The Shade Store and My Custom Design Experience August 25, 2016 | I have such an exciting post today! I’ve been on the hunt for great roman shades for quite some time now and, little did I know, the most amazing source was right in my back yard! The Shade Store is located in the heart of Southpark (national list of locations HERE) and they provided me with the most amazing custom design process that I wanted to share it with you guys. Simply walking into the showroom, you are sure to be wowed, but what I didn’t know was that the seamless process, gorgeous fabrics, and quick turn around time for custom drapery would wow me even more. If you are on the hunt for drapery or window coverings of any sort, let me treat you to a design process that I really enjoyed… I told you that the store was gorgeous! Not a bad place to talk shop, right? The overall feel was very Mid Century Modern, but they also mixed it up with pieces like this over-the-top glam crystal chandelier… The showroom displays every window covering style that they offer. The displays are fully functional, interactive and allow you to really touch and feel the fabrics and get a sense for what might work best for your space specifically. I got a little carried away with making all of the roman shades go up and down at the same time (see video). Honestly, I’m still a child… It was great to get a feel for the weight of the different fabrics actually made into drapery panels and roman shades. It gave me a much clearer picture about what I needed for each specific space and made narrowing down the choices just a little easier. All of the fabrics swatches are located in beautiful wooden drawers that are retro-fit to display them and allow for easy access according to color palette. The other good news is that he fabric swatches are free to take and are all pre-labeled with the material, color, products it can be used for and fabric content. I loved that I didn’t have to ask someone each time that I wanted a swatch and was able to easily take it home and match it to the wall color. They offer a wide variety of colors and patterns, but I felt that the selection was very well-curated. I’m the type of person who doesn’t need an obscene amount of options, it only stresses me out. Their curated selection allowed me to look at things with clear eyes and understand what fabrics would work best for investment pieces like roman shades. I totally appreciated that the professionals did all of the hard work before hand to understand what fabrics specifically worked with what window treatments and that made the process so much easier for me! The Shade Store is fully staffed with extremely helpful design consultants to guide you through every single step of the process (see below), but they also have 4 iMac computers set up towards the front of the store that allow you to interactively browse, create and design your own custom window coverings. This was fun because it gave me a visual of how my fabric + trim combinations looked mocked up in a real room setting. Also, if you don’t have a showroom near you, their website functions the same way and allows you to create custom treatments from the comfort of your home! Thankfully, The Shade Store is also a one stop shop for all things drapery hardware. Their selection of curtain rods ranged from very traditional to super modern, and they had something to suit every taste level. The gold ones caught MY eye right away! Can we talk about these Jonathan Adler fabrics? I mean, swoooon! Here’s a little peek at one of the rooms in which I needed roman shades for…the nursery BIG GIRL ROOM! The current drapes (see HERE) are a little too traditional for where I see the room going and I really wanted clean, beautiful roman shades in there to made it easier for us both. Typically, I have to draw her curtains each time she goes down for a nap and at bedtime and they always end up staying that way, which looks so messy to me and leaves the room feeling dark. I came into The Shade Store wanting a black out functional Roman Shade that was clean, crisp, and bright…and that’s exactly what I got…can’t wait to show you guys!!! I sat down with Lisa and she immediately made me feel at home. She gave me a briefing on her extensive design background and established such trust before we ever even talked about what I wanted specifically. To be honest, I came into The Shade Store without even having my window measurements (#shame), but Lisa totally took it in stride and it was not problem at all. She drew out what I described my windows to look like and we got our hands dirty with swatches, trims and functionality details… Once we talked through what my vision was, what the functionality requirements were and how they would be positioned, picking my fabrics was a total breeze. Lisa suggested fabrics and trims that would work best for my specific situation and they all aligned great with my overall vision. Not a bad day when you get to talk through beautiful fabric samples in a chic showroom while sipping Perrier, right? I’m telling you ladies, this is such a great resource…and one where you don’t have to hire a designer to execute your vision! Since I didn’t bring in my measurements, they sent out a specialist to measure each window to perfection. He was on time, professional and was in and out super quick. Once the measurements were sent back to Lisa, she put together a custom quote based on the fabrics that I chose and all I had to do was approve it and submit it to be produced. Want to hear the vest best part of the whole entire experience??? I had SEVEN custom roman shades produced (all in the USA, mind you!) and to my doorstep within a week!!!! You guys, this is absolutely unheard of for custom drapery. Most designers and workrooms have lead times of at least a month, if not more! My Outfit: Top (Another local brand to love!) | Denim | Earrings | Similar Shoes I’m still in awe of what an amazing experience that The Shade Store provides. Custom drapery will always be an investment for your home, but I love that this way you are more in control of the design process, yet you still have professionals there to support. I also love that you can create custom pieces with such a short turn around time…I actually still can’t get over it! Ladies, time to start thinking about the Holidays and what you want your home to look like when the friends and family gather. I know that these Roman Shades were a long over-due project for us and I cannot wait to show you what a huge difference they made in our home! Also, you will want to see the new line of Kate Spade fabrics that they just released…totally swoon-worthy! If you want even more on my visit to The Shade Store, here’s a little highlight reel! Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions about my experience! I hope that you guys make it into the showroom…it’s such a treat!
Kristina says August 26, 2016 at 9:57 AM OMG I LOVE this post!! My husband and I are building a townhouse in South End (should be ready by winter) and I remember he went in to look at shades there but I still haven’t been. Good to know the process is super quick too!\ xo, Kristina Medicine & Manicures
Style Your Senses says August 27, 2016 at 8:11 AM kristina- Yesss, definitely check them out!! Congrats on your new casa…such a fun area to build!! xo