7 year Itch is worth all the scratching
09/20/2007 11:19 AM by Gretchen Schauffler
The multicolor pre-historic “post-its” that introduce The Seven Year Itch in shades of pink, coral, red, and gold, introduce us to a modern tale of insecurity, temptation, and redemption in marvelous Technicolor. It’s a simple story, told through wondrous framings, comedic dialogue, and colorful daydreams: after being faithfully married for seven years, a husband finds himself tempted to fool around while his wife is away—he thinks he’s come down with an inevitable disease, the seven year itch!
In the hot summer of the city—a veritable concrete jungle of gray linen suits, chocolate ties, and black and white polka-dots—Marilyn Monroe, a toothpaste model, breezes in like a heavenly mist. She moves into the husbands apartment complex for the summer, becoming the neighbor. Then, in typical Hollywood fashion, wouldn’t you know it but she has no air conditioning, and he does. Let the bonding begin! As their friendship of necessity continues to develop and he increasingly bumbles about, itching incessantly, you will be mesmerized—her standing over the subway grate as air blows up her white dress, the monologue she delivers in her white bathrobe, where, as if on a tightrope, she balances and perfects her trademark look: nobody’s home, but look, all the lights are on!
Let’s not forget the colors in this film: sandwiched in between and all throughout each moment of romantic-comedic genius, are piping-hot reds, perfectly exaggerated in country-girl gingham, glamorous satins, and glossy lips, while shades of watercolor blues and greens cool off the screen and show us that his office is his refuge (where he’s secure in who he is).
If you haven’t seen The Seven Year Itch already, then watch it, I know you’ll be deeply and colorfully entertained with what all my fuss was about!
It surprised me how many of the colors reminded me of our new French Casino Collection! Check them out later on this month
Gretchen Schauffler
Artist and Founder of Devine Color®
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Hi Gretchen- I’m having a freak out moment. I spent yesterday painting half of my living room with Devine Blue. We’d lived with a swatch for 3 weeks and were pretty sure we were going to love it. I love everything about the paint but I’m panicking about the actual color. It’s too saturated and at the same time too grey. It remind me alternately of morrocco, mexico and colonial America. In fact it looks like the blue in this post of the 7 year itch (his office). I fear I can’t live with it. The color to me looks like the bench in this photo http://habituallychic.blogspot.com/2007/10/apple-doesnt-fall-far-from-tree.html
But what I was going for is the blue in the photo below it. (The stairway with the red covered table.)
I don’t want to have to start again from scratch. Any suggestions for softening it up? I was thinking of doing a color wash over it. Frankly I’d love to just learn to love it, but right now the color just feels overwhelming! The room is in a 1920s bldg and has high ceilings. I’m in Los Angeles, btw. The light in the room is mostly northern. (From a bank of casement windows that total 9 feet wide by 6 feet tall.) There is a window on the west wall too. (4.5wide X 6 tall). Each wall has major cut outs (doors, windows, doorways). There’s only one wall that has a vast expanse of color. In other words, there isn’t that much actual wall surface. The room is 18X14 and there is only about 367 square feet of wall surface. The trim is dark, faux mahogany painted. (I had nothing to do with that. This is a rental.) Since I’m on the third floor, and have nice mountain views, I was going for a color that would blend in with the sky. But this is just too intense. any thoughts? Am I just freaking out because my funiture is in the middle of the room? PS My couch is white slipcovered and I have a antique large amoire that is off white. I was trying to go for a deco-morroco vibe, juct not that intense. Perhaps I’m panicking from having lived for years with Navajo White walls.
— A Devine Fan 10/04/2007 12:43 PM #
Hey! I know how you feel. No worries, lets take it from the top:
First of all Devine Blue is obviously overpowering the space as a solid blue. It could be the relationship it engaged in with the rest of the colors in your home, or lighting.
More important, it is the lack of connection you feel to the color. Doing a wash over it will help, and it is indeed the technique used in the picture you refer to.
But, here comes the big fat but, if you can possibly try to look at these other suggestions, outside of the already blue space (so your eyes do not go hay-wire) with a pile of your stuff, you might find the feeling of blue you are looking for. Are you ready? Pile together a painting or fabrics that have that color in it. As a matter of fact, print the picture you refer to. Then, try Devine Spray, Devine Adieu (new in the French Casino line…we can call in the formula to your paint dealer, they may not have it yet), Devine Rain and Storm.
Can you send me a digital picture of the room? Love to help!
G
— gretchen Schauffler 10/05/2007 09:44 AM #
Thanks Gretchen! I think you make a brilliant point: there’s no other blue in my house or my life! So no wonder I’m finding the color jarring. Duh! Why didn’t I think of this before? I’ve sent you some pics via email.
I’ll be going to my paint store this afternoon to check out the colors you suggested. (The French Casino line looks yummy.)
Like I said, I’d love to just learn to love Devine Blue and perhaps I still can. We lived with it for 3 weeks as a wall swatch and immediately it popped out at us as the best choice. (We did not, however, test any other blues from your line.) With all the junk I have in the room right now crammed into the middle, it’s hard to see anything else in the room, especially the floor. Obviously this will have some effect in toning down the color.
Btw, I love your line, the whole concept of it (limited palette, yay!) and the paint is amazing. Truly no spatter and no smell and terrific coverage. I also love the delicate wall finish and the way the color practically shimmers. I’ve been doing everything I can to spread the word to my friends about what a great product it is.
— A Devine Fan 10/05/2007 03:59 PM #