A Colorful Community Connection at One Life Counseling Center

One Life Counseling Center

Earlier this year, One Life Counseling Center opened its doors to the local community of Burlingame, Calif. With its mission to "uplift the wellbeing of the communities around them through counseling, education and outreach programs," the center has created a purposeful, safe space to address mental health needs. And now more than ever the need is great as the isolation, trauma and loss that have been experienced during the pandemic are greatly affecting so many individuals and families.

With the paint support of Dunn-Edwards, along with many other companies who stepped up, the center continues to meet the needs with a space that is both comfortable and healing. We discussed the impact of the project as well as the role of Dunn-Edwards to bring the project to life with Kim Bentley, President of the Interior Design Club at Canada College.

Please describe the center and the services you provide to the community?

One Life Counseling Service is nonprofit counseling center in downtown Burlingame. We also have four offices in San Carlos, one in Redwood City, and one in San Francisco. We provide counseling for anyone at any cost. We are a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization of skilled therapists and change agents who aim to inspire, educate, and provide accessible counseling for anyone who needs it.

Please describe the construction project and why it was needed?

The Interior Design (ID) Club at Canada College had been asked in September 2021 to help One Life Counseling Center to ‘refresh’ four counseling offices, housed in Burlingame, CA. The building was an older construction, and the offices were dated in all their elements: wall to wall carpeting, wall paint, lighting fixtures and built-in cabinets. A design concept was developed by the ID Club student designers, where most of the attention was dedicated to creating a functional and welcoming space for psychotherapists and their patients. Painting the space had a key role in the remodel, and the selection of colors has been the result of dedicated research by the Designers.

How did Dunn-Edwards get involved in the project?

This was one of those fortuitous moments. At one of the Materials and Finishes classes at Canada College Dunn-Edwards representatives Rose Garrison, Lloyd Eakes and Andrea Cherniak Tyson spoke about all things paint. Seeing their easy conversation with the professor, Anjana Joshi, one could tell they have a very good and long-standing relationship with her. Apparently Lloyd would bring treats, messenger bags and paint tools for this class in the past years. Kim Bentley, the President of the ID Club, was in this class and knew that paint would take up most of the small budget available to One Life Counseling.

Kim spoke with Anjana after class to see if there was a fit in asking Dunn-Edwards for a contribution of paint. Anjana was quite enthusiastic and immediately paved the way for the Club’s paint request to Rose, Lloyd and Andrea. We were just hoping to get a few gallons of paint. Lo and behold Dunn-Edwards enthusiastically and so very generously embraced this great cause and was 100% behind the Designers. All the paint for the offices were generously donated. Amazing! Thanks to this donation from Dunn-Edwards these offices were instantly transformed and refreshed. It was truly a team effort.

Color Palette

The selection of colors was the result of a passionate research process by the Designers: the colors had to be chosen carefully considering the psychological effect on the patients of the counseling center. Through the selected colors the Designers aimed at inspiring calm, trust, and confidence as the overall experience when entering the office spaces.

To read more about One Life Counseling Center and its continued community involvement, click here.

Images courtesy of One Life Counseling Center and Canada College ID Club