September 2015

After ten years of dreaming and two years of scheming, Fringe Boutique finally has a home!

I moved back to Bellingham two years ago, just as the Herald Building on N State Street was undergoing renovation. Back in the 1920’s, the ground floor of the building was a mix of restaurants and shops serving Downtown Bellingham. When the Bellingham Herald moved in in 1926, the first floor became home to offices and printing presses, and now, nearly a century later, the building has been transformed back to its original use. Daylight Properties, who now owns the building, has done a beautiful job restoring the space in line with what was once there.

One store front in particular caught my eye mid-way through the renovations. I toured it a few times, peered into the windows whenever I walked by, and gave it a little smile and a wave when I drove past every day on my way home. I knew I wanted this to be the home of Fringe, but it took me another year of research, writing a business plan, financial projections, and a crowd funding campaign before I was ready to go all in.

And now, finally, after two years of courting, I hold the keys to my dream space! I am so in love with the high ceilings and skylight, original brick and tile facade, deep blue and green “marbled” floor, giant schoolhouse lights, and metalwork staircase and mezzanine. I am so excited to start the build-out, flesh out the space, and transform it into the shop I’ve been dreaming of for years.