EXTERIOR EDESIGN SERVICES

EXTERIOR PAINT/HARD FINISH COLOR

Paint and Hard Finish selection is where most people spend the most time stressing over the right color, and getting the color right the first time can save time and money. Color can be tricky, especially when matching up neutrals. Certain neutrals cannot be mixed, and certain colors cannot be mixed with certain neutrals.

In addition, some hard finishes have such a “bossy” pattern, that they completely dictate the color for your facade.

You need the right paint and hard finish colors that relate to the existing neutral undertones on your home.

My color advice uses your photos (taken in natural light) and email. Since you do most of the “leg work”, you will learn how to select colors the right way throughout the process.

You will receive my specific recommendations by email with links of where to source the colors.

How can we do this online?

Getting color right is much more about selecting the correct undertone than being able to predict how the color will change in light.

You will receive my specific recommendations by email with links of where to source the colors, fixed elements, or decorative elements.

How it Works:

Step 1: Purchase your consultation – Upon purchase, you will promptly receive an email with a questionnaire and instructions.

In the questionnaire, you will share with us the details of your project and personal style and preferences.

The questionnaire includes instructions for sharing plans and elevations, as well as photos of any finishes you may be considering. (You will receive detailed instructions for photographing them properly).  If you’re not there yet, don’t worry, YOU DON’T NEED TO HAVE SOURCED ANYTHING IN ADVANCE, as getting a plan from Alison will immediately narrow down all your choices to the most classic and timeless solution.

Step 2: Gather some inspiration images to share with Alison via Pinterest, Houzz, or any other idea board  so she can get a sense of your style and what you like.

Step 3: Fill out your questionnaire and create your album with any images and visual support material such as drawings and elevations.

Step 4: Submit your questionnaire along with links to your photo album and inspiration board.

Our process:

Alison will review your information and tailor her advice to suit your taste, lifestyle and the style of home you are building, working within her aesthetic of fresh and timeless.

You will receive via email Alison’s advice for your new home in a PowerPoint PDF format. It will include slides with images so you can see what she is recommending, complete with explanations and advice, and links to the products she is recommending.

*Note: You may have to email photos of paint swatches next to your fixed or decorative elements prior to receiving Alison’s final advice.

You will receive your presentation via email within 10 to 15 business days from when we receive your complete information, if not sooner.

This service provides guidance for DIY decorating so it’s rare to have after photos that are worth posting, because they require professional styling and photography. This is why you won’t see many of them on the blog.

Alison’s personal aesthetic is more transitional than contemporary, however she will help you achieve the most timeless result within the style you are going for whether it is transitional, contemporary or modern. She will not be designing the layout and millwork details of your kitchen which is where many of the details that define each style exist. If you choose slab (flat) cabinets for example, and you want book matched black marble, you will have to source highly custom elements like that on your own. However, Alison will make sure all your colors and finishes are balanced, coordinate perfectly, and flow throughout your home regardless of which design style with which you are working.

ALISON’S CLASSIC AND TIMELESS AESTHETIC

Since Alison’s aesthetic point of view is classic and timeless, this consultation will not include elaborate layouts of various accent tiles since trendy hard finish installations do not stand the test of time. If you’re hiring Alison to help with your new build, you’ve likely read enough of her blog to be familiar with her aesthetic, and will be happy with her specifications.

The New Build eDesign package provides what most people are looking for, which is a color plan that fits with the style and flow of your home.

This Interior Color Consultation is a residential service. Please contact us for a quote for commercial property inquiries.

DESIGN CONSULTATION GUARANTEE AND REFUND

You have paid for our time so we can’t provide a refund if for some reason you move or something changes before you can implement our recommendations. We want you to be happy, so if you have any objections or concerns about the recommendations, we ask that you share them with us along with photos of your color testing and give us the opportunity to tweak our selections before you reject them outright.

Please note we will not provide a refund unless we have had the chance to make adjustments to our initial recommendations.

REFUND POLICY FOR UNUSED CONSULTATIONS

Things come up in life, situations get altered or sometimes we just change our mind – it happens. Our eDesign team is here to make you happy and we are committed to complete client satisfaction. So, if within 90 days of your purchase, and prior to submitting your information, you change your mind, we will provide a refund less a 5% administrative fee. After 90 days, or once you have initiated the consultation process by submitting your information, we can no longer provide a refund.

NOT SURE WHAT SERVICE YOU NEED TO PURCHASE?

Just email me a description of what you are needing, and we will help guide you in what to purchase. We can also email you a PayPal invoice instead of purchasing an eDesign service through our website.

Front Door Color

A front door is the ideal location to add color and pizzazz to your home! It’s an easy way to make your entryway appear fresh and welcoming.

Just as with any color decision, you need to consider what’s happening on the rest of your home prior to selecting your front door color. Whether you are looking to add drama or a pop of, this is a great way to add a personal touch to your home. Alison will provide a few different recommendations of paint colors that will work for your home.

Some common Exterior Design questions are:

  • Are there any rules to follow to get it right?
  • Does it matter what’s going on in the rest of my house?
  • Which color will look best with my brick or stone?
  • Can I just pick my favorite color?

Alison will help you get it just right taking into consideration the style and color of your home, your personal color and style preferences, and flow with your existing landscaping and decor.




Shutter Color

Changing your shutter color, adding shutters, or even removing them altogether can create a significant improvement to the look of your home’s exterior.

Just as with any color decision, you need to consider what’s happening on the rest of your home before you choose your shutter color. It may be that you need to decide whether or not shutters are right for your house, and if so what color? Or maybe you want to update them with a fresh new color. Alison will help you with this perfect accent for your home.

Some common Exterior Design questions are:

  • Are there any rules to follow to get it right?
  • Does it matter what’s going on in the rest of my house?
  • Which color will look best with my brick or stone?
  • Can I just pick my favorite color?

Alison will help you get it just right taking into consideration the style and color of your home, your personal color and style preferences, and flow with your existing landscaping and decor.




Fence Color

The right color and style of fence is a big consideration for your home’s curb appeal. Your fence will act as a backdrop for your private yard space, and you want it to complement your home and landscaping perfectly. This consult can also be for a stone or brick retaining wall color.

Of course, just as with any color decision, you need to consider what’s happening on the rest of your home before you make a decision.

Some common Exterior Design questions are:

  • Are there any rules to follow to get it right?
  • What style of fence will look best with my home?
  • Which color will look best with my stone or brick?
  • Which color will look best with my landscaping?

Alison will help you get it just right taking into consideration the color and style of your home’s exterior, your personal style and color preferences, and your landscaping.




Roof Color

Getting your roof color right is an expensive decision. Depending on how visible your roof is, it can make or break the overall look of your home.

You may not be sure which color will look best, or you may have an idea of what you’d like your roof color to be, and just need some validation so you can feel confident you’ve made the correct choice.

Of course, just as with any color decision, you need to consider what’s happening on the rest of your home before you make a decision.

Some common Exterior Design questions are:

  • It’s time to replace my roof – do I need a new color or should I just select the same one I have currently?
  • I’m building a new house – what should the color of my roof be?
  • Which style of roof works for my home?
  • Would my house look good with an actual color rather than just the black, gray or brown roof I see on most houses?
  • I’m worried about the spotty look of asphalt roofing, what do you think about it?
  • I’d like to install a cedar shake roof – would that style look right on my house?
  • Which terracotta color would work best on my Spanish style house?
  • I would like to upgrade my roof to a standing seam metal roof, will this look good on my house? If so, what color should it be?

If the roof style is sloped enough to be seen from the street you especially need to make sure the color of your roof is one that will give you freedom to choose the colors and finishes you want for the rest of your home.

Asphalt roofs in particular can be tricky to select, as many of the available colors are spotty.  While a spotty-colored roof can work if it’s the only multi-colored fixed element on your house, it should never be combined with stone and brick, as this creates too many visual patterns.

Alison will help you get it just right taking into consideration the color and style of your home’s exterior.




Main Body Color

Whether you are refreshing the main body color of your house with new paint or new siding, it’s important to take all of the existing fixed elements into consideration in determining the best color options.
Painting or adding siding to the exterior of your house is an laborious and expensive undertaking. Often you are committing to a color for a long time, so you want to be sure it’s perfect BEFORE it goes up. The color of the body of your house, whether it’s vinyl siding, stucco, or fiber-cement (Hardie board), will be determined by all the other fixed elements on your home.
Or, if the body of your house is paintable, you need to know what else to consider when choosing a new color.
Please note: often when you change the body color of your home, the trim color also needs to be reconsidered, so I recommend adding the Exterior eDesign Trim Color consult.

Some common Exterior Design questions are:

  • I have horizontal siding and vertical shakes – should they be the same or should they be different?
  • I finally get to change my siding/stucco – where do I start to find the right color?
  • I’m building a new house and my contractor needs a decision on the siding/stucco – can you help me?
  • I want to update the color of my house- – how important is the color of my windows that I can’t change?

Alison will help you get it just right taking into consideration the colors and style of your home’s exterior. This may surprise you, but even your neighbors’ houses can have a say in what the color of your house should be!




Exterior Trim Color

This consult is for your home’s exterior TRIM, WINDOWS, SOFFITS, GUTTERS, and DOWNSPOUTS color.

Think of your trim color and accents as the finishing touches that give your home a polished look. The entire look of your home can be updated and refreshed with the right trim and accent colors.
If you are installing new windows, it is one of the most important color decisions you will need to make. And what about the color of the soffits, gutters and downspouts? Often, these elements can be the easiest to change with color and can go a long way in updating the look and feel of your home.

A few common exterior design questions are:

  • I need to decide what colour my new windows should be— can I use standard white?
  • Should my window casings be different from my window frames, or should they be the same?
  • What color should my soffits, gutters and downspouts be?
  • How many trim colors can I have?
  • Should the fascia match the rest of the trim or the roof?
  • Should my railings color be the same as my porch columns?

You may currently have a brick house, and by simply painting the trim you can get a refreshed look. Or maybe you need to replace your windows— if they are vinyl or aluminum, the color selection is very important as it will be fixed, so what color should they be? Or you may have installed new windows and now your trim and casings look wrong.

The trim color may include any of the following – your window and door casings, fascia boards, gutters and downspouts – every last detail that isn’t part of the major elements on a house.
Alison can help you find the perfect trim color for your home’s exterior.




Exterior Body, Trim, & Front Door Color Bundle

This consult is for your home’s exterior MAIN BODY, TRIM, AND FRONT DOOR color.

It’s rare that you can pick your favorite color, or just any color for the exterior of your house. Typically, there are fixed elements to consider such as stone or brick, the window color, and/or a roof color that are not changing. Even the colors of your neighbors’ homes need to be considered.

Even if you don’t have any bossy elements to coordinate with, and your neighbors are far away, it’s still important to consider the architecture and style of your home to arrive at the most pleasing and timeless color palette.

Alison can quickly identify the neutral undertones in your fixed elements and thoughtfully generate color palette options that will work seamlessly with them. Her advice is always tailored for creating a classic and timeless look for many years to come. No one wants to have to repaint their exterior in 5 years because the colors, once trendy, now look badly out-of-date.

The best color for the body of your house, whether it’s stucco, fiber-cement (Hardie board) or vinyl siding, will be determined by all the other fixed elements on your home. Get Alison’s expertise on the perfect colors to coordinate with this Exterior Bundle consultation. This bundle saves you money!




Exterior Brick Color

This consult is for your home’s exterior BRICK color.

In many parts of North America, you will see homes that are 100% brick. Also, brick is many times used as an accent feature.

Natural brick colors vary from red, brown, gray, to cream and are typically mottled in pattern. Correctly diagnosing the neutral colors in brick is important, as these colors will impact the rest of the color choices you make for your home.

A few common Exterior Design Questions are:

  • I’m building a house and my neighborhood plan says I need to make it brick— can you help me pick the best one?
  • I live in a neighborhood full of brick homes— how do I get my home to stand out and look unique?
  • I’m ready to paint my brick — how do I choose the right white?
  • How do I coordinate my brick color to everything else on my house?
  • How do I combine stone and brick in a classic way?

Oftentimes stone cannot be painted which is why brick offers more versatility since it can be painted. Brick really opens up other color possibilities for your home’s exterior.

Whether you’re choosing a brick, or considering painting the brick you already have, Alison can help you get the colors right to complete the look of your house.




Exterior Stone Color

This consult is for your home’s exterior STONE color.

Stone is one of the bossiest, fixed elements on a house. Your choice of stone will determine ALL of the rest of your exterior color options.

Choosing the best stone for your house or correctly identifying the colors in your current stone is crucial.

Alison can help you see the undertones in any stone you are considering or already have on your home. This knowledge will help you move forward in your plans for your exterior.

Whether you’re selecting stone for your home or looking to coordinate the rest of your home with the stone that’s already there, it’s important to accurately identify all the neutral undertones and colors in the stone in order to know which colors will work for the rest of the house.

A few common Exterior Design Questions are:

  • Does stone work for the style of my house?
  • Which stone is right for my house?
  • How do I decide exactly where my stone will be placed, I’m not sure if I like the current layout?
  • How do I combine stone and brick in a classic way?
  • Can you help me choose the right stone colors?

Alison can select the exact manufactured stone color for you, however natural stone (like granite slabs) vary greatly in terms of color and pattern, and what is available in your area. She will make a recommendation based on what is available. It is vital that you get a decent-sized sample of the actual stone under consideration.

Ideally, you will have a physical sample of the stone you are considering and photograph it outdoors in daylight against a white (posterboard) backdrop. More than one stone option is always better. This will greatly speed up the consultation.

It’s also helpful if you have photos of a home you really like, to use as inspiration. If you haven’t seen one, that’s not unusual at all; people tend to struggle most with making this exterior fixed element work well with the other exterior elements.

The vast majority of stone on the market dictates a very earthy color palette, not fresh and classic. It’s why this consultation is so important—because if you get this element wrong, you will be disappointed with your home no matter what you do with the rest of it.

If Alison is choosing a stone based on a supplier’s website, it is a preliminary recommendation, and the final decision will need to follow the testing of the physical sample.

This is a color recommendation only, and it is up to you and your contractor to narrow down the product type that you need prior to this consultation. Alison will consider the choice of shape if she thinks it is not a viable option for the style of your home.




All-Inclusive Exterior Color

Need help coordinating exterior elements like stone, brick, siding, stucco, trim, garage door, roof and more?

This consult includes color advice for ALL EXTERIOR ELEMENTS of your new build or renovated home. Alison will create a beautiful new color palette for the exterior of your home.

The Color Selections that can be included in this all-inclusive exterior consultation are:

  • Main Body color (colors for a combination of up to 3 claddings such as stone, brick, stucco, siding)
  • Window color
  • Trim color (window trim, fascia, soffits, columns, railings)
  • Shutter Color
  • Color for Gutters and Downspouts
  • Garage Door color
  • Deck and Porch colors
  • Roof color
  • Front Door color
  • Color for Pavers

This All-Inclusive Exterior Color Bundle covers all the elements offered in the eDesign EXTERIOR packages combined in one discounted and convenient package so that all your selections are perfectly coordinated.