Posts Tagged ‘937 Condominiums’

Portland Interior Designer Shares: Where to Shop In The Pearl District – Lux Lighting

Friday, March 26th, 2010

Portland Interior Designer Shares: Where to Shop in The Pearl District – Lux Lighting

Pearl District Bridgeport Condo featuring monorail lighting: Interior by Pangaea Interior Design Pearl District Bridgeport Condo featuring Kartell pendant lamps and George Kovacs floor lamp: Interior by Pangaea Interior Design

(Photo: Pearl District Bridgeport Condo featuring monorail lighting, George Kovacs Floor Lamp, Kartell pendant lamps – interior by Pangaea Interior Design)

If you are moving to the Portland, Oregon Pearl District from somewhere in California (who isn’t? — I did!) or any other sunny place, you are probably noticing that there just isn’t as much light here with the cloudy and rainy days we often have. In fact, for the whole first year I lived here, I would think it was around 5:00 or 6:00 in the evening when it was only 2:00pm!! So today I’m sharing a little of my expertise on designing lighting plans and where to buy the coolest contemporary lighting fixtures and lamps.

Many of my clients living in the Pearl District are in one of the wonderful Lofts, Condos or Townhomes in buildings like 937 Condominiums, Bridgeport Condos, Streetcar Lofts, The Elizabeth, Indigo @ Twelve West, The Encore, The Wyatt or The Henry – just to name a handful. If you are not lucky enough to have a corner unit, although you may have floor to ceiling windows, they are probably all on one side and you have big lighting issues further back in your home. To complicate matters, you may have concrete ceilings or walls and steel studs. Enough to stop the DIY design enthusiast in their tracks! Many of my clients call me for help in designing a lighting plan for their Pearl District loft or condo. If you want a truly unique and upscale look, I have many “To-The-Trade” resources. But lots of my clients hire me to help them come up with a lighting plan, and they want to do their own shopping at retail stores to keep their costs down. They then run their favorite options past me for advice before making their final decisions.This is a great way to avoid any expensive mistakes! With a lighting plan consultation you can be sure you have all your lighting needs addressed and that it all looks great together.

So, I’m sharing my favorite retail lighting specialty store in the Pearl District. It’s Lux Lighting on the corner of NW Glisan & NW 13th. Their showroom will just knock your socks off with the latest in modern, contemporary and transitional lighting. They carry a huge array of brands. Some of my personal favorites are Foscarini (I have their Big Bang Chandelier in my own entryway – fabulous!,) Flos, George Kovacs, Luceplan, Modernica, Robert Abbey, Pablo and many, many more! They have amazing and unique high-end light fixtures and lamps as well as amazingly affordable and beautiful designs. I have always found Lux Lighting’s sales staff to be knowledgeable and willing to help with tricky lighting design issues.

Here in Portland, and especially in the Pearl District’s high rise lofts and condos, coming up with a great lighting plan is important to feeling good in your home.

** The first layer of light, ambient lighting (or overall general lighting) can be addressed through ceiling fixtures. Monorail and track lighting are two solutions that give a great amount of flexibility to your lighting through the myriad choice of spot lights and pendants. This will be especially important in the deeper recesses of lofts, condos or townhomes that have windows on a single side. Balance the amount of light so you have as much light toward the back of the space as you do near the windows.

** Task lighting is the next layer. Reading lamps and above counter lights in the kitchen are two good examples of lights that make it easier for you to function in your home. Think about the tasks you perform – cooking, reading, working at a desk – and add extra light to shine directly on your work space.

** Accent lighting is what really brings your space to life and adds that designer look. This includes lighting for your art, “up lights” that wash light onto the ceiling, and decorative lamps that are beautiful in their own right. Since many of the newer construction buildings feature lofts or condos with high ceilings, this is the perfect opportunity to add drama with a spectacular chandelier.

I also want to recommend Red’s Electric as my go-to resource for installation of all lighting elements in high rise condos, lofts and townhomes in the Pearl District. They have experience in these buildings and know how to work with all of the concrete, steel and special restrictions. Please tell them Pangaea sent you!

If you have one of these great Pearl District lofts, condos or townhomes and need help lighting up your space, call me today to schedule a lighting plan consultation! 503.816.4394

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Posted in DIY, Design Dollars, Design Tips, Interior Design, Lighting, Lofts, Pearl District, Shopping, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Baby It’s Cold Outside! Pangaea’s Picks: Top Ten Fireplaces

Monday, October 26th, 2009

As the rain has started to come down in sheets and the nights have turned COLD, my fireplace has been put into use in a big way. Many years ago, urban living in lofts, condos and apartments meant living without a fireplace. But technology has changed all of that. One potential client who recently contacted me said his one concession in buying a condo in the John Ross Condomiums in the South Waterfront district was to forego a fireplace — but we have a solution for him. Another client in The Wyatt high rise apartments in the Pearl District had a fireplace listed as one of her first items to add to her decor. I was also in the 937 Condominiums in the Pearl District last week and felt sad that for almost half a million dollars, you end up with no fireplace! So, this post is for you! Whether you have a condo in the Pearl or South Waterfront, or a house where there is no built-in fireplace, with today’s technology, there is now a fireplace for everyone, every room, and just about every budget!

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Pangaea’s Picks: Top Ten Fireplaces:


1.  Harry Leenders – Hands down, my fave for a suspended, rotating fireplace. Love the sleek lines.


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2.  EcoSmart’s Denatured Ethanol burning fireplaces can be set into a built in display or they have many free-standing styles. Environmentally friendly and renewable fuel is a plus.

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3. This Eurofocus has nice clean lines and is angled to look great in a corner.

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4. Rais is just simple and lovely.

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5. What top ten list would be complete without the modern classic Fireorb?

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6. Schulte Design has inset this little beauty into a modern coffee table. Open to use the fire and push the two sides together to conceal it and just use the coffee table. Brilliant!

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7. Sparkfires has this wonderful 6 foot long Ribbon Fire. It really makes a great statement in a big room.

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8. Of all the wall hung, ventless, flueless fireplaces, I love this one by Superior Fires called Scandium.

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9. This is probably the most unique style I’ve seen for free standing ventless, flueless fireplaces. It’s minimal and beautiful. Wonder if I can just roll it along with me wherever I go?

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10. I love fireplaces that incorporate a place to store the firewood. What a great idea! This Wittus Cubic wood burning stove stores plenty of wood and is large enough to feel like a built-in architectural feature.

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1   Harry Leenders Suspended, Rotating Fireplace
2   EcoSmart Denatured Ethanol Burning Fireplace
3   Eurofocus Angled Corner Fireplace
4   Rais
5   Fireorb
6   Schulte Design Fire Furniture
7   Sparkfires Fire Ribbon
8   Superior Fires Scandium Wall Hung Fireplace
9   Conmoto Roll Fire
10  Wittus Cubic Fireplace

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Posted in Cool Stuff, Design Tips, Fireplace, Interior Design, Pearl District, South Waterfront, Sustainable style, Top Ten, Uncategorized | No Comments »