About bella stella

Well, we don’t have a Bella, or a Stella. There is an Ella, but that is irrelevant. Named by the original owner, Bella Stella means “beautiful stars” in Italian.

Bella Stella is made up of me, Laurel, my husband Daniel, my daughter Ella and tiny little baby boy Pascual. An essential part of the Bella Stella team for three years now, are the fantastic Feather and her superhero of a boy, Gregory.

Thanks for the introduction, lady, can you tell me about the shop?

bella stella is a family business in every sense. We are owned by a mom, staffed by moms (and a dad!), inspired, supported by and dedicated to families. bella stella is a boutique in the sense that we are a small local store with thoughtfully selected merchandise, attention to detail and a strong focus on customer service and satisfaction. The snooty, overpriced, frivolous side of “boutique”, however, has no place at bella stella. We choose items for overall value: high quality and maximum utility at a reasonable cost. The items we sell at bella stella meet our personal standards, and we feel proud to offer them to our family, friends and customers alike.

We now have two physical locations, both on NE Broadway in Portland, Oregon. Our first store focuses on maternity, baby and toddler up to age four, while our second gives the older set (ages 5 through teen) the protaganism they deserve. Both bella stella locations feature a large, thriving resale section, plus overstock and liquidation items from local and national designers, as well as quality toys and art supplies. We take great pride in offering the lowest possible prices and the coolest possible stuff. Of course we always love your suggestions on how we can do it better.

Probably the best thing about owning and working at bella stella has been the opportunity to meet and get to know our neighbors. Our customers have become our friends and their children have become our children’s classmates. Running bella stella has truly rooted us in Portland and given us a great love for the sweet community we have here. Thank you to all of you for the conversation, support, wisdom and occasional coffee/pastry delivery. We NEVER could have done any of this without you. If we haven’t gotten the chance to meet your family, please stop by to say hi next time you are in the neighborhood!