Talking with designer and decorator friends it seems everyone has their favourites.
Worldly Gray by Sherwin Williams is certainly an incredibly popular one.
This subtle gray that some people may refer to as a greige, is a beautiful colour. As with many neutrals, it tends to take on slightly varying appearances in rooms depending on the light and other decor elements.
Let’s explore this colour a bit more closely here in this week’s colour review.
If you’re new here, welcome! Below you will see what I cover in every colour review post.
In this colour review of Worldly Gray 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
Sherwin Williams – Worldly Gray
After you read my review if you would like all the information I discuss in one convenient place look no further than my new Perfect Colour Palette for Worldly Gray.
My Perfect Colour Palette also includes 10 colours that go beautifully with Worldly Gray, plus a 2-page step by step How-To for choosing a cohesive colour palette in your own home.
A must-have for any colour enthusiast or interior design professional!
Worldly Gray Colour Review
Undertone: violet
Colour Comparisons
As you can see below, it’s when we start comparing colours that you get a much better sense of a paint’s true colour.
Anew Gray SW 7030 and Zircon 7667
When comparing these three colours so closely as I have in the graphic above, you can easily see the differences in the undertones.
Anew Gray is a green-gray, Worldly Gray is a violet-gray and Zircon is a Blue Gray.
So many Shades of Gray! Who knew?!
Well, I did actually. 😉 But because I appreciate how confusing this can be if you are not a True Colour Expert obsessed with colour and design, I have a Free download for you.
Best Whites To Pair With Worldly Gray
Extra White SW 7006 by Sherwin Williams
Snowbound SW 7004 by Sherwin Williams
Pearly White SW 7009 by Sherwin Williams
Extra White, Snowbound and Pearly White
Extra White being a true white will highlight Worldly Gray as a slightly cooler colour compared to both Snowbound and Pearly White. These two whites are definitely warmer in tone.
Fabulous Colour Combinations
Worldly Gray with Blackberry, Silver Peony and Revel Blue
The room rendering shown here is an example of how you can find inspiration for an interior design project and incorporate the colours from my Perfect Colour Palette into a space.
Remember, you don’t need to use all of the colours for paint.
Yes, the walls are Worldly Gray and the built-ins and fireplace shiplap are Snowbound, but those are the only two paint colours.
The remaining colours we integrated into the room’s decor in other ways. The blue sofa mimics Revel Blue and the accent cushions are similar to Blackberry and Silver Peony.
Convenience At Your Fingertips
Love the idea of being inspired by beautiful colour combinations already done for you by a professional who eats, sleeps and breathes interior design every day?
We have single feature colour download available immediately after purchase and full collections from the most popular paint companies – Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore as well as Farrow & Ball.
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 to find out what your Perfect Colour Palette is.
Don’t turn your nose up because you think this colour tone is ‘so 10 years ago’, because Beiges are back!
And today I am reviewing a longstanding popular paint colour that is the lovely neutral Canvas Tan by Sherwin Williams.
This is a warm, light tan that does well in both sun-filled and darker rooms.
If you’re new here, welcome! Below you will see what I cover in every colour review post.
In this colour review of Canvas Tan by Sherwin Williams, I share:
The undertone
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
Sherwin Williams – Canvas Tan
After you read the blog post, if you would like all the information that I share in one convenient place, be sure to check out this Perfect Colour Palette.
In addition to the details I provide in my blog, the PDF includes a total of 10 colours that go beautifully with Canvas Tan.
Plus, there is a comprehensive step-by-step How-To Guide included for choosing a cohesive colour palette in your own home.
A must-have resource for any colour enthusiast or interior design professional!
Canvas Tan Colour Review
Undertone: green
Colour Comparisons
Canvas Tan is a beige with a green undertone.
We can better identify the undertone of a colour such as this when we compare it to other neutral paints in the beige family.
Patience SW 7555 and Accessible Beige SW 7036
From the comparison graphic above the true colour of Canvas Tan becomes much clearer.
Patience, shown on the top, is a pink beige.
Accessible Beige has a green undertone, but is more intense than Canvas Tan.
When looking at my large colour boards, a close comparison to Sherwin Williams’ Canvas Tan is Muslin by Benjamin Moore, even though it is a pink beige.
Best Whites To Pair With Canvas Tan
Extra White SW 7006 by Sherwin Williams
Greek Villa SW 7551 by Sherwin Williams
Dover White SW 6385 by Sherwin Williams
Extra White, Greek Villa and Dover White
See all three together to get a better sense of these recommended whites to use with this Sherwin Williams neutral paint colour.
They don’t even look white when you see them on the super white backdrop of my website!
That’s why choosing white paint colours can be a daunting task when decorating your home.
The beautiful fabric here demonstrates exactly how a complementary colour palette can be used to bring a room together.
Walls painted Canvas Tan, some stunning drapery in the above fabric, an area rug with a strong Blustery Sky shade to it and accent pieces with hints of Reddened Earth and Black Fox. Gorgeous.
Convenience At Your Fingertips
For your convenience, all the colour combinations shown above coordinate with this popular beige (plus 7 more!) are included in my Perfect Colour Palette for Canvas Tan.
But don’t be fooled and think of the bright white processed table salt that you might find in most kitchens.
Instead, this beautiful, pale, soothing light gray resembles its namesake, the thin crust of salt that forms on the surface of seawater.
A very natural colour that is perfect if you are going for a Coastal Design Style.
If you’re new here, welcome! I’m Claire Jefford, a True Colour Expert and Certified Interior Decorator.
Below you will see what I cover in every colour review post.
In this colour review of Fleur de Sel 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
Sherwin Williams – Fleur de Sel
After you read this post, if you would like all the information I discuss in one convenient place look no further than my new Perfect Colour Palette for Fleur de Sel, which includes 10 colours that go beautifully with this colour.
A must-have for any colour enthusiast or interior design professional!
Fleur de Sel Colour Review
Undertone: blue/green
Colour Comparisons
Rhinestone SW 7656 and Sea Salt SW 6204
In the above comparison, it becomes a bit easier to see the true tone of Fleur de Sel. It’s not looking quite as cool as Rhinestone which has a blue undertone.
And you can see that Sea Salt, which is another popular Sherwin Williams paint colour that I have previously reviewed, has a stronger green undertone.
When I do Colour Consultations in a client’s home, I always compare colours so they can easily see the differences between the paint colours.
When I hold my large paint boards up to a decorative element such as fabrics, wallpaper or subway tile and then swap out one board with another board, it becomes clear as to which colour will work best.
Best Whites To Pair With Fleur de Sel
High Reflective White SW 7036 by Sherwin Williams
Greek Villa SW 7551 by Sherwin Williams
Pearly White SW 7009 by Sherwin Williams
High Reflective White, Greek Villa and Pearly White
You will get quite a different look depending on which of the three whites you pair with Fleur de Sel. See the comparison graphic below with all these suggested white paint colours by Sherwin Williams to get a better idea of how each might look.
Fleur de Sel, Loch Blue, Grape Mist and Liveable Green
Oooh, I just love this pretty colour palette, don’t you?!
Loch Blue SW 6502 by Sherwin Williams
If Loch Blue is a little too bright for you, but you still love the richness of it, take a look at Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball to see if you prefer that colour.
Grape Mist SW 6502 by Sherwin Williams
While I’m a sucker for purples, this Grape Mist is more of a lavender and reminds me of the wall tile we removed from our main floor bathroom when we renovated it in 2020.
Liveable Green SW 6176 by Sherwin Williams
We choose 3 of the complementary colours from my Perfect Colour Palette for Fleur De Sel to create this beautiful palette and pair them with the fabric below.
In the room rendering below you can see how we incorporate the colours from the above palette into our design.
The walls are painted the featured colour Fleur de Sel by Sherwin Williams.
We’ve shown the accent chairs at either end of the table in the beautiful fabric shown in the graphic above.
We placed Grape Mist on the other dining chairs and the bright hue of Loch Blue on the drapery.
Livable Green can be seen on the built-in cabinet that acts as our backdrop for this rendered dining room.
Convenience At Your Fingertips
All of the colour combinations shown above, plus more inspiring options for your next home decorating project can be found in my Fleur de Sel Perfect Colour Palette.
If you prefer Benjamin Moore or can’t do anything but Farrow & Ball, I’ve created collections of the most popularly used paint colours from both of the paint companies as well and you can see them here.
Undoubtedly, one of THE MOST popular Sherwin Williams’ neutrals for the past 5 years or more.
Anew Gray is warmer and a bit richer than many of the other trending grays out there.
If you’re new here, welcome! Below you will see what I cover in every colour review post.
In this colour review of Anew Gray 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
Sherwin Williams – Anew Gray
After you read my paint colour review, be sure to take a look at my Colour Shop for all the carefully curated Perfect Colour Palettes I’ve designed to inspire your next home decorating project.
Must-have resources for any colour enthusiast or interior design professional!
Anew Gray Colour Review
Undertone: green
Colour Comparisons
As you can see below, it’s when we start comparing colours that you get a much better sense of a paint’s true colour.
Taupe Tone SW 7633 and Zircon SW 7667
Taupe Tone is quite a bit darker than Anew Gray and it’s a Taupe, just as the name suggests.
Although don’t be fooled, because this isn’t always the case with paint colour names!
You see when Anew is Gray beside Zircon, a blue gray, now it does not appear to be as gray as you may have initially thought.
When I do Colour Consultations in a client’s home, I am always comparing colours so they too can easily see the differences between the paint colours.
When I hold my large paint boards up to a decorative element such as fabrics, wallpaper or subway tile and then swap out one board with another board, it becomes clear as to which colour will work best.
Best Whites To Pair With Anew Gray
Extra White SW 7006 by Sherwin Williams
The truest white out of the three, Extra White is a great white to use on ceilings and trim when considering painting a room with Anew Gray.
Greek Villa SW 7551 by Sherwin Williams
A slightly creamier white, Greek Villa is a wonderful trim colour to go with Anew Gray.
Shoji White SW 7042 by Sherwin Williams
A much richer white (and some might say not really a white at all) is Shoji White by Sherwin Williams and it makes a gorgeous paint combination with Anew Gray.
Extra White, Greek Villa and Shoji White
Looking at all three whites together you can more easily see how a different look and feel would be created for each one in a design when paired with Anew Gray.
Anew Gray with Iron Ore, Gracious Rose and Chrysanthemum
Iron Ore SW 7069 by Sherwin Williams
Gracious Rose SW 6317 by Sherwin Williams
Chrysanthemum SW 6347 by Sherwin Williams
We used the fabric below as a jumping-off point to create these beautiful colour combinations.
When creating a cohesive look for a room or entire home think of all the ways to incorporate the colours in your chosen colour scheme.
Just looking at this fabric and keeping Anew Gray as your main colour you can see the amazing selection of colours you could use for other areas of the project.
Artwork, drapery, cushions, decorative elements – these all can incorporate the colours of the palette.
The colours do not all have to be used solely for paint.
If you are a fan of the beautiful rich paints by Farrow & Ball I’ve also created a collection of 10 classic colours from this popular British paint company. Check them out here.
Hugely popular amongst professional designers, decorators and home owners alike, Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams is a fantastic neutral.
Repose Gray is a gray, although not a true gray.
An incredibly versatile colour, Repose Gray is not restricted to a particular design style or room.
If you’re new here, welcome! Below you will see what I cover in every colour review post.
In this colour review of Repose Gray 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
Sherwin Williams – Repose Gray
After you read the blog if you would like all the information I discuss in one convenient place look no further than my new Perfect Colour Palette for Repose Gray.
My 26+ page Perfect Colour Palette also includes more colours that go beautifully with Repose Gray, plus helpful tips for choosing a cohesive colour palette in your own home.
A must-have for any colour enthusiast or interior design professional!
Repose Gray Colour Review
Undertone: green/slight violet undertone
Colour Comparisons
As you can see below, it’s when we start comparing colours that you get a much better sense of a paint’s true colour.
Agreeable Gray SW 7029 and Passive SW 7064
This comparison above gives you a much better idea of where Repose Gray fits in.
Passive looks cooler and has a more noticeable violet undertone when compared to Repose Gray.
You can definitely see a bit more of the green undertone in Repose Gray compared to Agreeable Gray which also has a green undertone but is not nearly as gray.
A much lighter gray, Agreeable Gray looks gorgeous in this living room.
When I do Colour Consultations in a client’s home, I always compare colours so they can easily see the differences between the paint colours.
I hold my large paint boards up to a decorative element such as fabrics, wallpaper or subway tile and then swap out one board with another board. This helps to clearly show which colour will work best.
Best Whites To Pair With Repose Gray
Pure White SW 7005 by Sherwin Williams
Snowbound SW 7004 by Sherwin Williams
Alabaster SW 7008 by Sherwin Williams
Pure White, Snowbound and Alabaster
Three whites that would all look so great with Repose Gray, each offering quite a different look.
There are a total of 10 colours in my Perfect Colour Palette that I’ve carefully curated and they all look amazing with Repose Gray.
You can use the palettes as inspiration for creating a beautiful space anywhere in your home. Remember, the colours aren’t meant to all be used for paint colours.
If you are a fan of the beautiful rich paints by Farrow & Ball I’ve also created a collection of 10 classic colours from this popular British paint company. Check them out here.
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 to find out what your Perfect Colour Palette is.
Or are you thinking about it, but not sure how exactly to go about it?
In this post, I will take you through my step-by-step process to help you decide if Designer For a Day is a service you’d like to offer in your Interior Design Business.
This is NOT Luxury Design, BUT…
Please note that if you only want to attract luxury, full-service clients, offering Designer For a Day is not going to suit your firm’s goals or brand messaging.
BUT at the same time, don’t limit your thinking to believing this is a ‘cheap’ service. This is still a very valuable service that you can market to high-end clients if that is your target market.
With the uncertainty regarding the future of our economy, offering various levels of service may be what gets you through this tough time ahead.
This really is rule #1 when it comes to ways you can still have a thriving business if the economy collapses.
Designer For a Day services provides you with expert guidance from us, your Interior Design Partner. Allow us to assist you with parts of the project that you may find especially overwhelming and to help you avoid making costly mistakes.
Services in our 6-hour time blocks may include, but are not limited to:
Space planning ideas
Guidance for kitchen and bath design
Sourcing of various finishes & furnishings
Specifications for paint colours
In-person meetings & communication with clients or trades
How you offer this service may look different and that’s the beauty of running your own business! Here’s a graphic I created to show you the potential earnings for this service.
More details on money matters closer to the end of the post.
What type of Design services can you provide?
Also included with all of our contracts in the Service Outlines are details of what type of specific design services we can provide.
For example, if we are assisting homeowners with fixed element selections for new builds we would include hardwood flooring, floor/wall tiles, countertops, bathroom or kitchen plumbing fixtures, and sometimes lighting.
In addition, we can choose complementary paint colours for cabinets and walls, as well as hardware, grout, and sometimes even lighting.
The Designer For a Day service could also be used for styling, an often very difficult part of the interior design process for homeowners to do successfully on their own.
Although we don’t do it, shopping retail for furniture could also be included as part of this service. The downside is that you need to take the time to create a floor plan with measurements of furnishings.
This can start to get quite time-consuming and is really more of an in-depth design service.
Also, when shopping retail and in person, there are no guarantees you will find exactly what you are looking for in that one-time shopping trip. It can be hit or miss depending on the availability of products on a showroom floor if you are looking to get everything done in one day. It’s a pretty tall order that is almost impossible to fulfill.
Another idea is to offer this virtually and use online resources that you can refer people to for purchasing products.
For us, we only shop retail for accessories on an install or photoshoot day. Otherwise, we reserve furniture specifying for our Full-Service clients and shop through our trade-only vendors.
Step by Step Process
1. After a lead reaches out to us, we log the inquiry details and look to schedule a 15-minute Discovery Call to assess their needs, timelines, investment amount, etc.,
2. If it turns out that the lead is a good fit, we book and collect payment for an initial consultation appointment.
3. As you meet with them at this all-important first in-person meeting, if you ROCK your consultation then you should be able to carefully assess the details of their project to accurately determine which interior design service you offer that will be best for them.
Use my Service Outlines to review in more detail why you are recommending a specific service – in this case, Designer for a Day – and so they fully understand your process for moving forward. This is an excellent way to manage a client’s expectations from the offset.
*HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: When we help clients with selections for a renovation or new build, we always advise them that we prefer to use our own local suppliers. This will make you more efficient with your time because knowing the ‘lay of the land’ in a showroom and being familiar with their products, as well as having good relationships with the staff, makes this process go much more smoothly.
If they insist you use a supplier unknown to you, consider charging an additional fee as it will take you longer to navigate a store that you are unfamiliar with.
4. Once you’ve clearly established the scope of work, it’s time to review and sign your contract.
Collect full payment with the signed agreement and book a date in your calendar for the Designer For a Day. Here’s a post about what you should include in your contract.
5. Take photos of the necessary areas of the home. Grab any samples they may already have on-site that they want you to work with or to consider as options for the project. If they have any floor plans or documentation that may be helpful, add that to your folder. If need be, take any quick measurements you may need to reference.
*NOTE – This step may need to happen as part of their Designer For a Day time allowance and be done first thing at a follow-up visit. It depends on how the consultation goes and if they are quick to decide early on at the meeting that they want this service.
6. When assisting clients with choosing finishes for a kitchen or a bathroom renovation, head to the showroom on your own first, and be prepared with any samples or documentation you may have already collected from them.
We always take our large painted boards, samples of painted cabinet doors, and our grout palette. Then we do our thing, selecting finishes (usually 1 or 2 options) based on what we said we would do in the detailed contract.
We are lucky to have a designated area of the showroom – a quiet corner or the board room – to set up and leave our ‘presentation’ there for a day or so.
*NOTE: The selection process typically takes 2-3 hours depending on the scope of work and including travel time and setup. This means that around 3 hours are remaining from the initial 6 hours.
7. The way we work with Designer For a Day service is that we generally split the 6 hours into two parts.
For the second part, we arrange for the client to meet us at the showroom where we present the design finishes. Anything that needs to be swapped out or slightly modified can easily be done right there on-site.
A member of the staff makes a note of the final selections and tags the paperwork with the client’s name, my name, and their GC (if applicable).
8. If there is still time remaining in their allotted 6 hours, it’s not uncommon for us to either leave with the samples and take them to the client’s home to view on site.
Alternatively, we sometimes will go to a bathroom boutique or lighting showroom, depending on the client’s top priorities of what they want help with.
9. When we are done, we part ways and that’s it! Unless they need further services, you are done. No follow up meeting, no write-up required and no ordering of products.
Be sure to take photos to share on social media and/or for future blog posts. Then follow up afterward to ask for a review.
10. Go home, put your feet up and have a glass of wine, you’ve earned it 🙂
Of course, there are different ways you can offer this service. Tailor it in a way that works for how you want to run a successful interior design business. If you are still unclear and want more detailed information to better understand how Designer For a Day could work for your model, reach out to book a one-on-one coaching session with me and we can tighten up this fabulous service offering to work for you in your business!
Did you ever wish there was something you knew about the design industry way back when you started your business?
Maybe you are an interior design student or a decorating enthusiast considering starting your own business in the near future and are curious to hear a seasoned professional’s thoughts on this industry and what they might like to see change.
This post is for you, keep reading!
For a school project, Kathryn Venema, an Interior Design student and my part-time designer here at Claire Jefford Inc., sat down with me to ask these questions and much more.
See all the Q&A’s here as I share my views on what it takes to make it in the interior design business.
Kathryn:What is something about the design industry that you wish you knew when starting your business?
Claire: I wish I was more prepared for the business side of the industry.
In school, I learned a lot about design, layout, etc. They taught me the foundation of how to design and decorate, but definitely not how to run a business.
I learned what I know about running a business from experience, trial and error, and learning from others around me.
Now, I’ve been able to use what I’ve learned about the industry to coach young designers like yourself to give you the foundation of business knowledge that I wish I had when starting out.
Kathryn: What is the most rewarding aspect of the design process for you?
Claire: I have two. First would be the client presentation, seeing clients get excited about the possibilities of what their home could be because our designs are usually something they would not imagine for themselves.
My second favourite part about the design process for custom projects is the big reveal.
When clients trust the whole process and trust your designs without back and forth, being able to see your design come to life on a big reveal day is soooo thrilling!
Knowing the work and all the magic you put in behind the scenes in making it all work smoothly, and seeing clients so excited to view their new space, is one of the most rewarding parts of the process.
Kathryn: Is there anything you don’t love about the business side of the design industry?
Claire: Managing renovation projects. As a certified interior decorator, project managing for full floor or kitchen and bath renovations is definitely not my thing.
I love to do what I do best in terms of the overall design, layout, making selections, choosing paint colours and guiding a client that way for a renovation as opposed to managing trades, ordering all items, tracking, and troubleshooting.
We do, however, project manage many decorating projects for our wonderful clients.
In terms of admin work, order tracking, sourcing, etc. it’s about how you want to run your business. Some people describe this as the 80/20 rule: 20% design and 80% everything else -basically running the business.
If you become your own boss, you need to recognize which aspects of the interior design process you don’t like and you aren’t the best at. Those are the tasks that you’re going to want to outsource first in your business or hire someone else to do.
This past spring I hired my sister (who also happens to be a client) as my full-time Office Manager. As the goals that I have for my business continue to evolve, I needed help managing more of the administrative work if I want to continue to grow and successfully manage my business.
As a bookkeeper, and an extremely organized person (at work and at home) she has been a great addition, helping me in areas that aren’t my strength. This means I can focus more on the design and coaching side, while she looks after all the admin work.
Kathryn: What skills would you expect from an Interior Design student or Interior Design graduate to stand out when searching for a job in the industry?
Claire: One thing I preach all the time is the use of video. Video is something that is often overlooked but it really helps you to stand out from the crowd when initially reaching out to an accomplished firm with the hopes of getting a job or even pro-bono experience.
I’ve spoken at many industry events and sometimes send a video along with my submission to introduce myself and describe how I can help them. That personal connection can’t be beat.
From a business’s perspective and in terms of the specific needs of my own firm, when hiring design students 3D rendering skills are a must in order to illustrate design concepts to our clients.
I used to do these myself, but now prefer to focus on other aspects of my business while someone else takes care of this important part of the project. Of course, I oversee the designs and share my vision as well as ideas I have for any project we take on.
The student should also have a good eye for material selections and being aware of ideal measurements and dimensions within any given space, is also an asset.
Being punctual, respectful in their communication and showing initiative is also high on my list of expectations.
I wouldn’t expect them to know anything about business at that point, even as a new graduate.
My recommendation for anyone starting their own business is to go through your first design projects, whether it was for yourself or something you did for school. Build a portfolio of your drawings, before and after images and look at the design process to help you understand what issues may have arisen, what did you do to address them, how could you have addressed them better, and what was the purpose and obstacles of this project?
This will help you develop and refine your business processes and make you able to stand out in interviews when discussing problem solving scenarios, and with your clients in the future too!
Kathryn: What piece of business advice would you give to a design student or new graduate when entering the industry?
Claire: Although you need to learn through your own experiences and with every project you will gain more confidence in your abilities, try not to underestimate the value you bring as an interior design professional to a project and how beneficial your services are for homeowners. These designs you create and the choices you make, impact the way they live.
Invest in your business! Remember that this is a business and you are a professional running a business.
When you invest actual money and develop a strategy up front, you’ll be more likely to take yourself seriously which will reflect the way you present yourself and how you work.
This includes investing in your website, creating a brand image, hiring a professional photographer to build your portfolio., etc.
I’ve seen too many new people start up an interior design business without thinking like an ‘Interior Design Boss‘ and it feels more like a hobby. This type of mindset is hard to shake and can lead to ‘imposter syndrome’. Invest in your business from the start with the necessary business setup requirements.
Be open to learning from others in the industry who have relevant experience because you can never know it all.
This includes working with trades and appreciating what level of expertise they can also bring to a project.
If you want to grow your business and enter with a mindset of bigger and better – hire sooner than later.
When you’re presenting your services to potential clients, don’t just disclose what services you offer, but instead make sure you are sharing the benefits of working with you.
For example, if you were to approach a realtor to work with them on styling, how will hiring you as a designer help them, and what skills do you bring to the table?
Reflections from Kathryn
“This was a really great opportunity to get some insight on more of the business aspects of the design industry from an industry professional and accomplished business owner such as Claire.
I gained a lot of insight on what goes into running your own interior design business, as well as valuable strategies and pieces of advice to get there.
The biggest takeaways from this interview were to remember that when starting a design business, even if you start out from your home, you need to treat it like a professional business and invest both money and time into a business plan in order to find success.
In addition, considering which aspects of the design process you love and what you may not like, and understanding all the additional elements that go into running your own business, was a valuable takeaway for me as well.“
Kathryn is a lovely person, and I feel very fortunate to have her on my team. We have quite a bit of fun as well, if you can tell by our cheeky smirks in this photo above. 😉
I know she is learning a lot on the job while teaching this ‘not so old’ dog a few new tricks at the same time!
Cheers Kathryn, for all that you do here at Claire Jefford Inc.!
Silver Strand is just one of many beautiful and popular neutral gray paint colours from Sherwin Williams.
And like many grays it can look different at various times of the day depending on the room, the lighting and of course all the other accents and elements in the space.
Let’s take a closer look at this light and airy gray from Sherwin Williams.
If you’re new here, welcome! Below you will see what I cover in every colour review post.
In this colour review of Silver Strand 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
Sherwin Williams – Silver Strand
After you read the blog, if you would like all the colour details in one convenient place, look no further than my new Perfect Colour Palette for Silver Strand.
My Perfect Colour Palette also includes 10 colours that go beautifully with Silver Strand, plus a 2-page step by step How-To for choosing a cohesive colour palette in your own home.
A must-have for any colour enthusiast or interior design professional!
Undertone: blue/green
Colour Comparisons
As you can see below, it’s when we start comparing colours that you get a much better sense of a paint’s true colour.
Sea Salt SW 6204 and Passive SW 7064
If you couldn’t quite see the green/blue undertone it certainly is more apparent when comparing it to Sea Salt and Passive, two other lovely neutrals from Sherwin Williams.
As you can see in the comparison above though, it’s not quite as strong or noticeable as it is in Silver Strand.
The paint colour Passive is also a gray but has a violet undertone.
When I do Colour Consultations in a client’s home, I always compare colours with my large colour boards so they can easily see the differences between the paint colours.
When I hold my large paint boards up to a decorative element such as fabrics, wallpaper or subway tile and then swap out one board with another board, it becomes clear as to which colour will work best.
If you think this slightly more subtle gray is more your style consider my Perfect Colour Palette for Sea Salt to give you some added inspiration.
Best Whites To Pair With Silver Strand
High Reflective White SW 7036 by Sherwin Williams
Snowbound SW 7004 by Sherwin Williams
Pearly White SW 7009 by Sherwin Williams
High Reflective White, Snowbound and Pearly White
All three whiles look super with Silver Strand but the comparison below gives you a good idea of the different looks you would get with each.
From the room rendering below you can visualize the different ways to use these colours all together in one space.
The walls are painted Silver Strand.
The artwork on the left wall along with the cushions incorporates the Husky Orange.
And the accent chair is upholstered in a similar coloured fabric to that of Slow Green.
So remember, you can use my Perfect Colour Palettes to pull together a pretty colour scheme, being inspired by the colours for more than just paint colour for your walls.
A must-have resource for any colour enthusiast or design professional! Below is the cover for Oval Room Blue. Learn more here.
Oval Room Blue Colour Review
Colour: light teal blue
Farrow & Ball describe Oval Room Blue as…
the most ‘blackened’ of their blues, giving it a subtly aged feel. Named after the attractively shaped rooms of the late 18th century, it sits perfectly with our popular greys to create depth and balance in either a hall or a darker, cosier family room.
Let’s take a look at some comparisons of similar colours to get a better read of this blue.
Colour Comparisons
Dix Blue No.82 & Stone Blue No.86
Here it seems to look more like a gray blue when sandwiched between Stone Blue and Dix Blue. Oval Room Blue is much less vibrant than those other two colours.
But when you view it in isolation and pair it with specific hues, it seems more bright than you might expect.
Best Whites To Pair With Oval Room Blue
Pointing No.2003 By Farrow & Ball
Cabbage White No.269 By Farrow & Ball
Cornforth White No.228 By Farrow & Ball
Now that we’ve seen each white on its own with Oval Room Blue, let’s take a look at the 3 whites together.
These don’t even look white at all, but believe it or not, they are some of the lightest ‘whites’ from Farrow & Ball.
And while we are on the topic of whites, if they confuse you, you are not alone. But I can help. 🙂
I absolutely love how Vardo stands out and the contrasting Down Pipe in this Farrow & Ball colour combination! Do you love it too?
Vardo No. 288 By Farrow & Ball
Down Pipe No.26 By Farrow & Ball
Cromarty No.285 By Farrow & Ball
The chairs in this room image from Farrow & Ball resemble Vardo and Cromarty.
Convenience At Your Fingertips
All of the colour combinations I share here, plus more options to inspire your next decorating project, are included in my Perfect Colour Palette Oval Room Blue.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.