Neighborhood stores are disappearing at an alarming rate. I used to love going to places where the proprietor knew my name, especially when I needed some kind of advice.
No offense to Lowe’s and Home Depot, but it’s hard to find a human being there, let alone one who knows much about what they’re selling. Too often, when I do find a salesperson, they’ve worked at the location for two weeks, and when I return the next week, they’ve already moved on.
None of this applies to Southampton Paints/Benjamin Moore. Go there and you’ll be helped by Chris Melino or Robert Burge. Nobody else. When one goes on vacation, the other is there. Between them they have more than 50 years of experience in helping people choose paint for their homes and businesses.
The history of paint fascinates me. It can be traced back to prehistoric times, with evidence of early humans using paints made of tree sap, soot, colored clay, and animal blood and fat, meaning that 40,000 years ago cavemen were already making some attempt to perk up the cave.
In 1883, Benjamin Moore and his brother started Moore Brothers Paint Company in Brooklyn, N.Y. The year after, the building burned to the ground. Benjamin was the last person out of the inferno. Somehow, he managed to be back in business in another location in three days.
Each decade’s culture has had its own ideas about desirable colors to use in its homes. In the 1970s, people were wild for avocado green, rustic browns, and mustard yellows.
In the 1980s, neon colors and beachy hues were big.
In the 1990s, deep reds and dark greens were the most sought after. There was a boost in purple paint sales when Monica Geller’s apartment on Friends had purple walls. So cool!
In the 2000s, sun-baked colors sold briskly.
In the 2010s, “Millennial Pink” reigned supreme.
Today, it’s all about grays, beiges, earth tones and other neutrals.
Chris, who lives in Churchville, started Southampton Paints. After graduating from Kutztown University with a degree in business, he worked for a while in construction. In 1989, he started working in paint stores which led to his purchasing his own store at the present location at 55 Second Street Pike.
Robert joined the store eight years ago and has never looked back. He loves working with customers to ensure they get just the right color and finish they’re looking for. “Lighting changes all colors,” he reminds me. He speaks highly of the man who hired him. “Chris is a great guy, and a hell of an employer.”
Paint sales have taken somewhat of a hit lately. “Paint’s not an absolute necessity like groceries,” says Robert. True, I think, but on the other hand, as Chris points out, “Paint is the most affordable form of home improvement.”
Indeed, I can think of no cheaper or quicker way to brighten a room and lift your spirits than giving the walls a fresh coat of paint. Maybe you can’t afford to add a family room, but slap on some “Baltic Gray” or “Monroe Bisque’” and you’ll feel better in no time.
A few Christmases ago, Southampton Paints sold gift certificates with the message “Give the gift of change,” and it reminds me that paint is exactly that, an opportunity for change, a chance for a do-over, a reboot. The smell of paint is the smell of novelty.
Chris says one of the first things a homeowner trying to sell their house is asked to do is paint. And ironically, the first thing the new owners will do when they move in is paint. It’s as if in the act of choosing color and applying it, we make a house our home.
If you’re in the market for paint, you’ll find the atmosphere pleasant and helpful, with two guys who will let you take all the time you need to tell your tales of former paint colors deeply regretted (Barn Red for a bedroom? What was I thinking? I haven’t had a good night’s sleep since.) and will help you achieve the effect you are hoping for now.
And Southampton Paints is pet friendly. So bring your pups.
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