Our Story
Woonwinkel : everyday goods that shine bright.☀️
About Us:
Woonwinkel is a Portland, Oregon-based home and gift shop where everyday goods shine bright. Our passion for color makes your visit more than just a shopping trip--it uplifts and inspires.Over twenty years in the color design industry have taught me that color is powerful. When our eye takes in color, it sends a message to our brain to decipher it. As it’s doing so, the brain releases a hormone which affects moods, focus, appetite, energy levels and more. Every color benefits us in some way, and at its best it ignites a powerful emotional reaction.
Our Values:
While the search for colorful objects is fun, our vision goes beyond what we can put in someone’s shopping bag. We also strive to metaphorically "see in color". We believe differences within our team and our community make us stronger and richer. We prioritize building an environment in which different perspectives are valued. We act on that through who and how we hire, and how we pledge to communicate within our team. We're ever expanding our collections of products and publications by Black, Brown, queer, and other resilient marginilized groups, and we celebrate and amplify voices from these communities. We financially contribute to our community through organizations that advance diversity, equity, inclusion, justice.
Our Vision:
We strive to inspire our customer through joyful aesthetics. We look for objects that SHINE BRIGHT. They’re…
- Singular, unique or small run, by independent designers and small companies (because big-box-store sameness is boring)
- Alive in color (because color can alter your mood, improve your performance, and do good)
- A beacon, an example (that makes our world a better place in some way)
- Happy-making (we love to pull people together, we love the cheerful, the silly, the fun)
Lastly, we believe in owning fewer, better things and have a strong preference for items that are long lasting or recycleable to reduce our environmental impact.
Want to read our latest Social Impact Report? Click here.
Want more of our back story? Check out this lovely interview. Or this one.
Check out the lookbooks in our main menu. We're not pros, but we DO have fun photographing color.
Follow us on Instagram--you're bound to learn more!
Or check out our blog to go a little deeper.
Thanks for learning a little about us.
-Kristin Van Buskirk, Owner
