Six Walls: `Devine” color intervention for your home

By Lori Matzke Ehrig

By Lori Matzke Ehrig

With names like “Devine Crunch,” “Devine Macadamia” and “Devine Almond,” you might be tempted to think that the new Island store, Six Walls, was selling some kind of delicious, edible treat. While not edible, one certainly could say that the Devine color paint line is “delicious.”

Starting later this week, the paints will be available locally at Six Walls, the new retail interior design store that features the wildly popular paint line. Owners Sally Dickinson, an Islander, and her business partner Dawn Wilkinson, saw an opportunity with the Devine color paint line. Both interior designers, they shared a vision to help consumers select not only a paint color, but also to offer a selection of coordinating interior design materials such as carpet, fabric, furniture and accessories that compliment each other.

Not only is the “Devine” brand a twist on the word “divine,” but the color chips, paint samples and the texture of the paint itself are all different too. Colors are presented in color palettes called Pacific Trail Mix, Pebbles & Cream and Espresso Blends, to name just a few of the twenty colors offered. The paint chips are actually smears of the paint on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets that show the relationship of the colors in a palette, while simultaneously showing the exact paint color. Samples of the paint itself come in “pouches” that sell for $4 each and large single color chips are also available. For smaller samples, Six Walls is taking a unique approach in offering the color on the end of a paint stir stick.

The concept was created by color consultant, Gretchen Schauffler, of Lake Oswego, Ore. She believed that the Pacific Northwest climate demanded its own “grayed-down” color palette that would show especially well in our natural light, which is often a little gray. She also wanted paint rich and thick in texture that would “glide onto walls like a good face cream.” Schauffler took the idea to Miller Paint, who loved it and began producing it for her. Rumor has it that the Devine palette has become so popular in Oregon that residential real estate ads will boast the use of it in a listing. Dickinson confirmed this to be true.

The creator of the Devine line believes in paying attention to not only the walls, but to what’s adjacent to them, such as the floor and ceiling. Schauffler is a big proponent of painting ceilings in different, coordinating or contrasting colors. Take note: when you walk into Six Walls you’ll immediately notice a warm golden tone on the walls, while the ceiling is a rich burgundy. The point is that all the elements in a room influence the overall color, which is why Dickinson and Wilkinson chose the name “Six Walls” for their store. It serves as a constant reminder that all surfaces must be considered in the composition of a room, and that includes the ceiling and the floors.

There are only 115 original colors in the line, making the selection process a lot more streamlined.

“The process of actually mixing the colors is just like using a recipe for cooking,” says Dickinson, who found the professional paint mixer on eBay.

The paint retails for $34 per gallon, only a little more than standard lines. So what would prevent someone from just having Devine colors matched somewhere else?

“That has already been tried unsuccessfully,” explains Dickinson. “This paint has mica resins in it that create a unique reflectivity which contributes to the way the paint appears on a wall.”

The grand opening of Six Walls is Friday, Feb. 4. It has already had many curious peepers into the space that was formerly “Picture Perfect” in Tabit Square. Good news does travel fast though and they’ve been selling a lot of paint before even opening officially for business. Stop by Six Walls, located at 7687 S.E. 27th St., 275-3399.

Lori Matzke Ehrig can be reached at 230-5550