Retail Therapy: L.A.'s Voila!

I first became acquainted with Los Angeles shop Voila! when I visited their booth at the last SF20 show. It was filled with gorgeously repurposed vintage industrial furnishings and darkly glamorous objets, and it was pretty much love at first sight.

I was excited to visit the Voila! showroom on North La Brea during our last trip to Southern California, but alas, it was closed the day we stopped by.

These new photos of the shop, shot by Sam Frost for a recent feature on 1stdibs, make me more determined than ever to get there.

I'm absolutely mesmerized by store owner Katrien Van der Schueren's inspired mix of dark, weird, and wonderful Belgian antiques and curiosities. And though I'm positive that everything here is way out of my price range, I could definitely kill an hour or two furtively fondling it all -- not to mention taking inspiration for future eBay scouting missions.

Read the 1stdibs article on Voila! here -- and browse the shop's online offerings here.

Retail Therapy: Relish at Home

Update:  This post originally ran in May, but I just learned that owner Kelly Sperbeck is closing Berkeley's Relish at Home to focus on her own product design business and to relaunch the shop online. Relish at Home's last day as a brick and mortar is Friday, January 16, and until then everything in the store is 30 to 75 percent off, with progressive markdowns as the last day approaches.

A bit off the beaten track in West Berkeley is a tiny gem of a shop called Relish at Home. Despite its modest size, the store is chock full of absolutely lovely little things that are perfect when you need a gift that will surprise and delight its recipient, or when you simply want to treat yourself to something really special.

Opened three years ago by Kelly Sperbeck, an indie artisan in her own right who creates sweet accessories under the name k.autumn, Relish focuses on handmade wares from independent designers -- many of them local.

Though housewares form the bulk of her inventory, Sperbeck stocks jewelry, papergoods, handbags and other personal accessories as well. (And in case you're wondering, this dreamy wall color is Behr's Aqua Bay -- which is now a serious contender for our about-to-be-repainted dining room.)

The shop also functions as an art gallery of sorts, featuring pieces from artists such as Jane Buck of Foxy & Winston, whose "Mammalia" show hung there last spring. Buck's collection of small, vibrantly colored silkscreen prints depicting woodland creatures ranges from $55 to $475 apiece.

Prices for many items are exceedingly reasonable. But be warned: A visit to Relish could be perilous to your pocketbook. I popped in planning to simply take a few snapshots and be on my way, but wound up dropping a fair amount of cash on a bag bursting with treasures that I just had to have. (Oh well, I love them all ... )

Here, a tour of the wee shop and a peek at its current inventory:

Bags from k studio ($139), Hable Construction ($168), and Lotta Jansdotter ($49); Papaver Vert felt trees ($60 to $79); and wall tiles by Xenia Taler ($35 to $108).

Tanpopo plates ($28), graphic Dovetail vases, and ceramic pieces from Perch! and j.mendicino ($35 to $60).

Papergoods from Sukie UK, Jill Bliss, Foxy & Winston, Nantaka Joy, Chewing the Cud, Satsuma Press, and others.

Origami PJ Pocket Pillows from Modern-Twist ($85), and harlequin-patterned bowls from Anna Elzer Oscarson ($12).

Ceramics by Dovetail ($28) and j.mendicino ($35 to 55); tiny handblown glass bud vases from Sugahara ($20).

Clockwise: "Jelly Bean Rocks," river stones coated with 12 layers of colorful lacquer ($12); bunny pens and tape measures ($14 to $16); Log Bowls from Loyal Loot, $79 to $99; burrow owl from Roost, $26.

Airplants ($6 to $65) in vessels from Roost ($36) and Perch! ($29 to $89).

j.mendicino vases ($30 to $60), one of Jill Bliss' fabric Autumn birds ($32), and a Satsuma letterpress print ($39).

Birds by Jill Bliss and k.autumn ($24).

Lampshades from Mibo ($82 to $110) and small Hide Boxes from Modern-Twist ($25).

Felted vessels from Papaver Vert ($20 to $82), and harlequin cups from Anna Elzer Oscarson ($10).

Clockwise: Print from Jill Bliss ($16); pillows from Joom ($50 to $70), Ciuccio ($29), and k studio ($375 a pair).

Relish at Home is located at 2703 7th St. #112 at Pardee in Berkeley, and is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m.

(Need some more Retail Rx? See other great shops I've featured right here.)

Retail Therapy: Life + Limb

On my last visit to Portland, an in-the-know local urged me to check out a relatively new shop called Life + Limb on East Burnside. I popped in just before closing one day, and although my time there was short, it was love at first sight. In fact, I bought more irresistibly affordable goodies during my 10-minute shopping spree at Life + Limb than I did at all of my other PDX shopping stops combined.

Opened in November by graphic designer and photographer Molly Quan, Life + Limb is a full-service urban plant shop as well as a modern homegoods boutique. "I wanted to have a store that featured less-common plants, so I decided to focus on succulents. I also wanted to incorporate my love of modern design and my art background, so I carry home accessories and have monthly art shows, too," Quan explains.

One especially nice touch: Pick a plant (or three) and a vessel to put it in, and Quan will pot it up for you right there in the shop -- perfect for those last-minute hostess or housewarming gifts or if you're the type to let your nursery purchases languish for weeks before you get around to putting them in some soil.

Among the non-plant items Quan stocks are hand-picked vintage modern home accents (she has some awesome retro bullet planters, for instance), as well as a carefully curated selection of ceramics, tableware, textiles, and accessories from the likes of Perch!, Paige Russell, j.mendicino, Suck UK, Jonathan Adler, Sagaform, Loyal Loot, Modern-Twist, and Normann Copenhagen, among others.

The tree mural is by painter Erik Railton. On the "gallery wall" is artwork from Joan McGuire; a new show with pieces from popular Oregon artist Yellena James will take its place come August, with an opening reception August 1 as part of Portland's Central Eastside Arts District's First Friday festivities. Also starting in August, original work by the shop's featured artists will be available online, with full online shopping coming later this fall.

Until then, be sure to drop by Life + Limb the next time you're in Portland -- and leave some extra room in the suitcase to cart home all your new scores. The store is located at 1716 E. Burnside St., and is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 to 5 Saturdays, and 12 to 5 Sundays.

Retail Therapy: Jason Lees Design

Talk about finding treasures where you least expect them ... The Jason Lees Design showroom is tucked into a small storefront in Oakland's sleepy little Glenview District, which isn't exactly known as a hopping retail or design center. (Totally random fact: Both Tom Hanks and Clint Eastwood grew up there.)

But that suits Lees just fine, since his customers tend to seek him out rather than simply happening upon his gorgeous furnishings.

The self-taught furniture designer creates wood pieces that combine a midcentury modern aesthetic and a Zen sensibility with playful bursts of color, and that somehow manage to be both sleek and warm. "I love modern design, but I didn't want my furniture to be cold," the British-born, California-bred Lees explains. Behind him is the BASIS American walnut and red lacquer media cabinet, $3,050.

His designs have won accolades from such prestigious publications as Metropolitan Home, The World of Interiors, and Better Homes and Gardens, and Lees counts luxury hotels and major universities -- as well as the requisite architects and interior designers -- among his clients. Not bad for a guy who's only had his shingle out for four years. (Prior to venturing out on his own, Lees worked for a large interior design firm.)

Lees' handcrafted furniture collection is, as you might expect, an investment: Prices start at about $1,110 and go up to nearly $5,000. To be honest, I can't afford any of this stuff -- and I suspect that many of you can't, either. But each exquisitely made piece is worthy of saving up for and hanging onto for a good long time.

A look at some of the furniture on display in Lees' showroom:

In the foreground is the TERRACE coffee table, $2,765, crafted from wenge, painted wood, and glass; against the wall is the PLANE media cabinet in walnut, $3,995.

A round WALLSCAPE display unit, $4,950, in walnut and white lacquer. The shelves are topped with tiny models of Lees' designs.

The rift-sawn white oak and Richlite SPAN desk, $3,640, is Lees' newest product. In addition to Richlite, made from compressed paper, the furniture maker has also begun to incorporate other sustainable materials, such as certified organic domestic bamboo, into his work.

Another new design is the BACKDROP wall-mounted media console, $3,740, constructed from lacquered oak with walnut pulls.

The zebrawood OUTLINE writing desk, $3,910, and the minuscule model that Lees built first.

Custom teak and lacquer display bookshelves. Lees can craft semi- or totally custom pieces to your specifications, which generally adds about 20 percent to the final price.

NETWORK 2x2 display cubes in walnut and lacquer, $3,060.

The RECESS coffee table in teak, $2,190, is one of Lees' most popular pieces.

Lees' versatile walnut WHOLESOME design, $2,170, can be used as either a coffee table or a bench.

Left: Custom bamboo table. Right: LATITUDE zebrawood occasional table, $2,125.

On its own, a single EASE unit in walnut, $1,125, is a chic low table. Stack two or more, and it becomes a bookshelf. Clever and functional!

The Jason Lees Design showroom is located at 1577 East 38th Street in Oakland. Hours are Monday through Saturday by appointment. Click here to see more of Lees' work.

Wanderlust: Shopping 'Till I Drop in P-Town

Up today: The last installment of my Portland diary -- this one covering the retail therapy I indulged in during my recent trip. (Click here for a rundown of the Pearl District, Hawthorne, and other shopping spots I visited during my previous trip.)

This time around, aside from a quick pit-stop in the Pearl to visit a store I somehow missed last time and to pick up a few more colorful hanging pom-poms for my daughter's room from Cargo, above, I mostly shopped in the Mississippi District and in the up-and-coming West End of Portland's downtown.

I'm not quite sure how I missed Moulé during my previous troll through the Pearl, but I'm so glad I found it this time. The shop is an elegantly clean and airy showplace for absolutely beautiful objects for the home (Moulé stocks chic clothing in the back, too).

Among the goods on offer are tableware and ceramics from the likes of Japan's Studio 010 and Tokumi Pottery, MarlaDawn, and Emilio Robba Atelier.

When I travel, I love getting out of the city centers and spending time in some of the urban neighborhoods that the locals call home, enjoying the mix of shops, restaurants, coffee houses, shoe repair joints, and residential side streets that give cities much of their character. It's during these wanderings that I'm most likely to ponder the question, Could I live here? Portland is full of such neighborhoods, and the north side's Mississippi District is an especially charming example. Here, the answer to the question above is a resounding, Yes!

Though spring had barely sprung, Pistils Nursery made me long to put my hands in the soil once I got back home. I love small, friendly nurseries that invite strolling the grounds and lounging on garden chairs as much as they do buying lots of lovely plants, and Pistils fits the bill on both counts. What's more, almost all of Pistils' stock comes either from local, sustainable growers or is cultivated on-site.

In addition to plants and gardening supplies, Pistils offers a small but tempting selection of home accents -- love the hanging terrariums! -- as well as chicks for the garden henhouse at $5 apiece. (It's a good thing my kids weren't along on this trip, or I would've been trying to figure out how to get a pair of baby chicks home with us on the plane -- and right now, Nick would be scratching his head over how, exactly, to go about constructing a chicken coop in the backyard.)

It's not glamorous by any stretch, but I'm pretty sure that Mississippi Avenue's SunLan Lighting stocks every kind of lightbulb known to man. I'd love to put together a Bulbs Unlimited fixture using the silver-dipped ones -- and I long to replace every bulb in my house with cozy Edison filament models.

Hovel is housed in a gorgeous corner space with light streaming in through the windows, and is filled with an eclectic selection of vintage and new furniture, home accents, and other assorted treasures.

Top left: Oilcloth made from Amy Butler fabrics -- how fun would these be covering an outdoor table in the summer? Top right: Adorable softies from (I think) Woolie Originals. Bottom: A selection of Hovel's pretty vintage and new accessories.

Now this just makes me bitter: Until a year or so ago, Porch Light resided on Telegraph Avenue in my own home of Oakland. But then the store up and moved to Portland, where it settled into far larger digs on Mississippi Avenue.

The new space is filled with wares -- including candy-hued Dash & Albert rugs, timeworn wire baskets and industrial metal storage containers, painted farmhouse furniture, pretty retro textiles, and a happy jumble of tchotchkes -- that were making me covet even more than I used to in the store's old Oaktown locale.

Perhaps my favorite Portland store discovery of the entire trip was Flutter, an exuberant explosion of colorfully reimagined vintage furnishings, shiny trinkets, cushy textiles, taxidermy, disembodied mannequin parts, garden statuary, architectural salvage, original art, antique and new jewelry, and vintage clothing.

I'm just venturing a guess here, but I suspect Flutter is the only place in Portland where you'll find a rickshaw sharing space with a stuffed peacock and red silk lanterns. It sounds odd, and it is -- and yet the mix works wonderfully, making Flutter a terrific place to fall down the rabbit hole for an hour or two.

This is such a fun idea: Take a flea-market chandelier and spray-glue dried moss all over it. How perfect would that be for illuminating an outdoor dining space in the summertime?

You don't know the strength of will it took for me not to walk away with a decapitated mannequin head, a hoary beast's skull, or a wooden hand or two. I swear, my house is starting to look like a set from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.

Avians and other creatures, both live and artfully preserved.

Flutter's delightful owner and vignette wizardess, Cindy. How cute is she?

On my last day in town, I had a couple of hours to poke around the West End and Burnside Triangle, the former no-man's land wedged between the Pearl District and the more easterly heart of downtown Portland.

This seems to be the spot where some of Stumptown's chicest shops and eateries are popping up, and is well worth a wander through after finishing an exploration of the Pearl and stocking up on reading material at Powell's Books: Sample the fare at Kenny & Zukes Jewish deli or Clyde Common at the Ace Hotel, nibble on some gourmet chocolate at Cacao, grab a pint of microbrew at the speakeasy-style Ringlers Annex pub or catch an art-house flick at the Living Room Theater, and -- of course -- do a little shopping.

My first stop was AM-Living. While it's not one of the only-in-Portland indie stores that I tried to stick to during the trip (AM also has outposts in New York, London, Amsterdam, and a small handful of other cities), I was mesmerized by the dozens of floating miniature hot-air balloons and antique-style globes ($7 and up).

I especially loved the wall-sized, 1739 Paris map reproduction. The map is $800 as three fabric scrolls, or just $60 as 25 separate sheets of paper. (Have you ever seen sections of antique city maps framed and hung in a large grid? It looks amazing. I'm so tempted to try that with this much more affordable option.)

AM-Living has lovely repro antique botanical prints ($100) and tripod spotlight lamps, too.

Next up was Flora, which stocks a pretty selection of home accessories and art as well as locally designed jewelry and self-produced lotions and other apothecary products. In the window: Tord Boontje's Midsummer Lights in lavender.

On the top left is recycled knit art from Woolie Originals. On the right: Tree bark vessel from Roost and print by Treetop Studio.

Finally, two doors down from Flora is the incomparable Canoe. This is such a supremely well-edited shop -- it may be a little on the spare side, but every object in it is exquisitely designed and made.

Visiting Canoe makes me want to be much more rigorous about what I put in my home (vs. a shop like Flutter, which makes me want to fill my house to the brim with all manner of strange and wonderful ephemera). I don't think I could ever be a minimalist, but I definitely appreciate the aesthetic when it's as beautifully presented as this.

See, even the toys are heirloom-worthy.

Ah, Heath Ceramics. I bought a trio of the lovely little bud vases -- which is kind of ridiculous considering that I live 20 minutes from the Heath Factory in Marin County, but I couldn't resist.

Fortunately for those of us outside of Portland, Canoe has an extensive online shop as well.

OK, that's it for my slobbering Portland blog-love -- for the time being, anyway. I really want to drag Nick and the kids up to check out PDX for a week or so this summer. (Any of you lucky Portlanders interested in a vacation house-swap?)

In the meantime, if you're headed for Stumptown be sure to take a look at my newly expanded "Portland Shopping" link list (at the bottom of the right-hand column on this page) for even more great shopping suggestions.