last week i had the pleasure of gathering with a group of d*s readers in a fantastic new shop in downtown portland: alder & co. it was so much fun to meet people in person and chat with everyone, but i found myself often distracted by the store itself, so i wanted to share a quick little tour of alder & co. this morning.
alder and co.‘s owner, a fellow virginian, carla helmholz has one an amazing job of creating a store that oozes the sort of feminine, but not over the top girly, design that i’m loving right now. when i first walked in to say hello i had a hard time not immediately running over to the corner of the shop stocked with striped shirts and market baskets. then i saw the japanese paper and envelope stock and it was all over. but the part about the shop that struck me the most was the actual building itself. the grey walls were accented by seriously gorgeous mobiles designed by portland local, heather frazier of frazier & wing. i’ve seen heather’s work in person before but for some reason these particular mobiles stood out more than ever. i loved the soft color palettes she chose and the way they were hung around the store, often on pieces of wood. the contrast between the wood and the colored paper was just lovely.
alder & co. doesn’t have an e-commerce site yet, but if you’re in portland be sure to stop by (537 sw 12th avenue, downtown) and say hi to carla. i’m dying to see if it’s possible for anyone to leave the store without buying a striped shirt, fancy paper, tiny porcelain bowls, or a paper mobile. i’m already kicking myself for not dragging a mobile home so hopefully those of you visiting can make up for my lack of carry on space. click here to check out adler & co.’s blog or drop carla an email here if you want to order anything you see online. thanks again to carla and her team for so graciously hosting d*s while we were in town!
[image above: i'm totally obsessed with the minimalist japanese perfume sticks above. i'd want to carry them around in public- they're too pretty to hide in a purse]
9 Comments
This will sound perhaps odd, but the guiding esthetic of this shop, and the products choices they’ve made, seem very French–or at the least European. No, I’ll stick with my first impression –French. Wonder if the owner’s spent any time over here–the striped shirts are very Marseille, and the baskets are to be seen in every farmer’s market come summertime. Even the hues of the rag rugs and the perfume candles remind of shops I’ve been in quite recently. And, broadly speaking, the French have long had a fascination with Japanese design. Or is it that good design is become more international?
tammy
that’s an interesting point. i think from my perspective there’s definitely an interest in french design these days, in the sense of classic french style like stripes, bensimon-style shoes, and market bags. but i don’t think the whole market is moving that way. i think it’s sort of a look that’s been popular for a while and definitely comes back around the summer when people are looking for simple, chic pieces.
g :)
this store is amazing! i went back in this week to pick up some small gifts, and have decided to go back for ALL future gifts!! love it!!
That’s my rucksack! I bought it at the event. I love it so so much. It was a bit pricey, but it fits everything. I went record shopping in Eugene this weekend and it held 8 records, my laptop and a sweatshirt. The store is beautiful and Carla was really nice. I will definately go here again.
Carla is such a sweetheart, and has a seriously amazing eye! We’re so lucky to have her, and her gorgeous store in Portland!
I love the mobiles! I’ve just discovered your site last week and I’m so inspired! Thank you for all that you do! I’m wondering if you will do a design*sponge event in the bay area anytime soon?
Adorable shop. It feels like APC met a more toned down Anthropologie. Thanks for sharing…xo, A
Looks great, loving those stripy tops, I might be in Portland this October so I’ll be making a bee line for the store!
looking good! too bad it’s so far away from rotterdam… :-(
Leave a Comment