The Shady Lady
The Shady Lady is a Houston-based, founder-owned custom window treatment company founded in 2004 that designs, fabricates, and installs bespoke drapes, shades, shutters, blinds, and motorized window coverings for residential homeowners in the Houston Metroplex through a shop-at-home consultation model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Shady Lady does
The Shady Lady, legally operating as The Shady Lady Custom Window Treatments, is a privately held, founder-owned business founded in 2004 by Rae Day and headquartered at 800 Country Pl Dr Unit 1009, Houston, TX. The company designs, fabricates, and installs custom window treatments for residential customers in the Houston Metroplex, with selective work in Austin, Galveston, and Louisiana. Its core product lines are custom drapes (sheers, blackout drapes, side panels, cafe curtains, top treatments, pillows/cushions, Sunbrella outdoor), shades (Roman, cellular/honeycomb, roller, sheer, woven wood, banded, vertical, exterior solar and insect screens), shutters (wood and polyvinyl), blinds (wood and soft/fabric), and motorized/automated treatments with smart-home integration.
The business operates a shop-at-home, consultative direct-to-consumer model: an initial phone intake is followed by in-home consultations with fabric samples, custom measurement, fabrication via partner workrooms, and professional installation. Revenue is generated primarily through project-based, one-time sales priced per treatment rather than through subscriptions, licensing, or e-commerce. A secondary channel serves interior designers as referral partners on whole-home projects. Vendor relationships with Hunter Douglas, Insolroll, Sunbrella, Lafayette, Horizons, Shade Revolution, Fabricut, RM Coco, Crown Shade, and others provide breadth across price points, materials, and configurations (arched, extra-wide, corner, sunroom, exterior). The offering is augmented by financing options including deferred-interest plans, sustainability-positioned materials, and ongoing warranty service. The company has no app, no public API, no disclosed revenue, no outside funding, and reports a small, close-knit team.
The Shady Lady firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Shady Lady
- Legal name
- The Shady Lady Custom Window Treatments
- Website
- https://shadyladyhouston.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Shady Lady is a Houston-based, founder-owned custom window treatment company founded in 2004 that designs, fabricates, and installs bespoke drapes, shades, shutters, blinds, and motorized window coverings for residential homeowners in the Houston Metroplex through a shop-at-home consultation model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Shady Lady industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Window Treatments
- NAICS
- Window Treatment Retailers (449122)
- SIC
- Retail-Home Furniture, Furnishings & Equipment Stores (5700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Custom Drapery & Made-to-Measure Window Coverings Retail (CRAIAKAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Motorized & Smart Window Treatments Retail (Automated, App-Controlled) (CRAIAKAF), Window Shades Retail (Roller, Roman, Cellular/Honeycomb, Solar) (CRAIAKAB), Shutters Retail (Plantation, Interior/Exterior) (CRAIAKAE), Custom Window Blinds Retail (Wood, Faux Wood, Aluminum, Vertical) (CRAIAKAA), Motorized Shades, Blinds & Curtain Automation (HSAHADAD)
Keywords
Where The Shady Lady is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Shady Lady business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Custom Window Treatment Sales: Custom-manufactured window treatments sold as one-time purchases including custom drapes, shades, shutters, blinds, and motorized treatments. All products are made to exact specifications and size.
- Professional Installation Services: Complete turn-key service from initial consultation through installation and post-installation support. Includes measuring, fabrication, and warranty service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Custom Window Treatments - Project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Shady Lady product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Shady Lady designs, fabricates, and installs custom residential window treatments including drapes, shades, shutters, blinds, and motorized/automated systems for Houston-area homeowners. The company delivers a complete turn-key service starting with shop-at-home or office consultations, followed by custom manufacturing to exact window specifications, professional installation, and post-installation warranty support. It sources products from multiple premium vendors (Hunter Douglas, Sunbrella, Insolroll, and others) to provide tailored solutions for both standard and challenging window configurations.
Product overview
The Shady Lady is a custom window treatment company serving Houston homeowners for over 20 years, offering a comprehensive portfolio of bespoke window treatments. The core product lines include Custom Drapes (sheers, blackout drapes, side panels, cafe curtains, top treatments, pillows and cushions, and Sunbrella outdoor fabrics), Shades (Roman shades including Vignette and Alustra Woven Textures, sheer shades including Pirouette and Silhouette, woven wood shades, banded shades, roller shades including Alustra Architectural, cellular/honeycomb shades, Sonnette roller shades, sheer panels, woven wood drapes, Skyline panel-track blinds, and exterior patio solar screens and insect screens), Shutters (wood interior shutters and polyvinyl interior shutters), Blinds (wood blinds and soft/fabric blinds), and Motorized Window Treatments (automated systems for all treatment types with app, remote, and voice control capabilities). The company provides complete turn-key service from consultation through installation, working with multiple vendor brands including Hunter Douglas, Insolroll, Sunbrella, and others to deliver customized solutions for every window type and style preference.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Drapes Custom-fabricated residential drapery line including sheers, blackout drapes, side panels, cafe curtains, top treatments/valances, decorative pillows and cushions, and Sunbrella outdoor-rated drapery, designed and made-to-measure for Houston homeowners.
- Custom Shades Custom residential window shades covering Roman, cellular/honeycomb, roller, sheer, woven wood, banded, panel-track, and exterior solar/insect screen variants, manufactured to exact window specifications with extensive fabric and color choices.
- Custom Shutters Custom interior shutters in painted wood and moisture-resistant polyvinyl (Palm Beach), engineered for Houston's heat and humidity with options for arched, oversized, and specialty window configurations.
- Motorized Window Treatments Motorized and automated window treatments (applied across shades, drapery, and other product lines) controllable by remote, smartphone app, or voice command, with scheduling and smart-home integration via Hunter Douglas PowerView automation.
- Custom Blinds Custom residential window blinds in wood and soft/translucent fabric options, including room-darkening variants, made-to-measure for individual window dimensions.
- Professional Consultation, Fabrication and Installation Services Complete turn-key service covering shop-at-home or by-appointment office consultations, on-site measurement, custom fabrication coordination, professional installation, and post-installation warranty support for residential window treatment projects in the Houston Metroplex.
Quantifiable outcome
- Window treatments can last decades with proper care - company referenced installations from 2008 still functioning in 2025
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Shady Lady
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The Shady Lady technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Shady Lady partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Custom Workroom PartnershipcoreWorkroom partnership established in 2008 when The Shady Lady was tasked with outfitting an entire Bellaire home for Parade of Homes in a 3-week timeframe. This workroom was able to accommodate the urgent turnaround and has continued as a partner for select projects.
- Hunter DouglascoreMajor brand partner offering residential and architectural window treatments. Provides products including Duette Architella, Silhouette Sheer Shades, Vignette Roman Shades, Pirouette Sheer Shades, Roller Shades, Palm Beach Polymers, and PowerView automation systems.
- InsolrollcorePartner for exterior solutions including patio solar screens and insect screens for outdoor living spaces.
- SunbrellacoreOutdoor fabric brand offering tough, cleanable drapery fabrics that are bleach-washable, fade-resistant, backed by 10-year warranty.
- Glory & BrandminorWeb design and development agency responsible for The Shady Lady website design and development.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Shady Lady competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Budget Blinds: Large franchise network providing custom window coverings with in-home consultations, serving residential customers with multiple product categories (blinds, shades, shutters, drapery). Closely matches The Shady Lady's consultative direct-to-consumer approach at broader scale.
- Gotcha Covered: National franchise specializing in custom window treatments (blinds, shades, shutters, drapes) with shop-at-home consultation model. Direct competitor offering a similar consultative, multi-vendor custom service across many markets including Texas.
- The Shade Store: Premium custom window treatment retailer offering drapery, shades, blinds, shutters and motorized options with showrooms and in-home/online consultation. Competes on the higher end of the same custom-retail category The Shady Lady serves.
- Smith & Noble: Custom window treatment specialist (shades, blinds, shutters, drapery) with virtual/in-home design consultations and a wide product catalog. Direct peer in the made-to-measure consumer category.
- Stoneside Blinds & Shades: Custom blinds, shades, shutters and drapery retailer with in-home consultations and a Houston-area presence, directly overlapping The Shady Lady's geography and product positioning.
- 3 Day Blinds: Direct-to-consumer custom window treatment retailer offering in-home design consultations and a wide product range including motorized and cellular shades. Operates in major Texas metros and competes for the same mid-to-upper residential customer.
- Blinds.com: Large online direct-to-consumer custom window treatment retailer owned by Home Depot. Represents the digital/online configurator channel competing against The Shady Lady's consultation-only model.
Broad incumbents
- Hunter Douglas: Largest North American manufacturer of custom window coverings (shades, blinds, shutters, motorized) and a key vendor partner of The Shady Lady. Comparable as the dominant manufacturer whose products anchor much of the custom retail channel.
- Norman Window Fashions: Global manufacturer of custom window treatments (shutters, shades, blinds, motorized) selling through dealer networks. Comparable as a manufacturing incumbent whose products compete for shelf space at retailers like The Shady Lady.
Regional players
- California Window & Door / Shutter Company of California: West Coast custom shutter, blind and shade specialist. Demonstrates the regional custom window treatment retailer archetype; comparable business model but operates in a different geography than The Shady Lady.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Shady Lady social profiles
Digital presenceThe Shady Lady financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Shady Lady leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Shady Lady funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Shady Lady M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Shady Lady
What does The Shady Lady do?
The Shady Lady designs, fabricates, and installs custom residential window treatments including drapes, shades, shutters, blinds, and motorized/automated systems for Houston-area homeowners. The company delivers a complete turn-key service starting with shop-at-home or office consultations, followed by custom manufacturing to exact window specifications, professional installation, and post-installation warranty support. It sources products from multiple premium vendors (Hunter Douglas, Sunbrella, Insolroll, and others) to provide tailored solutions for both standard and challenging window configurations.
Is The Shady Lady a public or private company?
The Shady Lady is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The Shady Lady founded?
The Shady Lady was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Shady Lady based?
The Shady Lady is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does The Shady Lady make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Custom Window Treatment Sales are the primary driver. The others are professional Installation Services.
Who are The Shady Lady's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Budget Blinds, Gotcha Covered, The Shade Store, Smith & Noble, Stoneside Blinds & Shades, 3 Day Blinds and Blinds.com. Broad incumbents are Hunter Douglas and Norman Window Fashions. California Window & Door / Shutter Company of California is listed as a regional player.
Does The Shady Lady have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Shady Lady.
What industry is The Shady Lady in?
The Shady Lady's product category is Custom Window Treatments. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIAKAD, Custom Drapery & Made-to-Measure Window Coverings Retail, with a secondary code of CRAIAKAF, Motorized & Smart Window Treatments Retail (Automated, App-Controlled). Its NAICS code is 449122 and its SIC code is 5700.