The color of luxury
08/04/2006 11:44 PM by Gretchen Schauffler
I see magazine articles that feature the look of luxury or ads about the feel of luxury. What about the color? Is there such a thing as the luxury of color?
When I was growing up in Puerto Rico, I had some wealthy friends at the private school I attended. We lived in a modest townhouse in a modest neighborhood, next to the “Beverly Hills of San Juan.”
One childhood friend was flown to Germany by her dad to select the color of her brand new 924 Porsche, hot off the assembly line. She chose Egg Benedict Yellow.
Some friends thought it was the craziest color imaginable. Weren’t Porsches supposed to be red, black or silver? The car’s color was the buzz, not the car. It was a great example that color choice is about freedom of expression and that, in itself, is a wonderful luxury.
I think of color as a luxury available to everyone. It’s a kind of visual wealth. When you are trying to create a feeling or look of luxury, color can quickly create an emotional texure for you.
I’m reminded of dinner scenes in Woody Allen movies.
You see a colorful kitchen or dining room. There are dishes, bookshelves, wine, art, people eating and conversing. Colorful is the word for it. From the reds and blacks of “Husbands and Wives” to the blues and whites of “Match Point,” you never know how much money the characters make or what brands they buy, or what is old or new. You are just caught up in all the color, texture, and ambience. Maybe it is the way he weaves color relationships and people relationships to tell the tale.
I have often said that if I were going to come back as an inanimate object, I would be a cookie in Bonnie Harold’s cookie jar. Bonnie makes no compromises in her home. Her small bungalow has red everywhere because she LOVES red.
Here is her living room (Devine Custard walls)
In the kitchen, there’s a red and white checkered floor and a huge butcher-block counter top. The home feels like it has been there for years, although it doesn’t look tired, just abundant.
Whether it is her children’s pottery project or her grandmother’s silver, everything is part of a collection of loved things, saturated with color. Her palette of reds, yellows, white, black, blues, and rich woods colors give her home a colorful luxury.
Luxury is defined as “something inessential but conducive to pleasure and comfort, something expensive or hard to obtain, sumptuous.” Color that you love is an emotional reward. Having unique, colorful things that are old or new or not easily attainable, these are your personal treasures, which are key to developing color relationships in your home that can transform it into a place of colorful luxury.
There is a colorful luxury in worn antiques with white rich linens, or aged red silks and pastel rugs, or in cool green dens, brassy gold knobs and navy leather. It can be the “everything is neutral” palette, perfectly controlling the same shade, or black and white offset by a bold contrast color that defines the look of sophistication. In all these ways, color is a luxury we can all afford and should reward ourselves with!
Gretchen Schauffler
Artist and Founder of Devine Color®
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Hi. If English is not a first language for you, perhaps someone could proof your writing and cut down on the typo’s, punctuation, and context and sense boboos… Thanks
First time site visitor.
— don 08/13/2006 09:58 AM #
Have bought and used your paints here in Ireland. We think they’re lovely. Good luck with your other ranges.
To don:
While commenting on the quality of a blog post, perhaps some proof-reading of your own might reduce some of your own plentiful boboos (sic.)
— ronan 08/13/2006 02:52 PM #
Ceiling paint? I know that you make a paint especially made for the ceiling. What qualities does it have especially for the ceiling ie. less drip? and why should it not be wiped? I sometimes (don’t ask me why) need to wipe off my ceiling in the bathroom. Thanks a bunch. Debbie
— Debbie Ehrig 08/16/2006 06:27 AM #
Debbie:
We do make a ceiling paint (Canopy Flat Finish) but it is to hide imperfections or heavy textures such as buckled sheet rock and popcorn ceilings. Our wall finishes, Delicate (luminous like Chiffon with a light shimmer) Powder (dense like Vintage Suede with little reflection) and Luscious (crisp Taffeta silky shine) are all washable and make the color look like rich fabric finishes on the walls and ceilings
Have fun painting away!
— Gretchen Schauffler 08/17/2006 10:00 AM #
found this looking up ‘luxury colors’. im doing a study for web colors. anyway, ignore that comment by don about spelling and typos, he’s an obsessive compulsive troll, just keep up writing.
— Tylenator 09/18/2007 05:30 PM #
lol I can tell you that because Spanish is my first language I have a knack for writing things backwards. It does not stop me. I have an amazing old friend, Jeff Young, who has ALS. He writes and sends daily “food for thoughts” that are perfect!
He quotes his father, a retired school teacher… “To err is human, to wear out the eraser before the pencil is a darn shame”
Thanks for your comments!
g
— gretchen Schauffler 09/22/2007 12:49 PM #
Hola Gretchen-
I am a business woman in Los Angeles, also from Puerto Rico originally. I just finished watching a TV show about you in Fine Living. You are an inspiration…
Laura Zayas
— Laura Zayas 01/20/2008 11:22 PM #
Muchas gracias Laura!
g
— gretchen Schauffler 01/21/2008 09:31 PM #