Determine your color preferences before meeting the consultant. Even if you're not sure exactly which hues you should have in your house, odds are you've formed some opinions about colors that attract and repel you. This information gives the color consultant a good starting point and helps her or him get an idea of your general color personality (bold, quiet, bright, neutral). Begin by listing your favorite and least favorite colors, then make a third list for those that fall in the middle ground. Next, compile examples. Create a Houzz ideabook of your favorite inspiration photos; take a peek in your closet; go to your local home center and pull paint chips. Sort your samples into the same three piles as your list: like, dislike, neutral.Even if you're 100 percent sure about the colors you do and don't want to live with, a consultant can help you combine your favorite shades in unexpected ways, or juxtapose them so that they complement one another to maximum advantage.