Episode Thirty Three:
The Colors of the Shakers
In 1774 an illiterate, pious and fervent young woman from Manchester England, led a handful of followers to the New World to seek religious freedom and freedom from persecution. Her name was Ann Lee and she founded a new Protestant sect that later became known as The Shakers. In their day, there were thousands of Shakers and many communities throughout NY and New England. Now there are 3. That’s 3 people not communities. They lived communally and prided themselves on their hard work and piousness. The Shakers became known for their magnificent design of objects: Shaker furniture, baskets and boxes are highly collectible. Even today, Shaker is one of the most popular kitchen cabinet styles.
Cindy Dickinson, Education Director at Shaker Hancock Village in the Berkshires of MA, joins me for a conversation about the Shakers. We dive into the Shaker colors, how they were used and what makes them so arresting.
Episode Thirty Two:
Color for Production Housing
Tobi Saunders, owner of 1837 Color & Design, is a trained Architect and Color Consultant. At her company she specifies exterior color and materials for production builders around the county. Tobi shares her unique journey from architect to color strategist, specializing in production building communities. She reveals the complex process of creating cohesive color palettes for entire neighborhoods while balancing economics, regional preferences, and visual diversity. This conversation explores the growing importance of color expertise in residential development and the challenges of working with builders across different regions.
Episode Thirty One:
Dagny Thurmann-Moe : Maximalist Scandi Design
When you think of Scandinavian design the look of a colorless winter day comes to mind – think pale grey, white and perhaps washed out blue. But this is a modern-day invention. Dagny Thurmann-Moe, the founder of Koi Colour & Design Studio designs exteriors, interiors, products, and CMF strategies for brands seeking a stronger identity through color, materials, and finishes. Dagny is known for challenging the idea of “timeless” design — instead creating time-bound and aesthetically sustainable environments that reflect culture, history, and human needs. She is the fearless proponent of bringing color back into Norwegian interiors and exteriors and is leading the campaign to add pinks, terracottas, greens and yellows back onto the urban cityscape like it was 400 years ago. Check out her TedX talk on the topic and tune in to hear a true polymath talk about using color.
