Color help
Color help, before the estimate
Choosing the color is the hard part of painting a house, so we do it first, together, on your walls.
The consult takes a visit. Nereida or Adamaris brings a fan deck, chips and a stack of painted boards. You leave with a short color plan: each room's color name, sheen and trim, in English, Spanish or both.
A fan deck and a few dozen chips
Sample boards painted and taped where the color will live
A color plan with names, sheens and trim
The consult's terms, in writing, before you book
Light
How San Diego light changes a color
The same paint looks like three paints in one day. We look at your boards in each of these.
Marine layer
Soft, gray light that cools blues and flattens warm colors. Near the coast it can last past noon.
Midday sun
Strong, white light that makes colors look lighter and brighter. A deep color on a sunny wall reads as one shade lighter.
Lamplight
Warm light that pulls every color toward yellow. We check the boards at night, with your own bulbs.
Starting points
Four palettes people ask for
Names are from our swatch wall. Each is a place to start, not a rule.
Coastal calm
Sea glass / Vidrio de mar, Lagoon / Laguna and a warm white. Good for stucco and for rooms that face the water.
Spanish revival warm
Adobe blush / Rosa adobe, Saffron / Azafrán and a deep brown trim. Made for clay roofs and arched doors.
Bright cottage
Marigold / Cempasúchil, Surf / Oleaje and a crisp white door. For bungalows that want some play.
Quiet neutrals
Sage / Salvia, a warm gray and a soft white. For rooms where the furniture should do the talking.
Color questions
What is a color consult, and what does it cost?
A visit where Nereida or Adamaris looks at your light and walls, brings chips and paints sample boards. Before you book it, we tell you in writing what the consult costs and whether it counts toward your paint job.
How many colors does my house need?
Most rooms need one wall color plus a white or deeper trim. Most exteriors need a body color, a trim color and sometimes a front door. Our color page shows what each choice means for the job.
Will the color look like the chip?
Not on its own. A chip is two inches wide and a wall is twelve feet. That is why we paint sample boards and tape them where the color will live, then look at them in morning marine layer, midday sun and lamplight.
Does my HOA or historic district need to approve the colors?
Many do, for exteriors. Check your rules first. We can print your color plan with the names and sheens so you can send it to the board.
Bring us the colors you're torn between
A consult is a visit, a stack of boards and a plan on paper.