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Hailing from Copenhagen, this is my very first blogpost focusing on the happenings over here! Can I get a hell yes?! OK OK, so tis the season for HYGGE + HIBERNATING. This word has been all the rage, and you've probably heard someone utter the horn-like word even if you can't quite pronounce it. It's cool, Danish is NOT an easy language

Our furry friends are just as much a part of the family as any of our two-legged members. We often get clients embarrassedly asking us to make considerations for their pets in our design when really that is a key factor in making the space functional + attractive for everyone! What are places to invest in and change for your pet and what are places you should leave and make them adapt to? The answer should become clear as we explore pet-appropriate materials, attractive furniture for our critters, storage for all of their items, and appropriate accommodations. MATERIALITY When investing in higher quality furniture it can be rather nerve-wracking with your pets in mind! What if your

I am truly thrilled to be stepping into a leadership role at Introspecs. While designing and running operations may not seem as glamorous as moving to Copenhagen, I am very excited to dig in and continue executing terrific Introspecs projects. Allisen has established an incredible foundation for Introspecs based on personal relationships, attention to detail, intuitive functionality, and a timeless aesthetic. I will look to preserve these values, while adding my own colorful flair to the mix. As a graduate of the University of Nebraska’s College of Architecture, I have taken every opportunity to design, learn about the building process, and increase my professional understanding. This has continued as I have worked with Allisen + our

I’m so excited to share some really big news: I’m moving to Copenhagen at the end of this month!!! Virginia Gormley, Senior Interior Designer extraordinaire, will manage Introspecs design projects on the Portland front, while I’ll support her remotely from abroad

Let’s face it, kids can be the toughest customers. Passions can run high when it comes to friendships, siblings, even what’s for dinner. To this list we can add the design and decoration of kids’ rooms and spaces for work + play. I suspect that many of us - come on, be honest here -  remember wanting to paint our room some unusual color (for me it was yellow!) or wanting to store all our clothing in bags hanging from the ceiling. While kids can be difficult when it comes to design, it's not their fault and we certainly shouldn't hold it against them. Expressing contrary opinions, wanting to do things their own way, and

  With long days + loads of sunshine, summer is a time to get outside. Day trips are great, but overnight camping can’t be beat. Camping is a sure fire way to unplug, relax, and spend some quality time with friends and family. Each and every summer we cram in as many camping trips as we can manage before rain and colder days return. An added bonus of camping is that it’s a chance to leave household projects behind. I’m a big fan of household projects, but everyone deserves a break from thinking about organizing the basement, sprucing up the garden, or painting the spare room. When you camp you create a temporary, stripped down version of home,

Whenever I return to Portland from a trip abroad, whether I’ve been in BC, Spain, Denmark, or The Netherlands, I always feel a bit let down. Of course, I’m happy to home, to sleep in my own bed, and to reconnect with friends. But, right away, I find myself missing the lively, outdoor social spaces that are such a big part of what makes Europe and B.C. so great. There are so many cafés with outdoor seating, plazas, open-air ice-skating rinks, accessible lakes and rivers, and terrific urban parks. And they are typically full of amenities: places to eat, grab a drink, listen to some music, rent bikes or ice skates, or simply people watch.

If you're needing to furnish an entire house quickly and have a modest budget or if you are simply looking to acquire an eclectic mix of pieces, buying used or vintage furniture can be a great solution. In the Portland area, we are blessed with many great sources for vintage modern furniture, ranging from shops that sell designer pieces to those that stock a wide array of pieces at a lower price point. Sometimes a design or plan calls for a very specific piece of furniture. And in that case there are excellent options like Design within Reach, EWF Modern, Sitte Modern etc

As rain + snow continues to fall here in Portland, it’s a perfect time to consider the entry hall, mudroom, or however else people arrive and depart from your house – usually with coats, shoes, and bags in tow. Especially in the cold and muddy months this can make for a snarl of jackets, scarves and umbrellas and an obstacle course of boots. For a great many of our friends, whether they have older homes or newer ones, it’s a challenge to keep these spaces organized and looking halfway decent. There’s no real silver bullet here as entries are typically cramped, high traffic areas. But we do have some ideas and solutions to offer. We’ll

From talking with countless friends and acquaintances I've learned of what I've come to call, “furniture buying paralysis.” The new year seems a good time to talk about this, especially as many, myself included, feel a post-holiday reluctance to add any material possessions to our homes (or to make any optional withdrawals from our bank account). Furniture buying paralysis takes many forms, but in general it's something like this: you're afraid to commit and buy a piece of furniture because you're worried it won't be perfect or that your life or home will change. You might, for instance, be thinking about buying a bookshelf or a dresser, but get stopped in your tracks because you’ve