Trend-Proof Example: Color Love Affairs
09/11/2006 01:19 PM by Gretchen Schauffler
We all take risks when it comes to love. Because we have had our hearts broken at some point or another, most of us think it is easier not to act on the first impulse and spare the disappointment.
Luckily, color is one of those things that when we fall in love with certain colors, the reaction is worth trusting. Think of a time you looked at something you loved instantly, but it didn’t go with anything in your home so you let it go. In the back of your mind you’re probably still thinking about it. There is a level of regret. I have a couple of friends that when they fall in love, they go for it.
Their home is an amazing collection of 40’s rare purses, 50’s art, vintage cowboy boots and many other retro things. They love, therefore, they are! They know wall color will make everything they own have a fabulous relationship with each other, therefore they are free to pursue what visually gives them pleasure. These Devine Color walls make a brand new kitchen look like yet—another great “find”—in the middle of all the vintage treasures.
Like the perfect beat of a marching band of “stuff,” layers of wall color embrace their past, present, and future. Check out their palette: Devine Organza, Devine Latte, Devine Saffron, Devine Blue, and Devine Whip.
I love to see Devine Color with things that you just bought the other day and someone else bought 40, 50 or 100 years ago. This is my trend-proof position.
Send us pictures of your love affairs!
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I painted my livingroom Devine Shade and love it. The livingroom is open to the kitchen. What color would compliment “Shade”? I want to paint the kitchen next. Thanks.
— Lynette Whooley 09/13/2006 03:12 PM #
Lynnette:
The sky is the limit as far as building a beautiful palette with Devine Color. Jump from Devine Shade to a beautiful red, like Devine Blush or Ginger. Add a great coffee like Devine Mocha or Cocoa or go fresh like Devine Reflection, Breeze or Foam! Think of what you are crazy about and our palette will make it a reality in 40 yards of stunning liquid color in every can.
— Gretchen Schauffler 09/14/2006 10:15 AM #
First used & loved your colors in Oregon & now live in Minnesota. Maybe I am struggling with the light here, but colors seem to take on an unpleasant greenish hue. Trying to avoid that has taken me into darker colors like Oat & Mocha & Cocoa .. but now my rooms look so dark. A LOT of OAK here. (Not my favorite.) Do I need to paint it too? I am getting discouraged. HELP!
— Mary 07/20/2007 05:06 PM #
Mary:
Do not worry. It is hard to know what to do sometimes when it is your own home. All our colors coordinate with each other to create perfect combinations. Get our color palette out. Look at each Devine Color Palette page with the things you own, specially your wood color, and pick two or 3 colors from each page. You will see that certain colors will coordinate with your things and others will clash. Write them down.
Pick a few and start building a color puzzle. First, start with your wood, and then, with everything else. The colors you used before might no longer work; but others will emerge just as beautiful.
For example: Lets say that Devine Cocoa, and Devine Mocha, in Espresso Blends look great with your wood. Look in each palette page for other colors that coordinate with those colors and your wood surfaces (Devine Shell, or Devine Custard in Pebbles and Creams, Devine Ginger, or Sangria in Valley Vineyards and Spices might be perfect choices.) Then look at the rest of your things with the list of colors that you have started. Others will join the palette. Narrow your choices and make a personal color palette of light and dark colors that are perfect for your home
g
— gretchen Schauffler 07/21/2007 01:05 PM #
I am going to be painting our new home, and love the greens that tend toward lime, spicy oranges, and cabernet reds! Any advice to choosing colors that aren’t going to make my house look like a red & green Christmas tree? Should I add a lighter color to separate all that richness? And what about the ceilings, which aren’t that tall?
Thanks!
Michelle
— Michelle D 08/22/2007 03:49 PM #
Michelle:
It is all about color relationships, and those colors can work together numerous ways. Since your question is broad, I suggest you read my book, Devine Color: When Color Sings, for you to learn how to put together those colors so they do exactly what you want them to do! See how Devine Spice, Roast and Sangria work. Also try Devine Cafe, Green tea and Cabernet. OK if you want to really go wild, Devine Gecko, Pistachio and Saffron would be outrageous!
g
— gretchen Schauffler 08/26/2007 09:56 PM #
Dear Gretchen: We are moving from Seattle to Chicago. We have so appreciated your color line in Seattle since it seems to know how to handle grey days. We are buying a beautiful house that has a couple of design challenges. The kitchen cabinets and trim through the house are golden oak, but the hardwood floors are darker. Obviously, we think that your paints will help enormously and create an opportunity for the trim and floors to exist in harmony. This is a California type house in the middle of a couple of acres of wonderful trees, ponds, etc. Do you have any color suggestions based on these extraordinary combinations?! Currently, the living room and dining room are a magenta semigloss (!) The bedroom is a flat purple that just seems to hang on the walls and cry “Help!”. Floor to ceiling mirrors have been used liberally to help bounce the light, but we already know that your incredible paints will do this. We intend to get several of your great color packets, but know we may need some truly professional help to create harmony here. Many thanks for your sage advice.
— Mary 09/01/2007 06:13 AM #
Mary:
Thanks for the great compliment..all of our colors are truly relational with each other and can create any beautiful, personal palette you can imagine—with what you own and where you are at. Go to our Devine Flair section in our new website. While it is not finished, I downloaded tons of pictures from clients that have used Devine Color. Let me know what appeals to you and then I can suggest several options. For example, you might be attracted to yellows, and that is very different than loving coffee hues..The first thing to do is order the color palette so you have all the colors to look at in front of you. Our color coordinated living section should be up and running next week.
— gretchen Schauffler 09/01/2007 10:45 AM #
Hi Gretchen,
LOVE your Devine colors! I just painted my living room in Ale and it is absolutely stunning… Wondering if you could give me a color for the kitchen that is next to the living room (has golden oak cabinets and cherry wood floors). I want a color that will make my cabinets just pop. (Maybe in the red’s) Also have spice in my bathroom & green tea which I did in my bedroom. Any ideas to compliment the Ale? Thanks so much, Rose-Vancouver
— Rose 11/08/2007 12:31 PM #
Rose:
Try layering the yellows by adding another yellow to make the spaces splash into each other. Devine Teak, or Devine Butter. For POP, try repeating the Devine Spice to make the cabinets become like Devine Ale. I would look at Devine Sangria or even Bordeaux!
Have fun
g
— gretchen Schauffler 11/09/2007 09:57 AM #
Hi, any ideas for a wall color? I am using bordeaux for a brick fireplace, cocoa for wall behind fireplace, oak for built-ins around fireplace. This will be our pop wall. I am stuck on what to use for the wall color in living room, hall, and dining room, which flows into kitchen where we are using ale. Thanks for your input
— C. Gibbs 11/18/2007 11:49 AM #
Gretchen, one more thing our floors are oak hardwood and our ceiling will remain neutral white. thanks again
C. Gibbs
— C. Gibbs 11/18/2007 12:34 PM #
Gretchen, just wanted you to know. That our family decided to use shell on the remainder walls. Looking forward to the project and to using Devine colors. C.Gibbs
— C. Gibbs 11/21/2007 04:21 PM #
Devine Shell will be soft and light. Try Devine Custard, which carries more yellow weight to expand the yellows hues you are already using like Devine Oak and Ale. Also take a look at Devine Sand. Please share pictures in our gallery.
Have fun painting
g
— gretchen Schauffler 11/27/2007 02:17 AM #
I just painted one wall and an accent beam in my kitchen in Devine Spice and love it. I was going to pair it with Green Tea on the other walls, at the suggestion of a paint expert. However, it’s looking a bit too dark for me. Could I throw in some Olive next to the Spice (for the eating nook) and still have the Green Tea around my deep orangy wood cabinets? Basically, do Spice, Green Tea and Olive work together? Thanks. I love your colors.
— Karen Barnett 11/27/2007 08:47 AM #
Karen:
It is not that it’s too dark, it is that the colors are all the same—shall we say weight—making them feel heavy. Having said that, the way to make a difference is with contrast! Leave the Devine Spice as the WOW color and either do the rest in Devine Olive or go Devine Hazelnut or Pecan.
Please upload your pics in our gallery and share how color can change the world!
g
— gretchen Schauffler 11/29/2007 08:58 AM #
My house is a mid century modern ranch. The front of the house faces east, our living/dining room and kitchen. I have expansive windows providing lots of light, and a view of Mt. Hood! The flooring is light bamboo and the doors and trim are a light mahogany. I painted the kitchen Paprika and am so delighted with the color, the room came alive. My big dilemma is the living/dining area. It is spacious and elegant and the room looks out to a beautiful garden and views. I have a large modern beige sofa and chair and the wood furniture is natural or dark cherry. I want a rich, contemporary feel. I’ve been looking at browns like Medallion and Tamarind but they look muddy mixed with the gold hues of the room. I really like Spice, because everything pops! But, will it be too dark with the cherry furniture? I’m nervous that it will be too heavy to have bold colors like Spice to Paprika in the front of the house, while connecting all the rooms is a long hallway with a skylight painted Glass. I want the rooms to flow and have a balance between light and dark, crisp and rich colors. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you!
— Cheri 01/27/2008 09:05 PM #
You are right about the Devine Glass being too light to have such strong warm contrast, it would become quite “gray”. So lets take it from the top, what about the unthinkable like Devine Storm, Devine Denim, or Devine Cocoa? Lets see if cooling off the space while having richness works!! Let me know what you think!
g
— gretchen Schauffler 01/31/2008 05:45 PM #
We are so enjoying using your paint, so easy to work with and we have had quite a bit of experience with high end brands! Question – we painted our dining room in Paprika up to chair rail and Muslin to ceiling and Whip on ceiling. While I really like the Paprika, the other colors just are not giving me the depth I would like…just not enough pop so to speak. I went with Muslin because we have that in the living room and one leads to another..it seemed to make sense at the time. Any ideas for top color on wall. I think the ceiling will be fine if the top color has more punch. I was trying to move away from golds as I have had them for so long but maybe I need to go back….??
— Victoria 02/21/2008 01:56 PM #
Victoria:
You are right, the problem is that the Devine Muslin and Whip are almost equal in proportion to Devine Paprika, therefore the POP! gets lost. Go richer if the room allows it with Devine Paprika on the celing….yep that is right! I think that then the lighter Devine Muslin will be a great contrast in the overall effect!
g
— gretchen Schauffler 02/22/2008 01:29 PM #
We’ve switched to more environmentally friendly flourescent bulbs throughout the house and now the colors (peanut, cashew, filbert and moss) look sickly. What do we need to consider while choosing new colors?
— Amy 04/03/2008 09:18 AM #
Can you please help me?? I am struggling, I want to repaint our home,kitchen,entry,and living/Dining room. I want to update them. our living/dining space is cabernet and peanut and one wall in dining room is cabernet also. This is one big room and I struggle with that alot.My kicthen
is green and the half bath off the kithen is also cabernet. If you can not tell I LOVE red. I want to change things up a bit. I like the rich and sunshine yellows for a enrty wall next to the Cabernet living room, and I was thinking of straw or ale? and I was thinking sangria or spice for the kitchen,what about the half bath and the dining room….AHHH! I feel overwhemled with the choices, and I like so many differant color combos???please help
— Casey T 04/06/2008 08:00 PM #
Amy:
I am about to write a blog on this subject! These new light bulbs, not only change the wall colors, but all colors in a room. You may have to go richer now because these lights bleach colors out. Take a look at Cafe, Roast, Sumatra, Mocha, Dust and Pot D’Ore. In May, we are coming out with 43 NEW COLORS, Our Devinegreen: Flora/Fauna Collection. These colors are meant to balance this very problem. Look for my blog next week.
Thanks
g
— gretchen Schauffler 04/07/2008 10:03 PM #
Casey:
I know the feeling! Lets take it from the top. First of all, there are a lot of different combos but only a few that will ring your chimes! I need you to grab a piece of fabric, that looks like the piece of art, that looks like the flowers in the pillow, that look like the colors you keep on loving, over, and over, again subconsciously. With Devine Cabernet, golden colors flow with it like Devine Peanut, Soiree, Pot D’Ore, or Devine Maple. Also colors like Devine Filbert, Cocoa, and Truffle are superb. I love Spice with Cabernet, and think of adding Dust, or Terracotta. The world is your oyster. If you are really pulling a whole house together, and you want to understand how to build color relationships, buy my book, Devine Color; When Color Sings. If you need help, one of our colorist can certainly help you in one hour find the perfect color palette for your home and for your sanity, right before your eyes:)
g
— gretchen Schauffler 04/07/2008 10:22 PM #
Gretchen
Thanks for the direction. I was thinking about what you said and I think the reason I love the cabernet so much is b/c I LOVE fall and all the colors. I grew up in up state NY were fall just sings…Red,golden yellow and orange, sometime deep purple…that is what I want for my home in MN to be like am AMAZING fall day in NY!!!! with that said any other color thoughts???— Casey T 04/08/2008 04:53 PM #
Hi Gretchen,
I have three paint samples on my living room wall right now. Moss, Pecan, and Oat and can’t decide what color to use. We get lots of natural light,the carpet is light beige, Tall ceilings and my couches are blackberry. Please help! Thanks so much for your paint line!
Lisa
— Lisa 04/22/2008 03:53 PM #
Lisa:
They all 3 look beautiful and work together, so which one makes your surfaces sing the right tune? Think of it as which jacket goes best with all the outfits in your room :)
g
— gretchen Schauffler 04/25/2008 08:32 AM #
When is the new collection going to be available? I just bought a house and do not want to settle on colors and miss something exciting :)
— Dawn 06/07/2008 12:16 AM #
Hi Dawn:
The new colors arrive in NW stores July 15th! You are going to love them…..more to come soon!
— gretchen Schauffler 06/09/2008 11:37 AM #
Hi Gretchen,
Finally painted my living room in Devine Moss delicate finish and it really is gorgeous with my dark purple couches. Thanks again for your help.
Lisa
— Lisa 09/26/2008 10:29 AM #
Hi Gretchen,
I love your paint. My home was built in 1932 and has the old lath and plaster walls with crown molding and coved ceilings in most of the rooms. I have two questions for you. I have Devine Olive in my bedroom with Devine Whip on the molding and ceiling. I am craving more pop. Can you suggest a color for the ceiling?
My bathroom proving is to be very difficult. It is very small (8×6) and has molding that runs around the middle of the room. It feels like there should be two colors or maybe three? The tricky part is that the floor tile is currently silly putty and black.
Right now I have the following samples painted on the wall…Green Tea, Georgette, Steamer, Filbert & Oak.
The hall that leads to the bath is currently a latte color with whip molding.
Can you help me? Thank you so much!
— Shelsea 10/02/2008 12:29 PM #
Shelsea:
Try doing Devine Cocoa, Spice or Ginger on the ceiling. You can then tie the bathroom to those colors because gray and black go so well with rustic reds and smokey blues! In our new line we have devinegreen: orangutan, devinegreen: Shark, devinegreen: Jasmine, devinegreen: Elephant. Thanks so much your the great compliment on the paint!!
— gretchen Schauffler 10/05/2008 10:24 PM #
Thank you so much for your suggestions. I just finished your book and I am so excited, but also overwhelmed. I now realize that I have tons of orange naturally in my home. I have red oak hardwoods, crown molding, doors, windows, built in china cabinet etc.
The bathroom is driving me crazy. Now that I am looking at it as a “rainbow”, I see that I have yellow-nude tone & black floor tile. Right now I have samples of Shark & Georgette on the walls. I need a color that will make my ugly floor look better.
My Kitchen has Orange floors with black and yellow tile counter tops. While I was gravitating toward orange for the walls, I am now feeling like the walls need to be red. Right now they are pale yellow and it is not singing. I also have a nook separated by an arch that I was thinking of painting a different but complementing color. Right now I have Sangria & Cabernet samples up.
When I put my things together with the oak floors I come up with the following colors…Sangria, Cabernet, Olive, Shark, Latte, Cocoa, Ale. I also love Spice & Teak, but they may be too orange.
Your book was so great. It opened my eyes and gave me a new perspective. The only problem is that now I feel like I have to paint the whole house.
I live in Seattle and my bedroom is Olive and hallway and baby’s room off the hall are both Cafe. The living room & dining are similar to Latte, but a different line (previous owner).
Thank you so much for opening my eyes!
— Shelsea 10/09/2008 04:41 PM #