News/Blog
Living and Giving in Color - O Magazine, Benjamin Moore and Pratt & D'Angelo team up for change
What happens when you take O Magazine’s mission of “Live Your Best Life”, Benjamin Moore’s commitment to sharing color with the world and toss in President Obama’s call to all of us to contribute a day of service to their communities? Great things begin to happen.
In the June Issue of O Magazine, readers were introduced to a concept called “The Color Of Inspiration”. Readers were asked to submit a deserving non-profit to be gifted a colorful makeover. The results came in the form of over 1400 submissions from a very passionate audience. The chosen shelter, known as Hope’s Door in Westchester County, supports women and children effected by domestic violence.
THE COLORS: I was deeply moved to be a part of the project through creating the color palette for the home. For me, it’s a way to share the power of color. The palette of colors came together as a story in tone, saturation, and vibrancy. I looked for colors that had confidence at their core and stories in their steps. Though it’s a temporary home, the messages they may gain in the environment can be permanent. My hope is that the women and children of Hope’s Door are energized, encouraged, and comforted by the color scheme. I created three color schemes and the shelter’s staff chose what they felt reflected the home best. Here’s what I proposed.
The Paint: Benjamin Moore wanted to ensure the best possible environment would be created so we specified that all the paint would be our “greenest”–Zero VOC Natura. We arranged for a fantastic paint contractor, Pratt & D’Angelo, of Harrison, NY to get it all ready. They completed minor repairs, primed and prepped the walls for volunteers who would paint, and painted out all the hard to reach spots (like ceilings!). In addition to the paint, Benjamin Moore’s alliance partner, Pottery Barn, was inspired to donate, too. They gifted all new bedding, including quilts, for the seven bedrooms that provide a sense of home for the women and children of Hope’s Door
The Day(s) of Service: Over the weekend, volunteers from the local community, O Magazine, and Benjamin Moore teamed up with the mission of beautifying Hope’s Door. What better way to spend a weekend than being an advocate for service and healthy environments through color? According to one source, the project resulted in a “phenomenal outcome- with the residents overjoyed in their transformed environment.” Now, that’s the Power of Color.
(From Blog by Sonu Mathew, Sr., Interior Designer at Benjamin Moore & Co.)
