Relaxation station
Happy Valley spa offers a quiet respite near busy Sunnyside Road
Lindsay Marsh, an esthetician at Haven of Rest.
Ellen Spitaleri / Clackamas Review
Although the Haven of Rest Day Spa stands a stone’s throw from busy Sunnyside Road, inside the historic house the ambience is elegant and the atmosphere is serene.
“We had our eye on this house for many years – it is so cute and quaint,” said Debbie Bjerkvig, one of the co-owners of the spa.
So four-and-a-half years ago, Bjerkvig and Pam Tate took over the 100-year-old house in Happy Valley and turned it into their dream of a day spa.
“It has such character and the environment fit all our services. It is such a delight, and people always comment on it – it is so different from a commercial building,” Bjerkvig said.
She and Tate chose the name Haven of Rest for their day spa, “because it went along with our heart. When women are stressed, they need a place to rest. They need a haven to get away from the outside world.
“We started the business together, because it is our heart, our vision and our passion to see women come in here and be restored,” she noted.
“There is a huge percentage of women with heartbreaking stories – we want to be there for them. We’re not concerned with just being a business – we want to see people change from the inside out,” she added.
The spa does have male clients, Bjerkvig was quick to add, but she and Tate started their business “because we felt this was a way to get personal with women in a hands-on way.”
Specials for Valentine’s Day and beyond
People can stop in or call and purchase gift certificates for any amount, Bjerkvig said, adding that a day spa certificate makes for a much-appreciated Valentine’s Day or anniversary gift.
There are two major Valentine-themed specials on offer right now, she said, the peppermint body wrap and massage and the chocolate covered cherries pedicure – both good from now until March 31.
The peppermint body wrap begins with “dry brushing for exfoliation, and then we wrap you in an herbal solution on the whole core of the body. Then we offer a five-minute scalp or foot massage and leave you to rest for 10 minutes.
“Then you are unwrapped and treated to a half-hour or full-hour massage. If you like peppermint, this is really nice.”
The price for the peppermint package is $90 for the half-hour massage, or $120 for the full-hour massage.
In the chocolate covered cherries pedicure, the guest’s feet are covered in cherry brown sugar scrub to exfoliate; the feet are then painted with a light chocolate mask, followed by hot, steamy towels. A foot and leg massage finishes the treatment. And, yes, there are chocolates to consume as well.
The cost for this package is $42.
More than a spa
“We’re known for our spa pedicures,” Bjerkvig said, adding that the salon offers a full range of day and evening packages, skin care treatments, foot and hand care, make-up consultations, body treatments, bridal packages and massage.
The spa also stocks a full line of body lotions, skin care products, personal care products and Belgian chocolates.
“We want to be more than a day spa. We offer top-quality service here, top-quality product lines and state-of-the-art equipment,” Bjerkvig said, but she noted that she and Tate also offer outreach opportunities to the community.
“We bring women in from the shelter and provide a free day at the spa. We focus on women who have experienced tragedy. If we hear of someone with an illness or tragedy, we send them a gift certificate.
“We have teacher appreciation day and we have pastors’ wives day – we do a lot of giving away,” she said.
The spa also offers life coaching classes and Bjerkvig and Tate hope to do more classes – in skin care and nutrition.
“We’ve definitely expanded as far as we can go [in this space], but we are considering options for creating other Havens of Rest,” she said.
Bjerkvig added, “We like to see women feel good about themselves – we want to focus on looking and feeling good from the inside out. When people come in, the walls come down.”