Color: My Dopamine Hit

My colorful front door, because my studio is too messy to show you!

A child visiting our home once told me that it was “too colorful.” I didn’t take offense. Rather, I felt a little sad that the norm for home decor in the early 2000s was 50 shades of grey. To then morph into the “Farmhouse Chic” aesthetic of all white with black accents. I also worked as a graphic designer for a real estate brokerage and learned that agents suggest to sellers that they paint their houses neutral shades of white, gray, and beige, because that’s what people are looking for. When did we move away from colorfully painted woodwork and elaborate wallpaper? When did we become scared that color would be offensive, rather than bring us joy? As I sit here in my raspberry-colored studio with a bright orange bookshelf and green curtains, I feel more at peace surrounded by the vibrant colors than I do in a stark white space. The cones of colorful yarn that fill my studio shelves, and the projects on my looms are eye candy for me. They are the dopamine hit that I need every day.

But there is a method to my color madness. Especially when choosing the fibers used in my weaving projects. Unlike when I work for a graphic design client, I get full reign of choice. Sometimes I have too many colorways that I want to make and I find myself trying to choose which one I want to do. It’s like choosing which child I like better (neither, I promise! Although each of mine disagrees.) So how do I do it? 

I find inspiration in my surroundings, especially nature.

In the peak of summer, my garden is bursting with these echinacea as well as colorful zinnias, sunflowers, roses and more.

My Garden

Even though I live in New England and my garden is only in bloom for about half of the year, I still find inspiration in the colors of the seasons. In the spring I find myself leaning more toward yellowy greens and pale blues. The first buds on the trees and the cool grey blue sky. In the summer, I am inspired by my favorite flowers to grow, zinnias. Bright hot reds, oranges, and purples.

The Weather

In the colder months I find myself reaching for alpacas and wool fibers. While these fibers do lend themselves to being more muted, I still try to weave them in bright colorways. I have seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and while the scene outside my window is full of gray skies, brown grass, and white snow, working with a burst of color on my loom helps cheer me up. 

My Local Fabric Store!

I love, love, love perusing my local fabric store. I’m lucky enough to have an independent store just half a mile from my house. I often pop in there on my way to and from running errands downtown, just to peruse the beautiful prints and colors that fill the tiny basement shop. It started out when I was shopping for fabric to line a bag that I was making from my handwovens. Then things flipped and I fell in love with fabric and started designing handwovens around it to match! 

Ultimately, color is more than just a design choice; it is a language of emotion and a reflection of the life happening around us. While the rest of the world may be content with beige walls and safe neutrals, I choose to live out loud. Whether I am drawing from the fiery petals of a summer zinnia or the playful prints in the fabric store, I’ve realized that my "color madness" is actually my greatest strength. By surrounding myself with a spectrum of shades, I’m not just decorating a room or weaving a scarf—I’m bringing joy to my surroundings and sharing it with others.