NW Custom is a hat and leather goods maker in Milwaukie with a retail showroom built to match the quality of the product. The space was intentionally kept dark, letting every shelf of hats and leather goods stand out under focused accent lighting rather than competing with bright overhead light. Heritage Electric handled the accent lighting design and installation throughout the showroom.
The Challenge
A dark showroom only works if the lighting is done right. Too little accent light and the product disappears into the shadows. Too much, or the wrong color temperature, and the space loses the moody, high-end feel the owner wanted. The existing shelving ran in long curved runs along the walls, which meant the lighting needed to follow the shelf lines cleanly, without visible fixtures, hot spots, or shadows breaking up the product display.
The Approach
Heritage Electric installed low-profile LED accent lighting directly along the underside of each shelf run, hidden from view but throwing even, warm light down across every row of hats and leather goods. The wiring was routed to keep the shelving faces clean, with dimming control added so the showroom can shift from a bright work setting during restocking to the moodier, dialed-down look used during business hours. Circuits were run separately for the shelving accent lights and the general room lighting, so the space can be lit for staff work without losing the showroom effect for customers.
Why It Matters
For a retail space like NW Custom, lighting isn’t decoration, it’s part of the product presentation. The accent lighting draws the eye straight to the shelves, makes the craftsmanship of each piece easier to see, and gives the whole showroom the kind of finished, intentional feel that a generic overhead fixture never could. It’s the same principle Heritage Electric applies across commercial lighting design projects: the electrical work should disappear, and the space should do the talking.
Project Result
The finished showroom delivers exactly what NW Custom needed: a dark, focused retail environment where the product is the star. Every shelf is evenly lit, the fixtures are invisible, and the dimming control gives the owner flexibility to adjust the mood throughout the day. It’s a good example of how the right lighting plan turns a simple commercial space into a showroom that sells.
