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This story is published in cooperation with Willamette Week and Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
Part of the Portland metro area’s appeal is that, regardless of your quadrant or ‘burb, this is a DIY-friendly city that’s maintained a longtime flirtation with a zero-waste-ideal. Hear me out - if you don’t own a piece of furniture, literature, or charming ephemera that someone else discarded curbside, are you even a Portlander?
But what some may not know, is that second-hand in Portland extends beyond bookcases and ornamental trinkets. Things like lighting fixtures, functional stoves, flooring, plumbing, tile and more – all have a chance at a second life.
Opens in new windowEnter Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Their expansive list of donated goods is the exact reason I visited the ReStore when I decided to take on the (not small) feat of renovating a vintage RV, rather than rushing to a big box hardware store. There were four main types of items I was on the hunt for: click or snap-together hardwood flooring, ceramic and/or peel-and-stick laminate tiles, and some misc building materials like nails, screws, brackets, etc.
These items, commonly found strewn throughout your “Local Dump,”™ can also be found, in gently used condition, reclaimed, and organized, at your local ReStore.
In addition to accepting donations at their brick-and-mortar locations for no charge, ReStore offers a pickup option for local residents and businesses, hauling away large usable items – or large amounts of them – during renovations, redecorations, restorations, remodels, or even just aggressive spring cleanings. Businesses can utilize this service for free, while residents pay $40 (which, BTW is less than an average outsourced dump haul).
Opens in new windowThe result is a showroom that features everything from screen doors to crown moldings to paint sprayers to sledgehammers to pastel pink velvet couches to ergonomic desk chairs to house paint to bicycles to air fryers to pet supplies.
And, all ReStore sales support Habitat for Humanity’s local homebuilding and local home repair programs - which is precisely the type of energy to foster in a city known for its recycle and reuse attitude. Their concise donation guidelines ensure a store featuring only items in new or gently used condition that are clean, stain-free, and essentially ready to sell as-is, or complete with all pieces.
I knew immediately upon my first visit that ReStore met each of the criteria to be my go-to DIY emporium. The sales floor features a tool section with an unmistakable “handyperson-utopia” energy, with a straightforward assortment that all felt only gently used. From HVAC supplies to lawn and garden, the selection is considerably robust for a resale store, and the donation and shopping possibilities are endless.
Opens in new windowThe furniture section rivaled any other well-stocked thrift shop, with a substantial selection of leather sectionals, ottomans, and overstuffed couches. I wondered more than once if a person could build an entire house, and make it a home, using only materials found at a ReStore. Or, alternatively, donate an entire house of wares to the ReStore (including foundational material) to help someone else build their home.
And to imagine, all of these items, and so many more like them, could have easily ended up forgotten, buried under heaping piles at the (sigh) “Local Dump”™
The ReStore has become a singular community resource not only for tools, hardware, and building materials like wood, cabinetry, and even paint. It should also be everyone’s go-to place for donation services as we discard usable items we’ve outgrown or lost interest in. With economic results that directly benefit my community, I found myself encouraging friends and family to reconsider their donation/dumping habits in favor of ReStore’s community-based model.
In 2023 alone, Habitat for Humanity ReStore diverted 8,344 tons of reusable materials from local landfills, and when Habitat for Humanity Restore receives donations they cannot sell, they responsibly recycle what they can. Needless to say, it feels downright un-Portlandian to continue leaving furniture on the side of the road or carting it off as waste.
So, the next time you find yourself with too much furniture, paint, electrical, or miscellaneous building materials, head over to one of Habitat for Humanity ReStore’s three storefront locations: 13475 SW Millikan Way, Beaverton, 610 NE 181st Ave, Gresham, and 10445 SE Cherry Blossom Dr., Portland. To learn more about your local Restore, visit https://pdxrestore.org/.