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Architectural Color Designer

What They Do

Insider Info

Architectural color designers can make any building look appealing, regardless of where it's situated or what it's used for. They can take color and make a statement, create a feeling or set a mood.

These designers can make homes feel comfortable, make employees more productive and even increase sales at work. Any way you look at it, choosing the correct color is a valuable skill and an interesting profession.

Architectural color designers can make any kind of building look good through the use of color. By designing color schemes, architectural designers can change the face, or the interior, of a building.

They use color palettes (which they sometimes create on their own) to give buildings a new "feel." Architectural color designers work closely with their clients to ensure they get the color schemes that are right for them. It's about using color to get the results you want.

Architectural color designers work on homes, apartment blocks, shopping centers, hotels, restaurants and any other building that needs a change of face. Although they rarely do the painting themselves, they do visit each individual job site to ensure the results are what they expected.

Many architectural color designers are self-employed. But a few may work in large architectural designing firms. Their work is generally not affected by changes in the climate. However, warmer seasons may mean they're busier with exterior work.

Most established designers have made a name for themselves. They often have a set clientele and as much work as they can handle.

Because many architectural color designers are self-employed, they set their own hours. However, the nature of the business also means they can be extremely busy some weeks and less busy in others.

"You could work two or three hours a day, or you could work an 18-hour day," says Frances Kerr. She is a self-employed color consultant in Pennsylvania. She also says that many color designers work part time and supplement their earnings with a similar type of job, such as interior design.

An architectural color designer's job isn't necessarily physically strenuous. But it can require a great deal of travel between sites and sometimes at odd hours. The job tends to be more mentally demanding than physically demanding. It requires a great deal of organization as well as good communication skills with all kinds of people.

As long as you have a good eye for color and building design, a physical disability shouldn't hamper your ability to work in this field.

At a Glance

Come up with attractive looks for buildings

  • Most established designers have made a name for themselves
  • You can work on homes, apartment blocks, shopping centers, hotels and restaurants
  • Consider attending architecture school, interior design school or art school

Contact

  • Email Support
  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

Support