Our Portland Favorites: Where We Shopped, Stayed, Dined and Drank

Portland is my hometown and this past summer, we got to spend so much time here while finishing and shooting the house. We’re headed back up next week to shoot holiday (on October 1st, obviously) but we wanted to round up some of our favorite places to shop, eat, dine and drink. We’ll do extra features on a lot of the vendors that we worked with and certainly the local artists, but this is more a call out to some of our favorite shops that we think are worth the stop.

SHOP—HOME:

The Good Mod

This place has been one of my go-to places for mid-century and unique vintage pieces for years. Remember my old blue tufted sofa (which my friends dubbed “America’s Sofa”)? It came from this place and I still regret selling it every day. They now also have their own line of furniture and accessories which they sell online and in their store. It is a can’t miss stop for anyone visiting the city. They let us borrow so much from them for the Portland house (those epic chairs from the living room reveal) and I am having a hard time deciding which pieces I want to keep and bring down to LA as it was all so good. Tell Spencer I sent you. He’s a VERY lovely guy.

Wild Shaman Kilims + Rugs

Brady and I made a special stop to this showroom during one of our visits and got lost browsing through their vast selection of rugs for hours. They specialize in Turkish and Persian rugs of which they have a large selection, but they can also custom-order patchwork-style rugs. Owners Emre and Yesim Taskin welcomed us with traditional Turkish coffee and sweets. If you are looking for beautiful and unique antique rugs then this place is for you. We ended up not pulling any for the Portland house because we needed more muted tones, but boy were there some beautiful pieces (and again, such lovely people).

Bedrosians Tile & Stone

Although Bedrosians has locations all over the US, we are including them in our guide because if you are in need of tile, stone or slabs, they are a great stop to make if you’re local to Portland. We used their stone in the kitchen, wet bar and on the fireplace in the living room in the Portland house. They have a huge selection of slabs directly on site and could not have been more wonderful to work with.

Pratt & Larson

These guys have been a local Portland staple since they opened their doors in 1982 and three of my contacts (that gave us a personal tour, stay tuned for the blog post) have been there for over 25 years. They still work out of the same original factory and their showroom is located on site, as well. We took a trip there (again, more to come) to see how all the tiles are made as well as how they can do any sort of custom work big or small. The options are endless and the products are timeless and beautiful (which we used throughout the renovation of the Portland project…reveals of those spaces to come soon). I also get very proud of companies that keep manufacturing in the US (specifically in Oregon) which yes, makes their price point higher, but they take care of their employees and it’s truly a place full of so much artistic passion and talent.

Rejuvenation

If you follow along on the blog then you’ll know we are constantly featuring Rejuvenation in our makeovers and projects because their stuff is GOOD. They’ve been around since the late ’70s when they started actually as a small architectural salvage shop in Portland. Today, it has a massive online selection as well as multiple showrooms across the states—and is now the largest manufacturer of authentic reproduction lighting and house parts. They are also committed to green manufacturing and livable communities. We worked with them to outfit the entire house with the hardwired lighting and their selection, construction and products are wonderful. The store also has a ton of vintage and accessories from local makers.

Schoolhouse

Located in their original factory, the Schoolhouse flagship store was one of our first stops in Portland. Everything is custom made on site and the building and design are SO inspiring. They also have a small coffee and sweet shop inside so that you can satisfy both your retail therapy and cravings all in one place. I could literally spend hours and hours and hours and HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS here. They have pretty pencils, rolling pins, sheets and sofas. Pretty much everything.

Mantel

Mantel, which is located in the Kenton neighborhood of Portland, is fairly new on the scene. Brady and the crew stopped by there (I was shooting some content at the house and developed a severe case of FOMO once I saw what they brought back) and picked a huge selection of textiles, accessories and goods to prop the Portland house with. They pride themselves on supporting local makers and I pride myself on buying like at least 1/2 of what we borrowed for myself. In fact, hot tip—the beautiful pieces in this store could be priced higher so if I were you, I’d get there quickly. Everything they brought back for us to use was so beautiful, unique and special and I want to take almost all of it home with me to LA.

Spartan Shop

We weren’t able to visit this shop in person due to timing but we got so many recommendations to make a stop here which is why were are including it in our roundup. If you aren’t local to Portland, you can get an idea of their inventory through their online shop and man does it look good. Pretty sure we are going to have to swing by here in a few weeks when we are up there next.

City Home

As we start revealing the Portland photos (we are just as excited as you are to see them go live), you’ll notice quite a bit in the house that came from City Home. They reached out to us when we were in the initial construction stages and we stopped by both of their locations in Portland and knew that they would be a great fit for the house. They offer a huge selection of furniture, accessories, art and textiles at really reasonable prices and while most of their selection is mass produced, they are pieces that feel special and that we hadn’t seen before. They do such a wonderful job of curating a collection of beautiful goods and we loved working with them.

Urbanite

If you like antique and vintage items then do not miss this spot. It is a huge warehouse filled with multiple different vendors and booths all selling their own collections of antique and vintage finds. We purchased a lot of small goodies here to style out the Portland house and they had a great selection of styles and product.

Aurora Mills

This store has two locations—one in Portland on SE Salmon Street and the other about 30 minutes outside the city in Aurora. If you have time to visit Aurora then definitely make the trip. Their property is stacked with antique and vintage goods and there are so many unique treasures to be found. Every single inch is stacked with pieces and they even let us into their back barns which are filled with even more. They also stock reclaimed lumber and timber if you are building and need any wood for your project. I was very tempted to ship down a huge stock of their lumber to use in the mountain house as it was so beautiful and special.

Woonwinkel

A small little boutique located near downtown on SW Washington, this store has a good selection of smalls and gifts. It is an eclectic collection of goods that lean more on the modern and minimal side. We picked up quite a bit of little baubles and doodads for the project from here.

Powell’s Books

This was our one-stop-shop for books for styling the Portland house. We made quite a few trips here and they have just about any kind of book you can ever need—antique, new, used on ALL kinds of subjects. It’s a cornerstone of the community there and a third-generation family-owned business so GO SUPPORT THEM because it would be a crime to see something as special as Powell’s fold. Oh, they also have a little cafe attached so that you can go and enjoy your new reads with a cup of Portland Brewed Coffee. It doesn’t really get cozier or more PNW than that.

Tender Loving Empire

If you need a Portland gift or souvenir (or a necklace, or coffee, or mug, or pet toy), this staple has a ton of great things that you think you don’t need but you’ll want to buy anyway. Like Powell’s, Portland has realized that putting these smaller stores at the airport is SMART, so you’ll see Tender Loving Empire at PDX, as well.

SHOP—APPAREL:

Wildfang

A woman-run and -founded clothing and accessories store, Wildfang is all about “women empowerment and having each woman be the very best version of themselves.” Tara, the creative director from the trio who own the brand, stopped by the Portland house one day while we were shooting to help style me for some shots and I had so much fun trying on their different pantsuits, button-ups and clothes. Their brand is fun and young, and their selection works for both men and women.

Frances May

Definitely avoid this store unless you want to drain your bank account. I honestly TRY to avoid it, but as I’m innocently shopping downtown I “pop in” and then it’s all downhill from there. The point is, it has really great, fashion-forward stuff that yes, is high-end, shockingly so. A lot of Ulla Johnson, Rachel Comey, and other Achilles heels of mine.

EAT & DRINK:

Tusk

Every time I go to Portland, I eat here because it’s delicious, beautiful and feels so fresh and healthy. We celebrated the day after the open house party here with a boozy brunch which was VERY fun. It was designed by none other than Jessica Helgerson, so you know the decor is good. The restaurant is filled with art, accessories and lighting from local artisans and the food (and drinks) is just as good as the ambiance. Tell Luke I said “hi.”

Pepe Le Moko

Sara and Brady decided to have drinks here one night after shooting and they both loved this little speakeasy located under the Ace Hotel. You access it around the corner and this small little joint has delicious cocktails, deviled eggs, and yummy tea sandwiches just to name a few.

Clyde Common

Located just adjacent to the Ace Hotel lobby, the Clyde Common is a restaurant and bar that is a great spot for a quick drink, a meeting or a casual (but great) dinner. It’s always pretty packed, but it’s worth the wait.

Blue Star Donuts

If you have a thing for donuts, then THIS is the place. A lot of people talk about Voodoo Doughnut as being the place for donuts in Portland, but they’re wrong. It’s all about Blue Star. Brady and Emily B. tried the creme brulee and key lime donuts and had to go back for a second round.

Little Bean

It’s not open yet,  but we got a sneak taste and it deserves a call out. It’s the most delicious “ice cream” made out of chickpeas that is dairy-free, nut-free, gluten-free and GMO-free. It’s “accidentally vegan” and my current #Souptember diet could sure as hell use some more of that right now in LA (I believe the brick and mortar is opening in Portland in a month but you can find the roaming free cart here).

Ava Gene’s

We did a team dinner here one night and we all collectively were obsessed with the food, decor and ambiance of this place. It is part of the Submarine Hospitality Group who are the creators behind Tusk, so if you like one, you’ll def love the other (even though they are quite different).

STAY:

Ace Hotel

We stayed at the Ace during one of our first trips up there and we had such a good time. The rooms are casual and comfortable, the location can’t be beat and the service is great. Even if you don’t stay there, be sure to stop by and use their vintage photo booth in the lobby (and pop into the bars we mentioned earlier in this post that are connected).

The Jupiter

Located in the Lower East Burnside neighborhood, The Jupiter has been a Portland staple for years. They recently constructed the Jupiter Next which is just across the street and where Emily B. and Brady stayed during one of their trips up there. Be sure to enjoy their outdoor deck and lounge areas and grab a bite next door at Doug Fir (which also is a concert venue depending on the night).

That should do it. Since we spent so much time up there and worked with so many amazing artists and artisans, we’re going to do a roundup of our favorite artists soon, so stay tuned for that. What other places in Portland are a must? Imagine you had a friend who was spending a short weekend there…what would you tell them they HAD to do? Like I said the photo and styling team will be up there the first week in October so please let us know what we are missing. (And stay tuned for next week (and beyond) when we reveal more rooms from the Portland Project.)