work within these guidelines? Great! What you need is the assistance of a professional Atlanta Color Consultant. As for the marriage thing, I’ll give it my best shot but you’ll need to sign a disclaimer, okay?

In closing, I will leave you with my motto: Friends don’t let friends select their own paint colors.

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Filed Under: All About Color, Color Consultations, Exterior Color Consultations | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, color consultation, professional color consultant

Atlanta Color Consultant At Work

Posted by Patsy on June 8, 2011 Leave a Comment

In case you were unaware, this Atlanta color consultant does both interior and exterior color consultations.

I had an interesting conversation with my brother, sister and other family members at a recent family gathering. As is normally the case when we haven’t seen each other in awhile, we were catching up. Somehow the conversation turned to Atlanta color consultations. (Did I do that???) My sister asked, “How do you approach selecting colors for an exterior paint job? Where do you start?” Great questions! I thought I’d share the answers with you here.

When I pull into the driveway of the home to be painted, the first things I take note of are the unchanging elements — typically the brick, stone and the roof. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring them! Picking a color you like without taking into consideration all elements of the exterior is a recipe for disaster. It’s crucial to view the house as a whole rather than just focus on the surfaces to be painted. Here is the exterior photo of a recent client’s home:

Exterior "Old World" - before

In this case, it was primarily the roof color and wrought iron work around the windows that were unchanging. Also, needless to say, I must take into consideration my client’s wishes. These homeowners wanted to “lighten up” by going from their “Old World” feel to more of an “English Countryside” look. Once I saw what elements we had to work around and understood the clients wishes, it became a simple matter of selecting the right tints, tones and shades of the colors to be used. Shown below is the finished product:

"English Countryside" - after

What a difference! Please notice the beautiful wrought iron “juliette” balconies at the windows which were barely visible in the “before” photo, but now really pop against the lighter colors. Also notice how the charcoal gray accent color on the front door plays well with the roof color and wrought iron. The home now has a much more cohesive look and is lighter and brighter, per the homeowners’ request. They were very happy with the end result.

Selecting exterior colors is not that difficult once you know what to look for; just remember to consider the house as a whole rather than zeroing in on the areas to be painted. Still don’t think you can do it yourself? Great! Please avoid making costly mistakes by hiring a trained Atlanta color consultant first. I’m only a phone call away!

If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, call Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.

Filed Under: All About Color, Exterior Color Consultations, Featured Project | Tagged: Tagged With: Atlanta color consultant, color consultant, color consultation, professional color consultant

It Takes Guts to Paint Brick

Coastal Breeze Seafood Grill

Is Yours the “Pink House” on the Street?

White Raisin Does the Trick!

Don’t Be Afraid Of a Colorful Front Door

Is Your Home “In the Pink”?

Atlanta Color Consultant Doubles as Marriage Counselor

Atlanta Color Consultant At Work

Contact Us

Social Media

ENEWS & UPDATES

Latest Blog Posts

Staging: Awkward Floorplans

The Powder Room: Whimsical & Eclectic

Decorating: Wall Hangings

Twitter Feed