About the book Devine Color: When Color Sings by Gretchen Schauffler
10/16/2008 12:21 PM by Gretchen Schauffler
No pictures please! There is plenty of show and tell… before and after… and dos and don’ts in magazines and design books. Yet, after we’ve seen hundreds of color ideas, when it comes to our own walls, we can’t see the forest for the trees. Questions arise in the middle of the night. What color should I paint? Will red be too much? What will people think? Staring at swatches on a wall for hours only seems to confuse us even more. Devine Color: When Color Sings by Gretchen Schauffler is not a book about color theory, it is a book about color misconceptions. With chapters like: MYTH: That color will be too dark. TRUTH: Of course it will, unless you turn on the light, this book helps you overcome misconceptions about color and understand how wall color works, so you can paint without doubt or fear. Laced with insightful color quotes, and “Your Turn” sections where you get to explore your home, Schauffler will lead you through a color thought process. This journey will set you free from color apprehensions, fear, and confusion with tips on how to paint the right wall color throughout your rooms without looking like you’ve crazy-quilted your home. Find out how to avoid simple color mistakes. Learn how to change outdated decor with a single brush stroke. Learn to trust your own instincts. And most of all, learn to see color in a way you never thought you could: with your heart and mind.
DEDICATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
INTRODUCTION
SECTIONS:
The Truth behind what we experience.
Color is not about one person’s opinion; it’s about a shared experience.
Why I need colors to sing and so do you.
Chapters:
MYTH: There are too many colors…
TRUTH: There are only six!
MYTH: Neutral Colors are safe…
TRUTH: Neutrals are dangerous!
MYTH: I wanted Caramel, not Camel…
TRUTH: Colors are not things, things are colors!
MYTH: I have to have that color…
TRUTH: Not if you don’t know where to place it!
MYTH: I love that color…
TRUTH: You love “those” colors!
MYTH: I hate that color…
TRUTH: Yes you do!
MYTH: I don’t have a favorite color…
TRUTH: You DO have a favorite color!
MYTH: It’s just color…
TRUTH: It’s about a whole lot more!
MYTH: That color will work…
TRUTH: The real job is to look good!
MYTH: Everybody has to like it…
TRUTH: Everybody wants to understand it!
MYTH: I couldn’t see that color…
TRUTH: You didn’t want to see it!
MYTH: You can’t put those colors together…
TRUTH: They already are!
MYTH: I cant find the colors I’m looking for…
TRUTH: You are not really looking!
MYTH: I am afraid of color… TRUTH:
You are afraid of making the wrong decision!
SECTION: The Truth behind the Rainbow
ABOUT RED
ABOUT ORANGE
ABOUT YELLOW
ABOUT BLUE
ABOUT PURPLE
ABOUT WHITE
ABOUT BLACK
SECTION: Making the Rainbow work
SECTION: The Truth behind the Rainbow
READ ABOUT GRETCHEN SCHAUFFLER
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Hi Gretchen,
I recently finished my upstairs all in Devine Moss. Now to the downstairs. I have Devine Cool below chair rail but I am stuck on the top half. It is our family/game room and I want it to be warm and fun. Would Devine Ale or Encore be too much? Thanks again for all your help and great products.
— Lisa 10/21/2008 12:16 PM #
Hi Lisa:
I think that the the strong yellow/blue combination could be a stark change from the soft mossy Devine Moss. How about pairing up Devine Cool with Devine Spice, Devine Cafe, or devinegreen: Lion? They are warm and the red tones will make the green feel like it belongs too!
Glad you are happy with our company! We love to help and the paint loves to deliver a perfect color punch!
— gretchen Schauffler 10/21/2008 03:32 PM #
Gretchen!!!! No lo puedo creer!!! despues de tantos anos te encuentro en la computadora!! OMG!! Me muero por hablar contigo, ver fotos de tus hijas y saber de ti. Estoy en madrid pero regreso a casa la semana que viene. Ahora vivo en Miami, tengo una hija bella que se llama Nathalia Sofia—papa—Pepe Llama. Mi telefono es 305 321- 0208. para colmo soy fan de tus pinturas y con ese apellido no te reconoci hasta ahoraque vi tu foto!!!! Un beso, Vivi
— Vivi Tous 10/31/2008 06:12 PM #
Miss Gretchen,
Ugh!!! I keep getting stuck. I’m trying to paint all of the downstairs, for now, and all the rooms are open to one another – there are no real doorways. The living / dining room is long with windows on both ends. Beige carpet, oak trim. I keep looking at a brown through-out, like Sumatra, Filbert, or Medallion. I have a lot of art on the walls, kind of western/lodge. Lots of true reds, cool greens, and golds in that area but warmer reds and golds in the other. I’ve fallen for blush and maple in the kitchen and nook area but the brown will be the main color in the family room too (it’s all open). I think filbert would work but I like the idea of a richer color. Would one of the others go with the Maple and Blush? Also, I judged the whole of the area at about 60% light. The nook is mostly windows but with the rest of the area being darker would maple hold up? Maybe as the ceiling color with blush in the nook & kitchen and then a brown everywhere else? Thank You for your help,Aimee A
— Aimee Anderson 11/13/2008 02:59 PM #
Nice to see you use our Devine Color math :)
Ok so Devine Maple is beautiful, so is Devine Bush. devinegreen: Impala, Devine Cocoa, and Devine Tamarind would al work. Have you thought about going a little “khaki” like Devine Roast, Hazelnut or Pecan? How do these look with your things? Have you gone through our color process? If you haven’t, you have to read the comment left by Dorene, under How to Use Our Paint Palettes
I think you will relate. You are almost there, lets make sure you have the right “neutral” color….
— gretchen Schauffler 11/14/2008 08:49 AM #
Hi Gretchen, I made a trip to Oahu from the Big Island hoping to get a sample of a color of yours I saw in a magazine. The color is earthy lavender- French Casino, Laissez-Faire. There are quite a few colors in the picture and I’m not sure which one is the real one or which name is correct. I’ve been searching for that color for a while it’s fabulous! Can do? Let me know and I’ll send my address. Thanks
Zoe
— Zoe Thorne 12/10/2008 12:36 PM #
Zoe:
Laissez-Faire is a beautiful lavender. I will send you an email with a picture of it. The color tools are available to audition the color in your home in our Estore. So happy you found us!
— gretchen Schauffler 12/11/2008 08:25 AM #
in a great room, to remain neutral but offer warmth, could you do an accent wall of Sumatra from the great room into the kitchen and the remaining walls Siamese? Would that provide warmth but color too? Entry way in a Hazelnut, roast or sumatra again? One wall is like a Toucan color where the fireplace and stone is already in the great room. Looking to keep neutral for resale
— Colleen Greenen 12/30/2008 02:07 PM #
Colleen:
Siamese, Sumatra and Toucan are beautiful together. If you mix too many different neutral colors together that have the same depth it can get muddy. To introduce another neutral to the trio above, make sure there is contrast… so look at Bison and Lion as examples. Devine Roast is great but could turn cool next to the red warm neutrals you are thinking about. Read About our Neutrals.
Please send us pictures for our gallery. Everyone loves to be inspired!
— gretchen Schauffler 12/31/2008 02:27 PM #