Scout Living

So, I think I’ve met the Coolest Couple in Sacramento.  

Individually, they are Erin Boyle and Stefan Betz Bloom. Together, in my mind, they are… The Furnicorn.  (That’s Furniture + Unicorn, in case you’re lost.)  And just HOW did Erin and Stefan of Scout Living on 18th Street earn this oft-sought title?  Allow me to explain.

Have you ever met two people who are married, dress really hip-ly (but not annoyingly so), are super savvy and successful business people with the cutest dog/store mascot in the history of time, but who are also nice, friendly, fun to hang with, AND happen to own the coolest Furniture-and-Awesome-Objects store ever?   

Of course you haven’t.  Because, in your rational mind, that would be the rarest blend of wonderful (nay, mythical) human qualities all wrapped up into one tiny couple + dog.  And you wouldn’t expect that combination of qualities to be a thing.  Because you’re reasonable and you’ve met most people.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to tell you…  The Furnicorn is real!  And it’s alive and well right here in Midtown!  Determined to create a space where a. you can buy real, well-made mid-century-and-beyond furniture that looks KILLER and doesn’t break the bank, b. find the designs that the larger home furnishing stores are building cheaper knock-offs of, and c. be a home for about 10 other vendors of their quality and ilk, Erin and Stefan left the exorbitantly priced San Francisco furniture world, and fled to Sacramento in 2008.

With plans to split their time between the worlds of Academia and The Coolest Retail Venture in Sacramento (if you ask me), the couple found themselves having such a blast with the dynamism of their business (they do the majority of their own reupholstering, buy all their own furniture, and run the business part of their business) that they happily committed to it full-time back in 2008.

“It’s something different every day, you know, we never get bored, and it’s just a ton of fun,”  Erin tells me, while her highest-grossing Sales Rep, Tatty The (aforementioned) Pug, mans her post at the front door.  “Oh, Tatty makes the majority of our sales on the weekends.  When people walk by and bend down to pet Tatty, they’re like: ‘Heeyyy, little puppy- Oooooh, I love that table!’ And we’re like…  Thanks, Tatty!”

So, yeah.  I mean…  I don’t know why you’re still sitting here reading this.  Tatty, The Furnicorn and Scout Living are basically the Pooch, People, and Place to buy your next vintage camera, bar stools, dining room table, dress, jewelry, sunglasses and/or anything hip, cool and groovy that your little heart desires.  Oh, and don’t see it on the shelves?  Just mention it to Erin like one of her customers did while we were interviewing her, and you’ll probably get the same response he did:  “Check back in with me soon.  I’ll keep an eye out for one of those for you!”  

Get to Scout Living.  You won’t be bummed that you did!  And you’ll feel a lot hipper and happier when you do!