Stop Shop: Woonwinkel in Portland

Although you probably never have visited Portland you probably know by now that this is one of the hot design spots in the USA. Many talented designers and crafts people live here and recently a wonderful shop has been added to this design district. The shop is called Woonwinkel, which means Home Shop in Dutch, yes funny enough there is a Dutch link...

Joyce de Lange visited Woonwinkel and asked owners a couple of questions. Jocyce also took these images for us. You can find Joyce right here on twitter.

What's your name and of your business partner?

Erica Essink and Kristin Van Buskirk are the owners

Are you both from Portland?

Yes (although I grew up in the midwest I’ve lived in Portland for 17 years) ..............READ MORE>>>

Why did you choose a Dutch name for your shop?

I was living in The Netherlands, working as a designer at Nike’s European Headquarters when we cooked up the idea of this shop. Since I was learning Dutch at the time, and for lack of an official name for the shop, we used the word “woonwinkel”. But somehow it stuck. It’s both a nod to the Dutch design that insipres us, and a word that, in english, sounds pleasant and light. Because although we’re serious about excellent design, we also want our shop to reflect the levity that makes a house a home.

{image above: hanging lights by iacoli&Mcallister...}

When exactly did you open the shop? May 12, 2011

Did you travel to Europe to meet de designers of the products?

Although we haven’t personally met most of the European designers that created our products, it was while living and traveling in Europe that we discovered most of the products and became familiar with the designers. We were incredibly inspired by such design shows as the Milan Furniture Fair and Dutch Design Week, and also some really fantastic retailers of excellent design like Frozen Fountain (Amsterdam), Mint (London), and Spazio Rosanna Orlandi (Milan).

{image above: Ceramics by AtelierNL...}

Can you name some of the brands/designers you sell?

Hella Jongerius, Atelier NL; Dick van Hoff for Royal Tichelaar Makkum (NL); Scholten&Bajings (NL); Esther Derkx (NL); Jens Fager and ? Wagell for Muuto (DN); Best Before (FR); Donna Wilson for SCP (UK); Vontundra (US); Esque (US); Studio Gorm (US), but they are also a due who studied at Design Academy Eindhoven); Iacoli & McAllister (US); Pigeon Toe (US).