Bravado, located in Portland's Pearl District, opened in November 2007 and has been named an ARTS Award finalist in the category of Rising Star Retailer.

Bravado Home & Design

Clifford describes Bravado as an interior design-based showroom, one that uses organic themes, natural lighting and neutral tones to create a warm, inviting environment that customers can understand and re-create in their own living spaces. Home accents occupy about half of the floor, generating about $385 per square foot and accounting for 20% of 2008 sales.

As consumers tighten their purse strings and spend more time shopping around for lower prices, Clifford said online search engines have become one of his biggest competitors. "We've learned not to price things on the floor with the vendor's description, so they'll be harder to find online."

Home accents occupy about half of the floor at Bravado, an interior design-based showroom that gets "redesigned" every five or six weeks.

Prior to opening Bravado, Clifford owned Vertu, a high-end gift gallery in Dallas, where he grew sales from $230,000 to $1.3 million just a year after purchasing the shop. After a renovation opened up more floor space, he added furniture and began to build his interior design business. Eleven years later, he was ready for something different. Clifford liquidated Vertu and moved to Portland with his life partner John Oules, who introduced him to Krupelak.

Organic themes, natural lighting and neutral tones contribute to Bravado's warm, inviting environment.

Owners Bradley Clifford and Stefan Krupelak merchandise in vignettes that customers can re-create in their own living spaces.

Annual sales: $1.9 million (projected for 2009)

Home accent categories: Accent furniture, lamps, lighting, wall decor, decorative pillows, throws, permanent botanicals, area rugs, decorative accessories.

Key vendors: Century Furniture, Bolier & Co, Hickory Chair, Vanguard Furniture, American Leather, Ann Gish Bedding, Jamie Young Lighting, Oly Studio, EcoSmart Fire, Christopher Guy, Visual Comfort, Chista, Meyer Wells, Altura Furniture, Stone International, Dransfield & Ross, Napa Home & Garden, EJ Victor, Pride Sasser, Julian Chichester, Royal International

Do you see any trends emerging or remaining "hot" in home accents for your area? People are definitely shopping around. They're not just buying for fun anymore. They're buying only what they need and are willing to spend more for quality. It's less about being showy and more about being comfortable.

What sets Bravado apart from the competition? Passion, creativity, our attention to detail in merchandising and displays, a welcoming environment, giving customers the space to explore and ask questions without getting a sales pitch, educating with no strings attached.

How do you reach your customer? Explore the Pearl magazine, word of mouth.

Web site: bravadohome.com