Central Berkshire Habitat For Humanity Joins Rural Rally

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — This Oct. 31, Central Berkshire Habitat for Humanity (CBHFH) will join Habitat for Humanity International's first-ever Rural Rally, a nationwide initiative highlighting the urgent need for affordable housing in rural America.
 
The Rural Rally coincides with the 39th annual Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, honoring the enduring legacy of President and Mrs. Carter and their decades-long commitment to Habitat for Humanity's mission of building homes, communities, and hope.
 
CBHFH's participation centers on its effort to create a 20-home neighborhood off North Plain Road in Housatonic—one of the most significant affordable housing developments in Southern Berkshire County.
 
For years, the Town of Great Barrington has envisioned turning this 7.25-acre parcel into an inclusive neighborhood that supports the people who work in the community. The region's economy depends on arts, culture, entertainment, and tourism—yet the workers who sustain these industries, along with teachers, healthcare professionals, and essential service providers, are increasingly being priced out of the area, stated a press release.
 
Over the past decade, South County has seen a sharp rise in second-home ownership, a surge in short-term rentals, and increaseing housing costs. These pressures have displaced much of the local workforce, leaving small businesses and essential services struggling to retain employees. 
 
"The creation of this 20-home community in Housatonic is a landmark effort to address one of the most urgent challenges facing Southern Berkshire County—the lack of affordable housing for essential workers and families," said CBHFH CEO Carolyn Valli.
 
With land set aside by the Town of Great Barrington and the Great Barrington Affordable Housing Trust, these 20 single-family homes will offer stability and opportunity for working families who might otherwise be forced to leave the area. 
 
The state and town have already completed substantial infrastructure work, and the first of three construction phases is well underway.
 
On Oct. 31, two longtime Women Build volunteer teams—Greylock  Federal Credit Union's crew and Team Pretty Tough, which includes two CBHFH Board members—will join CBHFH's professional Construction Team, this year's AmeriCorps cohort, and experienced core volunteers for the Carter Build Day at Prosperity Way. Together, they will install siding and build porches on the first six homes.
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Pryor & Peacock's Whimsical Furniture Environmentally Friendly

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
 

The company uses digital printing to create the upholstery fabric, saving water and saving vintage furniture from ending up in landfills.

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — A unique furniture store has popped up on Elm Street this month.

Mom-and-daughter store Pryor & Peacock is hosting the pop-up storefront from Aug. 13 to Aug. 25 at 6 Elm. The New Marlborough business is co-founded by Rosalina Wright and Luca Shapiro, who is also the creative director. 

Their online shop was created in 2024 but they wanted people to see the pieces in person, so they're renting the space for a limited time before a long-term tenant moves in.

The store sources prints to create unique fabrics and reimagines vintage and antique furniture acquired at auctions, local shops, and online.

"We source prints from all over the world that date from the late 1600s up through mid-20th century, and Luca turns those prints into fabric by manipulating them, scanning them, oftentimes has to add or subtract things, and then we manufacture the fabric using only digital printing, which is very environmentally friendly, unlike traditional textile printing," Wright said.

Upholstering the furniture can take weeks of work. Shapiro looks for the perfect design for each piece and, if need be, uses Adobe Photoshop to extend the art work to fit or enhance the print.

"One of the most difficult parts comes in marrying the fabric to a piece of furniture because we only use antique and vintage frames also to be earth friendly, and they're also more beautiful and durable than new furniture," Wright said. "So the image has to go with the furniture, so that takes a lot of work."

One of Pryor & Peacock's missions is to be environmentally friendly. Digital printing doesn't use the same amount of water as traditional textile productions do nor does it contaminate water with ink according to their website.

Not only are they saving water, but they are saving furniture from going into the landfill while also using more durable furniture that doesn't break as easily as current pieces. They started their business to create something unique and to help the environment together.

"It's creating something nobody else is doing. People can't continue to buy throwaway furniture. Six percent of American landfills is furniture, and digital printing not only opens up the possibility of being able to put unique images on a piece of furniture, but it also is, as I said, environmentally friendly. So, for us, the excitement is to take an old East Lake settee that somebody's going to store in their barn and forget about, and make it something completely new and surprising," Wright said.

They hope their furniture helps bring a pop of fun to someone's home.

"We think our furniture is very whimsical and surprising, and most furniture today is oatmeal colored couches and gray neutral chairs, and it's boring," she said.

The two named their business after their mothers' maiden names to honor them and believe the name reflects their pieces.

Shapiro works in interior design outside of the business and the two liked working together and thought it would be great to start a business together. Shapiro says they can work well together and that her and her mother, Wright, has flipped houses before and have the same eye for design.

"So it's very easy for us to work together. When we see something, generally we agree on whether it works or doesn't work on a piece. We agree on the color schemes and that sort of thing. So it's very fun and fulfilling to work together," Shapiro said. 

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