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The Shade Store review

Updated September 30, 2026 · HabitatCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.

Our verdict

The Shade Store suits US homeowners fitting a whole room who want made to measure work, free samples and an assembly service in a single order. It is a premium choice, with prices starting at $200 and a return window of 0 days, so the commitment runs one way rather than back.

Key facts

Best for
Made to measure blinds and curtains in the US, with free samples and an assembly service included in the same seller.
Price from
$200↗
Made to measure
Yes↗
Free samples
Yes↗
Return window
0 days↗
Machine washable
No↗
Markets
US↗
Legal entity
The Shade Store, LLC↗
Headquarters
United States↗
Founded
1946↗
Support channels
Email, Phone, Chat, Help-centre↗
Products
Blinds, Curtains
Materials
Wood, Metal, Linen
Official website
theshadestore.com

Furniture and home stores

Assembly service
Yes↗
Finance
Yes↗
Departments
Decor

Facts checked September 30, 2026, 6 sources

Apps and profiles

Elsewhere
WikidataXinstagram.comfacebook.com

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Made to measure is offered, and 66.7% of brands in the curtains and blinds ranking offer it too, so this sits with the sellers that measure to the window.
  • An assembly service is offered, above the 72% share across brands on the site, which saves a separate fitter on install.
  • Free samples are offered, against 30% of brands on the site that do not offer them.
  • Support runs on email, phone and chat, and a help centre is the most common route at 91.7% in this ranking.
  • Founded 1946 and trading as The Shade Store, LLC in the United States, so a named company sits behind the order.

Cons

  • Returns are not offered: the return window is 0 days, where the site median is 30 and the curtains and blinds ranking median is 30.
  • Machine washable is not offered, so blinds and curtains need care beyond a washing machine.
  • Entry prices start at $200, above Hillarys at £50, which places this brand 74 of 82 on entry price.
  • The range is blinds and curtains only, where VEVOR lists rugs, washable rugs and lighting and Sunjoy Group lists lighting, curtains and decor, so a mixed room order has to be split.
The Shade Store

Ready to try The Shade Store?

Scored 9.0 / 10 by HabitatCue.

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Who it suits

  • US homeowners replacing the window coverings in a full room, who get more from a made to measure range with free samples and an assembly service than from VEVOR's wider list at rugs, washable rugs and lighting.
  • Buyers who prefer handier contact over breadth, since support runs on email, phone and chat and a question can reach a person rather than a listing page.
  • Anyone comfortable with a business that ships to US only and settles an order on the first delivery, given the return window is 0 days.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Shoppers sorting on opening price: Hillarys starts at £50, a lower entry point than the $200 here.
  • Anyone outfitting a whole room in a single place: VEVOR covers rugs, washable rugs and lighting, so rugs and lighting can be ordered alongside curtains.
  • Buyers who want a return window in place: the return period is 0 days, so a wrong size or shade has no route back.

What it does well

Measurement is the core of the offer: made to measure is offered, so window sizes can be entered for each opening instead of chosen from standard drops. Free samples are offered as well, so fabric, weight and colour can be seen against the wall before an order is placed. That pairing matters more at a seller that measures to the window than at one pushing ready-made sizes, because the order is built around that opening's measurements rather than a standard drop. Care and changes are where the offer narrows. Machine washable is not offered, so the range is wiped down or professionally cleaned rather than going through a washing machine, and anyone planning on regular machine washing should read that line before ordering. The return window is 0 days, so a made to measure order that arrives in the wrong length, shade or fabric is not sent back. Measuring carefully and checking a sample first are the steps that make the range work, which puts more weight on the free samples and the help centre.

Who runs it

The Shade Store trades as The Shade Store, LLC, was founded 1946, and runs from a head office in the United States. The company behind the order is a named US business, so measuring advice, delivery and the returns position sit together rather than being split between a marketplace and a set of separate sellers. Contact is the part of the operation that shapes the experience. Support runs on email, phone and chat, so a question can go out by email, by phone, by chat, or into a help centre for the self-serve route. Phone and chat put a person on the other end, and the help centre is where measuring, cleaning and hardware questions get answered in writing. For a seller that fits its products once and keeps them on the wall for years, a long trading record alongside reachable support is the reassurance that carries the most weight.

How The Shade Store compares

Where The Shade Store is available

Available
United States

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 30, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

How much do blinds and curtains cost at The Shade Store?+

Prices start at $200 and the range runs blinds and curtains in materials including wood, metal and linen. That entry point sits above Hillarys, which starts at £50, and the site places this brand 74 of 82 on entry price, so the budget for a room of windows is set before the first sample order.

Are the blinds and curtains made to measure?+

Made to measure is offered, so window sizes can be entered rather than chosen from standard drops. 55.1% of the brands on the site offer it and 66.7% of those in the curtains and blinds ranking do, which puts this brand among the sellers that measure to the window. It matters more here because the return window is 0 days.

Can I send back blinds or curtains if they do not suit?+

The return window is 0 days, so returns are not part of the offer. For context, the median return window across brands on the site is 30, and the median in the curtains and blinds ranking is 30. A made to measure order is therefore a final purchase, which is why the free samples and the measuring help carry more weight here.

Are the curtains machine washable?+

Machine washable is not offered, so the range is cleaned by hand or by a specialist rather than dropped into a washing machine. Across brands on the site, 82.9% offer machine washable options, and in the curtains and blinds ranking the figure is 85.7%. For a made to measure curtain in wood, metal and linen, that difference is worth weighing before ordering.

Where does The Shade Store deliver and how do I get help?+

The market is US and the head office is in the United States, so the catalogue and delivery stay inside a single country. Support runs on email, phone and chat, which means email, phone and chat reach a person while a help centre holds the self-serve answers. Help centres are the most common support route on the site, at 91.7% of brands in the curtains and blinds ranking.

Can I pay for made to measure blinds over time?+

Finance is offered, so a made to measure order can be spread over time rather than paid up front, with prices starting at $200. Most brands in this part of the site offer finance too: 92.1% across the site and 100% in the curtains and blinds ranking, so the payment route is not a reason to pick one brand over another.

Can I get samples before ordering?+

Free samples are offered, so fabric, weight and colour can be judged in the room before a made to measure order is placed. 70% of brands on the site offer samples and 70% of those in the curtains and blinds ranking do, which places this brand among the sellers that send them out. It matters more here because the return window is 0 days.

Does The Shade Store install what it sells?+

An assembly service is offered, so an install that goes past a bracket can be handed to the company rather than to a local fitter. 72% of brands on the site offer an assembly service and 83.3% of those in the curtains and blinds ranking do, so this is a normal part of the category rather than a standout extra.

Who is behind The Shade Store and how long has it traded?+

The business trades as The Shade Store, LLC and was founded 1946, with a head office in the United States. Trading since then means the measuring advice and the returns decision sit with a single named US company rather than a marketplace of sellers, which matters for a product that is fitted once and left in place.

Sources

  • theshadestore.com checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Free samples, Made to measure, Materials, Price from, Products, Departments, Support channels

    “All swatch orders are free and arrive in 1-3 days.”

  • theshadestore.com/about-us/our-story checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Founded

    “PROUDLY HANDCRAFTED IN THE USA SINCE 1946”

  • theshadestore.com/affirm-financing checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Finance

    “BUY NOW, PAY OVER TIME - Rates from 0-36% APR. Payment options through Affirm”

  • theshadestore.com/corporate-info/terms-and-conditions checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Headquarters, Markets

    “This Site is hosted and operated by The Shade Store in the United States”

  • theshadestore.com/customer-service/faq checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Machine washable

    “Clean with a low suction, hand held vacuum or dust with a soft, clean cloth or feather duster. Never immerse your treatment in liquid of any type.”

  • theshadestore.com/customer-service/guarantee-and-warranty checked September 30, 2026

    Backs: Assembly service, Legal entity, Return window

    “Installation services are offered by The Shade Store at an additional charge ... Minimum Trip Fee $250, 10% of Full Product Price For Non-Motorized Items (excl. Drapery), 15% for Motorized Items &...”

Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.

What changed

  • September 30, 2026: Assembly service now yes
  • September 30, 2026: Finance now yes
  • September 30, 2026: Return window now 0
  • September 30, 2026: Departments now decor
  • September 30, 2026: axisScores cost was 8.1, now 8.2
  • September 30, 2026: score was 8.9, now 9.0
The Shade Store

The Shade Store

Made to measure blinds and curtains in the US, with free samples and an assembly service included in the same seller.

9.0/10See alternatives