What are clients most afraid of?
I find that clients are most afraid of taking that first step into color. Because color is such an emotional design element, evoking different feelings in different people, they are sometimes afraid of using any color at all.What is your style of working with clients?
Because I have a professional film background [Ramos starred with Shannon Doherty and Kevin Dillon in Gone in the Night], I can see things as an actor would. I find it easy to step into the role of the client. I want the room to be the client's room, not some cookie-cutter idea that's repeated for client after client. You'll see on Color Correctionthat no two rooms resemble each other. Some are modern, contemporary, traditional; they reflect the client.
Their biggest color mistakes?
The biggest color mistake I find when a client has chosen the wrong color for themselves is that they didn't give themselves a chance to live in — and with — the color before ultimately choosing the right color for their rooms. The best way to avoid this is to not only find a color chip or a color swatch to compare choices, but to also buy enough paint, (or fabric or upholstery or accessories, etc.) to create a 4' by 4' area of that color and then live with it for a while before proceeding.
Do you think people can "outgrow" a color?
Sure, color preferences change with age and life experience. You don't wear the same clothes you wore in junior high. So colors that were your favorites when you were young may not be now. Maybe at a certain time in your life the color reflected what you wanted for yourself. Say as a child you wanted excitement and chose vibrant colors that helped you feel that way; as you got older you wanted colors that meant success or that inspired relaxation.
Can you share a color secret?
Here's a little industry secret: Choose colors that have a bit of yellow in them and the room will feel better. You can buy a white with a bit of yellow and it will help the light bounce around.
How did your parents influence your interest in color, design and architecture?
I'm the daughter of an architect so I started young. I never got to work at the local Dairy Queen or a retail store; I helped out at my father's firm. And then my mother was on the theatrical side. She ran this beautiful children's theatre troupe with other moms. These women made their own sets and costumes. As a kid that was so fun; it was so inspiring and I was so drawn to that world. By the time I finished high school, I had as much experience as people farther along in architecture school and I had a strong interest in theatre and performing.
