Known for selling antiques and a variety of items, The Vintage is a boutique located in a 100-year-old building in Downtown Willamette. Before the current owner, Nicole Budden, bought the property two and a half years ago, it was owned by the church next door.

Budden works with other vendors to fill the store’s shelves, such as Encore Cottage Decor—a company dedicated to renewing vintage items.

As the owner, Budden buys her products from local creators, manages inventory, tags items, and more. Before starting her business, Budden had a booth at Stars Antiques, located in Portland. 

“I have always loved vintage and antique things,” Budden said. “When this house came [up] for sale, I was like ‘That would be perfect.’ It needed some fixing up so we’ve been working on it gradually. Ever since we opened it, we have just little by little been adding different things.”

Working alongside Budden is Stephanie Liefeld, owner of Portland Truffle. Portland Truffle is a chocolate business, offering bars, pretzels, truffles, and more for events, gifts, and customers. Since May, she has made and sold her items in The Vintage.

“I love working here,” Liefeld said. “I had a location down the street by myself, which was fine, but coming here there’s a sort of partnership. You get to talk to someone else about what you want to do and your ideas.”

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Lauren Sexton

Crafting chocolate. Created in a room separate from The Vintage, Liefeld places her handmade chocolate into trays while shakers on either side ensure they freeze smoothly. Once frozen, she will add colorful designs to them. Liefeld has been making chocolate since receiving her first mold at nine years old. She sold her treats in middle school at lunchtime then participated in other careers before coming back to the chocolate business. “I have always enjoyed making chocolate and it has been a lot of fun,” Liefeld said.

The Vintage is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. To learn more about their business, visit their website or their Instagram page @thevintage.westlinn.

“It really has been so nice to be a part of a little historic area, especially in a historic house,” Budden said. “And they’re refreshing it to make it last even longer which is nice to see.”