Wise Design

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Wise Design Wise Design offers functional and creative interior design solutions in the Portland metro area.

10/12/2026

We were pampered at Visual Comfort last week with custom tea blends, tea sandwiches, macaroons, mimosas and a flower bar to launch their new Pooky lighting line which couldn’t be cuter. 🤩

09/24/2026

One of the frequently asked questions we are asked is how to make a functional home office. How and where to squeeze in a desk, how to have a nice background for virtual calls. These are all questions on people’s minds as we work from home more and more.

One of the first questions we ask when helping a client design a home office space is what is the level of privacy needed. Are there HIPAA considerations? Will you be on phone or virtual calls? Do you need to have a space away from the noise of the rest of the household? Basically, do you need (and note the use of the word, need) a door?

If possible, we recommend moving your workstation out of the bedroom. Your bedroom should be the most sanctuary of sanctuary spaces in your house- a spot for you to totally unwind and reset from the stresses (including work stresses) of the day. However, if reality states that the your bedroom is the only location available, a combo nightstand/desk is a fantastic solution. Avoid, if you can, having your bed in your camera view.

Check out more tips & tricks for home offices on our website. (Link in bio)

Photos by meagan larsen photography

Wise Design was approached by our lovely client to assist with their newly purchased home. Our clients had already under...
09/05/2026

Wise Design was approached by our lovely client to assist with their newly purchased home. Our clients had already undertaken extensive renovations but needed help in a few key areas. In the formal living room, a fireplace received a fresh plaster treatment, flanked with fluted cabinetry and floating shelves. A gorgeous rug by SMG COLLECTIVE grounds our client’s stunning furniture arrangement.

An unused room off the kitchen was a tricky puzzle. Our clients thought a small eat-in area by the kitchen would be ideal but it was too large and the space felt empty with just a table & chairs. Another formal dining room would be redundant. A combination den and eat-in area would be most ideal for how the space is used but how to combine both? The answer was a large custom U-shaped built-in that transforms from a sofa to TV console to kitchen banquette. All custom built-ins and casework fabricated by ClarkBuilt.

Photos by Genny Moller

08/21/2026

If we had to answer, what is the ONE question that we get asked all the time, the answer is easy: “What do I do with my shoes, coats & bags in the entry?”

And boy, do we get it. Especially as we live in an environment that can be rainy, muddy, sometimes very icy, sometimes a little dusty, sometimes we’re back from the beach & we’re a little sandy. Some clients garden, have dogs, sports-playing kids, babies with strollers, etc etc etc. The point is that we all have a lot of STUFF and where does it all go?

It’s not as though our homes here in Portland were built with vestibules (not very many homes, that is). That’s another easy question to answer: what architectural feature do you wish would come back in style? The vestibule. Even for those lucky enough to have the coveted vestibule, it can still be a problem. Where to put all that stuff?!?!

Check out our latest FAQ post for some solutions to this super common issue. (Link in bio)

Photos by meagan larsen photography & Josh Partee

08/08/2026

Wise Design was approached to assist with a recently constructed retail location in Portland’s South Waterfront. Our client wished to transform the empty 1600 sqft space into a combination pet and plant store, offering thoughtfully selected food, treats, toys, supplies, enrichment, wellness products, and pet-safe plants for dogs & cats.

Our client had a clear vision and beautiful branding to match: classic PNW with some industrial elements and lots of woods and greens. Wise Design was tasked bringing those ideas to life with space planning, permit drawings and designing new storage solutions including perimeter shelving and a retail counter & display constructed by Owen Gabbert LLC.

Head to our website for more info & photos for this super fun project! (Link in bio)

Photos by Zoe Kimball

For years, we would have 90min consults or Design for a Day consults where clients would ask about the practicality of a...
07/18/2026

For years, we would have 90min consults or Design for a Day consults where clients would ask about the practicality of a Murphy bed, especially in multi-use spaces like guest rooms combining with home offices or playrooms. Typically we would steer them instead towards a sofa bed, offering a comfortable place to sit when not in use rather than an unusable box on the wall.

However, Murphy beds and the discussion of Murphy beds kept coming up. We all vividly remember the first time that a Murphy bed was the strongest solution for a design concern. Our consult client had a yoga room that she also wanted to turn into a guest space. A sofa bed would take up too much of the valuable floor space and there was zero furniture in the room that would need to move in and out for the Murphy bed to lower in place. The wall bed would be painted the same shade as the walls, allowing it to blend away and the room to remain as zen and peaceful as possible.

Check out our tips & tricks on when to use a Murphy bed & when not to in our latest post on the website (link in bio).

Photos by meagan larsen photography & Seppi Reda

07/02/2026

New Project Reveal! Introducing the !

Tucked into a private neighborhood in the west hills, Wise Design was called to help with a partially finished basement space. The previous owners used the space to display model trains - the tracks for the trains were still visible on the floor!- but our clients had other wants/needs for the large, tall basement. They needed a spot to not only entertain family and friends but also an area for guests to comfortably visit. A place for exercise equipment as well as a place to store said equipment and any other storage was also high on the list.

The other areas of the home had lots of rich, existing Doug Fir wood. Wise Design continued this material language into the basement but added a slightly more contemporary take with a tighter grain and interweaving cool blue/grey/green palette in select casework areas.

You can find more photos & details for this project on our website. (Link in bio)

Construction by ClarkBuilt

Photos by Seppi Reda

05/01/2026

It’s been over two months since our office took a trip to Palm Springs (or as we like to say, Palm Spraaaangs) and it’s taken us that entire time to digest, absorb and recover! We had the absolute best time!

Palm Springs offers an annual Modernism Week each February, celebrating the area’s midcentury architecture and design. It’s long been on our bucket list to visit and we finally decided to take a well deserved break and book it. Fortunately we had a local guide in Bonney as she was raised in the area. Ryan’s sister, Dana, also flew to Palm Springs to join the fun.

Check out our latest post on the website (link in bio) where we share our Palm Springs part one highlights. Including our visits to the Royal Hawaiian Estates, Turkel Design Desert House, Edris House and a tour of the Vista Las Palmas neighborhood!

Such a fun trip!

Undergoing a renovation is an exciting milestone, but it can feel extremely overwhelming. At Wise Design, we understand!...
04/16/2026

Undergoing a renovation is an exciting milestone, but it can feel extremely overwhelming. At Wise Design, we understand! To help our clients understand what it is like working with us, we created a blog series dedicated to exploring each phase of the design process and why each one is so important.

Successful design begins with a strong foundation. During the first stage of your project, the Project Preparation Phase, we take time to understand how you live and what you love. We also take a detailed survey of your space (or site), by gathering photos and measurements so we can accurately capture the site conditions your new design will be built upon. Even though you are excited to get going or if your contractor has availability in a month or if you dream of having it all ready for the holidays, it is so important to not rush your project. A renovation is a long term investment and your home deserves the care and attention necessary for a well-thought out, detailed design.

Head over to the new post on our website (link in bio) for more info on this very important step in our design process. Stay tuned for more post in this series as well!

Address

2505 SE 11th Avenue Ste. 352
Portland, OR
97202

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9am - 4:30pm
Friday 9am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+15036627112

Website

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