Color Guru Opens Consultancy

February 18, 2015  by in Designer Weekly   

Based in Portland, Ore., Schauffler is the founder of paint company Devine Color, which has recently struck a deal with Target to sell an exclusive line of paint and wall coverings in the chain’s 1,790 stores in the U.S. Schauffler sees the new consulting service as an opportunity to get in touch with her roots.

"When I started Devine Color in 1998, I was a stay-at-home mom working as a color consultant,” she said. “I couldn't find the colors I was looking for anywhere, I had to mix paint colors from different companies to achieve the colors I had envisioned for my customers. Eventually I decided to make the paint myself.”

The new online consultation service puts a modern twist on the traditional in-home consultation. When a customer books an appointment, they are asked to send photos or a brief video of their home, and are immediately sent a full collection of Devine Color Discovery Cards. This allows Schauffler and her team to become familiar with the space, while the Discovery Cards offer the customer a unique way to explore color at home.

"The whole point of getting photos and sending Discovery Cards ahead of time is to eliminate wasted time during the consultation," Schauffler said. "In a typical one hour in-home appointment, a consultant could spend half that time just getting to know the home. Now I not only know the home, but I already have color suggestions in mind before the consultation even starts."

The consultation then takes place via phone, Skype, or FaceTime — whichever the customer prefers. It is a chance to discuss all the options openly, to engage in a conversation that leads to the perfect color selection for any home. To confirm their colors, customers are given a set of 8" x 11" Deluxe Swatches, made from real paint.

The price of the consultation is $249.