Too Hard to be Your Own Color Shrink
08/23/2006 09:02 AM by Gretchen Schauffler
So my husband and I finished painting our house. I think I’m still in shock about the colors that are so perfect for me, but never in a million years, would I have been able to talk myself into them. Yet here is a picture of my garden!
Here is a picture of what I grew up with!
Everyone knows I love lime greens, lime yellows, lime everything. I’m from San Juan, Puerto Rico, for goodness sake. How can I not? Feeling like a minority about it for years, it caused me to boil it down to lime vases, and splashes of color in pictures and dishes.
I didnt allow myself to have those colors in plentitude. For this look try Devine Gecko, Plantain, Birch,
Truffle or Cocoa along with Devine Icing or Pique.
WOW! Now I have them, and how do I feel about it? Crazy in love! But I hear a faint voice in the back of my head saying, “Will others like it, too?”
Well, my philosophy is all about how undisputable beauty is not private and that even if you hate purple, when you see it in a sunset, you would never take it out. Everyone can enjoy another’s personal beauty.
There are three things I would like to share about this unexpected “research project” of mine. First, being afraid of a color you love is more an issue than the color itself. Placing the perfect background wall color to allow colors you love is heaven; and doing it alone is hard.
Secondly, the reason you have therapists, friends, spouses, designers and, of course, color consultants is to get help, because when it is about you sometimes, you can’t see the lime green for the trees. That is why I found it so funny that when I put together the palette and went over it with my husband, I am the colorista, but he was saying to me, “You love everything about these colors, so get painting.” His reasoning overcame my fear. I can do it for other people, but, man, it’s hard to be your own shrink. The hardest house any designer will do is their own. This is why I have a color consulting company.
Third, many times I have walked into a room where everything is tan, burgundy, and hunter green. What I call a “time capsule.” Let’s say you are stuck and those are not even the colors you like. You got them because it was what was available and popular at the time. Still, there is a way to bring in the light yellows and blues you love. If you paint the walls Devine Pool, a refreshing blue that has enough red to balance the burgundy and energize the hunter green, all of a sudden you can put bright lemons in the middle of the room and bring in the fresh creams. It’s a whole new world.
It is so much easier when you have the unbiased opinion of someone saying, “You love it and it all looks good, so it will work.” I’ll upload pictures of my home—before and after—for you to see as soon as I figure out how to do it.
Gretchen Schauffler
Artist and Founder of Devine Color®
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I agree with you Gretchen! I can tell others what to do but I am having color fear in my newly purchased home. I had a color consultation in my other home and it turned out fabulous! Now I have neutral linen “wallpaper” (actual fabric) which I love but I want to bring my colors in to this new home. I’m terrified! The new home is much smaller (1400SF) and my favorite color is Moss Green for my bedroom but I’m afraid it will be too dark for a smaller home. I also have wallpaper in several rooms that is coming down. I can’t figure out my “skin” for this home because of the linen fabric on the walls. Help!
— Sue Washinger 08/26/2006 09:07 PM #
Sue, please keep us informed about your choices. Sometimes it is forgeting all about those rules—who made them up anyways??? That Moss Green just may be just perfect. Are you picturing curling up with a great book in your cozy bedroom? Like Gretchen says in her book: turn on the lights. I painted my bedroom ceiling Blue Silk. I love it. I wanted that sense of that twilight/night sky. Sit and “feel” what you want for that room. Isn’t it exciting?
— Donna D 08/28/2006 08:31 AM #
Sue:
If you contrast the neutral linen wallpaper with the color you love, you will live happily ever after. Why not make the “skin” a color like Devine Fescue, Date, Glass or even Devine Moss, leave the rooms a light neutral as well as the trim. (Or contrast the trim in a rich green like Devine Roast or Cocoa) You can pick a neutral with green in it like Devine Pecan or Macadamia and put the green in the bedrooms. A smaller home can be an intimate colorful space. If there are a lot of windows, trim, cabinets and furniture, remember there isn’t a lot of sheetrock so make it count.
— Gretchen Schauffler 08/28/2006 06:25 PM #
I really like the direction you’re taking with the blog. By the way, the house looks great. I can’t wait until you get the pics up for everyone else to see.
— scott goins 09/06/2006 12:17 PM #
I am just thrilled you love the house as much as I do! Love ya!
— Gretchen Schauffler 09/06/2006 10:50 PM #
I’m late commenting on your house photos, but I LOVE the colors! I would be happy every day to see those colors in a house that style. Great choice! I help my clients weekly to choose color, and yet.. my own master bedroom has patches of Devine colors, awaiting my decision! Will it be the Pinot accent wall with Almond? Will I use Oat with the Pinot instead? Will I simply go all Olive? Too many fab choices!
— Diana 01/27/2007 07:46 PM #
Hi Gretchen,
Wow, I thought I was going to go w/Green Tea, but looking at your photos, that green is great and what I’d originally had in mind. What colors would you pair it w/in the yellows or blues or neutrals?
Thanks,
Kerry
— Kerry Dunigan 06/29/2007 10:10 PM #
Hey Kerry
This is a great yellow green to go with colors like Devine Blue, Current, Denim, Green Tea and Birch. As far as neutrals, Devine Cocoa, Cafe and Tamarind are beautiful. Really the sky is the limit. I recently saw it with Devine Cayenne, and WOW! that was hot
— gretchen Schauffler 07/02/2007 05:29 PM #
Would bamboo work for this look too? We originally were going to go with a neutral skin, but once I showed my husband these pictures he was hooked. (yellowish-greens are our favorite house colors) We LOVE gecko, but with 8’-0: ceilings fear it would be too saturated for the “skin” of the house. What do you think?
— Tobie 08/01/2007 08:06 AM #
Devine Bamboo would absolutely work, since it pulls that yellow to freshness with green. Using Devine Delicate as a paint finish will give the color a lighter look.
Good luck and fun painting….
— gretchen Schauffler 08/01/2007 06:22 PM #
Gretchen, your house looks beautiful!
I found Divine Color in Canada, where I lived for eight years and painted many rooms with it. My favourite is “Crunch”, I had it in my last home and now I live in Germany and brought the color with me. I look at my kitchen wall in the Crunch color and just love it! Well, I wish I could buy your products here, so please make sure you come to Germany with your product line!!Much love,
Petra
— Petra Reger 12/07/2007 12:00 PM #