Picture this: you’re standing in your office, your living room, someone else’s living room, and you start to think the space needs a change of pace–a whole new “do.” Where to even begin? You could fire up the bottomless inspiration pit known as Pinterest ... or you could head to Pearl District boutique SITTE Modern.

Portland designer Sasha Marie Goldstein is opening a showroom for her rug and textile company SMG Collective inside the long-time home design store. The new showroom will feature high-end linens, customizable rugs and state-of-the-art chairs, both curated and designed by Goldstein, arranged to inspire you to transform your dull living spaces.

But the showroom is just the front door for Goldstein's most coveted service: a 17-year veteran of the design industry, she calls herself a “space specialist.” She works with clients one-on-one to help choose the perfect colors, area rugs, plants, and art for their specific homes and living areas.  

While every space is unique, Goldstein does have general principles she follows. Area rugs help define spaces within rooms, and she suggests considering non-standard sizes or non-rectangular shapes depending on the space or function. When it comes to plants, the designer says she gravitates toward Monstera, banana trees, areca palms, sansevieria, bird's nest ferns, and succulents of all types to give spaces architectural definition and privacy. But most important, she says, is taking time to consider the space and make a plan.

"It's all about creativity, collaboration, and making beautiful things," Goldstein says. "We can offer clients a full room of furnishings versus them having to shop around. We can help them complete the full project in one space.”