WE UNDERSTAND DESIGN.

WE UNDERSTAND TIMELINES.

WE UNDERSTAND BUDGETS.

Coffee, Design, Chardonnay…Now that’s a good day.

founder + DESIGNER shelley prael

Second to climbing trees, decorating my room was my favorite thing to do as a child. My love for interior design has grown ever since. Now with 30+ years of retail store design and visual merchandising experience, I am excited to have my favorite hobby become the next chapter in my professional journey. When I'm not designing, I love to spend time in my yard, shop for vintage treasures and relax with my friends and family.

I have an incredible and supportive partner to share my life with. Together, Craig and I have three fantastic children. The oldest two are thriving in their pursued careers, both happily married and have blessed us with 3 grand kids in total! Our youngest is attending the University of California, studying Business and living the college dream. As a family we love to travel, root for our favorite college teams, escape to the beach and laugh as often as possible. 

visual journey

I was 17 when I put together my first display in a retail setting. Any locals out there remember Jean Machine? That experience opened my eyes to the visual and design world and I knew immediately that's what I wanted to do. 

After college, the visual journey continued as I worked for great companies including Williams-Sonoma, Meier & Frank, Columbia Sportswear and Pendleton Woolen Mills.

During my 17 years with the prestigious and soulful brand Pendleton, I became the company's first Visual Director. I had the privilege of designing the award-winning PDX Airport Store along with many other Retail and Outlet Stores, two Heritage Museums, numerous Trade Show Booths and off-site Exhibits (including: The World Forestry Center and The Oregon Historical Society) and alas a Horse-Drawn Wagon in Portland’s very own Grand Floral Parade which took home a 1st Place Blue Ribbon in it’s category.

logo tidbit

LE, translated from the Chinese language means happy, joyful, cheerful.

NEST represents home - where we start and end each day, where we unwind and rejuvenate, where friends and family come together.

The MODERN BRANCH background symbolizes design that is updated for today.

We would be delighted to help you make your home your happy place.

Brittain B. 

Architect | Portland, OR

Every now and then, you come across a designer of such great natural talent and capable of such congenial collaboration that the melding of ideas and framing of clever, beautiful and intriguing solutions presented comes so easily that you think it should always be this way. And it should. But the rare nature of the encounter is a clue that is just that, rare. Shelley is that sort of rare designer.

I had the great fortune of working with Shelley Prael, framing opportunities for her to work her magic. The path to the solutions was easy and exciting due to her facile flexibility and foresight, we produced some great stuff. I can recommend her to all and any.

Robert M.

Contractor | Canby, OR

I've been doing this for a long time and sometimes contractors and designers don't see eye to eye. But not with Shelley, she understands the process. She understands that there are typically hiccups along the way, particularly with remodeling. When game plan A isn't working out, she brings game plan B to the table with a smile on her face. I remember one job where I think we were all the way to game plan E, but she kept pulling tricks out of her bag to make it all work.

I would be thrilled to work with Shelley and her team on any job site going forward. Not only does she understand construction, she is creative beyond measure and kept us smiling with her wit and butter cookies.

Adrienne F.

Staging Client | Happy Valley, OR

With the kids off to college and downsizing looking attractive, we put our house on the market. Our realtor suggested we bring in a stager and highly recommended Shelley Prael.

While Shelley was editing and refreshing, she took items that we already owned and made our home much lovelier than we knew possible! The transformation was inspiring and reminded us of how much we loved our home. We took the house off the market and turned the daylight basement into an Airbnb...a win-win I'd say.

Cherri A.

New Construction Design Client | Gresham, OR

Shelley is such a talented, kind and flexible designer! We wanted help with our hard surface choices and she really set my mind at ease as we went through the selection process.

We then tried picking out lights on our own but came away confused, overwhelmed and disappointed with our selections. We called Shelley and even through the Covid-19 challenges, she met with us at a public square. On our laptop at a safe distance, she guided us through discovering what would really help us create the style we were looking for. We were also under a pretty tight deadline but she soon had a good selection for us to choose from and I feel so much better about it all now!

I feel I can reach out to her with big questions and little concerns and she is always responsive and helpful. Building or remodeling can be stressful but Shelley took a lot of that away and gave us peace-of-mind and a beautiful home. Thank you so much!

Dawn M.

Retail Space Design Client | West Linn, OR

I was telling my hairdresser about my new venture of opening up a holistic-therapy spa. He told me that one of his other clients (Shelley Prael) was a creative designer and I should reach out to her. When the time came, we interviewed many designers but decided to work with Shelley as she brought an extensive Retail Design background to the table.

Shelley was able to see beyond the awkwardly located column in the lobby area, busy carpet, low ceilings and uninviting entrance. She worked her magic and provided us with the perfect floor plan and design aura that remedied all of the existing challenges. We are thrilled with our finished space and all of the little touches that she added to create a truly inviting environment!

Barbara B.

Space Planning Consult Client | Beaverton, OR

My 3 children and I had just moved into our new townhome. It was filled to the brim with our furniture and belongings and we didn’t even know where to start. My mind was filled with questions. Which rooms will the kids sleep in? Where will I create an office and studio space for my clients? Where will we set up a kid-friendly family space? The list was long.

My realtor suggested calling Shelley, so I did. She came out the following day to assess our situation. As we walked from room to room, I shared our unique challenges. Within minutes, she started providing different options and suggestions. The brainstorming session was so helpful. With her creative thinking, we were able to accomplish everything on our wish list. I highly recommend Shelley!