The owners of Problem Library are glad to meet new customers, but no one's under any pressure to make a purchase at this combined gallery, performance space and curio shop. Located across the street from Western Relics on 15th Avenue, the quiet storefront's inventory includes houseplants, woodwork, furniture, small-batch apothecary products and more.

"It's like a sacred space for sacred things, so we're trying to make it feel like you're just walking into someone's living room," said Grayson Stebbins, who co-owns the shop with his partner, Nicole Gann.

Photo: Cynthia Vega

"Each decision we've made about what to put in the store is very intentional in terms of how it feels," said Stebbins. "We're going for really authentic, high-quality things that will hopefully last a lifetime."

According to Gann, Problem Library is targeted to thoughtful consumers. "We're in this culture of impulse buying, and buying for the sake of buying, so here, when people come in, we want to imply the question, 'What's your intention in buying this? Do you intend to keep it in a sacred way for its life or your life? What is your relationship going to be with this? Is it just disposable?'"

Photo: Cynthia Vega

Although the store's concept was Stebbins' idea, "it didn't actually start coming to fruition until about two years ago when we started dating," said Gann. "Hey, let's be real."

Before opening to the public, "it was kind of a mixed-use space," said Stebbins. Problem Library shares a wall and a landlord with Everybody Bikes, located around the corner on Irving Street. "I would throw events here sometimes, like art openings and some small music shows, but there were only about 10 of those in a year," he said.

Photo: Cynthia Vega

"It took us an entire year to go through the permitting process, so we actually opened on November 27th, 2015, which was Small Business Saturday," said Gann. The space is bright and airy; high ceilings balance a narrow space framed by a wooden wall studded with original art and a hodgepodge of shelving that's filled with a diverse range of textiles, ceramics and handmade items.

Grouped together near an upright piano, Stebbins points out a stool and some gardening equipment he acquired in Ukraine, a place he occasionally visits for work. Other items originated from places South Dakota and southern Oregon. "Wherever we go, we're looking for beautiful things," he said.

Fat and the Moon small-batch apothecary products. (Photo: Cynthia Vega)

Many customers forge a sense of attachment to an item as soon as they enter the store, said Gann. "Sometimes, people just pick something up and say, 'Wow, this is really great!' and they're very passionate about it." Because Problem Library only stocks one-of-a-kind (or one-of-a-few) items, "it's not like when you walk into The Gap or Uniqlo, and people are like 'OK, this is on sale, so I'll get it,'" she added.

Stebbins said most items for sale were acquired in the last five years. "I've been collecting things, and then Nicole started doing some research into artists and makers," he said, "People come in understanding that everything here is unique," added Gann, "so it's sort of different than picking one shirt out of a hundred off a rack."

Problem Library is located at 1288 15th Ave. (at Irving) and is open on the first, second and third weekends of each month from 11am to 6pm.