Primer & Paint in One?
12/05/2009 05:34 PM by Gretchen Schauffler
Does Paint & Primer in One deserve the hoopla? If you are going to buy paint that promises you something different, you have to ask yourself what that difference will do for you. I love it when paint companies do create better paint products that make it easier to paint—‘hey, that’s how I got Paint that Goes On Like Yogurt made.’ I wanted paint as creamy and smooth as Yogurt so it would spread, cover and, lather on walls like a dream. So what does Paint & Primer in One have to offer? Here is the deal…If you have a pre-painted wall surface you are repainting—absolutely nothing.
It is far better for a wall that has been primed and painted, previously to get 1-2 coats of luxury paint color rather than 1-2 coats of a “primer quality”- paint. Primer and paint have two different functions. One is for sealing a porous surface and the other delivers a highly protective smooth color finish. The quality of color and sheen, in a paint product, makes all the difference in the world on how your walls look and hold up.
Now, I can see how a product like Paint & Primer in One can come in handy if you are painting a porous fireplace brick, or a new, unsealed, sheet rock surface. And yet, if you use one coat of a “quality” primer with “quality”-paint, designed to spread beautiful color over the top of primer, you are better of.
Let me put this way, in a world full of paint cans, there is something to be said for having strong products that are designed for a specific purpose that do a spectacular job at what they do…or else we wouldn’t exist, and life would be full of Olive Oil & Butter in One spreads or Shoe-Bottle openers.
Wall Color for Bathroom Tile Color
12/04/2009 05:00 PM by Gretchen Schauffler
Once again paint color comes to the rescue of other colors in your home in need of change. No need to spend money on demolition when wall color can change the way bathroom tiles look with visual tricks. Bathroom tile is expensive to replace, and hard to justify replacing—especially if it’s in good condition.
Most people are irritated by tile colors that (once popular) are now glaring color dilemmas in their homes. Another kind of irritation is the ordinary “bulk tiles” used in spec homes with pink, yellow, and gray tones that make them an “almost color” impossible to “match” to other neutrals in the market. You can paint the walls a neutral that blends with the tile. our Pebbles & Cream, Pacific Trail Mix & Espresso Blends are sure bets on that.
If the bathroom tile is a fleshy “neutral”, and you hate it, visually change it by stealing the spot light away from the tile with stronger colors.
You can make the tile warmer with our blues…
...or lighter with our reds…
...or state your own personality with our purples…
To get rid of pink tones in tile try upstaging the pink with red, red-oranges, or deep purples. These colors will rob the tile from it’s pink and neutralize it (try Devine Cabernet, Cayenne, Ginger, Dusk, Shantung. Avoid greens and blues.) To get rid of gray tones upstage the tile with rich blues, blue-greens, and strong Oranges. Try Devine Denim, Buffalo, Beluga, Almond, Organza, …stay away from yellows.
If the bathroom tile you are stuck with is an actual color, (yellow, green, red, blue) then compliment it. DON’T ignore it. It WON’T work. It’s like being asked to ignore a child throwing a temper tantrum, or worse, ignoring a pink elephant sitting in silence.
You can be subtle, and casual with colorful vintage tile or…
...rich and elegant…
...or modern fun…
Wall color makes it happen with brushstrokes and vision. You are not stuck because of your old tile. You just need to think beyond it.
Trust me, if your tile is Avocado Green, we have the rest of the salad. Devine Color’s Trend-proof Color Collection and our color approach will guide you to the color that will do the visual trick that will make unwanted bathroom tile look like it belongs in your home.
Now days you have amazing beautiful choices if you are going to remodel and replace your bathroom tiles. You have the freedom to use color and define your personal style, apart from trend or function. Personal style can be anything from modern, to retro, to old world, blank canvas, or whimsy. Choose tile colors that will stand the test of time to enhance the style you are going for. Add patterns that are graphic, period related, decorative, or mosaic. Seek out professional help to create a strong design. This is an expensive venture and you need to have help defining a strong point of view.
There are so many amazing options these days! Consider even doing different grout colors…
Behind the Inspiration
11/09/2009 04:41 PM by Gretchen Schauffler
“Everybody has an opinion, but for the artist, it’s about the process”. This is a quote from a hysterical movie called Untitled: The Movie. out in theaters this weekend. For anyone who has ever struggled with wanting to create an experience from imagination, this is a must-see movie, even if your experience is something as simple as wanting to change a recipe. It is inherent for humans to want to “mark” their lives with personal expression—this is even more so true in their homes. I seek a process to create colors that helps everyone get their self-expression out easier, with paint colors they easily recognize as those that live in their thoughts.
These are pictures of “colorful visions” I captured this fall, and I want to thank you for trusting my process; one of translating my imagination into livable paint color choices for you! Within these pictures, you will recognize many of the Devine colors you currently live with. Pull out our Trend-Proof, flora-fauna, Colors Well Traveled Collections and see if you can point out a few :) (by-the-way, yes, I did obsess over the order of the pictures!)
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