Employee Spotlight & Home Tour: Meet Abe



 

We love being able to feature our employees, particularly when they just so happen to have impeccable style and an amazing home. Meet Abe: our Director of Sales (pictured on the right, with his husband, Darin). Abe works tirelessly to make sure our customers receive the best experience possible, and it comes as no surprise that he has the most cheery and welcoming demeanor here at Schoolhouse. We are so lucky to have him leading the charge and are excited to share his modern meets vintage home with you.

Tell us a little about your background! Where are you from, how long have you been at Schoolhouse and what are some of your favorite things? 

"I am originally from Spokane, WA. I lived in Los Angeles for 5 years which is where I met my husband, Darin. We decided to permanently relocate to Portland two years ago, and I’ve been with Schoolhouse for two years this month. Some of my favorite things are my family, my dog, my home, cooking, vintage furniture, wine, and travel."

What does your role as entail and what does a typical day look like for you?

"My role at Schoolhouse, essentially, is to improve how we interact with our customers. A typical day involves finding solutions to problems, changing/improving processes, reviewing the language that we use, interdepartmental correspondence and collaboration, and organizing our internal customer support, trade, returns and order fulfillment teams."

What’s the best feedback or compliment you’ve ever received from a customer? 

"The best thing I can hear is that a customer wants to shop with us again, that they want to be loyal to our brand, so I always feel like I’ve done my job when I get a response like, “I will definitely be shopping with SE again.” or, 'It's rare to come across such great customer service, and I hope your team continues the great work!'"

What is the best part about being on Team Schoolhouse? 

"The people. Schoolhouse is an amazing and diverse group of incredibly talented, creative and hard-working people. I take pride in the team I work with every day."

 

 

On to your house! Describe your aesthetic when it comes to decorating. What styles are you drawn to personally?

"My style is certainly a mixture of modern and vintage. We want our home to feel warm and inviting. We have a soft spot for mid-century design. Our home is a 70’s style design so we try and incorporate that vibe."

What do you love most about your home - Do you have a favorite spot in the house?

"I love the angles of our house. It feels like a lot of thought was put into its location and shape, and it sort of blends right into its environment among the cedar and ash trees. We do love our back yard/deck. In the summer we race home from work to spend time back there grilling with a glass of wine, our dog and some music playing. I also happen to love our garage. We have our shop and a 1974 Volkswagen Thing that we love."

 

 

Tell us about your fam! Do you and your husband have similar taste in design? What’s a happy day off look like for you? Also: your cute pup!

"We love working on house projects. There are always things to fix up and change. This year it’s all about our back yard. A typical day off is spent doing yard work while our pup, Jack, runs around chasing insects. It’s also likely to catch us at various estate sales around Portland digging for more treasures." 

What are a few of your top Schoolhouse picks?

"I am a sucker for all schoolhouse products and we have many in our home ranging from lighting to lifestyle. Some of my favorites include the Isaac sconce, Kennedy clock, tangerine twill throw pillow, and the stainless steel straws."

At Schoolhouse we’re very mindful of what we choose to bring in to our home. As you know, this season, we launched #schoolhouseliving: an ode to purposeful design + thoughtful living. How do you relate to that in your own home and way of living? 

"We certainly relate to that idea. Every item has been chosen because we both loved it. Our home is our sanctuary. It’s our favorite place, so we put a lot of thought and work into making it unique to us." 

Finally, what makes a house a home to you?

"My husband and my dog. We love everything about our house and everything in it, but our little family is what makes it home."

 

 

Photography by Ellie Lillstrom