Today we’d like to introduce you to Sean Barnes.
From housewares to furniture, jewelry to gifts, and luxurious bath and body products and fragrances, L&A is a lifestyle store founded on the principles of exploring the brilliant light and the sensual shadow of love, and eclectic aesthetic visions – from the tried and true, to the new and noteworthy.
Love and Aesthetics bring its patrons to the edge of darkness as it breaks into the horizon of romance, helping to bring vivid visual adventure into people’s spaces and daily lives. L&A’s lifestyle vision is centered on the aesthetic sensibilities and design concepts that owner Sean Barnes firmly believes in, carefully curating lines that are seldom seen and exclusive to the San Diego area. The boutique hosts a dance of both exquisite handmade and finely produced items that have spoken straight to the owner’s heart, unique objects that he has selected for their inspiring excellence.
The main opportunity for shoppers in L&A is their exposure to unknown and rarely seen talents, a love of which L&A was built upon. Sean focuses on lines that are not highly represented in San Diego. The dark and modern romantic aesthetic at L&A rounds out the otherwise beach-centric Southern California vibe in most interiors of the region. Guided by his intuitive knack for collecting beautiful things and knowing their immense aesthetic value when gathered together, Love & Aesthetics is Sean Barnes’ introduction to the world of the way he loves living and the artists and lines he believes in most.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Retail is never a smooth road but always a fun challenge. It is a constant test of my creative senses and a challenge to my buying. L&A prides itself on pushing the envelope and showcasing artists and small lines that people do not usually see in other stores. It is our challenge to open peoples minds and show the beauty that is not seen in the public norm.
We have been very fortunate to have such an incredible clientele that has open minds and caring hearts.
Please tell us about love & aesthetics.
L&A came about after many years of me buying for other retail stores, hotels, and spas. I had a buying & consulting business for 11 years. During this time I found that so many stores just wanted to be safe and buy lines that every other store had. I wanted to create a space that we could focus on smaller lines and artists that I truly believed in.
We are known for constantly changing and evolving. I am constantly looking for the next small artist or line that I believe in. One month you may come in and the store has a huge selection of pottery but the next month we may be more about apothecary. We try to create a different experience each time you come in.
My company was founded on my childhood and mainly my family.
Everything I do for the stores comes from the heart and is a very big part of who I am. My mom passed the month I opened the first store. She was my heart and my best friend so very much I do for the store comes from the amazing love and artistry of life she taught me as a child.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
This is always a hard question for me. Growing up in a military family with such loving parents made for a really wonderful childhood. I was a very lucky man. If anything my favorite memory would be the way my parents loved each other. Through thick & thin they laughed constantly and never forgot to show each other how much they cared for each other.
Contact Info:
- Address: 621 W Fir St, San Diego CA 92101
2910 University Ave, San Diego CA 92104
1218 Government St, Ocean Springs MS 39564 - Website: loveandaesthetics.com
- Phone: 619-546-6143
- Email: sean@loveandaesthetics.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/loveandaesthetics
- Facebook: facebook.com/loveandaesthetics
- Yelp: yelp.com/biz/love-and-aesthetics-san-diego
Image Credit:
Rob Lucas @ Modern Aperture
