Painting a New Life: Sarah Lexen on Entrepreneurship, Visibility and Finding Home in Mallorca

From a small town in Germany to building a successful painting company on the island, Sarah Lexen’s story is one of courage, reinvention and following the opportunities life places in front of us.

Sarah Lexen never planned to leave Germany and build a new life in Mallorca. Yet a professional internship brought her to the island in 2014, opening the door to a journey she could never have imagined.

After training as a painter and decorator and completing her Bachelor’s degree at master school in Stuttgart, Sarah began working on the island’s extraordinary villas and exclusive homes. Her experience eventually inspired her to create Color Your Life Mallorca, a painting and decorating company defined by craftsmanship, attention to detail and a genuine passion for transforming spaces.

Her path has also involved travelling without a plan, starting a business in another country, navigating a traditionally male-dominated industry and becoming one of the women helping to make LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship more visible.

Sarah has been part of ELLA Festival since her earliest days in Mallorca. In this interview, she reflects on her unexpected journey, the realities of building a company abroad and the sense of belonging she found within the ELLA community.

For those who don't know you yet, who is Sarah Lexen, and what brought you from Germany to build a new life in Mallorca?

I was born in a small German town best known for its beer, Bitburger — which, unsurprisingly, is still my favorite. On the career side, I tried a lot of different things I loved before I found my real spark. I worked as a florist, I worked in a sheltered workshop supporting people with disabilities to live as much of a normal everyday life as they could, I even worked in a strip club... as a waitress who had a lot of fun, haha, and quite a few other things in between.

Then one day, I saw a young man walking down the street in white painter's pants covered in colorful splashes of paint, and I thought: that looks like fun! That's how I started my apprenticeship as a painter and decorator. A scholarship followed, which allowed me to choose which master school I wanted to attend anywhere in Germany. I moved to Stuttgart, where I lived for two years while completing my Bachelor's degree in painting at master school.

While there, we were asked if anyone was interested in doing an internship in Mallorca. We were invited to complete a placement at a painting company on the island, and I loved it so much that I was one of the lucky ones who got offered a permanent position afterward. So I moved to Mallorca and started building my life here — that was 12 years ago, in August 2014.

I never dreamed of emigrating. It simply came to me, and I just walked right through that open door. Something I'm truly grateful for, because I get to live in paradise every day!

How did the idea for Color Your Life Mallorca come about, and what inspired you to start a business in painting and decoration?

After my experience working for that company, I had a deep longing to be free again. I gave away almost everything I owned, keeping just one suitcase of my most treasured belongings, which I left with my mother in Virginia, and set off travelling with nothing but a backpack and no plan at all.

I explored the islands of Hawaii, lived out of a van in New Zealand for two months, spent time in Australia and saw so much more, just going wherever life took me.

I learned an enormous amount at that company, but I also learned what it feels like to work yourself into burnout. That experience is still something that makes me very conscious about how I manage my energy and my time today.

When I came back from my trip, I had the deepest wish to create something where I could live out my passion, rather than being steered by someone else. So I just started, simply wanting to see how it would feel to do things my own way.

I began as a freelancer, or autónoma, and grew slowly from there — poc a poc, as the Mallorquins say. The name Color Your Life Mallorca has been with me since the very beginning, and now, after all these years, the company is growing into what it was always meant to be. I felt ready to take that step, and I've officially made the transition to an SL, a limited company.

Your company specialises in painting exclusive homes. What makes your approach different from a traditional painting company?

I have a very sharp eye for detail. When it comes to my clients, only the highest quality is good enough. My perfectionism is actually one of the things that led me into the luxury sector in the first place.

That said, when I train apprentices, I've also learned something important from them: that 80% can be okay too. It's taught me to hold onto my high standards for my clients while being a little more flexible and human.

I think this is true in any business, really: are you doing it out of passion and love, or just to make money? I think people can feel where your work comes from, because it makes a big difference in how we approach and execute things. I believe that's what makes the difference, always and everywhere. People sense that.

Colour has a huge impact on how we experience a space. What does working with color and transforming homes mean to you?

Seeing a project at the very beginning, and already knowing from that first step how we're going to transform it, is an incredibly powerful feeling.

Transforming a home in a way that makes someone feel individually at ease in it — comfortable, motivated or relaxed, depending on the space and color — is phenomenal.

If you haven't seen a kid's face after hanging up jungle wallpaper in their room, I highly recommend trying it!

We get to shape people's lifestyles and underline the life of a person, and seeing that exact feeling on their faces when they see a new room for the first time is priceless.

So yes, it means the world to me. My work is deeply fulfilling.

Starting a business in another country is never easy. What have been the biggest challenges—and the greatest rewards—of building your business in Mallorca?

The challenges have definitely been finding good employees, sourcing good materials and adjusting my calculations to the local market.

There's also no apprenticeship system here like there is in Germany. It works completely differently, so training people in the way I was trained just isn't possible in the same way.

The rewards, though, more than make up for it: getting to work on incredibly cool projects, transforming stunning villas and luxury homes, sitting in the sun looking out over the sea during our lunch break, and having such an appreciative clientele who really value the work we do.

Painting and renovation are still traditionally male-dominated industries. Have you faced any challenges as a woman, and how have you dealt with them?

In Germany, it's much more common to see women on construction sites, although it's still not exactly the norm either. When I first came to Spain, I used to get looked at like a unicorn on site.

Honestly, that hasn't really changed much. There are still very few women, if any, on construction sites here, and that's something I'd love to help change.

I've run into plenty of uncomfortable situations along the way. I've been asked if I'd also work on a façade in a bikini. I've been hit on in some pretty gross, unwelcome ways.

People have watched me work as though they were waiting to see whether I would actually get it right, or whether I even knew what I was doing at all. I've been asked what exactly we were planning to clean because the site was still very much under construction.

Maybe some men feel a certain fear that women might “take their jobs away,” which adds another layer to how we get treated on site. As always, it's not everyone. Some people genuinely celebrate seeing a woman show up.

The way I deal with it is by staying grateful that I get to be one of the pioneers, and I hope that, over time, this will change. I do think things are slowly starting to shift.

Right now, I'm actually looking into organizations and initiatives where I could get involved as a mentor, to introduce and teach the craft to young women and girls, so they can have a role model to look up to.

Do you think it's important to increase the visibility of LGBTQ+ women entrepreneurs? Why?

Absolutely! We are still not visible enough.

The more visible we are, the more present we become, and the more we can shape the future — for ourselves and for the generations coming after us.

What advice would you give to women who dream of starting over, moving to another country, or creating their own business?

Do a bit of research beforehand. Figure out how you might actually earn a living in that new place, and put together some kind of basic plan for how you can live well at first.

Once you have that foundation, you can let the rest of your life unfold from there. You don't need to plan every single detail; things turn out differently anyway, but having the basics in place is incredibly helpful.

Building a network, meeting people and finding friends matter just as much.

But generally: be bold, and just do it. You can create a beautiful life pretty much anywhere if you know what you want in life and follow your values and what fulfills you.

What are the goals or dreams for Color Your Life Mallorca?

Healthy, sustainable growth — building a modern, diverse and up-to-date company.

As I mentioned earlier, that mentorship side of things is something I'm really passionate about, and I'd love to see it grow into a proper part of the business.

You've attended several editions of ELLA Festival Mallorca. What do you remember about your first experience, and what made you want to come back?

On my very first weekend here, a friend told me we absolutely had to go to this festival.

Since I had just arrived, I was thrilled about everything I was experiencing, so happy to be here and definitely up for an adventure. So we went to this festival, which turned out to be THE lesbian festival — the ELLA Festival.

I still remember it so clearly: standing right in the middle of that party, looking around and feeling like the happiest woman alive, because I had just arrived on the most beautiful island, and on top of that I found myself right in the middle of this incredible party, surrounded by amazing women.

Back then, the queer community here wasn't nearly as big or as inclusive as it is now, so that experience made me look forward to every new edition from then on.

I've also contributed to the festival in different ways over the years. We even painted the La Dama bar in Palma back then, and that's how my connection to ELLA, to Kristin and to the team began.

They've been very important to me from the very beginning until today, and I'm truly grateful to be a part of it.

How would you describe the atmosphere and the sense of community at ELLA Festival?

Inclusive, fun, relaxed, heartwarming, flirty, exciting, adventurous and cultural — ELLA really manages to bring all of that and more together in one place.

Many women hesitate to attend because they would be travelling alone. Based on your own experience, what would you say to them?

Before the festival even starts, there's a group you can join where you can already start getting to know other women and arrange to meet them once you're at the festival.

At the festival itself, everything is very inclusive too. You're always welcome to join a group, and the ELLA team also makes sure people find and connect with each other.

The atmosphere is so welcoming that it's easy to just join in and sit with others. Nobody stays a stranger for long.

What are you most looking forward to about returning to ELLA Festival Mallorca 2026?

Creating new connections, strengthening old ones, having a great time, making beautiful memories and experiencing cool adventures.

Just spending an incredible festival surrounded by amazing people!

Finally, what message would you like to share with women who are thinking about attending ELLA Festival for the first time?

I can't wait to meet you!

Be brave, come find me, and I promise we'll have a great time together. :)

Creating a Life on Her Own Terms

Sarah’s story did not follow a carefully designed plan. It unfolded through curiosity, courage and a willingness to step through unexpected doors.

From seeing a pair of paint-splattered trousers on the street to completing her professional training, moving to Mallorca and building her own company, every stage has brought her closer to a life shaped by independence and purpose.

Through Color Your Life Mallorca, she is not only transforming some of the island’s most beautiful homes. She is also challenging assumptions about who belongs on a construction site and helping make space for the next generation of women entering the trade.

Her experience reflects something central to the spirit of ELLA: that visibility creates possibility, community creates belonging and sometimes the most meaningful journeys begin when we are brave enough to follow a path we never planned.

About Sarah Lexen

Sarah Lexen is the founder of Color Your Life Mallorca, a painting and decorating company specialising in high-quality work for exclusive villas and luxury homes across Mallorca.

Originally from Germany, Sarah moved to the island in August 2014 after completing an internship with a local painting company. She later created her own business, combining technical expertise, meticulous attention to detail and a personal approach to every project.

Today, she is focused on developing Color Your Life Mallorca into a modern, diverse and sustainable company, while exploring opportunities to mentor young women and encourage more of them to enter traditionally male-dominated professions.

Sarah has also been closely connected to ELLA Festival for many years, both as a participant and collaborator.

Discover Color Your Life Mallorca

Learn more about Sarah’s work and projects:

Website: https://coloryourlifemallorca.com/