For the past six years, local master electrician Kevin Collins has been providing electrical solutions to residential and commercial customers — first out of his home and more recently from a Fort Hunt office space where he can meet with his office manager and team of electricians. Now, the Marine Corps veteran is on the verge of expanding into new territory with the Dec. 2 grand opening of a retail showroom for light fixtures and other home furnishings at Belle View Shopping Center.
According to Collins, LIGHT By Alexandria Electric is an exploration of bringing together his personal electrical expertise with the design expertise of lead designer Kevin Fitzpatrick. The business partners aim to provide fixtures, furniture and home accessories that “are functional, bring joy and are electrically sound,” he said.
“The designer/electrician collaboration is the crown jewel of the idea because it’s such good synergy, and it’s also actually surprisingly quite rare,” said Collins.
The showroom itself — owned by Collins and his wife — is designed to be unique in that visitors walk through a “home” and see lighting in its natural habitats instead of a standard store setting. He and Fitzpatrick hand-selected the vendors and pieces seen throughout the space, which include a range of styles and prices, and “things we’d each gladly hang in our own homes,” said Collins.
Once customers purchase a light fixture, they’ll have the option to use Alexandria Electric’s services to install it. Collins plans to continue operating his electrical solutions business while a separate staff runs the showroom.
Belle View was a natural choice for the new business, according to Collins.
“My wife grew up in the area, so this is our community,” he said. “We looked at other locations nearby, including Old Town, but Belle View was our perfect spot. It has everything we hoped for and more — a beautiful space, plenty of parking, the best neighbors and an environment that encourages creativity and taking chances with new ideas.”
LIGHT By Alexandria Electric is opening at a space at Belle View Shopping Center that was previously occupied by Parcel Plus before it moved to a different location in the retail complex.
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Collins is looking forward to the showroom’s grand opening, which will take place from 1 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2.
“Building this showroom has been a labor of love, and my family and the Alexandria Electric and LIGHT team are very excited to share it,” said Collins. “We’re so grateful for the community support we’ve already experienced before we even opened the doors. We believe lighting can literally change the everyday experience, and we can’t wait to share that!”
LIGHT By Alexandria Electric is located at 1602 Belle View Boulevard. It will be open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sundays by appointment only. On Saturday, Dec. 3, the showroom’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
