Our Story…
Owning a business together had been brewing for years, but it wasn’t until the spring of 2018 that we formed an idea. Cozying up around a warm campfire, roasting marshmallows under a starlit sky, the momentum had started to build. We were camping at the old military barracks at Fort Worden in Port Townsend with all four of our kids and Rebecca’s partner, David. He wouldn’t admit it now, but his enthusiasm about the idea gave us the little nudge we needed. We were excited about promoting a woman-owned business and showing our kids what a little elbow grease and passion can do. In fact, they also helped to bring the store to life by stripping and demolishing the floors down to the concrete of the original five-and-dime.
Our friendship began years ago when our kids were extremely young, so life became a bit of a routine sharing activities together and camping any chance we got especially at our favorite spot in Kalaloch on the Washington Coast.
As fortune would have it, Lori walked into Glass Expressions to ask business partners Kathy and Lael if they would share what business was like in Burien. Our kinship grew from there and we discovered how much we all had in common. Sharing retail space might seem crazy to some, but we found the bond we have couldn’t be more practical and inspiring. Starting out under their wing is a lucky thing to have.
We hope to build the same longevity and connection with our customers as they have. We can’t wait to serve our community and help those that walk in our door. We are looking forward to the coming year. Read on to find out why we chose the Sitka Spruce tree…
Why SITKA, you ask?
If you have read our story, you understand the profound love we have for the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. For us, the Sitka Spruce tree encompasses many virtues that resonates with us. Their grandeur and timeless presence are not unlike Giant Sequoias, something we hope will pass along to our business and the relationships we build. They are the goliaths of the Northwest Coast, personifying the “Mother Tree”, female protector and guardian. As women and mothers, this too resounds with us. We identify with their restorative nature (healing oils/#1 tree replanting forests) and our belief that your home should restore your soul.
SITKA ~ In a Word
Spiritually intense, the name brings charm, love, new starts to life and attracts prosperity. In business, it is the creator and promoter of original ideas and the enjoyment of considerable financial success. “Sitka” embraces the arts, drama, and science. It desires contentment in the home and a certain intuitiveness about its surroundings.
Co-owners
Lori Glynn and Rebecca Zielinski
Lori Glynn
Lori is a successful design consultant with 15 years experience, who is excited to realize her dream of opening her own store to bring her vision for home design to Burien, where she lives with her two children.
Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Lori moved to the Seattle area in 1995. While traveling the world as a flight attendant, she taught herself to make jewelry. She began selling her work at Camelion Design in Ballard, where she started working full-time in 2003. That is where she found her love for home décor and design.
Lori loves using different textiles and colors to create an environment that expresses her passion for nature and the outdoors and helping customers choose pieces that show their personalities. The connections she makes with customers are more valuable to her than just selling a product. Lori channels her artistic side with the goal of creating an atmosphere that is both fresh and soothing. She is practical, honest and sometimes gets herself in trouble because some might find her too direct, which is refreshing in this industry!
Outside of her career, she enjoys camping, hiking with her two kids (twins!) and surrounds herself with friends who are just as energetic and highly motivated as her. She finds her inner peace on the ocean, activities in sports and spending time with her children. She has an associate’s degree in accounting and lives in the Gregory Heights neighborhood in Burien.
Rebecca Zielinski
Rebecca Zielinski brings broad experience to Sitka Living, including a flair for the administrative side of
Her strengths have led her to host guests at her warm and inviting vacation rentals, which have evolved into a design portfolio of her own creation. Her love for the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest inspires her style, but with a little pinch of whimsy and nostalgia. Her many careers have molded her into a bit of an adventurer and filled her with an appetite to do, see and pursue more.
Starting Sitka Living with a partner who shares her zeal for home design and serving customers is the culmination of all of her experiences. Rebecca values family above all else, and taking care of one another and the very ground we stand on. She resonates with the simple beauty that surrounds us and believes that replicating that inside your home is a reminder of not only what we should be grateful for, but the simplest way to create your own sanctuary.
It would be an offense to leave out her most humbling place of peace — the Big Island of Hawaii. Outside of her professional life, she volunteers as a soccer coach, enjoys camping with her partner, a Seattle firefighter, spends summers with family and friends at Gregory Seahurst Swim Club and indulges in long hours cooking with her extended family. Oh, and her two children would be a hot mess if she didn’t mention how much she loves being their mom (and the fact that they took part in stripping the store floors)! She lives in West