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Gretchen Schauffler Artist & Founder of Devine Color

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Pinspiration: Black and White but Never Boring

Let's take something simple yet visually captivating and design an entire room around it. This image is white with a black graphic element, lots of different "non matching" color and some gold metallic.

I personally think black and white rooms are in danger of being boring or worse: cheap looking. There are obviously exceptions, but it is difficult to pull off a strictly black and white room. A lot of people sense this and add one color that is usually too bold or bright (like bright aqua or purple) and/or takes up too much of the room. Avoid a color conundrum by using small doses of color and break up black and white with pattern or texture.

The color palette is pretty simple:

This image immediately inspires an adorable yet unique child's bedroom design.

This color scheme, though childish on the surface, can also achieve a very sophisticated and modern feel.

Where would this powder room be without emerald green? Notice it is does not overwhelm the bold black and white scheme.  I also love the black ceiling echoing the black floor tiles. 

 Here's a clean, modern version with wood, that softens the potential severity of black and white. 

A black accent wall adds interest and depth to a cottage bedroom.

Most of the color palette comes from accessories and art, which makes changing the entire mood of your room super easy. What does this color palette say to you?

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Why do I Keep Flowers Longer than I Should?

Who doesn’t love fresh flowers? I also love not-so-fresh flowers. As a flower loses freshness, bright colors change and and become beautiful color palettes that are just as interesting and wonderful as the fresh ones.  They are just a little harder to notice and study. Next time you have fresh flowers in your vase, let them sit a little longer and watch the colors change till the flower simply shrivels up.

It helps me remember that I am as colorful as I was when I was younger, but that change is inevitable. It reminds me of time and how important it is to do everything we can to enjoy beauty as it passes by.

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Can Paint Colors Really be Matched?

They can’t. Not really. Think of it this way: neither can wine, coffee, lipstick, or cigars.

Let me introduce you to Devine Cabernet. I crafted Devine Cabernet by hand on canvas to look and feel a certain way. My swatches then got sent to the lab- like every Devine Color does- to be formulated. Then, it was sent back to me for approval. Then we repeat the process until the color is exactly how I envisioned it.

There is a reason to this madness. It’s to ensure that every color I craft on canvas is the color you paint on your wall.

We had Devine Cabernet matched by different paint companies.  At a glance you see only slight differences. But I believe these little differences make a big difference in the way the temperature, vibrancy, and brightness in a room feels. Do you?

Next time someone tells you that you can have the very same color in another paint line, think again. That kind of magic does not happen anywhere else.

If you are going for Cabernet, go for Devine Cabernet. 

Available at Rodda Paint, Hirshfields, and Independent Paint Dealers near you.

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Why Do We Watch Paint Dry?

On wall in image: Devine Buffalo  

We love to watch paint dry. The color we planned for, decided on, and worked to create comes to life when it is dry. At that moment, our intuition and vision are validated. 

Choosing a color can be daunting. We test it a hundred different ways, look at it a million times, discuss the choice over and over again and we still doubt ourselves.

When Devine Color paint dries on your wall, your room is filled with color and your life is reflected in each space and object. Watching paint dry is not, as they say, something tedious. It is a present to be unwrapped at the end of a long dinner and a moment of revelation. Your life realized. 

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Have you been to Target yet to see the new Devine Color paint and wallpaper display? When we went to inspect the new Devine products (SO exciting!!), were inspired by everything else we saw at Target. Later we couldn't help doing a little shopping at Target.com.  Here are a few of the o-so-stylish items we found to coordinate with our Devine Suit and Tie, a classically bold navy blue and cream striped wallpaper.  Happy shopping!

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Pinspiration - Baroque meets Bohemian Glam

First, the background palette, which is basically made up of blues and grays.  In this case, I've chosen Devine Denim, Macaw, Steamer, Foam, and Devine Buffalo. There's a lot of texture and layering going on in this look, so you'll want to keep that in mind when it comes to adding things to the room.

This look has serious gold bling and colorful accent colors.  You can get actual sparkle by adding Devine Gold Dust to any color, or use metallic frames, lamps and accents in your room.  Add small amounts of brighter colors like Devine Damask, Devine Shantung, Devine Blue Silk, Devine Spruce and Devine Encore to create a rich glow against the blues and grays.

The first room is soft with a gray wall, blue velvet seat, gilt picture frames and not a lot of bold colors.  The sparkle comes from the crystal chandelier, ceiling treatment, and the gold. This one really does have the moody feel of the Pinspiration photo, don't you think?

The next room is more modern and eclectic, with a darker blue wall (which looks a lot like Devine Denim), neutral gray sofa, and a gold framed painting that includes some green, blue, yellow  and a hint of red to liven things up.  Check out the layering of textures in the fabrics and rug.  That white coral on the coffee table adds a nice point of interest.

The third room is bolder and brighter, with dark walls that really show off the lighter blue vanity furniture and gold accents. We find brighter pops of color in the purple and orange rug, the pink flowers, paintings, and aqua figurines.  Again, lots of layers and textures.

If you want to forgo the Baroque aspects and strip this look down to its essence, you can go spare and modern with clean metallic accents and varied textures.  The mood is preserved, but the translation less literal.

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Live abundantly!

Don't forget to check out our Devine Color Magazine

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"Devine Ray came from a very small collection I did back in the day, called Shanghai Noon. All six colors eventually merged into one of our current 19 collections. I wanted to create a yellow that reflected more light than yellow without becoming cream or sorbet. Back in 2002, we didn't have LED lights. Everything was incandescent and therefore light yellows often looked dingy during the winter months. This yellow color can act, depending on the color is next to it, crispy and light or soft and mellow without losing it's edge. In nature you often see it next to rich earthy neutrals which should give you the confidence to light up a room in a new way." 

Gretchen Schauffler. Artist

Devine Ray

A shining pigment that signals hope of a new day, from the Devine Color Pieces Of Paradise collection.

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Somewhere between where one color meets another, I discover and blend shades to exist for the sole purpose of making other colors look better. Such is the case with Devine Skyline. It is impossible to see Devine Skyline until it reveals itself to you next to another color.  Purples are often hard to see unless they are deeply saturated. Consider Devine Skyline more than a color, a state of mind. Part gray, purple, blue, and cool rain, Devine Skyline is one of the most stunning colors that you will discover in our Silver Skies Collection. It has a complexity that makes it worthwhile exploring. Next to warm woods it creates a striking cool balance. In high contrast with dark or bright colors, such as reds, whites, blacks, it softens and supports. Let's call it a gifted chameleon.

Gretchen Schauffler, Artist

Devine Skyline

A sultry pigment that leaves you begging for mercy, from the Devine Color Silver Skies collection.

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I first became familiar with "Ripe Plums Have Fallen" from the Chinese Book of Songs in  the movie Crossing Delancey in 1988, and it really stuck with me. Almost a decade later when I found myself blending pigments to create Devine Pinot, the words "ripe plums have fallen" kept going through my mind. The poem is a metaphor about ripeness and readiness. I wanted a red that expressed the moment in between ripe and readiness. Just like a pinot grape demands optimum growing conditions with steady warm days followed by cool evenings, I wanted this color to imbue walls with a cool, earthy, and elegant vibe. Devine Pinot pairs beautifully with other reds, golden greens, and purples. Add copper, silver, or gold and it becomes a sublime experience. But make no mistake, it is uncompromisingly finicky.

Gretchen Schauffler, Artist

Devine Pinot

A wise pigment that leads to making plum choices, from the Devine Color Valley Vineyards & Spices collection.

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Devine Spice is an exotic neutral that compliments European pastels and modern abstracts just as easily as the more traditional ways you see it in "Southwest" palettes and combined with Native American Art. I wanted to create a "spice" color to cover walls with a rich, natural clay color rather than the "dusty adobe" that had been around for years. The new color had to be warm without going pink, and cool without looking- well- a bit barmy. I believe Spice's secret is the rich moist hue I mixed and luscious feel that gives one the impression that behind the walls, the color goes on forever. I dare you to find it in any fan deck.

Devine Spice

A peppery pigment that brings you down to earth, from the Devine Color Valley Vineyards & Spices collection.

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There is an Elephant in the Room

"The kitchen was going to have creamy yellow tile, stainless steel appliances, Devine Straw on walls with white ceilings and white trim molding everywhere. While beautiful, it felt wrong. They couldn't put it into words until we put it into color."

They hired a firm to design their kitchen. They were happy with the plans but not the colors. That's why they called me. I did their original paint colors for the whole house, except the kitchen, over a decade ago and they still love them to this day. I am not one to design a kitchen, but I have a color philosophy that leads people to what they want in an intuitive way. 

Their home has a very cool and colorful vintage vibe. They have Devine Shimmer as the main wall color in the house, with fantastic Devine Paprika cove ceilings. In the kitchen, we went with Devine Elephant, walls AND ceilings with Devine Icing trim and cabinets. Why? The art. There was so much information about color in the art. For me it was a matter of color "pitch". We needed to soften the kitchen, not brighten it. We replaced the yellow creamy tiles for an Ann Sacks tile that was a gorgeous blend of gray and beige or "graige". What this new color direction not only confirmed their love of color, but also gave them the freedom to pursue color excellence. They confidently chose these blue Big Chill appliances over stainless for their kitchen which ended up looking like pieces of art themselves. I can't imagine looking through the dining room and seeing stainless steel, can you?

This was the before! I always loved these old color appliances, and so did they. We seized on what the kitchen was telling us all along and ran with it! 

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Truth be told, I sat down in 1997 to paint  the Espresso Blends Collection on canvas as  an homage to Starbucks. Starbucks had just become iconic in the Pacific Northwest, but had not yet given the rest of the world the coffee experience of a lifetime. The idea that flavors and colors of beans could make coffee more than just a pick-me-up gave me the inspiration to make neutral color much more than boring color. 

Devine Cocoa, part chocolate and part coffee, is a powerful neutral color on its own. Remember back then that most people were living with "builder beige" and looking for slightly darker shade, not a whole new level. I put enough complexity into Devine Cocoa to make the fear and excitement of it impossible to resist. Devine Cocoa was an instant favorite.

Gretchen Schauffler, Artist

Devine Cocoa

A saturated pigment full of rich, dark satisfaction, from the Devine Color Espresso Blends collection.

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"The Pacific Northwest is known for luscious green pines that wash over landscapes against gray skies. I also remember parking lots in Puerto Rico bursting out with holiday pines against the gray cement. For me a color like Devine Pine, a traditional standby, is a perennial cyclical green that while timeless, manages to become part of a trend or a fad in effortless ways. I experienced it and recreated it to not only feel like the great outdoors, but to feel urban enough to make a room feel smart and experienced. "

Gretchen Schauffler, Artist

Devine Pine

A perennial pigment that brings the forest inside, from the Devine Color Cool Grasses & Evergreens collection.

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Color Abundance in Spades

In life when we feel we have an abundance of something we are more likely to share it. Anytime I work with Kathie (and I have on different projects for 15 years) we explore possibilities that in the end deliver a picture of a life that is full of color abundance. From the minute you walk in her door, you know that she has a lot to give. I thank her generosity for letting me share this transformation with all of you. I thank her for letting me be the interpreter of her dreams. We of course used the Devine Discovery Cards to tackle this major color remodel. I don't know what I would do without them. You will see old and new colors come together is a signature Devine Color trend-proof way. Colors featured in Devine Delicate for maximum light reflectiveness are: Devine Reflection, Devine Macadamia, Devine Grizzly 

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Oh, This Would be so Much Easier if I Wasn't Color Blind...

I once had a client whose husband was color blind. We repainted the walls in their house a soft green that he could only see as gray.

Something unexpected happened when the color-blind husband walked in the door. He said that although he could not see the new color, he could feel the difference in the house. It felt like it had let out a big exhale. I believed at that very moment I had confirmed what I had known all along, that color has a lot more to say than meets the eye.

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Fearless White

I discovered Gustavo Lacerda's work in Paris. I was in awe. His work is a stunning range of color and light personified. His work is about living, breathing, beautiful and rare pale colors that are human, for real.

It begged a question: How does one embrace a color that says something about them before they have a chance to say it first? People are afraid of color. His images make color, no matter how light, frank and  fearless.

“The snow goose need not bathe to make itself white. Neither need you do anything but be yourself.” ― Lao Tzu