Dopamine Decor

every home should have a comfortable reading nook with pillows, flowers and a cat. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Dopamine Decor

I was tossing Christmas pillows on a sofa to quickly add a holiday vibe when I heard a story describing “dopamine decor.” This is decorating to make one happy, a perfect way to describe why so many people enjoy decorating for the holidays. Dopamine decor recognizes that home decor can be more than what looks good in magazine pages and on Instagram. It’s what makes one happy!

When I decorate a room, I want it to be above everything else, easy and welcoming. That doesn’t mean I don’t go on treasure hunts every once in awhile; the goal is to have someone walk into the room and feel invited to sit down in a comfy area. My neighbor said coming into my house is like getting a big hug.

Here are 10 tips on how to make your rooms comfy, inviting and happy:

1. Comfortable toss pillows. Toss pillows are an easy way to update a room decor and add comfort to seating areas. Find pillows that can be used for naps and add a punch of color. Some toss pillows are merely decorative; go for comfort!

2. Side tables. You can find these at thrift stores and estate auctions. If they need a little tender loving care, Howard Furniture refinishing products will make the process easier, you will find many online furniture refinishers using these products. Side tables provide an extension to the seating area and a place to leave a nearby cup of coffee or tea and a handy book or two. Be creative; boxes, bookcases and interesting decor pieces can work well as side tables.

3. Quilts and throws. One of the easiest ways to change a room, whether a bedroom or sitting room, is to add, and change the quilts. Tossed at the end of a bed and over the back of a chair, or hanging on a wall, quilts and throws say cozy.

4. Rugs. Cover the area under where someone would be sitting. Large rugs pull an area together but you can also group small compatible rugs for a similar look. Place small rugs in front of seating areas and sofas to keep your feet warm.

5. Books. Add piles of favorite books you want to read next to a chair and sofa. That’s a sure invitation to sit down and nap….I mean, leaf through them.

6. Cats. Pets quickly add warmth to any room. Some of my easy chairs face the garden so that my solar-powered feline companions can recharge their batteries.

7. Baskets. Interesting baskets are an inexpensive way to add storage space and a warm vibe. Look for baskets at thrift stores and garage sales that will hold throws and also have the potential for kitty napping spots.

8. Photos. What a great way to mark special occasions and remind yourself of special people in your life with framed photos.

9. Vintage and Collectibles. Balance your new finds with family treasures and thrift store finds. The combination of old with new brings balance to a space.

10. Plants. Add greenery to brighten up a room. I love moth orchids and geraniums growing inside year around because they are easy to care for and have long-lasting blooms.

    Surrounding yourself with comfortable items that mean something to you is a great way to bring happiness into your life.

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Charlotte

Color of 2025: Mocha Mousse

mocha mousse is the color of dry oak leaves in my garden. (charlotte ekker wiggins photo)

Color of 2025 Mocha Mousse

For the first time in its 25-year history, Pantone’s color of the year for 2025 is a shade of brown called “Mocha Mousse.” Think chocolate pudding; milk chocolate, native field mice, dry fall oak leaves. In a statement, Pantone said Mocha Mousse as “an evocative soft brown that transports our senses into the pleasure and deliciousness it inspires.”

Pantone has become the color trendsetter in a number of areas from home decor to fashion. Not that we have to follow this trend but it does explain when some specific colors seem to appear everywhere.

“The overriding theme as we went into looking for this year’s color was this whole idea of harmony,” Laurie Pressman, the Pantone Color Institute’s vice president in an interview with USA Today. “We have enough going on outside of us. We’re looking for things that are softer and things that are lighter.”

Pressman adds that Mocha Mousse is inspired by “little treat culture,” which involves prioritizing small joys throughout the day—such as a cup of coffee or a piece of chocolate.

Pantone has been announcing colors of the year since 1999. To decide which hue will be chosen, an international team examines trends connected to fashion, design, travel, technology, the art world and the entertainment industry. Often the color of the year becomes primary home decor wall colors and basic fashion pieces.

What do you think, will you be adding milk chocolate colors to your home decor?

For more gardening, beekeeping, cooking and easy home decor tips, subscribe to Garden Notes my weekly free newsletter.

Charlotte

Year 2022 Color Very Peri

Perennial vinca vines feature a periwinkle blue flower. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Year 2022 Color Periwinkle

Actually Pantone, the color setting company calls the 2022 “new” color “Very Peri,” a combination of blue and lavender that looks like periwinkle to me.

“Displaying a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that animates our creative spirit, inquisitive and intriguing PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri helps us to embrace this altered landscape of possibilities, opening us up to a new vision as we rewrite our lives. Rekindling gratitude for some of the qualities that blue represents complemented by a new perspective that resonates today, PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri places the future ahead in a new light.

“We are living in transformative times. PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri is a symbol of the global zeitgeist of the moment and the transition we are going through. As we emerge from an intense period of isolation, our notions and standards are changing, and our physical and digital lives have merged in new ways. Digital design helps us to stretch the limits of reality, opening the door to a dynamic virtual world where we can explore and create new color possibilities. With trends in gaming, the expanding popularity of the metaverse and rising artistic community in the digital space PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri illustrates the fusion of modern life and how color trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa.”

So basically we will see this color being used in a variety of trends, from home decor to clothing.

Since “blue” is a rare color in nature, the periwinkle blue vinca vines I have on my limestone hillside add a lovely blue tone to my spring and summer garden. It’s been a personal favorite for years.

Pantone’s description of this color is very poetic and, interesting. I’m not sure I see all of what they describe in this “new” color but it is very pretty.

So why is this pertinent? The color will appear in clothing, bedding, Christmas ornaments and a variety of home decor so if you want to be trendy, this is the color to embrace.

Charlotte

Geranium Bouquets

This geranium sprig is a bouquet of tiny flowers made by nature. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Geranium Bouquets

If you have room, or a pot, for only one flower to grow for cut flowers, grow geraniums. These easy to grow annuals, originally from South Africa, are easy to grow and provide a ready supply of natural bouquets. Each geranium flower head is a collection of smaller flowers growing in a tight round head.

Once cut, each flower head stem has a built-in bouquet, ready to sit in a flower vase and brighten any room.

Cut geranium stems once flowers have started to bloom. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Depending on how old the flower head is when cut, my cut geraniums have lasted 1-2 weeks in a flower vase. That’s a nice run for cut flowers.

I also bring my potted geraniums inside over winter. After they adjust to being inside for the duration of winter, they continue to bloom through most of winter, giving me a continuous source of flowers. I do fertilize them through winter so they get their energy to keep on blooming.

About this time of year, home and garden centers mark down geranium starts to clear out the inventory. The starts may be small but once potted and regularly watered, they will get some good growth.

These geranium starts were $1 each at a local home and garden center. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Once nicely established, geraniums can turn into large plants so give them room to grow.

People on live online session often mistake this geranium for roses. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

This particular geranium lives in my office, in a south-facing window. After about 10 years, the plant is 3 feet tall. I have segments tied to stakes to keep them upright.

Every spring I remove as much of the old soil as I can reach and give it fresh soil. I also try to keep it evenly watered, although I sometimes miss that but the plant quickly recovers.

I compost the fading flower heads. That encourages the plant to grow more. The flower heads can easily be removed by snapping the single stem off.

With regular diluted fertilizer, this geranium will bloom for months, providing flowers on the plant as well as flowers for bouquets.

Charlotte

Teddy Bear Hunt

Mary Tary Bear is on my front porch ready for the Teddy Bear Hunt. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Teddy Bear Hunt

Our mid-Missouri community is pulling together to give kids a new fun activity, a Teddy Bear hunt April 3-12, 2020.

The idea is to place a stuffed teddy bear in a window so kids cruising by, either by walking or driving, can spot the Teddy Bear. I don’t know who started this locally but I remember a Frenchman distributing teddy bears a couple of weeks ago to brighten children quarantined for COVID 19.

Panda, left, and Squeaker were treasured childhood friends. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

There’s something soothing about a Teddy bear. Named after US President Theodore Roosevelt, Teddy Bears have been a part of my life. From Squeaker and Panda, my first stuffed bears, I have had a number of special teddy bears that have kept me company.

Smokes is a gift Teddy Bear from colleagues at Ft. Leonard Wood. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

There is a bear that was a gift when I left the US Army Engineers public affairs office. And bears that my mother made.

This tiny Teddy bear was my childhood travel bear, now watching me from a desk. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

And Mary Tary Bear, a very large bear given to me by an old friend. Mary is huge compared to my tiny travel bear that now lives comfortably in a rocking chair in a desk.

So I can personally attest, there is something warm and cozy about having a teddy bear close by in a room corner, or a front porch.

Stay well!

Charlotte

Repurposed Shadow Box

Repurposing an antique walnut shadow box over my writing desk. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Repurposed Shadow Box

If you haven’t seen these at auctions, yard sales and thrift stores you may have one sitting in the attic like I did. This was a very old walnut shadow box that once belonged to my mother. I have some photos of her sitting next to it but I don’t recall what was originally in it, probably a collection of Hummel figurines. She had a collection from when she worked in Germany after World War II.

Two old clock cases she left me were also used as shadow boxes to hold little figurines of some sort. One still has the mirror shelves where the items were placed. They are still sitting in a box as I decide how to repurpose them.

As I was moving this shadow box yet again last year, it occurred to me that I could use it to highlight what I hoped would be my first published book. In spite of how many books one writes, the first one is always special. Just like making a first quilt.

Now this was not my first planned book. And I wrote another book that didn’t get published but this is the first published book. I ended up writing this one to help beekeepers struggling with managing clubs to help other beekeepers. It’s basically a management book but I tried to make it fun, approachable and helpful with checklists and planning guides. And I love Jake Tupper’s illustrations so being able to see the front cover was not only inspiration but fun.

This old shadow box had two issues. First, the glass on the front was placed too far forward. I took it to my local glass shop and after discussing options, I had that replaced so that the glass fit farther back.

The make shift backing was also permanently attached, making it impossible to get into the inside of the shadow box. See how that was solved?

Added hinges to the back make the shadow box backing easy to remove. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Small metal hinges were attached to one side with the other side glued to the thinner backing. It was too thin to add nails or screws so I chose a good strong glue to make sure they were solidly attached. I won’t be opening it often anyway, I would be using the hinges only to get my book inside the box.

After dusting the wood, I applied Howard Feed N Wax to rehydrate the wood. This combination of beeswax and carnauba oil quickly brings most woods back to life, I love to use it on older pieces without having to refinish them.

Howard Feed N Wax rehydrates the wood to give it a nice sheen once buffed. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I left the wax on the wood for half an hour then gently buffed it with a soft old t-shirt.

The shadow box is now hanging over my writing desk, holding my first published book as I work on my third one. It’s nice to walk by, and look up, and see that first accomplishment. And that charming book cover.

Ok, now on to the next one!

Charlotte

2020 Color Classic Blue

This Pure Glow poinsettia has been spray painted to be classic blue. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pantone 2020 Color Classic Blue

Are you blue?

You should be if you want to be in style for 2020. Ever since the rash of country blue and mauve pink home decor colors of the 1980s, not personal favorites, I have tracked Pantone’s yearly colors to see how they get incorporated into our homes, quilt fabrics and now even fashion.

For 2020, the color is “classic blue” or a color I refer to as true blue.

"It's a color that anticipates what's going to happen next," said Laurie Pressman, the vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, which selects the Color of the Year. "What's the future going to bring as we move into the evening hours?"

The first color of the year was selected in 1999, Cerulean, a basic blue color. As a quilt designer, I have incorporated classic blue in a variety of our custom quilts including our All Blue Double Wedding Ring Quilt. From my experience with fabrics I know colors can impact moods and set the tone of a room. So why blue for this next year?

Classic blue incorporated into one of our custom double wedding ring quilts. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The Pantone Color Institute said it recognized feelings of instability gripping the world today. It settled on a shade that offers the reassurance, confidence and connection that people may be searching for in an uncertain global milieu.

Pantone has named a color of the year for more than two decades. In 1963, the company created the Pantone Matching System, a proprietary system used in a variety of industries such as printing, graphic design and fashion design to manage, and match, colors. It also ensures that the same colors are compatible across the many multiple uses.

The 2020 Color of the Year isn't just for the seeing. 

In collaboration with partners across industries, Pantone created a multi-sensory Classic Blue presentation, which it showcased in Manhattan at its 2020 color reveal. The color experience apparently is now expanding.

The fragrance of Classic Blue wafted through the air while Classic Blue sounds resounded. Classic Blue-textured cushions littered the floor and Classic Blue drinks were served.

This is one of my favorite embroidered pillows featuring bluebells. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

“It was, beyond dispute, a Classic Blue sight to behold,” reported Pantone. But interpreting the color through the other four senses is a far less objective task. 

The official Classic Blue scent is described in part as a "contemplation of where sky and sea meet;" the taste as "flowering vines;" the touch as a "soft velvety texture;" the sound as "vivid nostalgia."

Another interpretation: Classic Blue has an earthy, floral musk; a sugary flavor evocative of blue raspberry syrup; the feel of a brand new, plush couch; and an underwater, ethereal sound. 

Vintage barn swallow post card in a classic “classic blue” color. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Each year's color is decided through a long and thoughtful process that takes into consideration lifestyle and industry trends, said Pressman. 

"Typically, trends that we see in color are reflecting big macro trends that are taking place in culture," she explained. 

Color influences can come from art, upcoming media, movies, lifestyles, socioeconomic and political conditions, travel destinations, new technology -- really anything. 

The name of the color is an important factor. 

"If you have a color called Brown Dirt, versus Chocolate Fudge, it takes on two completely different meanings," said Pressman. "The name really has to resonate with the message that we want to get across."

True to its name, Classic Blue can be regal, restrained and boundless. But it can also be edgy -- even anomalous -- utilizing a variety of tonalities, materials and prints.

I’ve had this classic blue vase giving my basement a shot of color for a couple of years. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

For those who want to sport the 2020 color, Pressman recommends Classic Blue accent pieces such as a scarf or watch strap, or a vase or candle for your home or workplace.

But incorporating the color into your life could be as simple as adding blue foods to your diet. Yes, apparently this trend is moving into having a color-coordinated diet. Aligning with the growing emphasis on health, foods and beverages that are similar in color to Classic Blue are rich in anthocyanins that are thought to bolster the body’s defenses against ailments from cardiovascular disease to cancer cell proliferation.

Adding the classic blue color foods will be healthy step but not sure that qualifies as a fashion statement.

Wearing a classic American fashion, though, most definitely will.

Traditional work jeans represent the classic blue Pantone is heralding for 2020. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

I didn’t grow up with classic jeans. We lived overseas and spent time in homemade clothes. It’s been in the last 10 years as I wade into hours in my garden that I have developed a nice collection of work jeans strong enough to endure my falls down my hillside.

Hey, now I’ll be fashionable. Well, except for the rolling down the hillside part.

Charlotte