7 Essential Facts About Shades of Light in Richmond VA

Shades of Light, founded in 1986 in Richmond, VA, started as a small business and expanded nationally. It specializes in high-style lighting, ceiling fans, and home accessories. The company emphasizes unique, handcrafted designs with modern and classic aesthetics. It operates two Richmond showrooms, offering expert consultations. Collaborations with designers like Erin & Ben Napier create exclusive collections. A new Chesterfield facility boosts operations. Their Contract Lighting division serves hospitality and more. Explore further for deeper insights.

Key Takeaways

• Shades of Light, founded in 1986 in Richmond, VA, specializes in high-style lighting and home accessories.
• The company operates two showrooms in Richmond at West Broad Street and Midlothian Turnpike.
• It offers unique, handcrafted lighting designs using premium materials like copper and brass.
• Shades of Light collaborates with designers like Erin & Ben Napier for exclusive collections.
• A new 83,162-square-foot facility in Chesterfield County supports its operational growth.

Origins and Growth of Shades of Light

Since its founding in 1986, Shades of Light has grown from a single-location showroom in historic Richmond, Virginia, into a prominent national retailer. The company emerged as a small local business with a vision to offer exclusive, high-style lighting designs. The Founder Story reveals a commitment to blending style with craftsmanship, establishing a curated collection of distinctive fixtures and decor that set Shades of Light apart from competitors.

In its early years, the company faced significant Early Challenges, including building a customer base in a niche market and competing with larger retailers. Despite these hurdles, Shades of Light focused on serving the Richmond area with unique products, laying the groundwork for national expansion. This dedication to quality and exclusivity enabled the business to overcome initial obstacles and evolve from a local showroom into a recognized name in the lighting and home decor industry. Over time, the company has been recognized as one of Richmond’s fastest-growing companies, reflecting its remarkable growth and community impact. A significant milestone in this growth was the acquisition of Colonial Metalcrafts in 2013, further expanding their exclusive lighting products.

Unique Product Design and Craftsmanship

Shades of Light in Richmond, VA, stands out for its innovative in-house creations that blend modern and classic aesthetics to suit a variety of preferences.

The company also fosters exclusive designer partnerships, such as with Erin & Ben Co., to offer unique collections unavailable elsewhere.

These efforts highlight a commitment to originality and quality in lighting design.

Innovative In-House Creations

At Shades of Light in Richmond, VA, the commitment to innovative in-house creations sets the company apart in the lighting industry. Their design process thrives on idea generation and creative workshops, fostering unique blends of modern and classic aesthetics. Skilled artisans employ custom craftsmanship, using high-quality, eco-friendly materials to craft exclusive lighting solutions like chandeliers and pendants.

Below is a snapshot of their innovative approach:

Aspect	Detail
Material Selection	High-quality, durable, eco-friendly
Craftsmanship	Handcrafted, precise assembly
Design Innovation	Modern-classic fusion, bold statements
Quality Control	Rigorous inspections, safety standards
Product Range	Exclusive chandeliers, custom solutions

This dedication ensures products that balance style, functionality, and durability for diverse residential and commercial needs.

Exclusive Designer Partnerships

A notable strength of Shades of Light in Richmond, VA, lies in its exclusive designer partnerships that elevate the brand’s offerings through unique product design and craftsmanship.

Collaborations with HGTV’s Erin & Ben Napier and influencers like Chris Loves Julia bring heirloom-quality lighting with timeless elegance and trend-setting appeal.

These partnerships foster brand synergy, aligning Shades of Light with popular design personalities to expand national reach and accessibility.

Exclusive Designer Collaborations

Renowned for its innovative approach, Shades of Light in Richmond, Virginia, has forged impactful partnerships with celebrated designers to create exclusive lighting collections.

These collaborations, featuring talents like Erin & Ben Napier of Erin & Ben Co., Chris and Julia Marcum of Chris Loves Julia, and past projects with Young House Love, showcase distinct aesthetics and styles.

Each collection is meticulously designed, often assembled in Virginia by local artisans, using high-quality materials like copper and brass to reflect timeless elegance.

Crafted with care in Virginia by local artisans, each piece uses premium copper and brass, embodying enduring sophistication.

To highlight the uniqueness of these partnerships, consider the following:

1. Distinctive Styles: Each designer infuses personal flair, creating trend-setting pieces.
2. Local Craftsmanship: Many fixtures are handcrafted in Virginia, emphasizing quality.
3. National Reach: Collections are available online, broadening accessibility.

Shades of Light continues to prioritize such exclusive collaborations, promising innovative designs that resonate with diverse audiences and elevate home decor standards.

Retail Locations and Expert Services

Shades of Light operates two prominent retail locations in Richmond, VA, at 4924 West Broad St and 9912 Midlothian Turnpike, offering customers access to extensive lighting and decor inventories.

Both showrooms provide convenient hours from Monday to Saturday, ensuring accessibility for in-person shopping and services like curbside pickup.

Additionally, the stores are staffed with trained experts who offer specialized lighting assistance, including personalized consultations and technical services such as lamp repair and fixture conversions.

Richmond Showroom Locations

Nestled in the heart of Richmond, VA, the Shades of Light showrooms offer two convenient locations for lighting and home décor enthusiasts at 4924 West Broad Street, across from Willow Lawn, and 9912 Midlothian Turnpike, at the intersection of Robious and Midlothian Turnpike.

Both sites, notable for their accessible Building Architecture, are situated in vibrant Surrounding Areas, enhancing the shopping experience with nearby landmarks like Willow Lawn shopping center.

Explore these locations with ease by considering:

1. Operating Hours: Open Monday-Thursday 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Friday-Saturday 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, closed Sundays.
2. Contact Support: Reach out at (804) 288-6515 for inquiries or orders.
3. Convenient Access: Use mapping services for seamless navigation to either showroom address.

Specialized Lighting Assistance

At the core of Shades of Light’s offerings in Richmond, VA, lies their commitment to specialized lighting assistance, available at both retail locations on 4924 West Broad Street and 9912 Midlothian Turnpike.

Trained lighting experts provide personalized guidance, technical support, and solutions like lamp repairs, antique wiring, and modern conversions such as LED upgrades.

Their services extend to custom lampshade fitting, chandelier repairs, and design support for residential and commercial projects, adhering to strict safety protocols during installations and restorations.

Additionally, Shades of Light offers a Trade program for designers and contractors, ensuring access to a vast inventory of major lighting brands.

Despite their expertise, some customers report delays and service inconsistencies, highlighting areas for improvement in their operations.

Commitment to Customer Satisfaction

Illuminating the importance of customer satisfaction, Shades of Light in Richmond, VA, prioritizes accessibility and responsiveness through its dedicated Customer Care team.

Available via phone at (800) 262-6612 and email at CustomerCare@ShadesofLight.com, the team addresses product inquiries, orders, and service issues for retail customers and trade professionals.

Retail showrooms feature trained lighting experts, while online tools enable order tracking, ensuring support across multiple channels.

Despite a strong 4.3 out of 5 rating with 72% five-star reviews, some customers report product quality issues and shipping delays.

The company actively responds to complaints, offering replacements or refunds, though return processes and communication have drawn mixed feedback.

To understand customer experiences better, Shades of Light employs Satisfaction Metrics and Feedback Surveys to gauge and improve service quality.

Consider these key aspects of their commitment:

1. Responsive Support: Multiple contact options for immediate assistance.
2. Customer Feedback: Addressing concerns with public responses.
3. Quality Focus: Handmade products reflecting craftsmanship.

Specialized Business Divisions

Shades of Light in Richmond, VA, extends its expertise beyond retail through specialized business divisions tailored to diverse markets.

Among its key Business Units, the Contract Lighting for Hospitality division stands out, serving multi-family complexes, hotels, resorts, retail chains, restaurants, and the film industry.

This unit provides customized, high-quality lighting solutions for commercial clients, accommodating a wide range of décor styles and showcasing its work at major design expositions like HD Expo in Las Vegas.

Additionally, Shades of Light excels in various Specialty Areas through its in-house design and manufacturing capabilities.

With a skilled team of designers and artisans, the company creates unique lighting fixtures using materials like copper and brass, blending traditional and modern aesthetics.

Operating from a 50,000-square-foot facility in Richmond, these Business Units craft exclusive collections, often in collaboration with influencers, reinforcing the company’s reputation for innovation and versatility in lighting design.

Advanced Operations and Logistics

Innovation drives the operational advancements at Shades of Light, particularly with the development of a new facility in Chesterfield County, VA.

Spanning 83,162 square feet, this space consolidates distribution, production, and office operations from three prior locations, enhancing efficiency in the Supply Chain.

With room for an additional 27,000 square feet of growth, the facility supports the company’s substantial sales increase since 2011 and streamlines Inventory Management processes.

Key highlights of Shades of Light’s logistical upgrades include:

1. Centralized Operations: The new facility integrates multiple functions, reducing operational fragmentation and boosting productivity.
2. Employee Allocation: Approximately 65 of 80 staff members will operate from this hub, optimizing workforce distribution.
3. Future-Ready Design: Built to accommodate expansion, the site ensures scalability for evolving business needs.

This strategic consolidation positions Shades of Light to maintain high standards in logistics, supporting both local and broader customer bases effectively.