Another great experience with Smith's Shades. I had a huge roller shade (22 feet long) installed, by a different company, in 2005 and the motor finally gave out. The original company said I'd have to take everything down (a decorative valance was built around it...) and likely have to put in a whole new shade (fabric, etc.). The quote included some carpentry and was quite high (well over $4k). So I called Smith's Shade and initially they said they doubted they could fix this OLD roller shade, especially since they didn't even install it. But I insisted they give it a try and I'd pay them for a diagnostic, etc. Well, they came and fiddled with it forever (over 2 hours) to both get it down without damaging the valance, then install a new motor, and reinstall the roller shade near the ceiling. It works great! The price was MUCH less (about a third of) than the other company's quote. Unfortunately, while reinstalling they pointed out to me that they had slightly damaged the fabric of an adjacent roller shade. I didn't notice the damage initially... but when they pointed it out, then it was more obvious. They said - don't worry, we have that fabric and can replace that shade when it's convenient - at no charge. That was a month ago and they just finished installing that new fabric on the smaller shade and it looks / works great. As I mentioned on my earlier review: you can't go wrong with Smith's Shades: a fair price for a great product and outstanding service! read more

We have used Smith Shade for beautiful insulating, room darkening window treatments more than once. Their customer service and quality is always five star worthy. Krista came to our home and helped us pick out the perfect shade for our main bedroom. Her knowledge and style suggestions are amazing. The shade was finished ahead of schedule and expertly installed in less than hour by Stan. Highly recommend! read more

If money (or character) matters, I'd shop somewhere else. I spent thousands at Smith Shade, but when I called to get a simple DIY replacement part, neither Reception nor Service nor the Owner talking to Service behind the phone would agree to what the premium shade manufacturer Hunter Douglas advertises openly on their website - that replacement parts are provided lifetime free of charge (along with online DIY installation instructions). Instead, I was told I'd have to pay for my part "plus a premium" and that I'd need at least one (but probably two) service appointments at $150 on top of that. I said "no thanks" and found an alternative Hunter Douglas vendor online. Even though I didn't buy my shades at that other vendor, they immediately said "no problem, free parts, tell us the part you need and we'll get it shipped pronto." Make your own judgment. read more

My husband and I hired Smith Shade over summer to install in our back family room for our tri-fold windows and also our 2 sets of French doors. We loved what they offered, and agreed to have our custom shades created and installed. The estimated time for them to be completed and installed was approx 3 months out. I was excited to have them in but bummed at the time it took. We met with the owner and I voiced my dismay about the time frame. I was very pregnant at that time and wanted a little relief from all the sunlight and heat that came in through that room (our home was under complete renovation at that time) The owner, expressed the time frame frame for our custom shades to be created. We still decided to proceed. To our surprise, we were contacted that the shades would be complete in less than half that time and were ready for installation. We are so pleased with the beautiful product we received. They're amazing, beautiful and well worth every penny. We decided on the remote controlled panel shades. One tiny remote served all 3 areas. My husband loves high techy stuff and gadgets, so, the wall switch wasn't going to cut it lol Thank you Smith Shades! You came through with Beauty, functionality and great quality work. We highly recommend them and look forward to working with Smith Shades again once some more of our home is complete. Thank you!!! read more

We had a Brio retractable pleated insect screen installed across our large patio door a few years ago, but it failed. The original installer has disappeared. During our conversatation with Brio on repair under warranty they recommended Smith Shade as an installer they trusted in my area. Smith Shade made new measurements and worked with Brio to get a new screen assembly. Two Smith Shade guys came out with the new screen, installed it in about four hours, and it works so much better than it did originally. They discovered that the original installation did not compensate for a tilt of the framing where the upper track was mounted. Smith Shade shimmed the track before the installation. Now I can slide the screen with my little finger. I could never do that before! I am very pleased with Smith Shade's professionalism and focus on quality of work. read more

I was referred to Smith Shade by my interior designer when we remodeled in 2013. I worked with Krista who has a great eye for the right shade solutions, including colors and styles. Everything from ordering through installation went very smoothly. Seven years later, all of our indoor shades are still in perfect working order. We finished a large backyard remodel this spring and once again Krista came through with beautiful outdoor shades. A week or so after installation we spotted a very tiny hole, almost imperceptible, on one of the shades. It didn't bother us, but we decided to notify Smith Shade just in case a problem arose in the future. We had no intention of getting a replacement, but they insisted it was a material defect and the shade was replaced with a new one, no questions asked. Smith Shade provides quality products, does superior installation and stands by its warranty. You can get less expensive products elsewhere, but you can't get better than this great family business. read more

I have done business with Smith Shade for 10 years. We recently moved and needed them for several types of window coverings. Many were specialty needs, and Krista was up to the task. She suggested the perfect solutions for our needs. The installers are top notch. Today an installer came out just to put up a simple sun screen mounted outside of one of our windows. He put it up expertly and even took the time to show us how best to clip down the shade in case of wind. When they came to take measurements for the window, they picked up the outside stucco paint so they could paint the shade casing to blend in with the house. What more can a person ask for! I would (and have) recommended this company to anyone. Jolene Jackson read more

Hi Neil, As Promised, I just posted the below review on Yelp. Please share this e-mail with Ryan. _______________________________________________________________ My wife and I were looking for new shades/curtains for our home. We had never used, but we had heard positive comments about Smith's Shades. I called and spoke to Neil Duggan. Neil was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I provided Neil with "our" required materials and measurements. Within a couple of hours, Neil provided us with reasonable price quotations for both the materials and installation. Subsequently, within 24 hours, Neil arranged for his installer, Ryan, to come out to our home, to obtain exact measurements. It should be noted that Ryan too, was extremely courteous and professional. We committed to purchase the shades/curtains, and Neil provided us with a quick installation schedule, that more than met our expectations. Neil confirmed a couple days before installation. Ryan came out, arrived on time, as scheduled, and he expeditiously and professionally completed the installation to our satisfaction. Neil represents the Best-of-the-Best, when it comes to Customer Service Professionals, and what customers normally expect from Customer Service Representatives, but seldom get. He is a tremendous asset to Smith's Shades. Likewise, we were equally appreciative with the diligence, and the attention-to-detail of Ryan's installation. Because of Neil's Special Assistance, and Ryan's installation, my wife and I will act as a positive referral to our friends, neighbors, colleagues, and relatives to Smith's Shades. Most Appreciative Customers, Dr. Reid Jilek read more

I had black out shades installed for 12 windows and 2 full doors in my master bedroom. My wife and I prefer total blackness in the morning. We have 2 young kids now so the days of sleeping in are long gone. LOL. But we still dream of the day of sleeping in late again someday so we looked for a good place to install black out shades. Originally we were interested in installing motorized black out shades so we could control it on a remote control. We had somewhat of a difficult time finding people online that specialized in this. I actually found Smith Shade by doing a Google search and they came up as someone that specialized in it. It was a bit of a gamble as I couldn't find any reviews online and especially on Angieslist, where I have come to depend on finding quality vendors. But I decided to email them and see how their response was. They promptly emailed me back and scheduled to come out, see my house and room where I wanted the black out blinds. The owner himself (Ralph) came out which really impressed me. He was very professional, on time and brought out several samples along with his Ipad with a sample photo gallery. The price difference vs. motorized and manual was quite a bit. I wanted to go with the motorized option (you can get either battery or get it wired to control it with the electricity in the house). But the quote for the fully motorized version was over $9,000 and my wife won out on the argument against the motorized version since it was really just our master bedroom. We have a very large Master Bedroom. We have 8 windows on all sides of the bedroom as it's on the corner of the house. There is also a balcony door. We also got the 2 windows in the bathroom done so it would block out the light as it's down from the master bathroom. We also ended up getting a balcony door done in our son's bedroom. Everything turned out beautifully. Ralph provided a very detailed quote and he even came back out to re-measure all the windows and doors as he wanted to make sure everything was perfect. He then had the installer come out a week later! The installer, Stan was VERY good. A true professional. He spent about 5 hours out installing all of them. We have existing wooden blinds with valances over the blinds. The price included the company making custom valances to cover the black out blinds so you couldn't see them when it was rolled out and I could still use the existing wooden blinds. Stan had installed all the cords to roll the blinds up and they hung down a bit further than I would have liked so I asked him to shorten them and he didn't hesitate at all and shortened all of them. There was a slight problem as the valances for the doors didn't fit as they were too big so you couldn't open the doors all the way. I asked Stan if they could custom make a smaller solution for the 2 doors and he said they would fix it. A week later they came out and installed the covers for the balcony doors and they look really great! Everyone I came in contact with the company was extremely professional. What I really loved is this is a family company and they treat their customers like it. You didn't feel like just a #. Ralph and Stan were really wonderful and the finished product is great and very functional. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again if we decide to put more black out blinds in. I'd highly recommend them to anyone looking for black out blinds. Ralph told me they manufacturer the blinds themselves in house. That seemed to really speed up the time frame in which they can install them. They also accept credit cards. I paid 50% upfront and then the balance after they were done. A really great experience from start to finish. read more

This is a challenging review to write. I was blown away by the professionalism and courtesy uniformly provided by each member of the Smith Shades team! It's funny in a way. Sort of like getting Nordstrom level quality of product and customer service from a small factory in Lemon Grove (of all places!). Wife and I were finishing a total home remodel overseen by Marrokal Design and Remodeling (separate review). Marrokal recommend three sources for interior shades. We visited one that is a chain store and didn't come away with a particularly confident feeling. Wife & I decided to drop into Smith Shades unannounced to get a feel for their operation. From the minute we walked in the door we had a feeling of total confidence. We were immediately greeted by Drea in administration who then called for a product specialist to answer our questions. Their showroom is very small but that's OK, I'm paying for superior product and not displays. Drea scheduled a home visit for us by Ralph Smith who is current owner. Turns out Smith Shades has been a family owned and operated business for generations - I respect that! Ralph arrived at our home as scheduled and walked around home with us to get a feel for our style. He then proceeded to lead us through various product catalogs containing product samples. Wife and I were leaning towards the sheerest sun protection shade in order to maximize our view when shade was down. Ralph advised against the sheerest shade. He said restaurants order this sheer shade (even over his recommendation against). The restaurants then regret the sheer selection as customers complain about heat from the sun through the shade. Ralph recommended one grade higher in sun screen protection which still provides enough visibility. Now that shades are installed we are extremely grateful for Ralph's advice. Our house faces West and gets uninterrupted afternoon sun. If we had chosen the sheerest shade the sun would be damaging our furniture while also providing too much heat. Ralph's recommendation balanced visibility through shade with adequate sun protection. Lastly, I appreciated that Smith Shades controls all manufacturing of shades in their Lemon Grove factory. I have far more confidence in a company such as this as opposed to a chain retailer who is placing order with a separate manufacturer. In summary, Smith Shades is totally 5-stars, "Woohoo! As good as it gets!". read more

David and his employees have good old customer service ethics. I came in with shades a few times and they simply made adjustments and also instructions on how to adjust and not have to get repaired at home. When it comes to needing repair they do it. They are the ones other companies send repairs to. Actually I was sent to them because the company that sent out to them didn't have time. They are full service and specialize in motorized shades. I can't wait to replace my old school blinds with this in the master bedroom. read more

I absolutely LOVE my new shades!!! They're beautiful and easy to use. Brandi's suggested shade looks perfect in my home. Smith shades made the window covering process so simple. I felt very taken care of. The installer was in and out in about an hour. I highly recommend Smith Shades for all your home window needs! read more

Great service. Have worked with them on multiple window coverings and installs thru out the years.

After looking at a number of low quality inexpensive french Door screens, we were referred to Smith Shade by a relative from Quality Interiors. Smith provided us with a sliding screen door of the highest quality. Sales was very accommodating and the installation team was first class! Cannot begin to tell you how much enjoyment we have had from opening up our living room to the breezes and view. Smith Shade is 5 star in every way. read more

Showed up with a mask and was quick to fix the issues. Great service with excellent customer support!

Amazing customer service, great product, affordable, quick installation, and easy to work with. Will definitely use them again for any other roller shades that we order. read more

I agree. Their customer service is the best. I've had my motorized shades for nearly 2 years now and I am grateful everyday that I used this company. Everyone at Smith Shade is very friendly and their installation service is impeccable. If only I had more windows to shade... read more

Worst customer service ever! Completely unresponsive to email. Had to call every time I wanted a response. Take your business elsewhere!!! read more

I bought from smith shades 12years ago, our shades are still like new and everything runs as new. I was painting my doors that have shades that are manual, I wanted to change the chain and the pin wheel that worked the pulley system, when I went in I was greeted by the owner who was extremely nice and very professional, making sure I got what I needed. He took the time to make sure I knew how everything worked. He also put new adhesive tape and restitched the bottom of our curtain. I was very thankful and very impressed with his kindness and how thoughtful he was!!! I'll always be a customer for life at Smith Shades!! read more

Smith shade (& Stan and Jordan) just completed a two day installation of automated window shades mounted on the exterior of our home. What a great crew, and what a fabulous result. They did everything they said they'd do on the days they promised, and we couldn't be happier! Great company. read more

We recently had 3 motorized shades installed on the west side of our home. We called Smith's because we had great success when we used them a couple of years ago on our interior designer's recommendation. Krista came out to evaluate our situation. She was quite knowledgeable and she was able to easily solve a challenge on how to place the shade for one of the walls. Once the shades arrived, David and Thomas installed them, quickly and efficiently. The customer service was great throughout the entire process. Our shades look great and work beautifully! read more

We had looked for months to find service on our disappearing Phantom screen doors. After contacting the factory, they contacted Smith Shades. This took a day. Troy came out to Oceanside, when he said he would at the scheduled time. Performed the service as quoted. Quickly and professionally. Troy was personable and competent. He did the job and more. I would use these folks again. It was so nice to fine a professional and component service person. read more

Smith Shade installed large roller shades in our house, both manual and automatic. The installers were really professional and the shades turned out beautifully. There was a slightly larger gap than I expected between our 18' panels, and I mentioned it casually to the installer but I was still happy with the automatic shades as they looked beautiful. And Smith Shades re-fabricated and installed replacement shades at no cost! Who does that???? I highly recommend - great company that backs up its work. read more

The Smith Shades experience was fabulous from selection through installation! I highly recommend them. A family business they are very invested in their customers and providing a quality product at a fair price. This commitment shows with competent and caring staff handing each step of the process. Thank you Krista for helping me select the perfect shades. Thank you Neil for patiently arranging for installation around my schedule and graciously accommodating changes. Thank you Kevin for the excellent installation in an apartment with crooked ceilings and explaining things as the installation progressed. Thank you Tasha for your support each step of the way. And thank you to the people at Smith Shades, whom I did not meet, who made the shades. Smith Shades is a company where expertise, kindness, flexibility, patience and caring, along with beautiful shades, are what they offer. I am so pleased with the shades they created - they make me smile whenever I look at them. read more

These guys are fantastic!!! I have old Phantom screen doors - from when they first came out - and had renters for a while in the house. For both reasons, these screens were out of adjustment, gumped up and worn out. I put in a request for service through the national website and Mike called immediately, left a voice mail and emailed me to be sure I didn't miss a contact. Troy came out THE NEXT DAY!!! I live a little out in the country so this kind of fast service almost never happens out here! Troy was warm and friendly, very professional, on time, cleaned up his work perfectly and made my poor worn out doors work and look like brand new. He was even very careful my cats didn't get out while he was working on the screen doors. The price was very reasonable too. I can't recommend these guys enough. I was jazzed to learn they also do window treatments so I absolutely will be back. They have a customer for life in me!!! :) read more