Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 34
Occupation: Designer and entrepreneur.
Instagram: @rebecca_atwood and @rebeccaatwooddesigns
Hometown: Dennis, MA, in Cape Cod.
Studio location: Sunset Park, Brooklyn, and Nolita, New York.
Describe what you make: I create patterned designs for the home: fabric by the yard, wallpaper, pillows, bedding, and more. I focus on the creative process and make time to play, experiment, and paint. We merge hand-made and high-tech to create conversation pieces that inspire spaces. I believe that how you get to a finished product is just as important as the final design. My designs begin in the sketchbook, are refined in the sampling process, and are brought to life through responsible, primarily local production. We’re committed to quality, from the fabric we weave to the methods we use to print. It’s all about the care and attention at every step.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: My business. It’s my constant design project as we are growing, changing, and evolving. Creating a space that supports my team and makes a good place for them to come to work is so important to me. Realizing I can have a positive impact on their lives as well as our customers drives me.
Describe the problem your work solves: I believe that color and pattern bring joy! Your physical surroundings can have a profound impact on your well-being (read Ingrid Fetell Lee’s book, Joyful, if you have any doubts).
Despite this, so many people are afraid to use color and pattern in their home, but they are the key to telling your story visually. I create pieces that are easy to mix and match, within my line but also with what you already own. I design livable pattern. It’s calm and happy. Our colors have varying versions of a hue within a design to help make it easier to match without it being perfect. It’s layered and relaxed, yet luxurious. I help our customers create beautiful, personal, and inspired spaces that make them feel good.
Describe the project you are working on now: We have so many exciting projects in the works right now! I’m currently working on a collection of multi-colored patterns to further help people pull together a color palette. Each was created with the idea that a customer can pull together a palette for a whole room from the colors within the design. I’m also developing concepts for an indoor-outdoor collection, murals, and more.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: My new book, Living With Color! Personalizing your color palette may be one of the most important decisions you make in your home. The right combination of hues can set the mood and transform a space from ordinary to magical. I wrote this book to take people on a color journey—hopefully sparking some of that childhood joy—and to teach them how to use it at home. It’s filled with beautiful imagery we shot with Sharon Radisch and is really a practical guide. I wanted to create something that would really help people understand how to find their colors and feel confident using them.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Natural light! It’s such a luxury here in New York but so important to feeling good and of course how we see.
What you do when you’re not working: I spend time at home with my husband, our baby, and two Persian cats we call the puffs.
Sources of creative envy: India Mahdavi, David Hockney, Donald Judd, Helen Frankenthaler, Madeleine L’Engle, J.K. Rowling, Roald Dahl.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Instagram. It’s a love-hate relationship.
Concrete or marble? Marble.
High-rise or townhouse? Beach cottage.
Remember or forget? It’s important to remember, but I always seem to forget.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghosts.
Dark or light? Light.
