What Color Is Your Sewing Room?

I've seen a lot of pictures of studio and sewing rooms that are painted bright, exhilarating colors...turquoise, purple, yellow... They look fun and energizing to be in. And then there is my studio: a stone gray/brown color. Kind of boring, yes. I do have accents of fuchsia, pink, and brown. But it is basically blah.

A while a go I learned about color from my friend Julie who does color consultations at her studio, A New Hue. She helps people find a color palette that enhances their skin tone. She painted the walls gray to neutralize any competing colors; and the lighting is broad spectrum (like an Ott Light) so color is more true, like sunshine. When I saw this, it occurred to me that the same thing can happen when we look at fabric in bad lighting.

Anyone who has picked out paint knows that the light coming through the windows changes the color on the walls. We've also all seen ourselves in bad lighting or in a room with a horrible color that makes us look washed out. The color on the walls reflects on our skin and impacts how we look (and feel).

So imagine what it is doing to the fabric in your studio/sewing room. As much as I love fuchsia, when you take that color and add a dash of bright sunshine, the light bounces off the walls and on to the fabric and changes its appearance. And what looks like it matches really doesn't.

That is why my walls are a neutral color (and that goes for window treatments, too). You don't need to ignore your favorite colors: just use them as accents throughout the space (pillows, quilts, storage accessories, bulletin board, etc). That punch of color is all you need to inspire you and your students to find their creative spirit.

BTW, I'm a big fan of Benjamin Moore paint. It is a thicker, higher quality paint that can take a beating. It doesn't drip like cheaper paint and it covers beautifully.