STAY-CATION
The Allison Inn & Spa, located just 45 minutes outside of Portland in the lush Willamette Valley, is the perfect close-to-home escape. The surroundings are of course awe-inspiring, but there’s also so much beauty to be found inside with the Inn’s expansive art collection composed of local original work. Don’t miss the spa: Book their signature Mimosa Massage and spend the afternoon relaxing in the various lounges, saunas and steam rooms. Dreamy! theallison.com

luxe2_2BUTTONED UP
I love popping into locally owned ready-to-wear boutique Grapevine. Carefully curated by the talented Mary Olund, the shop is filled with classics and current silhouettes. I often depend on Mary’s keen eye and uncanny knack for knowing exactly what pieces to pull for me. I recently snagged a gorgeous Trina Turk blazer with detail work I just couldn’t resist—silk black-and-white pinstripe fabric on the interior cuffs. 503.291.1893

FLOORPLAN
I always look forward to visiting Kush Handmade Rugs in Portland’s Pearl District. This urban oasis boasts luxurious, hand-knotted creations by established international lines like Amadi and New Moon, as well as custom-designed pieces. Owners Rebecca Lurie and Brian Robins are passionate about rugs and immensely helpful. I recently purchased a to-die-for dragon patterned silk sari rug for my own dining room. It was love at first sight! kushrugs.com

CREATIVE JOURNEY
There’s a lot of creativity percolating in my Portland studio. I strive to keep my designs effortlessly chic and timeless. When designing a house from top to bottom, I often like to start with rugs and work my way up. From there, I let the colors and pattern guide the design for the whole room. These pieces are investments and I view them as practical artwork for the floors. nifelledesign.com

ALLISON INN PHOTO: COURTESY THE ALLISON INN & SPA.
RUNWAY PHOTO: COURTESY TRINA TURK RTW FALL 2013.
NIFELLE DESIGN PHOTO: DAVID PAPAZIAN.
KUSH RUG PHOTO: COURTESY KUSH RUGS.

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