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Local Gem is RetailMeNot’s new editorial series celebrating standout indie shops across the United States. Discover hidden treasures near you, travel to one, or shop their one-of-a-kind finds online.
Stepping into Experimental Vintage feels like visiting that impossibly cool artist friend’s vibey studio space. The light-flooded shop is instantly welcoming and warm, with a rotating selection of original oil paintings on the gallery wall and a collection of vintage Turkish carpets that will transport you to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.
Experimental Vintage is located at 819 N Russell Street, Portland, Oregon, 97227
The highly curated shop makes art collecting accessible, with owner Anna Louise on hand to help track down exactly what you might be after to make your home feel more you.
The Story Behind Experimental Vintage
Image: Experimental VintageGetting into the vintage scene was totally unexpected for Experimental Vintage owner Anna Louise. She graduated with a master’s degree in Counseling in 2007 and got a job as a school counselor right out of college. Less than a year later, she lost her counseling job during the economic crisis of 2008 when the school budgets got cut.
“I had grown up going to flea markets and antique stores with my parents, and always had an intrinsic love for neat old things,” she told RetailMeNot. “After losing my counseling job, I started an Etsy shop, selling as a way to fill my time and combat depression that had set in after being laid off.”
While she was still looking for another counseling job, she started also started selling in local shops, and her Etsy shop experienced continued success. “After two years of job hunting for another counseling position in a saturated market to no avail, I decided to permanently switch paths and focus all of my energy into my budding business,” she shared.
Although Experimental Vintage started as a completely online shop running full-time out of Anna’s home, in 2018 she took the dive and signed a lease for her very first studio/shop space and last summer she expanded into a larger space in a beautiful old building in North Portland.
Image: Experimental Vintage“While at first I saw Experimental Vintage as mostly a hobby, the day I decided to give up my future in the education field was a huge step for my business,” she shared. “Letting go of what I thought I’d be doing allowed me the space, time, and mental capacity to go full force ahead with my business.”
Anna strives to make my space feel unique, down-to-earth, warm, and inviting. Everything in the shop is one-of-a-kind and handmade, meaning that she doesn’t sell anything mass-produced. According to Anna, this invites people to lean into their own personal style as opposed to just acquiring random items to fill a space.
What You’ll Find Inside
Image: Experimental VintageAlthough Anna offers an array of vintage art and textiles, the Experimental Vintage rug collection is by far the most popular offering. “I curate a fresh collection of vintage and antique rugs to offer in my online shop every week, and they tend to fly out the door (pun intended),” Anna explained.
Image: Experimental VintageBut that doesn’t mean you won’t find a surprising selection of other hidden gems throughout the shop. “One of the strangest things that I’ve ever had on my shelves was an old molded plastic cat statue. It was a white Siamese cat, standing about 5 inches tall, with a capped opening on the bottom of it-almost like an old coin bank would have,” explained Anna. “ I tried and tried to open the cap to see what was inside, but it was glued shut and I didn’t want to damage the statue, so I left it alone.
“A week later, a cat-loving customer came in and bought the statue because it reminded her of her own cat. I told her about the opening on the bottom and how I tried to get it open and we both joked about whether there was money hidden inside, then she would have to split it with me. A week later, I got an email from her—she had managed to pry the bottom cap open—and upon opening it, out fell a clear bag of ashes, and she quickly realized that it was the cremated remains of someone’s beloved cat from long ago!
“She first asked if she could return the item because she was a little weirded out, but then emailed back a few hours later to say that she changed her mind and decided to keep it, stating that on second thought, having a ghost cat in her home actually sounded really nice.”
The shop also has a highly curated selection of artwork—think oil paintings and etchings—that encourages clients to fill their homes with affordable and original art rather than the mass-produced items you’ll find down the road at IKEA.
For example, this colorful abstract painting is available for $388:
Image: Experimental VintageThis vintage encaustic wax painting of a tomato for $148 was made for filling empty wall space in the kitchen:
Image: Experimental VintageVintage Turkish carpets start at around $400—and Anna offers layaway programs for clients who are keen to invest in a high-quality rug.
Image: Experimental VintageA Peek Into Experimental Vintage’s Community
Anna strives to make Experimental Vintage a space that both engages and supports the local community. “Over the years I’ve hosted countless pop-up and events with other artists, makers, and vintage sellers and invite others to sell in my space for no fees or commissions,” she explained. “I love sharing my space with others without any hesitation as a way to uplift and promote other fellow businesses.”
The new location in North Portland is surrounded by a special kind of camaraderie. According to Anna, all of the businesses on “this sweet lil’ corner” are always supporting and promoting each other in various ways as well. “In these hard times, focusing on community connection is key and I’m grateful to be able to leverage my business in that way,” she added.
How to Shop Experimental Vintage If You Don’t Live in Portland
Experimental Vintage started as a digital-first shop—and still remains easy to shop online. A fresh batch of completely unique vintage and antique rugs are added to the webshop weekly.
Anna also travels up and down the entire West Coast to find unique vintage art and special timeworn objects, and adds these finds to the Home & Body section of the webshop as she unearths them.
You’ll find updates and new vintage products to shop on social media as well, across Instagram, Facebook, and on the webshop’s blog.
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The post Local Gem: Experimental Vintage in Portland, Oregon appeared first on The Real Deal by RetailMeNot.
