You know how much we love working with local businesses, right? Recently, we had the privilege of working with Mainstream Boutique – the trendiest and most stylish clothing boutique in Grand Forks.
In addition to getting sneak peeks of all their beautiful clothes, The Lighting Gallery was able to help Mainstream create a shopping environment that provides shoppers with a personalized, unique experience.
We caught up with Kathy Klath, the trend-setting owner of Mainstream Boutique to hear her story of working with the team at The Lighting Gallery.
How did you hear about The Lighting Gallery?
Sonia and her team came highly recommended from several business-colleagues of mine who have worked with Sonia on a number of projects. They were always really impressed with her ability and professionalism.
Why did you decide to work with The Lighting Gallery?
First off – the service Sonia provides is unlike anything I would get from non-local chains. So, for my business, using someone local that will stand behind their product and their work is important. I don’t have time to be messing around with the lights and figuring out why things aren’t working the way they should – I need someone that I know will stand behind their work.
Also, I recognize that small businesses make a community unique and gives it character. I own a locally-operated small business in Grand Forks – what would it say about my business if I weren’t shopping locally? You reap what you sow – the dollars that I reinvest into our community are more likely to be spent at my business.
Tell us about the lighting design process?
We wanted to create a shopping experience that combines the natural light of our large windows with artificial lighting. Sonia really understood our lighting goals and took into consideration how the light would affect the clothing displays.
Sonia was able to guide and educate us on what types of lighting would work best in our space. We used a combination of track lighting for the overall lighting experience and individual fixtures for area lighting.
Lastly, she helped us pick a few lighting fixtures that make a statement in our showroom. Our clothing and accessories are fun, chic and trendy – we wanted our lighting fixtures to have those same assets. Sonia helped us pick out a few pieces that really standout in the boutique – our customers comment on them all the time.
What makes The Lighting Gallery different than the big box or online stores where you could have purchased your lighting?
This is a big question – The Lighting Gallery’s service and support doesn’t even compare to what I would get from a big box or online store.
Sonia and her team were at the boutique many times throughout the process doing measurements, electrical walkthroughs and quality checks – we never would have gotten that if we had gone through a big box store – we would have been on our own.
And, even after we were done with the construction phase and our doors opened, Sonia still stops in to check on the project and make sure everything is working as promised. The service The Lighting Gallery provides after the sale is just as valuable, maybe more, than the service they provide during the process.
“Mainstream is a fun, fashionable store and to be part of this project was exciting. We love working with local businesses and sharing in their success,” said Sonia Roberton, Owner and Lighting Designer at The Lighting Gallery.