Portland alumn Riley Koughan had a passion for antiques long before enrolling at Heritage School of Interior Design. But it was during his time at HSID that he realized his love for vintage pieces and thoughtfully designed spaces could become a career. Today, he’s the owner of Cajun & Clover, a carefully curated vintage and antique home store in Hood River, Oregon. In this conversation with Heritage CEO Stephanie Thornton Plymale, Riley shares how his education helped shape his business, the inspiration behind his store, and why following your interests can lead to unexpected opportunities.
How did HSID prepare you to open your own business?
Stephanie: How did Heritage help prepare you for what you’re doing today as the owner of Cajun & Clover?
Riley: The projects we worked on in the Fundamentals of Interior Design really helped me discover what I was most passionate about. I realized I love the history behind furnishings just as much as I love interior design itself. I became fascinated with where pieces came from, how they were made, and the stories they carry.
Heritage School of Interior Design gave me the foundation to understand design, but it also gave me the confidence to curate collections and bring different pieces together. In many ways, that education is what led me to create Cajun & Clover.
Opening a business is a big leap. Were you nervous?
Stephanie: Starting a business can feel overwhelming. Were you scared?
Riley: Definitely. Opening a business during and after COVID wasn’t exactly what I had imagined. Costs were rising, and there were plenty of moments where I questioned whether I could actually do it.
But HSID exposed me to so many beautiful materials, showrooms, textiles, and furnishings. During our field visits, I wasn’t just looking at furniture, I wanted to understand how it was made and what inspired the design. That curiosity kept growing, and eventually I realized I wanted to create a place where I could share that appreciation with other people.
Where did your love of antiques begin?
Stephanie: Who inspired you to pursue this path?
Riley: It really started when I was growing up outside Austin, Texas. There seemed to be an antique store on every block, and my mom was always taking me vintage shopping. Looking back, that’s probably where I caught the bug.
Before Heritage, I knew I loved beautiful interiors, but I didn’t really know that interior design could become a career. My instructors helped me realize that there were so many different paths within the industry, and they encouraged me to pursue what genuinely interested me.
I owe a lot to HSID and to my family for believing in me. And honestly, I’m proud of myself too. Confidence didn’t always come naturally, but seeing customers walk into the store and appreciate what we’ve created has been incredibly rewarding.
The moment you walk into Cajun & Clover, it feels like you’ve stepped into another place. Tell us about your vision.
Stephanie: Walking into your store feels like being transported somewhere else. Where did that inspiration come from?
Riley: New Orleans has always been my biggest inspiration.
My mom’s family is from Lafayette, Louisiana, and growing up we spent many summers there, especially in New Orleans. My dad’s side of the family is Irish, which is where the “Clover” comes from in Cajun & Clover.
I love everything about New Orleans—the architecture, the interiors, the music, the atmosphere. When I opened the store, I wanted to capture a little bit of that feeling. We exposed the original brick wall, play jazz music throughout the day, and I’ve tried to incorporate details that remind me of one of my favorite places in the world.
The transformation of this space is incredible. Can you tell us about the renovation?
Stephanie: Looking around the store today, it’s hard to imagine what it looked like before. Tell us about the transformation.
Riley: This building has had a long history as restaurants and bars, and I’m actually the first mercantile to occupy the space. Before I moved in, it was the Subterranean Steakhouse. On Christmas Eve, a sprinkler line burst and flooded the entire building. Unfortunately, by the time everything was dried out, the finished floors, subfloor, walls, and ceilings were beyond repair.
When I got the keys, there was a lot of cleanup before we could even think about renovating. Every booth, table, and piece of restaurant equipment had to be unbolted and removed, and we brought in a cleanup crew to deal with the mold before demolition could begin.
The commercial kitchen was the first thing to go. We disconnected all of the appliances, electrical, water, and gas lines, and what used to be the restaurant’s walk-in refrigerator and freezer is now my back office.
One of my favorite changes was removing the acoustic drop ceiling. Once it came down, we uncovered the building’s original plaster ceiling, which gave us nearly two extra feet of height and completely changed the feel of the space.
We rebuilt many of the walls and finished them with a textured plaster look to give them more of an old-world character. The damaged wood subfloor had to be replaced with concrete before we installed solid hardwood flooring to create the feeling of an old warehouse. Throughout most of the store, I added stained board-and-batten wainscoting to bring in even more warmth and character.
Even some of the original elements stayed. We converted the men’s restroom into a dressing room but kept the original mosaic tile because it felt like an important part of the building’s history. Outside, we replaced the wood awning railing with metal and painted it a polished brass finish to help draw people into the store.
BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS
What goes into finding the perfect pieces for Cajun & Clover?
Stephanie: One thing people probably don’t realize is how much work goes into finding inventory. How do you balance running the store while sourcing all of these one-of-a-kind pieces?
Riley: Right now, it’s mostly just me. Having the support of my family has made a huge difference. Whenever I need to travel to source inventory, someone is able to step in and watch the store for me. It’s still a small business, but I’m hoping to hire one or two employees within the next year as we continue to grow.
Finding inventory is a big part of what I do. Estate sale season is usually in the spring and summer, so that’s when I really stock up. I’ll rent a large U-Haul, make a lot of phone calls, and build relationships with the people who run estate sales. Over time, those connections have become invaluable. Sometimes they’ll let me come in a few days early or even before the sale opens to the public, which gives me the opportunity to find really special pieces before anyone else.
What advice would you give someone who wants to do something similar?
Stephanie: What would you say to someone who’s thinking, “I’d love to do something like this, but I don’t know if I can?”
Riley: Do your research. Every community is different, and it’s important to understand the people you’re serving.
One thing Heritage really prepared me for was sourcing. In school, we were constantly searching for furniture and finishes for our projects. Today, I’m doing something very similar—just at estate sales, auctions, and vintage markets. You develop an eye for pieces that are special, and that’s something every designer learns.
If you love it, don’t be afraid to take the chance.
What’s next for Cajun & Clover?
Stephanie: Where do you hope this business takes you?
Riley: Right now, I’m focused on continuing to grow the store here in Hood River, but eventually I’d love to expand.
One of my long-term dreams is to open an antique mall where multiple vendors can have their own booths and showcase their collections. Portland has so many incredible antique malls that have inspired me over the years, and I’d love to create something similar someday.
For now, I’m excited to keep building Cajun & Clover and see where the next few years lead.
We are so proud of everything Riley has accomplished since graduating from Heritage School of Interior Design! Watching him turn his passion into a thriving business has been inspiring, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Cajun & Clover.