Spotlight on Sunlan Lighting
By Nancy Hill
It’s no secret that the best place to go for lighting needs in Portland is Sunlan Lighting, Inc., a small, non-descript store on N. Mississippi Avenue.
While the windows of the shop display a jumble of lights, and a retro-looking sign bearing an image of a large, single bulb juts out of the top of the gray-shingled building, the exterior gives little indication of the treasures to be found inside.
“We’ve been in this location for 17 years,” says owner Kay Newell. “And if there’s one thing I know, it’s lighting.”
This wasn’t quite the case when Newell first set up shop. “I had worked at a lighting business for six weeks when I found out the owner was unscrupulous, so I started selling lights out of my house. I wanted customers to be able to work with someone
they could trust.”
That went so well that Newell moved into a store, learning everything about lighting as fast as she could. “I read everything I could get my hands on. If they wrote about it, I read it. I started by reading catalogs from cover to cover. And I always listen to my customers. What do they want? What are they using things for? What problems do they have? When I don’t have an answer, I dig in and find one. I’m always learning new things.”
Inventory is stacked floor to ceiling on narrow rows of utilitarian shelves that hold everything from specialty bulbs that mimic the sun to replacement fixtures for century-old lights.
“We stock indicator bulbs so small you can fit six on your fingertip, 10-foot long florescent lights and everything in between,” Newell says. Bulbs come in all shapes, colors, and sizes and range from serious industrial lights to fun nightlights in the shapes of butterflies, flying saucers, and basketballs. Sunlan also carries hard-to-find bulbs for vintage refrigerators and stoves.
Renovators and contractors shop at Sunlan regularly. “We carry parts to repair original light fixtures and also have bulbs that are beautiful to look at for those naked fixtures used back when Edison made his first bulb,” Newell says. “We have a lot of inventory on hand for old houses. If we don’t have it, and I can’t find it and special order it for you, you’re in real trouble.”
Sunlan staff, which consists of six employees in addition to Newell, are customer-friendly and never mind taking time to help customers solve lighting problems, explaining how things fit together, or making sure they find what they’re looking for. If someone brings in a bulb that isn’t working, they check to see if the bulb works in the store. If it does, they troubleshoot to try to shine some light on the problem.
The phone rings almost non-stop with people seeking answers. Newell answers most calls with, “Hello, how can I light your world?” Then she patiently listens and answers questions that can range from a simple inquiry about whether a certain bulb or fixture is in stock to complex problems with unusual lighting fixtures.
In addition to homeowners and remodelers, Newell says many of her customers are looking for lights for art. “I get some of the best and most creative people in the city shopping here. Colleges send their students here from their art departments. They get the parts that make their projects ‘art’ somewhere else, but they come here for the part that makes their light projects work.” Newell is planning to semi-retire soon, but her son is waiting in the wings to take over. “We’ll be here for a long time,” she says.
Light your world and give “The Light Bulb Lady®” a call.
Sunlan Lighting, Inc.
3901 N. Mississippi Avenue
Portland, OR 97227
Monday – Friday from 8 am to 5:30 pm
Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm
503-281-0453
www.sunlanlighting.com
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