While we take great pride in the product we make, it is nothing without the wonderful stories that our customers and friends are creating and telling!
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
Hi! I am Elizabeth Bear.
My passions: there is so much I love. From a young age I was into anything that allowed me to be creative. I love home design, cooking, gardening, skiing, zip lining…love a thrill (adrenaline rush) as long as it is safe. One anniversary my husband surprised me/us with a hot air balloon ride! It was amazing. My husband and I love a good adventure and traveling, but are also very happy being home.
When I graduated from college I went into the corporate world. My former husband passed away at a young age. I left the corporate world. Started my own retail business selling the items I made at juried shows throughout Massachusetts and on Cape Cod in the summer. Several years later I married my college sweetheart and moved to Colorado. This was ten years ago.
The home we purchased had great bones, but was traditional and dated so we immediately began renovating it: taking down all the wallpaper, removing a wall to open up the entire sightline on the first floor, gutted the kitchen and made the home modern with an open floor plan. Last year we even did our first two bathroom DIYs (gutting the bathroom completely) and hope to do the master bathroom this fall. From the early renovations my interior design business in Colorado was born (www.elizabethbeardesigns.com) and a couple years ago I started my Instagram account which also allows me to work with select brands.
Ten years later we are still working on home projects. Our most recent one was having the outside of the house painted white and installing our gorgeous Steel Lighting Topanga white sconces.
What’s your favorite part of interior design?
My favorite part of Interior Design is that you can do anything. It’s a blank canvas. I am not a trend follower unless I love the trend and know that I will love it when the trend is no longer a trend. When I have an idea and I’m told there is no way that will work that just fuels me to figure out how to make it happen.
Which room of your house is your favorite, and why?
This is tough, but I suppose our family room. There are lots of big windows so lots of natural light, we have an open floor plan so from the family room you can see all the other rooms, we have a super cozy couch and wood-burning fireplace (for wintertime) and the TV is there so we love relaxing in this space and spending time together.
What’s the most important part of choosing lighting for you?
I suppose first aesthetics and then function, but both are important. I love finding things that are unique that everyone hasn’t yet discovered.
What made you choose Steel Lighting Co.?
was looking for something white, unique, original, modern, simple lines, well made, something that made a statement, something with all of this and well priced. When I googled and found your Topanga straight arm sconce I got that adrenaline rush and knew I had found my sconce.