March 11th, 2025

Lately, it’s been hard to wake up in the morning when it’s still dark outside. But sometimes I remember to look outside and appreciate how beautiful that time of day is. Other times, my daughter reminds me. Recently, she pulled me over to the window to peek out at the small area below the closed blinds. As I opened them, she pointed to the east, and she said, “Mommy, look at how it’s rainbow.” Together we admired the sky and the change of color that comes with the morning. She asked me, “How come sometimes the sky is so colorful right now, and one color other times?” I didn’t have an answer, but sleepily we marveled at the magic of our world. It was a fleeting moment as we hurried to get dressed and out the door, but it stayed with me. 

Later, in the studio, I found myself thinking back to that moment. I’ve caught myself looking at the sky more and more when driving or just popping outside and comparing the color near the horizon to the color over my head. I imagine what would happen if you just took a little square and cut the sky out and put it next to another area—like a Josef Albers color study. You’d see the difference more clearly versus the subtle ombré. It’s beautiful. Color can change the atmosphere so dramatically. It also reminded me of a podcast episode I’d listened to years before on RadioLab: The whole episode is about color, but toward the end there is a great story about our perception of color and a conversation between a father and daughter about the sky.

It’s so satisfying to notice how a shift in color or scale or even just tuning in our attention can change what we see completely. I try to remember that when I revisit our existing patterns as I did for this collection. Recoloring or rescaling a design might seem straightforward, but I think it’s important to look at what we already have and really see it with the same curiosity and wonder as something new. That’s the energy I bring to my work, a fresh perspective based on where I am today. It feels important in a world that’s constantly telling us to look at new things.

How does this idea impact your design process? I’d love to hear—and I hope you’ll take a moment to stand outside today and admire the color of the sky.

Thank you, Rebecca