Choosing paint colors is one of the hardest parts of redecorating a space. But many people can't afford to have an interior designer come to their home to help.
Now you can: PPG Pittsburgh Paints is teaming up with members of the Pennsylvania West chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers to offer at-home color consultations. The program, which is being introduced today through March 14 at the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show, charges homeowners $75 for a one-hour color consultation. Users receive colorful advice and a coupon for $50 toward their paint purchase -- enough for two gallons.
"This is a great deal because color consultations usually cost $150 an hour or more," says Dee Schlotter, brand manager for PPG's Voice of Color.
Designers and their bios are available online at www.myvoiceofcolor.com/pittsburgh. Ms. Schlotter says that the program grew out of consumer feedback.
"People are afraid to invite designers into their homes because they aren't 'perfect,' " she says.
It's a little like waiting until you're all better to see the doctor.
At the home show, visitors can get a free trial of the designers' work. If you bring some decorative elements from the room you are looking to paint -- a pillow, photos, etc.-- designers at the ASID booth will offer a free 10-minute color consultation. They will have a full complement of PPG paint chips and color cards to make a choice for you, and you get to leave with a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for paint.
For even more inspiration, check out the rooms in the Designer Showcase or Dream Home, at opposite ends of the second floor of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. All have been painted in PPG colors. If you see one you love, grab a spec sheet with all of the details to make it happen.
PPG's 2010 color palette runs the gamut from Pink City, featuring spicy reds and oranges, to the Canvas palette with cool, sophisticated grays and tans. ASID designer and PPG color consultant Karolyn Spagnolo brings the Grace palette with its serene turquoise "Sea Sprite" to life in the Designer Showcase. Its one of the hottest colors of the year.
The color consultation program will continue after the home show. PPG will also continue to offer free color shows at neighborhood PPG retail stores. These fun gatherings include a designer who presents the basics of color and explains how to make color choices that go beyond the walls. Participants are encouraged to bring fabric swatches, pictures or whatever else they consider their jumping off point for a room. Attendees, who sometimes number more than 100, also receive a coupon for a free gallon of paint.
Shows are now scheduled for May at Rolliers Hardware in Mt. Lebanon and Westmoreland Supply stores in Fox Chapel and Ross. For information on upcoming color shows or other special offers, go to www.myvoiceofcolor.com/pittsburgh.
First Published: March 6, 2010, 10:00 a.m.
