Schoolhouse Electric has been pretty well-known in the interior design world for years now. You practically can’t throw a rock in a design-blogger’s house (who would even do such a thing!?) without hitting a couple of their lights. It’s one of the first places we looked for lights when we were updating our house, and we have their Isaac sconce in our bedroom, and the Thunderbird base with this shade in our kitchen. But as beloved as they are in the design world, most people outside of Portland probably don’t know that they have a stunning retail shop in the same building as their factory.

Unless of course you’re on Instagram. The interior is catnip for Instagramming Portlanders or visitors. (Love the chalkboard? Read an interview with the artist who lettered it.)


Their lights and fixtures are prominently displayed, of course.

I just love that jewel-shaped shade you can see below. I’m hoping that someday it’ll be available for more than just one pendant.

But what really gets me about this place is how perfectly styled it is. The mix of vintage and modern is always spot-on.

It makes me want to go home and re-arrange my house (and add even more plants).

Camping trip, anyone? On the wall directly behind the tent there’s a door to a secret reading room. It’s not actually secret, and it’s open to the public. I would’ve taken pictures if two guys weren’t in there the whole time I was in the shop.

Who would’ve thought a pile of old filing cabinets could look so good?

Schoolhouse Electric is a bit off the beaten path, in an up-and-coming industrial area in Northwest Portland at 2181 NW Nicolai Street. Their hours are Monday – Saturday 10 AM – 6 PM, Sunday 11 AM – 4 PM. You can follow them on Instagram @schoolhouse, and shop online.