shopping in portland
Relish, Photo By David Tsay, June 2006
- portland shops
- A new generation of gallerists, restaurateurs and store owners is transforming this friendly Northwest city into a vibrant shopping hub.
- Cargo
- 380 NW 13th Ave
(503) 209-8349 This 20,000-square-foot loft houses a truly impressive assembly of off-the- beaten-path Asian and Asian-inspired antiques and collectibles. Charismatic owner Patty Merrill has stocked the place with treasures like ornate metal butterfly door hinges and antique wardrobes painted with Chinese characters. You can also score great new items like tea sets, colorful ceramic mugs and incense.
- Cielo Home
- 528 NW 12th Ave.
(503) 445-0111 A gold mine for that European country-manor look. The ceilings drip with antique crystal chandeliers, the shelves are laden with exquisite china, and wooden tables and chests are piled with vintage-y alarm clocks and the silver trays upon which our imaginary butler might serve us tea.
- Dig Garden Shop
- 425 NW 11th Ave.
(503) 223-4443 Tucked inside a refurbished industrial building, Dig seems like the secret, slightly overcrowded backyard of an Asian mystic— though it's run by Portland native and landscape architect Thomas Adkisson. Find everything you need to put some Zen into your outdoor life, including bamboo fencing and urns big enough to hold a tree, as well as natural soaps and modern garden art from local artists.
- Hippo Hardware
- 1040 E. Burnside St.
(503) 231-1444 Dustier, crunchier and more affordable than Rejuvenation, this quirky store has for more than 30 years offered everything that can be salvaged: hardware, fixtures, door frames, bathtubs, moldings and more. The staff will help scout out even the smallest knob amid huge piles, plus they can rework antique plumbing and lighting fixtures for installation in modern homes.
- Hive Modern
- 820 NW Glisan St.
(866) 663-4483 Framed by huge windows, Hive is like a design museum where you're allowed to touch the items on display (and bring them home, for a price). There's a primo assortment of seating, from Frank Gehry's "Wiggle" chair to Philippe Starck's "Louis Ghost," plus books, flatware and other small gift items, all simply and pristinely displayed. If you can't make it to Portland, visit the equally satisfying website.
- Just Be Complex & Compound Gallery
- 107 NW 5th Ave.
(503) 796-2733 For those obsessed with Japanese hipster style, this place is a little slice of Shibuya heaven. Suit up in the trendiest limited-edition sneakers from Adidas while watching Japanese DVDs and playing with surreal action figures by Blokhedz. In the upstairs gallery, check out graffiti art from STASH and Portlander Bwana Spoons' trippy acrylic paintings done on wood.
- Motel
- NW Couch St., between 5th and 6th Aves.
(503) 222-6699 This five-year-old gallery, located in the tiny Chinatown district, a few blocks east of the Pearl, showcases emerging artists and gives the young collector a rare chance to get in on the ground floor with work by super-talented artists at super-reasonable prices.
- Oblation Papers & Press
- 516 NW 12th Ave., (503) 223-1093 This old-world letterpress shop will make you want to write those long-overdue thank-you notes. The space is filled with Oblation's own cards and invitations, as well as hand-bound journals, delicate old-fashioned Italian stationery, fountain pens, handmade wrapping paper and an ample selection of ribbons. Through the windows in the rear, you can spy the antique letterpresses and hand paper mills that produce the company's singular goods.
- PDX Contemporary Art
- 925 NW Flanders St.
(503) 222-0063 The pick of Portlanders in the know, this gallery features artwork that the director describes as "quiet and intellectually interesting." Recent pieces on view include Bean Finneran's delicate ceramic anemone-like sculptures and Kristen Miller's cotton organdy sheets embroidered with colorful threads and beads. The staff is as friendly to first-time buyers as they are to longtime collectors, and the price range is equally obliging.
- Rejuvenation
- 1100 SE Grand Ave.
(888) 401-1900 Not only does this 38,000-square-foot store contain an outrageous array of salvaged antique house parts and carefully constructed reproductions, it also has an extensive catalog, helpful brochures to guide you through various historical periods and their fixtures, and a website that will make regular customers out of the most DIY-averse.
- Relish
- 433 NW 10th Ave.
(888) 368-7354 This is one of those gift stores where you walk in intending to buy one housewarming present and walk out with a bag of goodies for yourself. Owner Trisha Guido travels the globe to augment the locally made home accessories—such as ceramicist Leah Nobilette's sea urchin-like vases and the best-looking tea strainer (called a tea stick) we've ever seen.
- Rudy's Barbershop
- 212 NW 13th Ave.
503-525-2900 At this cooler-than-cool coed take on an old-school barbershop (which also has outposts in Seattle and L.A.), you'll see everyone from Wieden & Kennedy execs to young indie rockers getting shorn. Come get your bangs trimmed between rounds of shopping for designer furniture. A custom mural by New York graffiti artist OJAS and the hip-hop- indie-old-soul-punk music mix sets the mood.
