Choosing Paint Colours Shouldn’t Be Scary

I am a big stickler for investing in one’s business. When you find helpful tools or attend seminars and events that can propel you forward, it allows you to enhance the skills you already have. This makes you better at what you do, thus providing clients with a better quality of service and overall experience.

My Toronto Client’s bathroom in Snowfall White by BM. Featured in Maria Killam’s White Is Complicated Book. Photo by Stephani Buchman.

In the business of Interior Design and Decorating, understanding colour is essential. When I attended my college course to obtain my Interior Decorating certificate, there was a colour theory class that was mandatory to take as part of the program curriculum.

While it was helpful in explaining how to use a colour wheel and recognise various colour schemes, it wasn’t enough to give me the confidence I needed to specify paint colours for clients.

True Colour Expert Maria Killam and I in Toronto, 2012, at my first True Colour Expert training course.

In 2011, the year I started my Interior Decorating business, it was my very first client who introduced me to a blog that changed my life.

The blog was called Colour Me Happy. The content provided on this blog was truly addictive, full of so much useful information pertaining to choosing colours and identifying undertones. I would binge read from post to post for hours and felt like I had struck gold!

By now, it’s highly likely that you know the True Colour Guru behind this extremely popular blog. She is (my now good friend) the one and only, Maria Killam.

Maria Killam Specify Colour with Confidence course 2018. How cute is she?!

Attending Maria’s course in 2012 was one of the best investments that I ever made in my business. Almost overnight -and I’m not even kidding – I went from having the colour consultation being one of the scariest parts of my job, to being one of my most favourite things to do for clients!

Of course, having Maria’s large painted boards also helps in a big way. If you are either a homeowner or design professional who has her boards, you know how valuable they are when looking at and specifying paint colour, to make sure you get it right the FIRST time, EVERY time.

My colour confidence is to the point now where creating video content for my YouTube channel and on my IGTV videos on Instagram, about paint colour reviews and how to choose colour, excites me almost more than interior decorating does. To teach and share what I’ve learned is exhilarating and fun for me. I have Maria to thank for that.

IGTV Video Episode #13, Disclaimer: Paint Colour Selections. You can watch it here.

Earlier this year, I decided to attend Maria’s course for the second time while on a trip to New York. I wanted to see how the course had changed – and to be totally transparent, I was also excited to see Maria again and many of my designer friends who were also attending the Specify Colour with Confidence Course in Long Island. 🙂

I contacted Maria ahead of time and asked her if she would be willing to sit down with me for a first ever interview of this kind with the True Colour Expert herself.

I wanted to get a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse into her course and find out more about why she feels so strongly about this being ‘the course’ that people need to take in order to better understand & confidently specify colour.

Maria said yes, YAY! I couldn’t be more excited to share this exclusive interview with you here today. Click below to see the full interview.

When people ask me if the course is worth taking, my answer without a doubt, is yes.

Maria’s 3 day course is about more than just colour. She does helpful hands on exercises on how to read undertones; shares her process for E-design; provides insight on how to style a space and much more.

Maria is a big believer that loving your home is all about ‘the look and the feel’ when you put it together. Paint alone cannot transform a space.

For the record, this is not a sponsored post.

Even if it was, there isn’t anything I’m saying here that I don’t 100% believe. This is THE NAKED TRUTH!

Specify Colour with Confidence Course 2018 Long Island, NY.

Have you taken Maria’s colour class yet or have you been following her blog and are still considering it? Comment below, ask a question and Maria or I will be happy to respond.

Never miss a video where I share colour and decorating tips every other week. Click here to subscribe to my Claire Jefford YouTube channel and hit the bell to the right of the red button to make sure you always get notified when I publish a new video.

Want Maria’s Large Painted Colour Boards?

Love my large painted colour boards and want your own set?

➜ Click here to shop the large colour boards now!

// DISCLOSURE: Thank you for trusting me with my truthful and reliable opinion on any future purchase you may make. I always disclose affiliate or sponsored information when it is the case. If you purchase Maria’s boards, I will earn a small commission from the sale. This doesn’t affect you in any way, the price remains the same regardless. Thank you for supporting me and entrusting me to be your go-to for all things Colour and Interior Design!

My next video is all about Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy and is released Wednesday October 10th. Don’t miss it!

Hale Navy colour review release date: October 10th.

Perfect for Pinning!

As I love creating graphics and because they are necessary to drive people back to my site from platforms such as Pinterest and Instagram, here are three that I designed specifically for this blog post. Which one is your favourite?

Follow me on Pinterest here

Pinterest graphic number 2 for testing

INSTAGRAM WORTHY

Hang out with me on Instagram, click here

Want to get your paint colours right the FIRST time for your next project? Contact me here and let’s do this!

How Much Should You Charge for Services?

Knowing how much to charge for your Interior Design services is something that takes careful consideration & thought. Numerous factors must be taken into account before you set your rates for all the valuable & money-saving advice you have to offer.

Often in Facebook groups, including my own fabulous tribe of nearly 3000 members from across the world- Interior Design Business Strategies – someone will post to ask what everyone else is charging for an initial consultation fee.

While this provides an opportunity for great conversations, it can also open up the flood gates to a lot of confusion, especially for newer designers and decorators.

In my latest video, I address this head on and share with you my strong point of view of what you need to think about when setting your fees for the initial consultation meeting.

Watch that video by clicking on the image below.

Comment to let me factors that you decided upon for your initial consultation fee.

Did you know that my extremely helpful ‘FREEBIE’ (aka my fabulous giveaway to get you on my email list!) are tips for creating your own design packages with suggestions on how to work out your rates? It includes a helpful video & coaching sheet, so if you haven’t got it already, go grab it here now.

FREE SERVICES AND RATES SHEET – get it here NOW!

How To Rock the Initial Consultation Meeting

Last week I was so excited to present at my local decorating centers’ annual trade show. This has been on my bucket list for quite some time and I nearly cried when owners Lin and Doug Munro invited me as a speaker.

My presentation was all about ‘HOW TO ROCK THE INITIAL CONSULTATION‘. After having conducted more than 150 consultations in just 7 years, I really enjoyed getting up in front of over 200 local designers to share my proven processes & strategies for one of the most important phases in the entire process of working with clients.

Here I am speaking at the TDC local Trade Show, Burlington, Ontario

In addition to seeing friendly faces from those I’ve had the pleasure of knowing within my local design community for years, I also loved meeting new designer friends. Especially those who I known online for a while, but may not have had the chance to meet in real life.

The Decorating Centre‘s Annual Trade Show is always one of my favourite events to attend and so this year was extra special for me!

If you are struggling with your process leading up to the consult or are unsure of how to take control and offer incredible value to your clients, you need to invest in my ROCK THE CONSULTATION PROCESSES PACKAGE.

It’s not my style to offer anything that I don’t think is going to be insanely helpful to you and your business. The best value is in my 3-in-1 BUNDLE and also includes my LOA with a walk through video and my Interior Design Starter Pack.

As always, if you have any questions, comment below or private message me on Instagram and I’ll be happy to reply.

BEST VALUE! BUNDLE & SAVE with my 3 in 1 Package. Get it here now.

I was on TV!

For the second time, I appeared on our local news station, CHCH TV. This time for the Morning Live Show.

It was so much fun! Watch the entire segment here where I share tips on decorating a living room & bedroom, as well as touching on some of the latest trends in Interior Design today.

With Tim Bolen CHCH TV MORNING LIVE. Interior Decorating Tips – See it here now

Upcoming Events – WILL I SEE YOU AT HIGHPOINT? Comment below & let me know!

Highpoint Market in North Carolina is fast approaching and I couldn’t be more thrilled! We are currently working on putting together an events page for my website, but until then, please see below for what’s happening and click the links to sign up. I really hope to meet you (or see you again) while I’m there!

Saturday October 13th: Full Day Event

Power Talk Friday Tour Full Day Event – Book Your Spot here now.

Sunday October 14th: 9am – 11am at ZUO

SIGN UP FOR THIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EVENT HERE, IT WILL FILL UP FAST!

Monday October 15th: 3pm at Alder & Tweed

Mydoma Designer Panel. Reserve Your Spot here now!

Monday October 15th: 5pm Modenus – DETAILS COMING SOON!

I’ll also be hanging out with the NKBA on Tuesday afternoon and speaking at their private event the following day. If you have been invited, I look forward to seeing you there!

PAINT COLOUR REVIEW VIDEO -WHITE DOVE

On my other YouTube channel – Claire Jefford – where I share advice on Deocr and Design with a big emphasis now on Colour, my latest TNT Colour Review video is all about Benjamin Moore’s White Dove.

It’s easily one of the most popular whites used today in Interior Decor. You can check that out here.

white dove by benjamin moore

Enjoy your week and I look forward to seeing you again soon!

White Dove by Benjamin Moore Colour Review

This week in my colour review, I share with you one of my favourite white paint colours: White Dove by Benjamin Moore.

TOP TIP:

Don’t be fooled into thinking that when you hear the name of a paint colour, then that paint will indeed be that colour. Confused? LOL

What I mean is, just because White Dove is called ‘WHITE‘ Dove, doesn’t mean to say that it’s a true white.

As an example, I’ve noticed that some clients can get put off when I show them a colour that has the word ‘Gray’ in it if they are not a fan of Gray.

However, because all grays have undertones, what one perceives as ‘Gray’ in their own mind, can be completely different than the actual ‘Gray’ colour I’m specifying.

As for the whites, stick with me and you’ll understand what I’m talking about when you look at my white paint colour comparisons.

Here’s what I’ll be sharing with you about White Dove:

The Undertone of White Dove
Colour Comparisons to other whites
Best Whites for Ceilings, Doors and Trim
Fabulous Colour Combinations
Favourite Applications In Interior Design

Another view of my Toronto client’s dining room. Notice how the White Dove paint colour on the walls matches perfectly with the custom ripple fold drapery? That’s not a coincidence. 😉

Benjamin Moore Hail Navy Painted Ceiling Toronto On — Click here to see more photos from this project.

Okay, are you ready? Let’s do this!

White Dove OC- 17 by Benjamin Moore

Undertones:

White Dove is not a true white. They rarely are! It has a creamy undertone that makes it a soft, rich white paint colour to work with for your interior decorating projects.

Colour Comparisons:

Despite what my husband thinks (that all whites are created equal and look the same) this is so not the case! When you begin to compare whites, you will start to notice how very different they all are from one another.

This is why it really bothers me when contractors or kitchen companies recommend a cabinetry colour, without even factoring in the countertops, the backsplash or any other fixed elements in a space. That’s a totally backward way of thinking!!

Below are comparisons between White Dove and Chantilly Lace by BM. As you can see, the White Dove is creamier than the Chantilly Lace. Chantilly Lace is what I like to refer to as one of the rare ‘true whites’. See this project where we used Chantilly Lace in one of the most incredible walk-in closets you’ve ever seen!

Chantilly Lace And White Dove Benjamain Moore 1 — White Dove shown here with Chantilly Lace. Both are Benjamin Moore paint colours.

White Dove Chantilly Lace Comparison 1 1

If you prefer a white that is less stark than Chantilly Lace, but more creamy than White Dove, Benjamin Moore’s Ivory White is a good alternative to consider.

White Dove Vs Ivory White Benjamin Moore 1 — Shown here is Ivory White, CC 130 by BM next to White Dove OC 17.

Best White Paint Colours

You could use either of the whites mentioned above as trim colours to pair with White Dove on the walls, or you could just continue using White Dove!

In my Toronto client’s dining room, we chose to keep the natural stain of the wood trim, as it was also the finish on their gorgeous, warm-toned interior doors, as well as part of the charm and character of their home.

Entrance Toronto Ontario Interior Design — Colour combination of White Dove with Hale Navy by Benjamin Moore.

Fabulous Colour Combinations

Here you can see my large painted board Hale Navy, tucked behind a baseboard painted in White Dove.

Hale Navy And White Dove Baseboard 2benjamin Moore 1 — White Dove baseboard shown with painted colour board, Hale Navy HC-154.

Below you can see the paint colour combination together that I used in my client’s main floor decorating project.

White Dove Hale Navy Sea Haze Comparison

In my previous blog post where I reviewed Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams, I recommended White Dove as one of the best whites to pair with it.

Colour Combinations Sea Salt And White Dove 1 — Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams is a great combination with White Dove.

White Dove Benjamin Moore With Anew Gray Sherwin Williams 1 — Anew Gray SW 730 by Sherwin Williams is a rich, neutral colour that looks fab too!

Colour Combination White Dove And Kendall Charcoal Benjamin Moore 1 — Kendall Charcoal HC -164 from Benjamin Moore’s Historical Collection is one of my favourites!

White Dove Kendall Charcoal Comparison 1

Kendall Charcoal would look stunning on the ceiling with White Dove walls!

I always find the painted ‘fifth wall’ to be so dramatic, unexpected, and exciting in a space.

If you are looking for a lighter contrast, White Dove also looks great when paired with the classic greige tone of Revere Pewter HC-172 by Benjamin Moore.

Colour Combinations White Dove And Revere Pewter Benjamin Moore 1 — Revere Pewter next to White Dove.

As shown above, in the colour palette of the three colours used in my clients home, Sea Haze 2137-50 by BM also works wonderfully with White Dove.

Sea Haze 2137-50, is a light sage green colour

Here, I’ve added Classic Gray into the colour combination, if you wanted to bring in a fourth colour.

Hale Navy White Dove Sea Haze Classic Gray Comparison 1

The walls in the image below are painted Sea Haze and this is the same client’s living room, as the industrial-styled dining room shown earlier in this post.

Living Room With Dark Blue Window Seat With Custom Storage And Coffee Table 2 — Design by Claire Jefford. Professional photographs by Stephani Buchman.

This fun fireplace floor tile that we used has warm tones that pair beautifully with White Dove.

Fabulous Colour Palette

You can see in this colour palette just how flawlessly all of these hues look together.

White Dove and Hale Navy pair nicely with Classic Gray and Sea Haze.

The pattern below shows a more masculine colour combination in various tones by Benjamin Moore.

A QUICK STORY

For this particular interior decorating project, it was quite tricky to choose a colour for the walls in the living room. Normally, specifying colour comes very easy to me.

In this case, however, I was initially a little unsure about using Sea Haze. Mainly because the colours that we used for many of the accents in the room such as pillow fabrics and in the area rug are what I like to refer to as ‘clean’ colours.

Fabrics With Hale Navy And White Dove Mridu — All three colours shown here with fabric swatches from my clients custom bench seat.

Sea Haze is a colour that I consider to be more ‘muddy’ or ‘dirty’. I almost never mix ‘clean and dirty’, but here it worked.

To double-check though, I was able to see this paint colour in our 3D rendering software designs that we did for our clients.

It’s not a perfect match because we are looking at it on a computer program, but it was enough to give me the confidence to give it the thumbs up and move forward with this colour.

Colourful Rug — Ok, not perfectly matched with the after image shown below, but it gave me the confidence to go for it!

Cj Runnymeadrd1923web — Walls are Sea Haze 2137-50 by BM, fireplace, trim and ceiling are White Dove.

Cj Runnymeadrd1941web — Fireplace painted White Dove by Benjamin Moore.

Favourite Places to Use White Dove

As shown above, I love White Dove in either an entire room or as trim colour and also for custom millwork.

Below are graphics I designed, I just love creating these! I think they are pretty, do you?

Pinterest White Dove Hale Navy 2 — Magazine Cover Graphic White Dove and Hale Navy Benjamin Moore

Pinterest White Dove Dining Room — White Dove Magazine Cover Graphic

COLOUR CONVENIENCE

For more colour Claire-ity, I have created Perfect Colour Palettes to help you avoid making costly mistakes when it comes to choosing paint colours?

My White Dove Perfect Colour Palette is one of the colours available.

Don’t miss out. See all of my Perfect Colour Palettes here .

These paint colour guides are a super helpful resource to have on hand when trying to find a perfect palette for your next design or decorating project.

Claires Guide To Trending White Paint Colours 1

I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!

If you’ve used a paint colour that I’ve reviewed or you want to ask a question, or even if you have a different point of view to mine, please do share!

Do you live locally in the Toronto or Burlington area? Contact me here to inquire about an in-person Colour Consultation.

For colour advice, please note that I can’t always give advice based on simply reading about a scenario.

If it were that easy for me to recommend the perfect paint hue without knowing more about the specific space; the lighting situation; what other fixed elements to consider etc, then I really would be even more magical than I already am. HAHA!

Perfect Colour Palette Collections

You can now also find White Dove included in my Benjamin Moore Whites & Neutrals Collection.

This collection has all 10 of my Perfect Colour Palettes for whites & neutrals by Benjamin Moore.

I went one step further and created a collection showcasing all 20 of my Perfect Colour Palettes for Benjamin Moore paint colours.

Check out my Benjamin Moore Ultimate Collection.

Perfect For Pinning

Take my Colour Quiz to see which Colour Palette best suits your style.

You’ll Never Guess What Happened in My Interview With LuAnn Nigara!

So Many A-Ha Moments Here

If you do not know who LuAnn Nigara is, where have you been?!!

LuAnn is a powerhouse & the incredible woman behind the highly successful (and addictive!) podcast, A Well -Designed Business. This #1 rated Interior Design Business podcast in Itunes, sees LuAnn interviewing fantastic guests from our industry, all of whom offer invaluable advice that will help any design professional looking to improve and advance their business.

LuAnn in her Podcast studio with her first book ‘The Making of A Well-Designed Business. Get her book here.

LuAnn and I met for the first time at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas Market in 2017. We fondly look back on this initially meeting with much laughter and animation during the uncut version of our video interview which you will see a little later in this post. Don’t scroll down just yet though, you need to hear the back story!

Since then, I’m thrilled to say that LuAnn and I have become very good friends. I have nothing but respect and admiration for her hard work ethic, her passion and for all that she does for Interior Designers.

I’ve also had the pleasure of being invited to be on LuAnn’s incredible podcast for two separate interviews.

The first was Episode #237 titled ‘How to Get More Videos With Clients’ and the more recent interview was on Episode #325 where I share details on Creating Valuable Content to Sell Through Your Website.

In April of this year, I had plans to head to New York to do Maria Killams Colour Course for the second time. I knew LuAnn was located in New Jersey and I contacted her to ask if I could do an interview video with her for my YouTube channel.

Hey, she has interviewed so many people and brought so much insight to all of us, I figured it was time to learn more about the woman on the other side of the mic. I know you are curious too!

LuAnn happily accepted -YAY! She then in turn, asked me if while I was in town, did I want to speak at her Window Works Showroom for their monthly Lunch and Learn. Well, of course! And so, it was on.

At Window Works Lunch & Learn. From left to right: Kimberley, Sarah Danielle, LuAnn, Claire & Wendy Woloshchuk.

I ALSO GOT AN EXCLUSIVE TOUR OF LUANN’S PODCAST STUDIO IN HER HOME & A PEEK INTO HER CLOSET!!

You can see that, including how LuAnn prepares for her podcast interviews, where she finds inspiration and all of her Podcast Green outfits in the edited version of our video interview below.

Be sure so sign up for my Interior Designers Insiders Report where you’ll get VIP treatment & all the updates first!

Comment & tell me your favourite A-HA moment from my interview with LuAnn.

Okay, now for the un-cut, no holds barred version of our in depth discussion!

Get comfy and click on the video below to watch.

Behind the Scenes

We initially met up at LuAnn’s well established firm that she runs with her husband Vincent Nigara and Bill Campesi. When we greeted each other in the parking lot (like a couple of giddy teenage school girls!), we stayed there chatting for nearly an hour before finally moving inside.

And even then, that was only because my husband Chris was ushering us along. He has the patience of a saint, but realized that we could’ve easily been stood for another couple of hours in the hot sun. HAHA, #jokingnotjoking.

Out for dinner with our fabulous husbands, Vincent and Chris.

LuAnn is very easy to talk to, as you will already know if you listen to her podcast or have met with her in real life. Psst! If you’re not signed up to her podcast, you need to be. There is so much incredibly helpful information that you won’t want to miss an episode…here’s the link.

During the interview we have lots of laughs, but also hit on some real truths about the industry. Watch the video to hear our thoughts about designers not charging their worth and how the struggle to run a business is very real…but not impossible.

So this is what happened… it was hilarious!

The moment we realized that the camera over-heated!

Part way through the interview, we had to pause because the camera had actually over-heated! Yes, we talked A LOT! Stay tuned to the end of the video to see the exact moment when LuAnn and I were advised of this hilarious news!

My video interview with Luann is one you that will not see anywhere else – especially the edited version where we tour her home and podcast studio. It’s so inspiring to see how thorough she is in preparing for a guest interview, she is so orgainzed. It’s no wonder her and I are get along so well!

Stay tuned for my other video with LuAnn coming out in October.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM A WELL DESIGNED BUSINESS – THE BOOK

Coming in February is LuAnn’s second book, the much anticipated ‘What I learned from A Well Designed Business.’ This book is going to be like the bible for starting and running a successful interior design business. I’m super excited and thrilled to share that LuAnn has asked me to be included in her book!

It’s no suprise that my chapter is on ‘Managing Clients’ Expectations’. Look out for that to be released in February 2019. Don’t worry, I’ll keep you posted! 🙂

Got a question for me or LuAnn about our video interview or the book? Comment below and I’ll be sure to reply.

Sherwin Williams Sea Salt

Sea Salt SW 6204 Williams by Sherwin Williams

Two colours with the exact same name?! Yes!

Be sure not to confuse this Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams with the Sea Salt by Benjamin Moore. They are entirely different. I’ll show you in my comparisons of both colours a little later in the post.

SEA SALT SHERWIN WILLIAMS

In this colour review video of Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams, I share:

The undertone of my featured colour
Colour comparisons in order to easily see the different colour tones
Best white paint colours for the trim and ceilings
Beautiful colour combinations to inspire you for your decorating project

After you watch the video, if you would like all this information conveniently laid out for you in one place and have even more paint colour combinations to use with Sea Salt, take a look at my Sea Salt Perfect Colour Palette.

A must-have for any colour enthusiast or design professional!

If you are new to me and my blog, here’s something you should know.

I like to strip down to the root of your Interior Design dilemmas and give you the information you NEED to know.

Decorating your home and selecting paint colours can be confusing and stressful.

My goal is to make it as simple as possible and to have FUN in the process!

Yup, that’s me having fun. Life’s too short to be stressing over decorating your home. It’s all good, I’ve got you covered.

But know this: I am not scientific about colour.

I do not concern myself with the LRV of a paint colour. Since starting my Interior Decorating business in 2011 and doing many colour consultations, it’s never come back to bite me in the you know what.

I never make suggestions on lightening or darkening a paint colour by a certain percentage to make it more suitable for an application.

I can always find the best paint colours for my clients.

All of my large boards have been painted in a matte finish and if you are interested in knowing where to get these boards, I’ll share a link to them at the end of the post.

Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams Colour Review Video

Undertones: Blue/Green

In my office, Sea Salt appeared to look more green, but there is also a blue undertone.

This is where your lighting and other elements within your own space can alter the look of a hue like this.

Colour Comparisons:

Kittery Point Green HC-119 & Palladian Blue HC-144

Comparing colour is so important. When you do colour comparisons, it helps you to get a better read of your focus colour. I also like to put my large colour boards up against a white background. This way, I can see the colour more clearly.

See below where I show you Kittery Point Green by Benjamin Moore (BM) on the left and Palladian Blue by BM on the right.

It’s interesting how much of a light gray tone Sea Salt takes on when you compare it with colours that are more saturated in tone.

Best Whites To Pair with Sea Salt

White Dove OC-17 by Benjamin Moore

There is always going to be more than one option for the best white to use for ceilings, doors and trims.

Pictured below is one of my favourites, White Dove by Benjamin Moore.

Sea Salt by SW shown here with White Dove by BM.

Simply White OC-117 by Benjamin Moore

From left to right: Simply White by BM; Sea Salt; White Dove

If you want to pair Sea Salt with a Sherwin Williams white, you could use Greek Villa SW 7551 or Westhighland White 7566.

The latter is more on the creamy side, so be careful if other elements in your home like countertops or fireplace stone are more of a crisp white.

Fabulous Colour Combinations

Wedgewood Gray HC-146 by Benjamin Moore

Silver Strand by Sherwin Williams SW-7057

Hale Navy HC-154 by Benjamin Moore

Sea Haze 2137-50 by Benjamin Moore

See how beautiful this entire colour palette is below.

Left to Right: Wedgewood Gray & Sea Haze by BM; Silver Strand by SW; Hale Navy & White Dove by BM; Sea Salt.

I worked on a client’s home in Toronto where we used three of these colours together and it turned out amazing.

Click here to see more from this project.

Hale Navy was used in the dining room in the alcove and the ceiling and White Dove on the walls.

We continued the flow into the living room repeating the Hale Navy shade in the bench seat and painted the walls, Sea Haze.

Before we get to even more pretty palettes, have you taken my Colour Quiz? See which Palette best suits your design style.

Fabulous Palettes – Perfect for Pinning!

Sea Salt paired with BM’s: Lucerne; Newport Green & Agave

Sea Salt with BM’s Pink Blossom; Caribbean Blue Water & Pink Ruffle

Sea Salt paired with BM’s Hale Navy; Early Morning & Montpelier

Fun Fact

As already mentioned at the beginning of the post, there are two colours called Sea Salt. One is the Sherwin Williams colour I’m reviewing here and the other is from Benjamin Moore.

To ensure you avoid any mistakes of either picking up the wrong colour for yourself or for your client, (if you are an interior design professional or colour consultant) always write down the name AND the code once you select a paint colour.

As you can see in the photo below, these two colours are very different. The Sea Salt by Benjamin Moore is a ‘Greige’ colour and the other Sea Salt…well, you know all about it now because we’ve just reviewed it!

Similar to Sea Salt

Wickham Gray by Benjamin Moore is also a pretty blue-green and is similar to Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams. Here you can see where we used it in a clients custom living room design.

See the full portfolio of this clients living room and dining room here.

Professional photos by Stephani Buchman Photography. Design by Claire Jefford

Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore is also a colour with a blue-green undertone. We used it here in a client’s bathroom.

Wall colour is Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore

We also used Gray Owl in this dental office.

Convenience At Your Fingertips

For more colour combinations that look fab with Sea Salt plus colour comparisons and best whites be sure to check out the Sea Salt Perfect Colour Palette.

See all colours in our Perfect Colour Palette library here.

I’ve also included Sea Salt in my Sherwin Williams Neutrals Collection. This collection of 10 popular Sherwin Williams neutrals is a great resource and deal.

Remember, it only takes one mistake to take your home decorating project from divine to disaster. Don’t let the paint be what stresses you out!

Take my Colour Quiz and discover your Perfect Colour Palette.

Initial Consultations: To Charge or Not To Charge?

When I first started my interior decorating business, I offered a free half hour ‘meet and greet’ with potential clients. I would go to their home to see if we were a good fit for working together. This would also provide me with the opportunity to have a look around their home, to see if I could start getting some ideas and if it was even a project that I thought I would like to do.

That business process, in the beginning, worked out really well for me. However, it didn’t take long to realize that often, once people have you in their home, they want to start asking you questions & seek free advice.

If you are going to offer a free home visit, this is what I recommend.

1) Don’t accept the offer of a tea or coffee because you will be there for longer than you anticipated. It’s important for people to realise that your time is valuable and that while you’ve come out to meet & see their space, you don’t have all day to ‘chat’.

Interior Decor by Claire Jefford

2) I actually recommend you meet offsite and not at the clients’ home. Although I don’t really do many of these ‘meet and greets’ often, if I do agree to meet someone to discuss their project, I suggest we have a 15-20 minute meeting at a coffee place.

The important element to remember, no matter what, is that you have to do what works best for you at the point in which you’re at in your business.

For me, this type of meet and greet in the beginning was really great. Why? Well, I felt no pressure and I wasn’t committed either way to the project or the client. However, what you have to be realistic about, is that (for the majority of the time in these instances) these types of people probably aren’t going to be the best clients.

On the odd occasion, clients may meet me at my outdoor interior design studio

The reason for this is because they are likely expecting you to offer free advice and suggestions for their space. Also, if you come out at no charge, even though they may just not understand the process of working with an interior design professional, they may not be very respectful of your time, expertise and the value you bring to a project.

Once I had a few projects under my belt and in my portfolio, I felt more confident and stopped offering these half hour free ‘meet and greet’ appointments. It’s also helpful when you know what questions to ask on the discovery call to ensure you can hone in on your ideal client.

When you are ready and feeling confident, I even recommend charging more for the initial consultation than your regular hourly design service fee.

Yes, you heard me correctly!

There are two reasons for this: 1) I never hold back at the initial consultation meeting. I bring my bag full of goodies and give as much value as possible (Click here to see ‘What’s in my bag’ that I take to the initial consultation meeting.)

2) I want to book clients who truly value my service and are looking to make an investment in their home & work with someone who has built a brand with professional photos, processes and offers award winning customer service.

Another way of working the initial consultation fee, is some designers charge for the fee for the initial appointment and if the homeowners then decide to move forward from there and retain further services, the designer applies the fee for the consultation against design services –thus making the consultation meeting essentially free.

I don’t have that any experience with that process, but I believe that the reasoning behind that is to get a foot in the door & as an incentive to purchase design services.

Finally, to share with you a completely different strategy, some elite, luxury and more high end design firms, do not charge for the initial meeting because THEY are interviewing the client. These designers tend to want to see the space and speak with the client about their scope and investment amount to ensure they are looking to spend a minimum amount of money for their custom project. That’s a nice place to be, eh?!

Clients Custom Master Bedroom, by Claire Jefford. Photo by Stephani Buchman

For the most part though, I don’t recommend that you go for too long without charging for the consultation meeting. Consider that when you don’t charge, you are not only taking time out of your business where you could be working on a paying client project, but you also need to factor in the cost of your gas; wear and tear on your vehicle and (if you follow my processes) you’re bringing clients a branded folder and a customised brochure that outlines your services and shows photos of your work.

Guess what? Those branding materials cost money. So eventually, I say you need to charge!

Always remember, at the end of the day, this is your business. You run it the way that works for you.

The beauty of being an entrepreneur is that you can try things for a little bit, and if something doesn’t work, then you can go back and try something else. Whatever you do though, be sure to never say these three things to clients.

Now over to you – do you charge for your initial consultation meeting?

How to Get More Clients

One of the most common excuses I hear from people for not writing blog posts or creating videos, is that they are waiting for everything to be perfect.

Does this resonate with you?

Well, here’s the thing to remember – Perfect is NOT relate-able and it’s not AUTHENTIC.

Having fun with close designer friends at High Point, 2017. FUN. SILLY. REAL.

Last week I had an experience that kicked me in the butt.

It reminded me of this:

While quality is imperative in many aspects of what we do, it’s not necessary that everything be all high quality, all the time.

Here’s what I mean.

I’ve been looking to hire someone to help with my social media, e-mail funnels and the back-end processes of my website. A good friend of mine sent me a referral. She introduced me & this gentleman via email, so we both had each others information to connect.

The next day, I get an email from him that included a 5 minute video that was made just for me.

Yes, JUST FOR ME.

From this initial contact, I was almost sold on hiring his services, and I hadn’t even spoken with him yet!

I was blown away that he actually took the time to review my website AND create a video to offer me suggestions of how he and his team could help me.

Don’t look at me like that. I’m telling you, it’s easy!

Sadly, many designers feel that if they give away too much information over the phone or even share too many ideas at the initial consultation, then clients won’t need to work with them.

The reality is, the opposite of that is actually true! At least with the really great clients…which of course we all want, right?

If this hits home, I have to tell you that it’s that kind of mindset that could very well be jeopardizing the success of your business.

Here’s what happens when you start sharing ideas that come from all your past experience and incredible knowledge of the Interior Design and Decorating Industry:

People begin to understand how much planning and details go into a project. They quickly realise how little they actually know about the process and can see that hiring you will save them time, money, stress AND it will be the best decision they ever made.

Clients eat in kitchen. Design by Claire Jefford.

Okay, back to this gentleman and his video that knocked my socks off.

You may be wondering what was in this video that was so amazing??? Honestly, there was nothing in terms of fancy graphics, music or pretty visuals.

It was simply the fact that he took the initiative to do some preliminary research about me and then sent a message that clearly stood out from what anyone else had sent me up to that point.

You can do this just as easily in your business. Here’s two quick examples.

Example #1

See below to a similar style of video that I did in June 2016, after an initial consultation meeting with clients.

Easy, peasy and not fancy, right? The video is not rehearsed; it’s personal and probably like nothing else that anyone has ever sent them.

Example #2

This is an example that I made to show you how easy it is for you to do something similar. I’ve added an intro/outro in order for it to make sense for those who find it on my YouTube channel.

What did you think? Not fussy at all, right?

By the way, my videos are edited in Camtasia, which is a software that is compatible with both PC and Mac.

Something Else to Consider

How long do you spend writing a follow up email to clients? These can take a really long time when you tailor it specifically to your conversation.

That video, (within the video) took less than 6 minutes to make. Add in the time it took to upload the video, write a quick email with a few links and it can still easily be done in less than 15 minutes.

Oh, and remember to turn off your notifications before doing something like this. Ha ha, as you can see, I forgot to do this when I filmed this example for you.

When we over-think things, we tend to stop dead in our tracks, because we turn it into this big ordeal and it then seems so overwhelming.

I challenge you to STOP overthinking & start DOING.

Comment below to let me know if creating a quick video for a specific client is something that you have done or is something that you will do. If not, why not?

There is no right or wrong answer here, but I absolutely believe that this is an outstanding opportunity to stand out & land more clients with video. Not only am I living proof in both my own interior design business and coaching business, but I can also now confirm that I have hired this firm, they impressed me that much with the video!

Need more confidence in making videos? Don’t sweat it, I can help.

Click here to buy or find out more about my invaluable ‘Video For Profits Course’.

Find out my Top Ten tips for starting video here.

Listen to my guest appearance here on a Well Designed Business Podcast with the fabulous LuAnn Nigara. The topic was all about leveraging video for your business & I share lots of practical advice.

Now, go make a video!

Will Your Closet Ever Look THIS Good?

What does every Shopaholic have at the top of their wish list for their home? A dream closet, of course!

I found the perfect one at the Eggersmann Showroom on Day 2 of my trip to Los Angeles when we hit the L.A. Design Trail, sponsored by Design Milk and Modenus.

Well ‘HELLO!!’. Walk In Closet by Eggersmann

You can see what an important role lighting plays in a space like this. Not only does it add drama and elegance, but it’s also very practical for lighting up the inside of drawers and glass displays in order to see what treasures lie within.

My closet is way too messy to be open glass, but this is very welcoming indeed! Photo touch up by Linda Holt.

The dark frames create a nice contrast with the warm wood tones in this monochromatic colour scheme of neutral beige’s and browns.

The tufted leather bench seat is perfect for when you need to try on all of your 54 pairs of shoes in order to determine which will look best with your outfit. 🙂

Custom closet design to die for.

Notice the watches next to the sunglasses in the custom unit above on the right side? These actually spin every now and again because they are on what are called, ‘watch winders’.

A watch winder is a device used to keep automatic (also known as self winding) watches running when not worn. Who knew?!

Sleek Feature Wall

Below is the statement feature wall you see as you enter the showroom. It’s a mix of taupe coloured leather panels and beautiful wood cubbies.

See the TV in the middle? With a push of a button, it actually turns into a piece of artwork! The entire panel drops down to reveal a piece of art where the TV once was. Perfect if you do not want the television to be a distraction when entertaining in your home.

Another cool feature is that many of these leather panels open up with a simple, soft push to either the top or bottom. This offers fantastic functionality for useful storage, similarly to the open wood shelving of which some can also be shown either open or closed.

I love how they made it a mini bar!

There are plenty of fabulous finishes to choose from as well, so you can customise these statement walls not only by the functional part of the design, but also based on the look and style you desire as well.

In house design centre for your convenience

Mirror Mirror on the Wall

Many of the big cities around the world have steadily increasing populations and are very limited on space when building new developments. This is why it’s super important to be able to identify the need for smart storage solutions that take up minimal space.

Above you can see what looks like a wall of mirrors, but it’s actually very clever compact storage.

Mirrors are also great for making a space appear larger and brighter. There is one concern that I have however, and that is the maintenance in which this would require to keep clean, both on the outside and on the inside. If you are OCD when it comes to finger prints on mirrors, that finish may not be right for you.

On the other hand, if you are vain; addicted to organisation and need to maximise function in your home, this solution from Eggersmann may just be the answer to your prayers.

Hey, I recognise that stylish tile surround on top of the mirrors! We used a similar one in the living area of the 3000 square foot basement I designed a few years ago.

Clients stunning fireplace feature wall with concrete hearth. Photo by Stephani Buchman.

See more from my trip to L.A. in this post where I got to drive a sexy electric sports car…that I nearly crashed.

Why I’m In Bed With Another Woman

I’ll get to my video with me and another woman in bed soon.

But first, tell me this:

Do you ever get frustrated with how long it takes you to write a blog post? I know I sure do.

The worst part is, that after you’ve done all that work and hit the publish button, a few days later you notice that NO ONE has read the darn thing! Am I right?

You may remember that earlier this year, I moderated a panel at KBIS (Kitchen and Bath Industry Show) in Orlando. The discussion revolved around blogging, building an email list and making money by selling products on line.

Here is a photo of me with my beautiful panelists.

Left to right: Maria Killam; Me; Leslie Carothers and Laurel Bern

I feel very lucky to know all of these lovely ladies on a personal level and was thrilled that they were so generous with their time & with the information that they so willingly shared.

If you are familiar with Maria and Laurel, you probably know that they are making a very decent living off of their blogs. They both have extremely helpful online products that they offer to their loyal audience.

Creating your own online product is my number one recommendation to anyone who wants to earn passive income through their website or blog.

Affiliate marketing can be lucrative too, but not until you have A TON of traffic coming to your website regularly.

These beautiful bloggers weren’t always yielding high numbers of page views and monthly site visits. In the beginning, as with anything, it took time to gain traction and build a faithful audience.

If you have been blogging for a while and feel like you are spinning your wheels, I have some good news for you.

Click on the video below to see why Laurel and I are in bed together.

If you can’t wait any longer to get the guide, click here.

Please know that I have an affiliate arrangement with Laurel, so I will make a few bucks if you buy this insanely valuable guide.

It’s important to note, that I won’t back just anything. Laurel provides incredible value and doesn’t hold back when it comes to sharing insider tips and ‘need to know’ information, we kind of have that in common.

This is why I stand behind this guide 100%. I know the frustrations of blogging to crickets. It is not fun.

Regardless of whether you want to sell your own products or do affiliate links in the future, the most crucial element to having a successful blog and business, is that people need to be able to find you.

If people can’t find you, then they will never know about all those amazingly helpful tips and useful advice that you have to offer!

If potential clients don’t know that you exist, you can’t get them on your email list and eventually seduce them into wanting to hire you for local decorating services or E-design services.

That is why it is super important to have strategies in place, in order to get found on the world wide web.

Laurel says that is she had all the information within this guide when she started blogging, it would’ve easily saved her 18 months of trial and error….18 months of getting it all wrong.

Wow, 18 months is a long time to waste.

I’m having a new website redesigned as we speak & I am not wasting a year and half to get my butt in gear.

Why am I doing a new site? Because I currently have two websites.

One for my interior design business, Creating Contrast Designs and I also have my Clairejefford.com website for my coaching business.

After speaking with Laurel and reading her guide, I realised that having two websites is not good for a number of reasons.

So, now I will incorporate both sites onto one.

Plus, I don’t want to waste time making mistakes at ‘trying to figure it out’. I don’t have time to guess, I want to do it right and get results.

For me, taking advice from someone who is actually succeeding at something, is imperative. That is my philosophy for my own coaching business.

I don’t make recommendations to you as a designer based on what I “hear” has worked for others. I’ve walked the walk, so I can talk the talk. That’s just the way I roll!

Laurel and I, Orlando 2018

This is why I will be implementing a lot of Laurel’s advice from the guide into my own new website.

If you want to raise your game, learn step by step the correct way to build your email list and drive traffic to your site, here is the link to more information about Laurels’ guide & where you can get it.

It’s available at a promotional price from Wednesday April 25th through to Monday May 6th.

Plus, she’s added more than 5 chapters that focus on SEO, but in plain English that should make it easy for you to understand. Phew!

Here is the link again to the ‘Six Figure Income Blogger’. I can’t wait to implement the changes on my new site as I get ready for world wide web domination!

Got a question? Comment below and I’ll get back to you soon. xo