West Elm's beautiful new home collection supports Guatemalan artisans ? and the town in which they live.
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West Elm’s beautiful new home collection supports Guatemalan artisans ? and the town in which they live. The retailer teamed up with designer Diego Olivero and the Pintando el Cambio Association (Paint the Change) to help paint the homes of the residents of the Santa Catarina Palopó community in Guatemala.
The community is located on the northeastern shore of Lake Atitlán. An influx of new residents has made sustaining growth through agriculture alone difficult.
A mother and child proudly stand in front of their freshly painted home. All images courtesy of West Elm.

Painting the homes in the traditional patterns and colors of the region gives the locals a sense of pride and ownership. Plus, it creates a tourist destination that could help with economic development.
According to West Elm, approximately 350 houses have been painted. They have a goal of also transforming another 200 houses.

A local artisan weaves one of the patterns for which the community is best known.

The new collection
Mirroring this project, West Elm is releasing a new line of graphic and colorful textiles inspired by the local Guatemalan ...