Shortly after a colleague from my old job told me that another former employee opened a shop…read morefollowing the birth of her son, I found myself wandering aimlessly around Sellwood, as my Mother-in-law indulged her penchant for antique-shopping... and ran across Bowl of Thistles, entirely accidentally. As I was telling my husband "Hey! I know who owns this place!" Stephanie (the owner) was busy telling her coworker "Hey! I know that woman!" Happy reunion ensued, followed by amazed perusal... honestly, I was astonished by the array of beautifully-showcased, high-quality, candy-like local artists' works tempting me from every corner. And she put it together in only a few months...! There were art-glass bowls and vases and jewelry, watercolor paintings and print cards, fabric arts fashion accoutrements and wall-hangings, crazy and humorous and "why-didn't-I-think-of-that" useful home decor, and all in a cute little renovated Victorian... must go back when I have a tshatshke/goodie budget. Really reasonable prices, too, especially given the quality of the merchandise and the trendiness of the area...

Absolutely LOVE Notary Ceramics and can't recommend enough! I ordered a custom lamp from Notary in…read moreJanuary 2025. Despite having just suffered a finger injury and on the heels of a busy holiday season, Sarah was extremely responsive, consultative, and accommodating, and she turned my very loose vision into a stunningly beautiful custom lamp. So happy with Sarah's work and the entire experience with Notary. Can't wait to order my next lamp from here! Thank you, Sarah and team!!

DO NOT BUY FROM THIS STORE OR COMPANY. THEY ARE SCAMMERS. I BOUGHT A PURSE, NOT THE SAME BAG AS…read morePICTURED. SPENT OVER $200, old, used, falling apart. I had to spend $30 to ship it back. A week later they still have not refunded me for the bag and shipping costs. Can't get a hold of anyone, they just ghost you. This is not a legit business and I will be filing with the dept of consumer affairs, BBB. Causing others who are senior citizens with disabilities distress. This is who runs this company!!

Super MCM items including clothing, artwork, vintage Hawaiian, furniture and smaller items for the…read morehome. Service was impeccable and the shop was very organized, clean and fun to serch for that perfect item!

Picked up a Toulouse-Lautrec lithograph here alongside an adorable pair of socks. Great selection…read moreof vintage and artisan dishware sets with all pieces present. Nice jewelry, prints, and clothes as well. This is a must visit for me!

Beautiful store, everything was set out nicely. Seemed clean. super sweet owner. Felt very welcomedread more

Horrible customer service. The woman working is so rude. It's a bummer... Hopefully a different…read moreantique business can take over.

This place is magical! I felt like I was transported into a…read moreHarry Potter world or some sort of whimsical wizard home. Whether you have something in mind for your home or you're just wondering around; expect to enjoy the wonders this place has to offer. From old vintage machines, light fixtures, kitchen appliances or medical devices; this place will transport you into an enchanted world of randomness. Everything is so curated so beautifully! I'm so glad we stopped by after seeing it on our drive.

I have driven by here so many times and have never stopped. I couldn't believe it. This place is…read moreamazing. A taste of Macabe and the most organized and clean hardware store I've ever been in. The owner, or at least I think he was the owner, was the most interesting kind man. This store is definitely worth a visit to!!

This is a large store with a lot to look at. Some items are more of a thrift but there is also a…read moreton of actual vintage items littered amount the antiques. Prices are pretty reasonable and there is something for each price point. They have sturdy leather baskets to carry around with you in the store. It's mostly street parking when you arrive. Bathroom is for customers only. I found some great pieces as well as older wrangler jeans for $20! There was a TON of clothes to look at. The ladies at the front were very helpful and carefully wrapped all of my items and put them into bags. They have a second location right across the street and a rewards program.

Based on a recent experience with the cashier (8/14) and her customer service:…read more Our family was outside, me with my two girls, while my husband ran in to quickly grab a single shirt, about 10 minutes before closing. We knew the store was about to close, so he planned to be in and out. Instead, the cashier told him, "There isn't enough time for you to shop." He explained he saw the single shirt he wanted to purchase and would be in and out. She then spent several minutes explaining how it would take too long to ring him up. In the time it took to say all that, the purchase could have been completed. From: the one who needed a shirt because one of her kids spilled ketchup all down the front of her white blouse Next time - let the customer make the quick purchase especially during business hours please

Megan repaired a broken silver and turquoise necklace for my wife. She did an excellent job. Thank…read moreyou, Megan.

Very personable and efficient. Glad to have my watches working again. A little pricey though.read more

I'm not much of a reviewer but Brush & Trowel isn't just a great (knowledgable!) paint store, they…read morereally go above and beyond. I've been getting paint from them for my house on and off for years because I am possibly too obsessed with Farrow & Ball paints. It had been a few years since the last time I ordered from them and I called about getting some paint I forgot I had to special order. I'd already done the primer on my home office so it was just sitting there, cleared out and unusable. While there was a *chance* the color might be in before the weekend, it wasn't a given. FedEx delivered the paint after they closed on Friday but they got it to me anyway rather than making me wait until Monday to pick it up. It it was so kind of them to do it and I'll be so glad to have my office back before the weekend is over. Everyone there is so nice and helpful! 11/10 this is where you want to get your paint.

We simply can't believe how well they matched the color *and texture* of a discontinued paint that…read morewe inherited from the previous owners. We talk about it at least once a week over dinner. It's basically replaced Netflix. Thanks team.

I would have liked to experience this store while I was shopping for antiques in the neighborhood…read morebut when I popped my head in the door and politely asked ( I always ask first ) if my very well-behaved ( and handsome btw ) dog could join me, the person behind the counter looked down her nose at me with disdain, then paused for an e t e r n i t y like she had to REALLY think about whether she should LET ME IN. I felt embarrassed and like I was a scumbag for asking. AND NO ONE WAS IN THE STORE EVEN! The world is hard enough right now, no thank you.

Cute items, reasonably priced. This is second hand but very nicely cultivated and presented in…read moreboutique fashion.

Have been noticing an unusually large amount of water disappearing from my hot tub lately and…read morefeared the worst. Stopped by the Pool & Spa House to see how bad the damage could be and what I would need to do to fix it. Can I just say that Don was the greatest. He totally eased my fears and told me that hot tubs frequently get pin hole leaks in some of the joints and fittings. He even took me over to some of their systems on display to demonstrate where and what to look for in determining the type of leak. The best part was his recommendation of a product called "Fix a Leak" and how to apply it to my system. With one bottle and little expert instruction from Don, I fixed my hot tub in no time and it barely cost me any blood, sweat and tears as I had feared it might. Thanks Don!

This is my second YELP review for this business. I wanted to thank Don Somppi for helping to…read morearrange a replacement part for a Covermate Freestyle spa cover. Don coordinated with the distributor, Leisure Concepts, Spokane WA and within two days we had the part we needed. This is some kind of fantasy customer service, but it is not the first time we've received great service from The Pool and Spa House. Previously we had a need for a system that would work for our round spa. Don, again steered us to a great solution. This store also has every type of chemical needed to keep spas and pools in great shape. A business that understands customer service and "going the extra mile."