Light Up :: Win a $25 Gift Card to Lumens

{Ken Plumlee, owner of Lumens Light + Living}

I've lived in Sacramento for many years and Lumens Light + Living has always been one of my favorite local shops. Aside from all the gorgeous lighting options, the showroom also features a drool-worthy selection of home goods by the likes of Alessi, Angela Adams, Missoni Home, Blu Dot, Littala and Jonathan Adler. Whenever it's time to pick out a gift for one of my design-savvy friends, Lumens is one of my first stops. Even when I'm broke, I still like to peruse all the stylish design goodies and lighting fixtures for inspiration.

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Well, after starting a virtual relationship with the shop on Twitter, I decided to see if Lumens' owner Ken Plumlee would be interested in doing an interview for my little blog. Thankfully, he was happy to oblige, even offering up a $25 gift card to one lucky reader. Oh, and since Lumens has an even larger selection online and ships internationally, this baby is open to readers around the globe. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what lamp you're currently coveting and remember to include a way to contact you. The deadline to enter is Thursday, September 30th. As for my interview with Ken, read on.

{Louvre Light and Torch Light by Established & Sons}

Bows & Sparrows: How long has Lumens Light + Living been open?

Ken: We're just about 6 years old.

{Torch Light by Established & Sons}

B&S: Can you tell us a little about Lumens?

Ken: Lumens is really focused on design-oriented lighting and home accessories. We tried to build a retail concept that was life-style driven. There's are certainly a lot of design stores around the country, but we wanted to be broader than that so we look for products that have a good, clean design aesthetic but across a much broader range of manufactures. Lighting is really the nuts and bolts of what we do, but because we appeal to a customer who appreciates design we try to bring in the furniture, accessories and gift items that compliment the lifestyle that our customers appreciate.

{Buttercup Swivel Chair by Blu Dot}

B&S: How about the lighting style?

Ken: We look for well-designed lighting across many styles. A lot of people think that Lumens is only contemporary lighting, but that is not the case. No matter what kind of style your interested in, we have those resources. You may drive by the place it may look all sparkly and modern, but when we sit down with you to work on your project we have access to hundreds of styles.

{wooden toy cars by Playsam}

B&S: Is Sacramento the only brick-and-mortar store?

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Ken: Yes, but we are primarily an online retailer, that is by far the biggest part of our business. The Sacramento showroom is an important part because it gives us hands-on experience with our products, let's us be part of the community. It's where we started from.
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{Bubble Pendants by George Nelson}

B&S: Lumens has been offering lighting seminars, can you tell us a little more about that?

Ken: We've been doing it for about 8 months, and it's usually a once a month thing. It's to give people who may be planning a remodel an opportunity to start thinking about lighting early in the process. Lighting is often the last thing people think about during a remodel and it usually happens when the contractor says, "oh, by the way, you need to pick out your lights." By that time, all the wiring has probably done and it's too late to start thinking about all the controls and where to place things. Most contractors tend to plop one outlet in the middle of the room and assume that will do the trick. If you think about it in advance you can design your lighting in a thoughtful way and it can make a huge impact on that space.
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{Caboche Pendant lights by Foscarini}

B&S: How important is lighting to a space?

Ken: I think lighting is huge. Think about being in a restaurant and how you feel when the lighting is well done. If you've ever been in a restaurant at like 8 p.m. when the bring all the lighting down and all of the sudden you go "oh, wow." It's like it becomes an entirely different place. The ability to layer light is important - you want light at different levels of the room, at different heights, you want to be able to backlight and use accent lights. Bringing that all together has a huge impact on a space.
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{various art glass pendants}

{A gaggle of Anna G. Corkscrews by Alessi Design}

Find Lumens Light + Living at 2028 K Street in Sacramento, CA or online here, here and here. Oh, and you can give the shop a ring at 877.445.4486.

On the Street...Sacramento, CA

I don't normally make a habit of harassing random people on the street, but when I spotted Raquel last weekend at the Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour I couldn't resist! She was wearing the most adorable dress and I just had to know where it came from. Turns out she made it herself! I loved everything about it: the neckline, the material, the simple silhouette - not to mention the shoes and skinny belt she paired with it. I asked if she sold them anywhere and she said no - laughing and joking that maybe she should. We exchanged names and I made her promise to send me a photo of her and her totally covetable dress. Well, she made good on her promise. Here she is with her pooch Benny 2.0. Thanks, Raquel. It was lovely meeting you! P.S. If you decide to start selling these dresses email me!

Fringe Benefits :: Win a $25 Gift Card to Fringe

{Audrey Wells, proprietress of Fringe}

Ok, so I've decided that I'm going to start spotlighting boutique owners, or at least those who own and operate shops that I simply love. First on my list was Audrey Wells, the proprietress of Fringe, a Sacramento-based boutique that features new items as well as one-of-a-kind antique finds. The shop has often been compared to the popular chain Anthropologie, but I find Fringe to be far more unique and affordable. Not to say that I don't love me some Anthropologie - it's just that I can only afford items in that little corner tucked way in back (come on, ladies - you know what I'm talking about!).

At any rate, I contacted Audrey, who was more than thrilled to do the interview and even offered to donate a $25 gift card to one lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment. Simple as pie. Oh, and if you want to enter twice, make sure to follow Fringe on Twitter - and leave a comment here telling me you do! Deadline to enter is Sunday, June 27th. As for my interview with Audrey, read on.

{dress forms, gilded mirrors, soaps and candles - just some of the items in the shop}

Bows & Sparrows: How long has Fringe been in business?

Audrey: We celebrated our two-year anniversary in May.

{don't even think about purchasing that blue pillow - it's mine!}

B&S: What's your favorite part of owning the boutique?

Audrey: Probably the diversity of what I do, and the interaction. This is a really dynamic area and it draws so many different kinds of people. I never know what's going to happen on any given day - it's really exciting. The stuff that I carry seems to really draw in that type of diversity, and the items in here end up reflecting the people shopping here.

B&S: Where do you get your merchandise from?

Audrey: I go to flea markets in California and other states; sometimes it's from my personal collection - things that I've picked up from my travels, that I've decided to move along; estate sales; thrift stores.

B&S: How would you describe the style of the shop?

Audrey: Eclectic, enigmatic, exotic and evolving. People come in and ask me if the shop is a boutique, if it's a furniture store, a clothing store, if it's new, if it's old - well, yeah, it's all of the above.

B&S: Do you ever have a hard time letting go of something?

Audrey: I have things in the store that are for my entertainment only - including a little red dog that a homeless person gave me for Christmas one year, and I'm not parting with it. People have offered to give me a lot of money for it, but some things just aren't for sale. I'm not a total hoarder, but there are some things that I get attached to - things that have a special meaning to me.

Find Fringe at 2409 21st Street in Sacramento, CA or online here, here and here. Oh, and you can call the shop at 916.706.0216.