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Purradise in Great Barrington has undergone a $75,000 renovation to better serve the cats in its care. The Berkshire Humane Society facility held an open house Saturday.
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The Adams-El Guabli family found the perfect feline in Katie.
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Some of the society's adoptable dogs make an appearance at Purradise.
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There were, of course, kittens and cats available for adoption.
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Purradise occupies a former single-family home and opened in 2010.

Berkshire Humane Society Celebrates Renovation of Purradise

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Nestled in South County, Purradise has long been a sanctuary for felines, a facility to help them find their forever home or a comfortable place to stay as their families are away. 
 
Families and visitors had smiles from ear to ear as they celebrated Berkshire Humane Society's reopening of its newly renovated feline boarding and cat adoption facility. 
 
What better way to launch the facilities' reopening than by demonstrating the society's resources to make the nonprofit an essential part of the community? 
 
Visitors to the open house on Saturday could find pamphlets with information under canopies decked out with the Humane Society's logo in the parking lot. 
 
And before entering the the cat facility, they could also meet some of the dogs available for adoption. 
 
Additionally, the society offered a free rabies and microchip clinic for dogs and cats, a tour of the renovated center, and a pet adoption event that had a 15 percent discount on fees.
 
Since 1992, Berkshire Humane Society has been taking in all companion animals, no matter their health, breed, or age, with a focus on compassionate care. Purradise opened in 2010.
 
During the celebration, a family adopted their first cat, Katie. The Adams-El Guablis had looked for a feline to join their family before settling on Katie. 
 
They heard about the opening of the boarding and adopting facility when they went to Berkshire Humane Society's main building, located at 214 Barker Road in Pittsfield. 
 
"[Berkshire Humane Society] feels very caring. They're trying to match us with a kitty that works for our family, and I feel like we're not rushed to think about it, which is great," Shaina Adams-El Guabli said. 
 
"I personally like that. The process is very streamlined and really efficient … I think it's a great place because you get to meet staff, volunteers, [and] see how people are caring about animals," Brahim El Guabli added. 
 
"And I think beyond just adopting an animal, you get to really meet caring, empathetic people. That's really important." 
 
Purradise offers visibility for the nonprofit, given its location in South County. Some people from South County may not be able to make it to Pittsfield or may not know anything about the Berkshire Humane Society, said Laura Bykowski, board president. 
 
After a $75,000 renovation, Purradise is back open, giving cats a home away from home as their loved ones are away. 
 
"When we start getting full, especially in the fall, this place is a savior … we can bring them here, and people can realize that this is a great place to come to adopt as well. It's a little different. We have people who visit both places before they make up their minds," said John Perreault, Berkshire Humane Society's executive director. 
 
Additionally, if cats are not doing well at the larger main facility, they can be transferred to Purradise until they are adopted, which is a more "homey" atmosphere, he said. 
 
"Not everybody has the luxury of having someone who's capable of caring for their cats or cats in their home, and this allows them to bring them here. We have professional people that are working here who do a tremendous job caring for the cats," Perreault said. 
 
"So, they can go away on vacation, business trip, maybe it's a small stint in the hospital, whatever the situation may be — they can come here, leave their kitties, and we take care of them while they're doing whatever they do. Then obviously, when they come back, they get their kitties back and back into their home." 
 
The cost for the renovation doesn't include the many donated services and materials given by supporters and vendors. 
 
Berkshire Humane Society worked with several local businesses for "purrfecting" its renovation, including Alexandra Eidenschenk Designs, Anthony R. Pontier Construction, BHRE Services, Sisco Tech, and many more. 
 
The nonprofit has a sign showcasing the businesses that helped renovate the facility. 
 
Bykowski, highlighted the work and donations provided by Alexandra Eidenschenk. 
 
"We partnered with her, and she's been fabulous. She donated a lot of labor and materials. She the new cabinets and countertop for the kitchen, and the floor. She donated a new roof, which was never really part of the original scope," she said. 
 
"But as we started to break down walls and see what was behind things, we're like, ‘oh, this project is a little bit bigger than we thought.'"
 
The biggest impetus for the renovation was the conversion of the glass dome, which transforming the solarium into a comfortable space for cats, Bykowski said. 
 
"It leaked. It was a nightmare to keep cool in the summer. It was difficult to stay warm in the winter. So, we took off the solarium and built two separate rooms for cats when they come out of their kennels, whether they're boarders or whether they're adoptions," she said. 
 
"So, there's two spaces with plenty of sunlight, deep window sills so the cats can perch on the windows. And then we've got this great storage space in the middle." 
 
There's also the penthouse on the second level, featuring various cat furniture. Pet owners can rent the entire room for their cats, accommodating one or up to six.
 
The renovation also included redesigning the space to create additional storage space, upgrading its heating and air conditioning systems, and replacing its windows to make the space more energy efficient, Perreault said. 
 
"I think the uniqueness of this place is it's homey. It's like you're in someone's house, and at one point, it was somebody's house many, many years ago. And so we've tried to keep that whole feeling," he said. 
 
The unique thing about Purradise is that it is the only facility that solely takes cats; there are also only three to four places that board cats in the area, said Jane Burt, feline adoption counselor and boarding specialist. 
 
Purradise not only allows the nonprofit to board cats, but fees support Berkshire Humane Society's education programs, community engagement, and support resources for animals within the community. The Catwalk Boutiques, thrift shops run by volunteers, also help support the facility.
 
Helping pets find their forever home is just one of the many aspects of the nonprofit that help improve the welfare of animals. 
 
Through education, training, clinics, boarding, the pet food bank, and other resources, the nonprofit also helps families keep their pets in their home. Purradise is one of these many resources. 
 
"It's great because of all the programs the Humane Society has to offer. It helps the community a lot, impacting a lot of different facets of the community all at once, such as dog training, clinic, boarding, education, and more," Burt said. 
 
One of the society's goals is to demonstrate the resources that it provides throughout the lifetime of a pet, Perreault and Bykowski said. 
 
The Berkshire Humane Society handles 1,500 animals a year, and its ultimate goal is to help people considering surrender a way to keep their pets. 
 
"[The pets] were in good homes. So, if someone's having a problem, what can we do to help keep that animal at home," Perreault said.


Tags: Berkshire Humane Society,   cats,   open house,   

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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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