A great light fixture can set the tone for a space, and we pride ourselves on providing awe inspiring lighting for our clients. But where do we find our jaw dropping light fixtures? One word: Lumens.
Lumens is a Sacramento-based lighting company that supplies not only table and floor lamps, but every other type of fixture you can think of! Ceiling lights, wall lights, outdoor lights, and architectural lighting like recessed lights… they have it all.
Their website is so easy to use, which is always so helpful! You can sort through their thousands of options by organizing by style of light, where it’ll be located (ceiling, wall, floor, etc), and size, which can get you down to a couple hundred options. From there you can filter even further by specifying size, shape, finish, rating, etc. It makes our lighting hunts so simple!
It can also be hard to find a good looking ceiling fan, but Lumens has those too! We’ve decided on a few favorites, which we pull out whenever we have a client who is fed up with all of the ugly fan options out there!
Just a few examples of light fixtures we sourced from Lumens can be seen in our projects below:
Fun fact (and putting some of the knowledge we learned in lighting class to use!): the word “lumens” actually refers to the amount of light that comes out of any given light source. So the more lumens a light fixture puts out, the brighter it will shine!
Check them out at Lumens.com to find the light fixture of your dreams! We often receive discounts from Lumens, which we then pass a percentage of on to our clients. So if you’d like help finding the perfect light fixture for your home design project, contact us here and we would be happy to help!
Anyone who lives here is in on the secret: Sacramento is an incredible place. It’s a city of almost 2 million people, but somehow manages to feel like a small town. It celebrates it’s historical past, but it still has the vibe of an up-and-coming city. For kids, twenty-somethings, sports lovers, history buffs, and…well…anyone, really, Sacramento has so much to offer!
Located in Northern California, Sacramento is not only the California State Capitol but also America’s Farm to Fork Capital, which we celebrate daily. Our geographical location is prime; only a 2 hour drive west to the city of San Francisco, or a 2 hour drive East to Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Whether you’re going to a concert in the big city, or snowboarding in the mountains, you can make it a day trip, easily.
Love a good museum? We have enough of them in town to keep anyone busy for a while. The California Museum and the Sacramento History Museum are great places to learn about our region’s rich history. For the artist types, the Crocker Art Museum has a vast collection that’s well worth a visit. It’s also partially located inside the original Crocker mansion, once owned by a prominent railroad tycoon! And if you’re looking for some fun, kid-friendly museums, the California Automobile Museum and the Railroad Museum are two of our favorites.
For the Kids
Other activities for the kids to enjoy include the Sacramento Zoo and Fairytale Town, which happen to be right across the street from each other! The Zoo is always a fun time, of course, but Fairytale Town is a unique Sacramento treasure. It’s essentially a theme park that allows you to step into all of your favorite fairytale stories!
For Fun
Old Town Sacramento is another fun area – for people of all ages. Located on the river and the railroad track, it’s a true look into life in the wild wild West. The raised wooden walkways, horse-drawn wagon rides and cowboy reenactments make you feel as though you’re a prospector in the gold rush.
During the summer, the rivers host numerous recreational activities. Sacramento was actually called the Twin River City, because it sits right where the American River and the Sacramento River meet. The State Fair is also held here in the summer (state capital perk!) which is always a fun time, or you can go see a free concert downtown at Concerts in the Park.
Sports
If you’re a sports fan, be sure to root for the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center, or the River Cats at Raley Field! Plus, it’s just a short 2-hour drive to see the San Francisco Giants, the major league affiliate for the River Cats. There are also rumors that a soccer stadium will be built nearby soon!
Shows
Sacramento offers numerous opportunities to see plays and movies as well. B-Street Theateroffers multiple live productions each season, and the Convention Center hosts plenty of ballet and off-Broadway shows. If movies are more your jam, the classic Crest Theater and Tower Theater are some of our favorites.
Ok, so we could probably do an entire blog post just talking about our favorite places to eat and drink in Sacramento, but we’ll restrain ourselves to this little section… for now.
Fine Dining
Ella Dining Room and Bar has always been one of our favorite fine dining restaurants in town. It has the coolest interior (especially the ceiling covered in doors… just look it up) and most delicious food. But then, for our company Christmas party, we went to Allora, which – no joke – changed our lives. We’re still dreaming of the scallops. For Japanese food, try Kru (our Senior Designer, Leah, swears it has the “best sushi EVER”). And then there’s The Kitchen, which we have a feeling might be receiving a Michelin star soon (or at least, it’d better).
Cocktails
The Dive Bar, located in downtown Sacramento, is best-known for the large tank of water above the bar where real live mermaids swim! For a quality cocktail, Block Butcher Bar is one of the best, with a major perk: you can eat yummy German sausages while you drink (because it’s attached to LowBrau restaurant!). If you’re a tiki bar aficionado, Jungle Bird is the place for you. They’re all about that tropical atmosphere, and it’s so much fun! And then there’s The Snug. Run by the brothers who opened deVere’s Irish Pub, it puts a modern twist on some old classic cocktails down on R Street.
Food Trucks
As far as food trucks go, Drewski’s takes the cake! BEST grilled cheese, hands down. Their bacon wrapped hot dogs and tots are also to die for. Chando’s Tacos and Gyro King are two faves as well… but really, there are so many great ones it’s hard to choose!
Coffee
Our city has an astounding number of coffee shops. Our favorites among them include The Mill, Temple Coffee, Insight Coffee, and Camellia Coffee Roasters. Not only do they give us the good good caffeine that keeps us going on the daily, but also the interiors are gorgeous and inspiring. We love our local coffee roasters, and encourage you to buy local as well!
Hidden Gems
In our opinion, Sacramento is really all about the little places; the hidden gems that never disappoint. The first thing that comes to mind when we think of “hidden gems” is the Tower Cafe, even though it’s far from hidden. In fact, it’s located right next to one of Sacramento’s favorite landmarks, the Tower Theater. We’d also include Tako Korean BBQ (which has Korean tacos… enough said), Selland’s Market-Cafe, and the Woodlake Tavern (which has some amazing BBQ) in this section.
Located in Placerville, Apple Hill is less than an hour from Sacramento. It’s a popular destination for any Sacramentan, especially in the Fall! Apple Hill is the place to go for apple pies, caramel apples, apple donuts, apple cider, and anything else apple-related. It often hosts craft fairs, where local vendors cam show off their goods, too. And there are numerous kid-friendly activities, including fishing, horse rides, train rides, and face painting! The area is also home to many wineries.
Wine
Speaking of wineries, we have TONS of them close-by. Napa Valley is a 90-minute drive, but there are other great options even closer to town. All you have to do is head south on I-5 to the Sacramento River Delta for some of our absolute favorites, like Bogle and the Old Sugar Mill. Or you can drive on toward Lodi, Somerset, or Placerville to plenty of other local wineries to choose from! Local wine tasting makes for the perfect Sacramento girls day out or even a great couples retreat.
Tahoe
As we mentioned before, Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada Mountains are only 2 hours away. In the summer, the lake is the perfect place to swim, boat, hike, or just hang out and barbecue! There shores host great crafts fairs and local activities to enjoy. In the winter, Tahoe becomes a haven for skiing, snowboarding, snow shoeing, or just sitting by a fire. The lake is gorgeous both times of year – and during the off seasons – so really, whenever you go up, be ready for the best time ever!
San Francisco
A 2 hour drive in the opposite direction and you’re in San Francisco, one of the largest cities in California. It’s a mecca for culture and adventure. There are too many museums and restaurants to count, no to mention the famous San Francisco landmarks like Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Even if you just want a fun shopping trip, dumplings in Chinatown, or a quick change of scenery, the city makes for a great get away.
Sacramento and its surrounding areas obviously have a lot to offer. Our State Capitol has all the amenities of a big city, with the feel of a small town. And you can tell how proud we are of our city – all you have to do is walk around or talk to someone from here to see how important it is to us. Thank you, Sacramento. We love you!
Pinterest is a magical place where you can find images of… well, basically anything you can imagine. Because of the vast number of images at your fingertips on this site, it’s a great place to gather images that inspire you by making an inspiration board!
We’ve had many clients come to us with inspiration boards to help illustrate their design style, or unique design features they would like to incorporate in their home. This is always helpful for us, because it’s a great way for clients to clearly communicate their likes and dislikes.
Step 1: Create a Board on Pinterest
Now, if you’re on Pinterest as much as we are, you can just skip this part because you can probably make a board in your sleep. If, however, Pinterest is new to you, have no fear! Here’s how to create a board: go to your profile page and at the very top there’s a little + button. Click that, and select “Create board”. Name your board, and then, if you’d like to, you can switch it to secret mode, as shown below (we do this for all of our client projects):
And there you go, you’ve taken the first step toward creating an inspiration board! If your project includes multiple areas of your house, you can also create sections in the board for each room. To do that, just click the same + button and select “Add section”. Name the section, and you’re good to go. Now you just need to start pinning!
Step 2: Just Start Pinning
This is the fun part! To get started, search Pinterest for phrases related to your project. If, for example, you want to redesign your living room, search for generic phrases like, “Living Room Design” or “Living Room Ideas”. If you already know what style you’re drawn to, you can also throw those key words into your search. Or check out our Design Styles Defined series if you need help determining your style!
Search multiple phrases to get a variety of images, and pin anything that calls to you. Don’t get too hung up on finding exactly the right images. It’s ok if there are a TON of images on the board, since this is just a jumping off point. Just pin anything that calls out to you!
Pro Tip: Try to include what you like or dislike about each pin in the caption, so that you can remember why you saved it!
Step 3: Look for a Common Theme & Refine
This can be a little tricky, but it’s so important! When looking at your inspiration board and all the images you’ve pinned, sift through them more intently, and delete any pins you don’t love. Then, start looking closely at the pins you have left, and look for common themes. For example, check out the sample inspiration board below:
Looking at these pins, there are a lot of common themes. We’re noticing a lot of white walls, natural fiber rugs, round mirrors, natural wooden beams, neutral colored furniture, lots of wood tones, iron light fixtures, and a mixture of clean lines with some curvy vintage furniture mixed in. Modern Farmhouse vibes for sure! After cleaning up the board by removing the pins that don’t fit these themes, we’re left with this end result:
Now, this board can act as a guideline moving forward on your living room design journey. It’s a simple and clear way to illustrate the design style you’re aiming for. Have you created an inspiration board on Pinterest? Comment below if you have, and let us know how it turned out!
And if you’re ready to book a consultation and show off your inspiration board, contact us here. We would love to hear from you!
Our client (as the name of the project would suggest) was a bachelor who needed help updating his pad with stylish, pet-friendly furniture. He was drawn to Mid-Century Modern furniture, so we ran with it, giving him a bachelor pad that he could really show off!
Kitchen Design
To update the kitchen, we brought his bar top down to countertop height, so that it was all one level with clear lines of sight. We also selected a new countertop and a fun geometric backsplash!
Fireplace Design
The existing fireplace had way too many niches and was just generally a little blah. We sealed off a bunch of the openings, centered the television, and updated the finishes to make it much more dynamic and visually pleasing. We also installed new gas insert with glass beads, and now it looks…well…fire!
The field of Interior Design has always been a natural fit for Rebecca. Even before pursuing a degree in the field, she designed rooms for her friends and family. Rebecca further developed this passion through education, and then sharpened her skills through experience with internships. After graduating from CSU Sacramento with a Bachelor of Arts in Interior Design, she began her career as an interior designer in a Sacramento firm and never looked back.
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