The Shade Store:
Offering “Design-Aware” Couture-Quality Treatments

COLLEEN DUFFY

Winner of the Most Innovative Firm of the Year award, presented at the WOW! Awards Ceremony during the International Window Coverings EXPO, The Shade Store is perhaps best known for its high-quality custom window fashions at affordable prices, all hand-crafted in the US. Adam Gibbs, one of three brothers in the business, provides us a glimpse at the company’s long-rooted history, trend-forward products, and innovative business concepts that cater to the trade as well as the consumer.

The Evolution of The Shade Store
Detailing its strong family ties to the interiors market, Adam Gibbs tells us that over sixty-four years ago, the Gibbs brothers’ grandfather opened a fabric store in Mount Vernon, NY, selling mostly dress goods which soon evolved into selling curtains. About 42 years ago, the senior Gibbs started working for him and soon started the further expansion of the “home decor” side of the business, offering both custom upholstery and window treatments.

The family opened its store, Home Works, in 1997, where they specialized in upscale custom window treatments. The philosophy was the same: emphasize service, quality, and value, but the materials offered came from the leading companies across the globe and the customization became more and more elaborate. Before long, the workroom operation expanded and began to produce custom window treatments for a very discerning clientele, and often, for some of the country’s top designers. In 1999, a second showroom opened in SoHo, NYC. “We had the good fortune to attract business from an elite customer base and some of the most prestigious design firms,” said Gibbs. “While both businesses continue to this day to thrive, we felt there was an opportunity to offer what we do to a larger audience. By offering a wide but edited selection of materials and products, and leveraging our experience and connections within the fabric industry, we were able to offer the same level quality we always have all at a fraction of the cost and time regularly associated with such custom work. Combine this with a state-of-the-art production facility that still has an ‘old school’, craftsman mentality, and the know-how that has enabled us to simplify the entire process from selection to measurement and installation, we feel there is no one else out there that even comes close.”

What is The Shade Store’s mission as a company?
Our “tagline” says it all: Custom Made Simple®. Our mission is to provide couture-quality custom window treatments to the “design-aware” community. By this, I mean those consumers, designers, architects, etc., who value style, quality, and affordability. We aim to provide the same type of customer service our family-run business has been providing for over 60 years.

What is your market share?
There is a huge gap between the reasonably priced, quick-shipping Internet and ready-made offerings and the far more time-consuming and expensive alternatives that comes with using a truly custom workroom and/or designer. We feel that if we can offer a wide but edited selection of stylish exclusive materials at a price point that is fair, educated consumers will be interested. Add to the mix top-quality customer service and knowledgeable design assistants—people are made to feel comfortable and confident about each order, as well as the process in general.

How will The Shade Store continue to reach more of the public and the trade?
Our plan for now is to continue expanding our exclusive offerings and to continue opening showrooms. We have found that customers are blown away when they see the level of quality of our products first-hand, which offers a great resource for designers to shop with their clients. We plan on opening three to four more showrooms by the end of the year. The Shade Store will also be introducing a new exclusive collection for baby and kids. We have teamed up with Dwell Studios (www.dwellstudios.com) and will be offering several of their materials to fabricate custom roman shades, laminated roller shades, draperies, and cornices. We are very excited about this collaboration and we feel our two companies, Home Works and The Shade Shop, are a great fit. We will be introducing this line at the ICFF in New York this month.

Obviously, The Shade Store is doing a lot right to keep the business growing, despite the economy. What is it specifically that works so well and keeps you above your competition?
To us, it’s simple: Treat people well, offer top-quality products at reasonable prices, and stick to what we know how to do best and that is selling and manufacturing window treatments! WF