As a designer, and a homeowner, when I need quality paint I go to Powell Paint Center here in Portland, Oregon.
Even though I live in NoPo, I will drag my tired little self down to 52nd and SE Powell at 7:30 in the morning if my clients are in need of paint samples.
I do this because the staff at PPC have been “doing” paint since 1961. Because they are friendly and answer questions with earnest know-how and a smile. Because no color match is an issue. Because they’ll greet my requests for draw-downs with only half a groan. Because they are paint gurus and their pricing is fair. Because they represent lines such as Benjamin Moore, Pratt & Lambert, Yolo, etc.
To be sure, I’ve been gaga for color since I was a child. My favorite place to be, when I was young, was biding time in the aisles of my hometown hardware store while my father bought salt peter and fishing licenses…I spent loads of time perusing the paint chips, picking out colors that spoke to me and pocketing them because I could, marveling at the hues and tones and variety.
Colors have always reminded me of life…cooking colors, nature’s colors, colors you can’t find ANYWHERE in nature, colors that spoke of home and hearth, and of travel. These color chips could do anything…in my mind, they could change an entire landscape or a life.
I still feel giddy nearly every time I walk into Powell Paint Center because the entire back wall of the store is filled to the brim with color. I see endless possibilities when I walk in through the door. I see fresh interiors and exteriors that imbue their owners with a sense of pride and accomplishment, whatever ambiance they intend to convey.
You can find me at Powell Paint Center every Thursday afternoon, from noon to 3pm, where I give free color consultations to folks looking to change things up in their homes and offices. I spend between ten minutes to an hour with each person, exploring their needs and coming up with color solutions that resonate with them. Often they walk away with small, inexpensive sample jars of paint, or at the very least giant paper/paint chips that will greatly inform their decisions. Their gratitude is abundant and it always fills me with contentment. Sometimes these consultations turn into larger paid projects and fieldwork, and often they turn into friendships.
It is always interesting to me that what comes to me naturally as the ability to know which colors go well with one another is often a foreign concept to the men and women I help each week. It feels so good knowing that I get to send them up to the front desk with thoughtful color selections well in hand, up to the good people who know more about paint formulas and applications than I do.
I often follow my clients up to the front desk to hear for myself more about which paint is preferred for painting over rusty metal or concrete steps, or how to determine which nap of roller is best for which wall texture. I truly learn something new from the staff at Powell Paint every week! My clients walk away with high-quality paint, color that is intensely personal, and the knowledge of how to apply it well the first time. I love this place.
So, if you find yourself in need of fresh new color this season, please consider becoming a patron of Powell Paint Center. And if you want help determining the perfect palette, you know where to find me!
I’ll be back soon with details about an incredible line of paint from famed New York-based artist, Donald Kaufman, now offered to the Portland Metro area through Powell Paint Center. I’ve never seen a more beautiful, painterly paint! I’ll be gleaning more hard facts about Donald Kaufman’s paint this week and next, and look forward to sharing what I learn!
‘Till then…Happy Spring!
Portland Store
5205 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97206
Phone: (503) 775-3642
Fax: (503) 775-5216
Tigard Store
12540 SW Main St, Suite 120
Tigard, OR 97223
Phone: (503) 620-7522
Fax: (503) 620-8697
http://www.powellpaintcenter.com
Please mention my business name, Haven Maven Interiors, to receive a courtesy discount of 5% at the Portland Powell Paint Center. If you would prefer to work on color selection with me, you will enjoy a 10% Designer Discount when you place that paint order. Call me today to schedule a $100 90-MinuteColor Consultation! If you feel your project scope will require less time, my fee is set at an affordable rate of $35/hr.
I look forward to serving you!
