By specializing as an interior color consultant, I am able to assist clients more efficiently in selecting paint color that visually enhances their existing furnishings and space. I am able to work within a full range of color schemes from neutrals to dramatic accents, not just current color trends.

In addition to color consulting, my background of over 25 years interior design experience enables me to provide guidance regarding:

• Furniture layout, rearrangement, and placement of art and accessories
• Coordination of surface materials and finishes for remodel projects
• Addressing any design questions and concerns
• Guidelines to follow when shopping for furnishings and products on your own regarding style, scale/dimensions, color, quality, and finishes
• Resources

Professional guidance can save you time, trouble and money down the road.

Helping you to select colors for your home is a collaborative process.

Through my years of experience as an interior designer I have found that an individual's response to a color is complex and unique and can be based upon a variety of factors. Therefore, I will not tell you how a particular color will make you feel, change your life, or affect you psychologically. My approach is simply this. By listening to your needs and concerns and finding colors that appeal to you, we can work together to achieve through effective color choices an environment that YOU enjoy, are comfortable spending time in and transforms and enhances your existing furnishings and space.

Paint lines continually change and improve their products. Selecting the right color is just one part of the equation for a successful project. It is also important to consider product performance and paint sheen in terms of your specific needs. For example, durability and washability might be of more importance especially if you have kids and pets. If a room isn't used as much or if you repaint to change your color scheme often, what you require in a paint will be much different. If you have a particular paint brand and product that you are happy with, I can certainly work with their colors. At this point in time, I have decided to primarily utilize the color samples of Benjamin Moore Paint for three main reasons:

• Extensive color palette (approx. 3300 colors)

Working within an extensive color palette obviously enables me to find the best color solutions. I can also select colors more quickly than if I were working with several paint lines at once. The extensive colors are all available in the wide range of Benjamin Moore products: Aura, Regal, Natura (zero VOC), ben, Satin Impervo to name a few. This gives the client the flexibility in choosing the paint product most suitable for their needs and budget.

• Benjamin Moore paints are known for good color retention and quality

Many of the other paint manufacturers ranked highly by Consumer Reports (March 2009 issue - interior paints) performed well in most categories, are less expensive than Benjamin Moore, but performed poorly in the color fading category.

• Popular Science selected Benjamin Moore Aura Paint for 2007 "Best of What's New" Award

Yes, the new Aura paint is more expensive at approximately $57 per gallon but the product’s long term performance may significantly outweigh its initial expense. It’s equally durable in all its sheen levels -matte, eggshell, and satin -and this gives you the option to use the lowest gloss matte sheen even in kitchens, bathrooms and high traffic areas. (Higher sheens / gloss levels typically tend to make wall texture and imperfections more visible.) Other benefits to consider are:

• Environmentally friendly - low VOC, low odor
• Superior washability and stain and mildew resistance in any sheen
• Self priming, fast one hour recoat time, easy touch up
• No more than two coats required even in the deepest hue

I recently repainted my son's room using Aura Matte. The existing color was a dark cobalt blue and the new color was to be a light gray green. It was really amazing that the Aura paint covered such a dark color in one coat and I only had to roll a quick second coat to cover areas we missed. The total project was completed in 3 hours.