EVERETT — At Lovers Lair, it’s always the season of naughty and nice.
What’s up with that?
The shop with tinted windows sits on a busy stretch of Evergreen Way, boldly proclaiming itself as the “#1 Kink Store.” I had only a vague idea what “kink” meant in practice and figured the thousands of drivers cruising by must wonder, too.
In the name of What’s Up, I went inside to investigate, a public service no different than chasing Bigfoot or asking a man why he had 24 Weber grills in his front yard.
Still, I hesitated before walking in. It was broad daylight. No sunglasses, no hoodie. I’ve visited Love Zone and other adult shops before (for stories, I swear), but those storefronts don’t shout Latex-Leather-Lubes from the curb.
I’d done some homework. The Lovers Lair website promises “fantasy clothing, BDSM gear and more.” BDSM stands for bondage, discipline/domination, sadism and masochism. But what exactly was the “more”?
Miss Diva, the sparkling fairy godmother of fetish, was happy to show me the ropes.
Miss Diva, right, helps Nathan try on a latex suit, one item of a larger latex selection available at Lovers Lair on Dec. 19, 2025 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
“This is adult Disneyland,” she said, as I took in a wonderland of straps, toys and erotica.
Inside, the shop is surprisingly bright, festive and welcoming. Everything is for 18‑plus, but otherwise judgment-free.
Aisles brim with devices, lotions, nylons and pasties. Racks of outfits cater to ravers, dancers and baristas.
Then masks, hoods, harnesses, collars and cuffs come into view. In a room dubbed the “dungeon,” a leather bondage sling chair takes center stage, flanked by paddles, chains, whips and neatly coiled lengths of Japanese rope.
So, what is kink?
Miss Diva broke it down.
“Kink is a community of people interested in non-mainstream ways of expressing their sexuality,” she explained.
“Anything from people who like whips to people who pretend they’re puppies or kitties and wear tails or horns. Some people don’t want to be tied up. Others do.”
I nodded thoughtfully, as if this were all perfectly ordinary. The longer you stand among the gear, the less shocking it feels. More like a hobby and no stranger than getting deeply into pickleball or gardening. You just need the right tools.
“Kinksters are the most normal people in the world,” Miss Diva said. “They don’t wear the gear in public. You never know who could be a kinkster.”
That made me wonder about the secret lives of people I know.
Among the customers: a man in a work safety vest and a woman in a holiday sweater, browsing as casually as if they were at Safeway.
With Miss Diva’s help, Nathan, a 23-year-old Seattle security worker nicknamed “Cyber,” was trying on a black latex catsuit. After losing 50 pounds, his old one no longer fit.
Nathan, who also goes by Cyber, in full pup attire at Lovers Lair on Dec. 19, 2025 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Nathan is into pup-kink roleplay, complete with a collar, leash and hood. In street clothes, he wears a “Cyber” dog tag.
“To me, kink is like a family,” he said. “You understand them, they understand you. It’s collaborative.”
Outsiders tend to raise an eyebrow. “‘Oh, you wear latex and you act like a dog,’” he said. “It’s hard to explain.”
Lovers Lair specializes in latex clothing, carrying about 2,000 dresses, vests, thongs and suits made in Germany and Poland.
“It curves your body and makes it look beautiful,” Miss Diva said. “And you can wear it in the rain.”
She insisted I try on some latex.
Miss Diva zipped me into a $220 snakeskin print latex vest with a heart-shaped neckline and flared ruffle. Cute as hell, but where would I wear it? Costco?
Maybe a corset was a smarter choice. Fittings are free.
“It doesn’t matter what size you are,” Miss Diva said. “Honey, I have a corset for you.”
Next thing I knew, she cinched me into a $150 pink-and-black lace bustier corset. Suddenly, I had a posture, cleavage and a waistline, though breathing required some recalibration.
The shop also hosts events, shows and classes in a large back-room venue with fantasy equipment and a speakeasy vibe. It’s a “safe space” for a culture often misunderstood. Lovers Lair is a sponsor of the third annual Seattle Fetish Ball on March 28.
Lovers Lair owner Linda Devela inside her store on Dec. 19, 2025 in Everett. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
“Everybody’s got a different kink, and we build the store around that,” said owner Linda Devela, a card-carrying professional dominatrix known as Lady Linda.
Devela has 13 grandchildren and a business card that reads: “Kneel at my feet if you dare!”
She skated with the Ice Capades in her younger days and spent years in the restaurant industry before opening her first adult store in Lynnwood 20 years ago.
“I got tired of working for other people,” Devela said. “There was something about putting a whip in my hand. Between that and fashion, I was drawn to it.”
Her partner, Daddy Joe, who looks like any other Joe, makes custom wooden bondage furniture and designed the back room. By day, he’s a maintenance supervisor.
He joined the kink community 15 years ago.
“This felt like home,” he said. “I didn’t feel weird anymore.”
Customer service is hands-on.
“I try to show people instead of just explaining,” Devela said. “Put this flogger in your hand. Let me lace you into this corset.”
A flogger is a tasseled BDSM whip to heighten sensations of pain and pleasure.
“It’s empowering,” she said.
To demonstrate, Devela delivered a few taps to Miss Diva’s backside with a suede flogger, soft at first, then sharper. It reminded me of a banya sauna treatment where you’re briskly swatted with branches to boost circulation.
For beginners, she recommends a starter kit: a feather tickler, a drip candle for body‑wax play and a blindfold.
That’s one way to ring in 2026.
Got a story for “What’s Up With That?” Hit me up at reporterbrown@gmail.com or 425-422-7598.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
Gallery
