There are many great materials in the world, sometimes perhaps too many. Narrowing it down and working with local designers who really know their product and what's out there in the market place can make all the difference. I wrote this blog about Surface before ever looking at their Website and I wasn't at all surprised to find embedded in the words of their "about us" page, the same philosophies expounding on exactly what my impression was of their business. Next time you feel the need to tile, carpet or just explore materials, be sure to check them out. Ask for Kara. Surface located at 1235 SE Grand Ave Portland, OR 97214 (503) 235-1235

Portland is a great city, as those who live here can attest. One of the things that makes it great, is being able to shop locally and find some truly first class owner operators. I was reminded of this again this week when I met Brian Robins, the owner of Kush. At hip our furniture sure looks better with rugs throughout to tie together a room setting, but when it come to selling them, we simply choose to leave that to those who know the most. Kush is local and also green. We all know green needs to become more than a marketing idea and it's great to see Brian has chosen to do just that. So when you need experience, and also want to shop and support local, think Kush, 900 S.E Hawthorne. 503.231.0700