Shades of Light

What Shades of Light does

Shades of Light is a US specialty retailer of residential and commercial lighting, rugs, mirrors, accent furniture, and wall decor, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Richmond, Virginia. The company sells a curated catalog spanning chandeliers, pendants, lanterns, bath and wall lights, ceiling lights, ceiling fans, outdoor lights, lamps and shades, mirrors, rugs, furniture, and home accents at price points ranging from approximately $10 to over $1,900, with thousands of SKUs per category (e.g., 3,493 items in the living room category). Its product portfolio includes a handmade-in-USA Colonial Metalcrafts line produced at a Richmond production facility and exclusive co-branded collections with Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines, Chris Loves Julia, Erin & Ben Co., Young House Love, and Drew & Jonathan Scott.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront at shadesoflight.com as the primary channel, supplemented by a physical showroom in Richmond, a Designer Trade Program for interior designers and builders, and a Hospitality Division serving hotels, restaurants, and commercial projects. Marketing relies on content (design and buying guides, blog), social media across Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube, email, and printed and digital catalogs (including the Seaside Escape 2026 issue). Pricing is unit-based across the assortment with no disclosed enterprise contracts or subscription model, and revenue is generated through one-time product sales across consumer and B2B customer segments.

The company is privately held with no public ticker, has no disclosed parent company, and lists a single institutional investor (Merion Investment Partners, 2012) with no headcount, revenue, or board details available in the source data. Current leadership publicly identified is Chris Menasco as President & COO. There are no disclosed M&A, regulatory, or restructuring events in the input data, and the company is operating with an active website and no indications of distress or transaction.

Name

Shades of Light

Website

https://shadesoflight.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Shades of Light is a privately held US specialty retailer founded in 1986 in Richmond, Virginia, selling lighting, rugs, mirrors, furniture, and home decor through e-commerce, a showroom, a Designer Trade Program, and a Hospitality Division, with exclusive collections from Magnolia Home, Chris Loves Julia, and other designers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lighting & Home Decor Retail

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351)

SIC

Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)

akta.pro primary industry

Indoor Lighting Fixtures Retail (Ceiling, Wall, Pendant, Chandeliers) (CRAIAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Lamps Retail (Table, Floor, Desk) (CRAIAHAE), Outdoor & Landscape Lighting Retail (Path, Flood, Security, Deck) (CRAIAHAC), Lighting Parts, Shades & Accessories Retail (Harps, Finials, Glass, Mounting) (CRAIAHAI)

Keywords

• Home lighting fixtures
• Decorative lighting
• Ceiling fans
• Home decor retail
• Area rugs

Headquarters

HQ city

Richmond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Revenue generated from direct sales of lighting fixtures, mirrors, home decor, rugs, and furniture through e-commerce and showroom channels. Products are sold at various price points ranging from budget-friendly to premium.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Shades of Light is a direct-to-consumer retailer selling curated interior and exterior lighting fixtures (chandeliers, pendants, lanterns, sconces, vanity lights, ceiling lights, ceiling fans, outdoor lights, table and floor lamps) plus mirrors, area rugs, accent furniture, and home decor accessories. The company also serves commercial buyers through a dedicated Designer Trade Program and a Hospitality Division, and manufactures a portion of its assortment in-house via the Colonial Metalcrafts line.

Product overview

Shades of Light is a comprehensive lighting, rugs, and home decor retailer offering a curated collection of products primarily focused on interior and exterior lighting fixtures. The product portfolio centers around chandeliers and hanging lights (including pendants and lanterns), bath and wall lights (vanity lights and sconces), ceiling lights, ceiling fans, outdoor lights, lamps and shades, mirrors, home decor accents, furniture, and rugs. The company also serves commercial markets through its Designer Trade Program for interior designers and Hospitality Division for commercial projects. Key product lines include the Kalini Chandelier Collection featuring hand-wrapped natural rope details, Colonial Metalcrafts handmade in the USA, LED-integrated mirrors, and various designer collaboration collections. The offering spans multiple style categories including modern/contemporary, transitional, traditional, nautical/coastal, rustic, and industrial, serving both residential and commercial customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Chandeliers

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Colonial MetalcraftscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandmade lighting collection produced in the USA. Products are manufactured in a Richmond, Virginia production facility with solid brass hardware. The partnership produces authentic Colonial-era inspired outdoor lanterns and fixtures with handcrafted details.
• Erin & Ben Co.majorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive lighting collection featuring the popular design duo known from HGTV and social media. The collection includes chandeliers, pendants, and other lighting fixtures designed in collaboration with Erin and Ben Napier.
• Chris Loves JuliamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive lighting collection with the popular DIY and home design influencer couple. Features statement pieces and modern designs including the Edie Sconce and other curated fixtures.
• Magnolia Home by Joanna GainesmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLicensed collection featuring Joanna Gaines' signature style of modern farmhouse and rustic designs. As featured on Fixer Upper and Magnolia brand properties.
• Young House LoveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLighting collection with the popular home improvement blog duo featuring accessible, family-friendly designs for various rooms and styles.
• Drew & Jonathan ScottminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesigner lighting collection with the Property Brothers, featuring modern and contemporary fixtures that combine style with functionality for larger spaces.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• YLighting: Online specialty retailer of modern and contemporary lighting, ceiling fans, and smart home products. Comparable curated catalog, designer-aligned assortment, and DTC model targeting residential and trade customers.
• Lamps Plus: Largest privately-held lighting retailer in the U.S., operating both e-commerce and a network of physical showrooms. Closest direct competitor to Shades of Light across chandeliers, sconces, ceiling fans, lamps, and home decor categories.
• Lumens: Design-focused online lighting and modern home furnishings retailer offering designer collections. Comparable curated, design-led assortment and exclusive partnerships with contemporary lighting brands.
• Build.com: E-commerce retailer specializing in home improvement products including lighting, faucets, and fixtures. Overlapping lighting category with trade and pro customer orientation comparable to Shades of Light's Trade Program.

Broad incumbents

• Pottery Barn: Williams-Sonoma-owned home furnishings retailer with national showroom presence and broad lighting, rug, mirror, and decor categories. Competes for the same residential design-oriented shopper.
• Wayfair: Mass-market online home goods retailer with extensive lighting and decor assortment. Competes broadly on selection and price, with a separate trade-focused property (Wayfair Professional).
• West Elm: Williams-Sonoma-owned modern home furnishings brand with retail showrooms and a strong lighting assortment. Comparable curated, designer-aligned product positioning and showroom-led omnichannel model.
• Lowe's: National home improvement retailer with lighting, fans, and home decor categories. Competes in the same residential install/refresh occasions with strong omnichannel and pro customer capabilities.
• Home Depot: Largest U.S. home improvement retailer with extensive lighting and ceiling fan assortment across value to premium tiers. Competes on price, availability, and pro/contractor service for many of the same categories.
• RH (Restoration Hardware): Premium home furnishings brand with large-format galleries in major markets and a strong lighting program. Competes at the higher end of the same residential design customer, with greater physical retail footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/shadesoflight
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShopShadesofLight
• Instagraminstagram.com/shadesoflight
• Pinterestpinterest.com/shadesoflight
• Xx.com/ShadesofLightVA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shades-of-light-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shades of Light