Husband and wife team and owners of the NE Alberta haven for the modern worker/design-lover, OFFICE, Kelly Coller and Tony Secolo respond to the ultra Q in which ultra asks Portland’s movers and makers a number of pressing questions
Kelly Coller and Tony Secolo. photo: Jenna Biggs for Willamette Week via Coller
Qualities you most admire in design:
We are design junkies, but what we admire most in design is when a product, place, or design service meets ALL of these requirements: Form, Function and Affordability. We particularly love the beauty of everyday objects from the 1930’s to the 1960’s. We often refer to our aesthetic, half jokingly, as “blue-collar” mid-century modern.
Qualities you most despise in design:
We despise arrogance about design. Portland and Pretentiousness don’t (or shouldn’t) go together. We believe that design is for everyone, and you don’t have to know the “name” to appreciate it or understand its value.
Reading:
We are re-reading Chip Kidd’s book (one of our heroes) about design school, called The Cheese Monkeys (so damn funny). We are always reading design and shopping magazines from near and far.
Listening to:
OFFICE is currently listening to: · The Strokes’ new album
· Most anything on KEXP (www.kexp.org)
· Eux Autres
· The Blow
We still don’t get tired of (and always love music by):
· Death Cab for Cutie
· The Decemberists
· Dub Narcotic
· Django Reinhardt for a little 1930’s fix
· Louie Prima and Keely Smith for the 1950’s
· Herb Albert from the early 1960’s. Gotta love the iconic Whipped Cream album cover!
Dream project:
Our dream project was, actually OFFICE. We feel so lucky and honored that we have had such a great response from the design and art community as well as the local and national press. Our next dream project is to create another innovative retail experience the same design sensibility. We’ll open our doors to the public in 2007 – with a new concept – on Alberta, of course.
Favorite virtue:
We would say “humor”, if we can make that a virtue.
Favorite vice:
Delicious heart-attack food from Popeye’s, Stanich’s (world famous burger) and Sweet Potato fries from Burgerville. We also love anything on HBO or Comedy Central (especially Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert), Vans, Rum and a little AC/DC in the summer.
Tragic flaw:
Our unabashed love of office supplies. We also can’t get enough of Jack Spade products. Luckily, we carry most of them in our store. Personally, I am obsessed with Hello Kitty, and can’t wait to go to the HK theme park in Tokyo this summer.
Secret superhero power:
What’s better than being invisible?
That which keeps your afterburners firing:
Having your own business in Portland — and loving it.
What you’d like to be when you grow up:
Luckily, we both wanted to break out of the corporate world, to be our own bosses and to do our own thing… so we have our dream jobs! However, in an alternative universe, I’d be a bartender and Tony would be a chef.
Portland’s best kept secret:
Music/Bands: Eux Autres, The Blow. Our friend Rachel says The Helio Sequence are the ones to watch. Swords are pretty fantastic, too. We haven’t seen them yet, but Go Fever promise to be great, too.
Vintage Cocktails: Echo (get their super delicious “dark and stormy” rum drink or awesome Singapore Slings). We also love Echo’s “kitchen burger” which is not on the menu. The Heathman just added a killer vintage cocktail menu, with drinks from the 1900’s through the 1950’s. Ciao Vito is not a secret, but it’s our favorite restaurant.
Movie Theaters: OK, it’s not in Portland, but for the best movie going experience EVER; go to Vancouver, WA’s Cinetopia. See a movie in one of their living room theaters - you will never go back! If you can handle the drive, we promise that you won’t be sorry.
Vintage Goods: We aren’t going to reveal our sources…c’mon!
Portland heroes (sung or un-): Kaie Wellman, for helping to put Portland on the map, and supporting Portland’s locally owned and locally operated restaurants and stores. Buy all of her Eat Shop Guides now! Her book is the reason why DOMINO and LUCKY both came into our store. (www.eatshopguides.com)
Amy Ruppel, for being the hardest working person in design, and still oh-so-sweet. We still love her sugar sweet bird paintings and everything she does. (www.amyruppel.com)
Jason Sturgill for having the affordable online gallery THE WURST GALLERY with fantastic group shows. (www.thewurstgallery.com)
Jennifer Armbrust for having wonderful art and artisan goodies, located in the middle of Chinatown (www.motelgallery.com)
Chris Walla, of Death Cab for Cutie, for making Portland his new home, showing everyone just how cool Alberta Street is, and for producing the “next best things”
The group behind www.urbanhonking.com for creating another great source of design related information.
Interesting on the horizon (PDX):
I can’t wait to see what happens on MLK, Mississippi, Williams Street, Killingsworth and Alberta. We love that Alberta St landlords are committed to “no national chains” we look forward to helping our neighborhood grow without losing its integrity.
Kelly Coller and Tony Secolo, owners of OFFICE, a specialty design store and art gallery, provide quality products for the modern worker. Coller and Secolo are an award-winning husband and wife design and marketing team. OFFICE has been recommended by: The NY Times, The Seattle Times, The Oregonian, Eat. Shop. Portland 2005, Portland Picks, The Willamette Week, The Portland Mercury, Oregon Home, Portland Monthly, Media Inc and Commerce magazines and will be featured prominently in several national magazines this Spring and Summer. OFFICE opened August 13, 2005. See www.officepdx.com for more info.
updated Monday January 30 2006 18:44
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