Bob Buckter Color Consultant.

The color scheme of our 1905 2-​unit Edwardian felt dated and bland. While going into the project we had some strong opinions of what the new color scheme should be, Bob respected those but pushed our thinking, resulting in a 4-​color solution we are thrilled about. The palette is fresh and contemporary and highlights our building’s key details. The building has been transformed into something we are all very proud of. Thank you, Dr. Color.

I had heard great things about Mr. Buckter and was rather disappointed. He seemed to be on autopilot and spent very little time on this job, despite the very high price, $ 1,000! We met rather briefly and I wasn’t sure he was really listening. Then in the design which he sent, it was clear that he hadn’t been listening to my desires as he contradicted them. Also he made no effort to show what the building would look like (which one can do pretty well these days using photoshop), but just put numbers on the sections. I ended up having to hire another designer that I had worked with before (Gale Melton), who is much better at listening and working with a client.

If you have ever seen a Victorian House in San Francisco that has made you wonder, «How in the world did these people know that these colors would look so beautiful when put together?»
The owners of that Victorian house is most likely used Bob Buckter to pick their color combinations. I remembered his name by seeing his sign on the most beautiful Victorian Homes in SF – over and over again. When we finally purchased our house, I called him and asked him if he did small Victorians in our neighborhood and he said, «Yes!» Bob is an incredibly talented colorist who knows his Victorians. He was able to date our house and tell us which moldings, swags. and ribbons were original to the year of our house. He told us where we could find replicas of the moldings and how to prep them for painting. He did a color by number approach for the painters. He was strict about where each color of paint needed to be purchased and their formulas. Everyone who sees our house comments on the bright & bold color combinations (yellow, purple, green, brown, white, gold, tan). He is a master when it comes to colors on Victorians. I highly recommend using Bob Buckter if you are like me & want a beautifully painted home, but can’t figure out shades and combinations.
He really is DR COLOR!

Update, 05/​18/​2014:
We’ve painted the interior and most of the exterior, excluding some of the accent trim. It’s really, really nice. In fact, it almost feels like an entirely new home. Definitely money well spent. Still no pics due to the fact that the exterior isn’t done, but they’re coming eventually.

Our 1890s Eastlake Stick Victorian was treated to a wonderful color update from Dr. Color. We’re very much into restoring the interior to its original state and wanted to apply the SF Victorian style to the exterior. Actually found Bob in one of the Painted Ladies books.
He’s extremely thorough. Took lots of photos that became the paint by numbers plan that we actually have to reference whenever we need to do touch ups. It’s quite detailed with 9 colors including the gold trim and red doors.
If you’re planning to do this, one thing you should know is that the cost of painting is not correlated to the number of colors, but the amount of «cutting in» colors within colors requiring several series of tape masks…

Bob did the color design on the outside of my old apartment building on 19^th and Capp in the Mission District. I’ve always loved the beautiful exterior of the building and thoughtful combination of colors. In a strange way, in an area that’s not noted for its safety, it made me feel safer!
Gorgeous non-​intuitive color scheme with a darker green as the primary color and some surprising secondary colors such as purple and gold that worked together amazingly well. The thought that went into the intricate details of the exterior coloring really showed — and it’s the kind of thing that really never gets old even when you see it every day.

Our 1895 San Francisco Victorian has been graced with Bob Buckter’s designs for over a decade. We loved what he had done to it, before we bought it, so much that we called him when it was time to repaint.
Ours is a 3-​story, four unit building, with four owners. With great efficiency Bob brought us all together to coach us on the finer elements of putting together a masterpiece — the intricate & detailed architecture of the building, the surrounding houses in the neighborhood, natural light, etc. He then helped us come together to make a group decision, taking into account each of our personal preferences (not a small task).The result? Absolutely stunning – better than we had even dreamed of (see photos).
I couldn’t imagine undertaking such a large painting job, that we would have to live with for about a decade, without first consulting with Bob Buckter. The money we invested in his consulting was well worth the cost, especially considering what we spent on the entire job.
If you live in the city, and are considering working with Bob, I would recommend that you ask him for a list of some of the homes he has done, and take a look yourself. Start in the Alamo Square District, where he has designed true works of art.

Bob worked with my wife and I to develop a color scheme for our Queen Anne Victorian house in San Francisco. We were delighted with his work. He spent a good deal of time talking with us about our preferences ranging from low-​key color schemes to something over the top. (Our choice was «moderate.») He then presented us with some color palettes which took into account our preferences, the surrounding houses in the neighborhood, and the intrinsic design elements of the Victorian itself.
A few years later, while working with a major national real estate investment fund, I used Bob Buckter’s services to develop color schemes for several commercial and industrial buildings located in various parts of the country. My colleagues were amazed at the transformation of these bland properties into attractive buildings which appealed to prospective tenants.
Now, my wife and I are living on the east coast and are about to undertake a project to restore the exterior of an 1895 colonial revival house. Bob Buckter will be doing the color scheme for us via his «Color-​By-​Mail» consultation. I will post before and after photos to Unilocal!when the project is complete.
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Addendum: 1÷22÷2011 — As promised, I have added before-​and-​after photos of our 1895 New England «colonial revival».

bob buckter helps make san francisco san francisco.
from his site:
«This service is very abstract. That is, most interested people can’t imagine what they are getting for their money and therefore „chicken out“. Do not despair; your property will look great and be more valuable to you.
How?
It will get a higher appraisal value, sell faster for more money, or rent faster. Not to mention how you and everyone else will feel about how great it looks. These are facts that consistently prove their value over and over again.»
thank you bob buckter for making the painted ladies of san francisco bright and beautiful.