If you haven’t driven past the former Ace Hardware store on Magazine St. and its adjacent property recently, you should. The historic site has received an impressive facelift and now boasts two national brands as tenants. One of them, The Shade Store, recently opened its doors, and I had the pleasure of interviewing both Tim Straker, Chief Marketing Officer, and Adam Skalman, Vice President of Brand Experience. With the company’s tagline “custom made simple,” I was curious to find out just how simple it really was. And what I discovered is that while the process is indeed straightforward for the customer, it’s anything but limited.
What can we expect when we walk into the Shade Store? An extensive selection of shade options and personal support. Every client is paired with a dedicated design consultant, each of whom has been trained at the company’s in-house “Shade School” (as it’s playfully called). These experts guide you through every step, from defining the mood of the space to laying out the scope of work. No experience is necessary. Come prepared to play and have fun.
What is something that sets you apart from your competitors? Definitely our holistic approach. From our in-house design experts to our measure and installation team, we support you through the entire process. Also, our variety of solutions and fabrics is vast. You can choose from a menu of motorized, pleated, roman shades, metal and wood blinds, various drapery styles, in fabrics like linen, cotton, wool, wood and natural grasses and more. Bonus, you can also use your own fabric, if needed.
You have some fantastic designers like Martyn Lawrence Bullard and Nate Berkus creating textiles for you. How does the company select those designers? Being an originator of unique designs ourselves, we’re always paying close attention to what other design professionals are doing, in addition to listening closely to what our customers are asking for. We’re thrilled when these collaborations spark a new idea, material, solution, or collection.
What’s new? Are there any new, notable technologies or performance materials we should know about? We have recently launched a new app and hub that seamlessly links our automated shades to home automation systems. This allows you to set timers for raising and lowering, voice control through Siri or Alexa, operating remotely while away from home and creating integrated “scenes” with lighting, audio/visual and climate controls. We also continue to add performance materials (including Sunbrella) that protect against high traffic, fading in sunlight and withstand environmental factors like moisture, cold and heat.
Was the history of the space something considered when choosing your location? We adore New Orleans and appreciate the architecture, so we tried to respect the provenance of the building as much as possible. We also love that people have fond memories of the building as it was. -By Penn Iarocci
To learn more about The Shade Store, visit 3523 Magazine St. or theshadestore.com.
