Color Therapy

Color is such an important part of how we perceive the world.  From sunrise to sunset we experience our world fully only in relation to the colors we perceive.  And, while there are commonalities in how we perceive color and its effect on us, each of us experiences color differently.  Some love the grayness of the overcast sky while others find that sight depressing.  Thus we have some who are storm chasers and others who have a condition known as seasonal affective disorder.

Color
choices are one of the first reasons new clients hire designers.  They are intimidated by the overwhelming breadth of choices.  They don’t want to make a color mistake, especially on the walls.  Even though paint is one of the easiest and most affordable changes to make, the sheer massiveness of walls in comparison to the smaller color choices (a chair, linens, or accessories) creates fear in the hearts of the average consumer.  That is why, for many, the first time they reach for the phone to call a designer, it is for a color consultation. 

Many designers, including home stagers, have expanded their business to include color consults for these homeowners. As stagers, we know just what colors and color combos will sell a house, we know how to buy for our inventory and what colors to recommend to freshen and enhance the interior and exterior of the homes we stage.  We also know what works for us, makes us happy in our own environment.  But with the way color effects different people so differently, how do we ensure that our recommendations will create an environment that really takes into account the client and their color sensibilities?

The people at We Make Color Easy have developed a certification program based on the Dewey Color System that does just that.  The Dewey Color System, the world’s first scientifically validated color test, has been compared favorably in scientific journals to the Strong Interest Inventory and other psychological testing instruments.  We Make Color Easy has taken the principles of the Dewey System and, with the assistance of experienced design professionals from across North America, created a training course that makes color recommendations easy.  Now design professionals have a system and tools which allow us to conduct in-home consultations that recommend exact paint, fabric and accessory colors room-by-room without the fear of a color mismatch, using the patented Dewey Color Coordinator.

Joanne O’Donnell is the former VP, Membership and current Treasurer of RESA.  Her company, Chic Home Interiors, does Home Staging, Interior Redesign and Training in Staging, Color and Green Build Science.  She is a trainer for Certified Staging Professionals, Dewey Color Consultants, Live Green Live Smart CP and CSP Realtor Elite programs.  Our training arena is all of North America, while our design and staging is in the San Francisco Bay Area only.

Our next Dewey Color Class will be in the San Francisco Bay Area on February 23-24, 2009.  Click here to get more information or to register.

Joanne O’Donnell
Chic Home Interiors
www.chichomeinteriors.com
510-STAGING
510-(782-4464)