AVOID. This company lacks professionalism, customer service skills, and quality products. I have spent PLENTY on Shade Store's drapes and shades for two condos and one house. I have ongoing projects in two states. I am stuck in these projects, because the orders were already placed and shipped. The customer service is AWFUL. The technicians sent to measure FAIL over and again. The installers are not great, as they have required repeat visits to complete each shade or drapery install. One window takes several attempts to get right (which means months). The worst problem yet surfaced when an existing shade in a unit needed a repair service. This shade has been serviced 3+ times in the last 2-3 years. It fails within several months, never lasting beyond 6mo. I do not live in Chicago year-round, and seldom use the bedroom shades (2x/day max, if used). I walked into their showroom in Spring of 2025 with every intention of buying new shades and drapes. I was tired or having a technician come out for repair that would only last 3mo at most. The Shade store's showroom rep suggested that the shade in question was improperly installed OR poorly measured when purchased, which is why it continues failing on us. She went further to suggest the Shade Store pay to replace the entire shade for such poor product/install. After some conversation, we decided to try one more repair and see if the product remains functioning beyond a few months. If not, we'd know to move forward with a new shade (and drapery) purchase. After MONTHS of waiting on Shade Store to respond to a service request, and many contacts and forms of communication later, they decided they would NOT repair the shade free of charge. They claimed it was no longer under warranty (BYE BYE "LIFETIME LIMITED WARRANTY"), and I'd have to pay $300 ($250 service +$50 parts) to repair it. A very long story short: I have ongoing projects in two states with Shade Store, and have spent PLENTY (with PLENTY more planned) on their products/service. They chose to no longer cover the service repair fee under warranty, and decided collecting $250 was smarter than collecting tens of thousands of dollars in drapes/shades. The last woman who called went further to say that all the previous reps who serviced the shade had an "oversight issue," and shouldn't have. The customer service is ATROCIOUS given how much you'll spend. After the last call, I called Restoration Hardware (RH) to verify if they FINALLY ditched the Shade Store as their partners. They have been trying to for years, as I was told, because they didn't find the Shade Store to have reputable standards for measure and install. FORTUNATELY, RH offers both shades and draperies within their own gallery. I was very clear with RH that I did NOT want to purchase any Shade Store product from RH, and was against Shade Store technicians being used for measuring windows for RH products. They completely understood and said RH has been battling them for YEARS, and hated the partnership. This news, and the well-known customer service at RH, couldn't have been shared at a better time. Shade Store customer service, technicians, and products are equally lacking. AVOID being STUCK with the dreadful Shade Store. read more

Do not order from The Shade Store. The Customer Service and Install group are terrible. On the install date, the company did not show up. 2 months later, I have no install date, no product, and they will not give me a refund. Better Business Bureau here we come. read more

I used to order from Smith and Noble, but they are no more, so I tried the shade store. Not happy with them. Flat roman shades are totally different than any other company's flat roman shade, but that was not in the description. They are also VERY expensive. Customer service is giving me the run around. Won't order from them again read more

Quality and value from samples to precise measurement to installment! Top-notch service. Installer Denzel Jones did a fantastic job. And the blinds are beautiful. Highly recommend. read more

My experience with The Shade Store has been nothing less than a nightmare. Our designer lives in WA we built a home in Florida and she uses this company, which now will not be... After spending 45k in shades, we have had the worst experience with installation. Wrong measurements. Wrong hardware. We've been waiting for certain rooms to be installed since June.. the Master being the last room not installed. Had an apt booked for the July 23rd for 2.5 weeks. Day of called to say it takes 2 PROs and they only have one PRO on the job, so sorry about ya. 2 pros to service the Orlando, Jacksonville, Gainesville, sometimes south of GA area, but Tampa alone has 4 PRO installers... July 25th they send a guy to install Master from South Florida to install without the NEW hardware... bc whoever measured didn't order from the beginning correct hardware. It's been 1 week since that guy showed up. No calls. No new update. I call today and they can give me a round about install of 8/19.... Soonest available... The fact this isn't priority. It's not a spare room, it's a master bedroom that THEY messed up. It's unbelievable how unorganized and the lack of support for the area this covers. I would never and now our designer is done giving business to The Shade Store read more

What I thought was a beautiful product turned into a nightmare as this company changed the entire artisan wood shade I originally had installed from a neutral warm gray to a cool gray. If their customer service would have been better in the beginning, I would've never had to had this change and shade. It was very poor customer service from their main customer service and the bought the shades that I absolutely loved are now something that I have such resentment for. read more

I engaged Shade Store for window blinds in my new home.- 14 Blinds, for ~$5300.00, in March 2024. It has been a disaster from the start. The delivery in April 2024,scheduled incorrectly and was incomplete. Whe the professional installer arrived, they found half of the blinds were the wrong measurements. A week later, I was told that they were shipped to me incorrectly. I had to schedule a second date for them to re-measure the windows , for the factory to remake the blinds. As late as February 17, 2025, there were still issues with measuring and getting the correct valances - again measured incorrectly. After a year of frustration I was offered a $500 refund of the installation charges. This was a miserable experience - I will never use them again!!! read more

My partner and I had an unpleasant experience with a very unhappy jaded sales rep who was unhappy about answering questions we both had about your product; unfortunately for the company this was our first time in the showroom and our last... read more

We decided to go with Shade store for our new home because Carrie at this location was very helpful. It has been a very stressful journey since January 2024. We spent around $15000 for shades in the unit (bedrooms and living room) as we were hoping for good results. However, for the blackouts in two bedrooms, the shades were not flat and have wavy effects; there is gap so light comes in in second bedroom; the metal black chain keeps shedding dust so everyday there is dust on window sill and on furniture nearby; we notice one of the shade in living room doesn't go all the way to window sill; the hole the technician drilled on the wall was off center.. we have been talking with customer service rep Vanessa Sirni regarding this. She offered us around $500 credit refund at beginning of June. I tried a few times calling and emailing regarding repair of the shorter shade and letting her know $500 credit refund is too little compared with the $4900 that we paid for the bedrooms that we are looking to redo it in the future due to unpleasant wavy effects, but she never responded. It has been a stressful journey. I will definitely not recommend. read more

I had previously posted a negative review. I was immediately contacted by Tami in customer service. Tami jumped on the case and made everything right. Our shades arrived ahead of time and are installed. Having done 3 projects with The Shade Store I can confidently recommend, knowing that their customer service is very helpful Getting things on track. Thank you Jim M. read more

If you plan on going to The Shade Store in Chicago, definitely work with Kathy G. She knows her stuff! She has a great eye. My Basket Sheer drapery came out as close to perfection as you can get. I did not use my designer for this project because the Shade Store could install within 4-6 weeks. We had a big hiccup with the first round, but the Shade Store stood true to their word and replaced the drapery with Basket Sheer which is by far the most perfect material for my dining room and living room. Kathy guided me toward that fabric and she knows her goods. I am now finally in love with the new drapery and I appreciate Kathy being patient and professional throughout the entire process. read more

The Shade Store - Kitchen ripple fold done correctly NOT from shade store - Shades & Blinds Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ordered blinds, they were finally installed 4 months later (two months late). Meanwhile, I received the run around from customer service the whole time. In the end, they offered a 2% discount. AVOID THIS COMPANY! They are poorly run and when they got things wrong they made no attempt to remedy the situation. read more

I WAS a huge fan of the Shade Store...their selection, quality and beautifully designed shades are wonderful. However, as others have stated...good luck trying to get the salespeople to finalize the sale. For my most recent project ( BTW - I have spent thousands of dollars over the years) I literally cannot finalize an order that I started back in December of 2021 and it is now March of 2022. I need one small correction to the quote, and I have attempted to correct and finalize with two salespeople. What happened to what was once great service? Review update. I was contacted by a Shade Store representative. She was extremely helpful and I was able to complete the sale with my local store. Thank you Colette and Tami Silks for restoring my trust in The Shade Store. read more

I purchased multiple shades with the Shade Store in 2014. I've had two issues with the shades since then, one in 2016 and one in 2023. On both occasions, I had to address the issues via multiple call outs. The first motor replacement was the wrong motor, then it was installed incorrectly and couldn't troubleshot adequately. In the second occasion when we need to replace the shade, they misplaced the first dimensions when the service person came out, so someone else needed to come out. Then, the shade that was ordered was the wrong size. In each case, it required me to take off work 3 or 4 times to be there with the service person. While the service people were pleasant, it was obvious they were even aware of the quality and customer service issues at the corporate level. Finally, they offered me compensation for.my inconvenience, only later to let me know that the very small value ($100) was outside of their policy. I have never had such a poor customer experience with a company, especially one whose products are so expensive. I would not recommend to anyone. Have had much better experience with Stoneside Blinds. read more

I'm a perfectionist, and couldn't be more pleased that my wife and I chose the Shade Store for our livingroom and bedroom drapes. Never having purchased drapes, Kim at the Merchandise Mart was so helpful and patient with us. She really knows her business. Cannot stop looking at the drapes and how elegant they look in the rooms! read more

This company obviously cater to housewives only because they do not offer appointments during evening/weekends. Only Wednesdays!! That doesn't work for the typical working customer. The customer service representatives understand but can only offer what the company has available. read more

this business is terrible. kim from the merchandise mart is a liar in my opinion. at this point everyone i have spoken to get my drapery has lied. you don't get it shade store. i have the rod but no draperies and no one calls back. you promised the drapsries by now because we have an install date of may 30. it's ridiculous. i've never seen such mean treatment before. they are downright mean. dont buy from this store. it will come late and will not be what you originally ordered. it is awful. kim and kimberly you guys were supposed to call me. its so sad you destroy peoples lives. karma. what goes around comes around. you're so mean. read more

We worked with Hunter for shades installation for our east-facing windows. Hunter was very professional and knowledgeable, and he helped us make selections carefully. We were able to stop by the store and picked up more samples and tried out in our unit. Hunter was also responsive to questions we had and helped set up measurement and installation timely through their scheduling system. The staff who came to our unit for the measurement and installation was also professional. We overall had a great experience with the store and would recommend this to others. read more

The Shade Store - Shades & Blinds Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had a pretty big project where our entire condo's blinds were being replaced. I ran into some issues but once I got in touch with Tami (and Lissette) in customer service, they helped sort it all out in a timely manner. Even though it's just been a day, I'm loving our new blinds! read more

The Shade Store - Newly installed blinds in our dining area. - Shades & Blinds Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've ordered gorgeous blinds from The Shade Store in the past. And they're supposed to be guaranteed for life. I've been trying to get shades fixed for at least 4 months now and they've been ignoring me or sending incompetent service. I can't get them fixed and they were expensive. I'm purchasing new shades soon and would love to buy from the Shade Store bc I like how they look, but the extremely poor service means I won't be purchasing there. It's not worth the upcharge for a store that rarely responds to emails or messages. And when they do, they have just ask for more time. Come on. It's restringing a Shade. Customer service used to be great. Now it's terrible to nonexistent. Edit to update: I moved this to 1 star after the runaround I've gotten and the fact that they don't actually come to fix things when they say they will. Also, they will try to sell you a new shade rather than fix your shade and offer you the "great" deal of 20% off. Because they still want to profit off you rather than live up to their warranty Edit to update 2: Someone was supposed to come out between 10-12 today (received a call yesterday that they would be out). But they never showed. When I called The Shade Store to find out what is going on, they said they had a record of me being told someone would be out, but that was never true. Now on hold again, trying to find out what is going on. Of course, like nearly every conversation I've had, they might say they're going to do something, but doing it hasn't yet happened in 4 months. Edit to update 3: I finally got a supposedly fixed shade, but no one has reached out to schedule an installation, my emails are being ignored, and the temp shades I was given are falling down, which means no bedroom privacy. This saga continues and not in a fun, good, or professional way. I don't expect this store will be in business much longer. read more

Shades are amazing high quality and the installers were without a doubt the most professional installers we've worked with ever. Courteous, clean, and thorough in both the install and the explanation of our mechanical blinds. read more

Product is nice, but the process is lacking. I started this project mid-May of this year. The store sales person was very helpful; I wanted a certain kind of blind I had seen, they sent the installer out to measure and he indicated that the product wouldn't work. I got a call from the salesperson trying to explain that they would indeed work and I said, perhaps we should go with this other project (which was less expensive, but would actually work with the window). I went into the store and discussed it with her again and confirmed that this is what I wanted and that given the measurements I wanted 4 panels on each side, rather than the standard and wider 3. We completed the order and I received my delivery. The installer opened the box when he arrived and said the track was dented. He hung it anyway and processed a reorder through corporate in NY. By the way, the installer has been the best part of the deal. He's knowledgeable and honest and helpful. I then notice that the salesperson did not order the 4 panels but the 3. I called in and she said that 4 panels could be done, she would redo the order, almost as if I hadn't originally asked for it that way. But anyway, she was accommodating. This was late June. I finally received the new track and new 4 panel blinds late July and the installer came out in early August. Again, the track was damaged so here we are again, having to reorder the track. The blinds are sitting on my living room floor in a box. All now is being done through corporate in NY. I suggested they use someone other than FedEx to ship their goods if they can't keep the materials in good condition. I believe I'm about to receive a 3rd shipment from FedEx with the new track. Fingers are crossed. Nothing is going very quickly, as you can see. Ordered in May, and it is mid-August and I do not have the blinds I want installed yet. read more

UPDATE - after posting my initial review on 5/25/23 I was assisted by customer service and my issue has now been resolved. Tami worked very hard and was able to get me a brand new shade that was installed 6/15. While it still took 2 months to get this resolved I appreciate all that was done to make things right. read more

I am very happy with my new roman shades. The fabric selection was great. The time from ordering to getting them installed was very fast-within weeks-which is so unusual these days. Tim Jackson at the Lincoln Park store was super helpful in selecting fabrics. read more

Horrible customer service. I normally only wrote glowing reviews but after my experience there last weekend and again today, you should all know how nasty these women are. I'm trying to order custom drapery for my bedroom and living room. I have floor to ceiling windows. The woman who was "helping" me first scowled at me bc I was 10 minutes early and then was half asleep while showing me product. She never suggested anything, never asked me any questions, etc. Today, I called to book a measurement and another woman was so rude!!!! I started asking questions and she sighed as if I was asking too many. I have talked to so many and am hearing the same feedback. Terrible service. Nasty salespeople. Go somewhere where your business is deserved. read more

I don't often write reviews, but feel inclined to do so here. Terrible service. I can't speak to the product, because it still hasn't shown up. We placed an order for roller shades for three rooms and were told our order would ship December 3rd. A week came and passed with no update, so I decided to reach out and check in. Was told they would look into it, and then no response. Two weeks of me reaching out have gone by via call and email - each time their response is "let us find out, we will get back in touch today or tomorrow", and then... nothing. If you want a place to take thousands of dollars from you and deliver nothing, then this is the place. Next time will go to a more local company, and not a private equity-owned national chain. read more

Surprised at some of the negative reviews. My experience was top-notch beginning to end...from in store selection and ordering, in-house measurements, and install. Frequent updates on the process. My drapes look great and I'm very happy. After a very bad experience at Crate and Barrel (an experience so poor I will never set foot in another one), the Shade Store made it all alright. Very nice to deal with a professional company especially after C&B fiasco. read more

Horrible experience with the Shade Store. Kicking myself for not going with another company. As other reviewers have stated the customer service is horrible. I have been ignored for MONTHS. Unacceptable. Save yourself the headache and go with another company. read more

Still waiting, after a few weeks, for the simple shade that the Shade Store installers measured incorrectly. They took the shade with them to correct, and I haven't been able to get an answer as to when it will be returned. Then, last Friday, I received an e-mail providing instructions on how to send the shade back to them for the repair. Was disconnected when I tried to get an answer by phone. The two shades that were installed are very nice and the installers did a good job on them. I would think that priority would be given to a problem created by the Shade Store staff. I received no response to two e-mails sent to the sales rep who helped us place the order. Very disappointed. read more

Great help along the whole process. I went into the store and got to see everything with the help of Trina who offered options and explained the difference between everything to me. She was patient while I took my time picking everything out. The guys who came to measure the windows was quick and free! Big shout out to the installation guys Chris, Tim and Rich who were early, worked so fast and were so friendly. Installation was easy and flawless, everything looks great. read more

The Shade Store - Shades & Blinds Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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A friend highly recommended The Shade Store when I let her know that I was looking for window coverings for my new condo. From beginning to end, the entire process of working with everyone was terrific and I am thrilled with the results. First, Kimberley was the designer and project lead. She helped me sort through the many options that The Shade Store offers, from blinds to curtains to solar shades and more. After thoroughly explaining the pros and cons of each product, I settled on solar shades for the main living area and day/night cellular shades for the master bedroom. She let me take home many samples of each product I was consdiering, which let me see the product and colors in my own space. This really helped me feel comfortable about the final decision. Jim took the measurements. He was on-time, very professional and efficient. The measurements were perfect and everything was set up perfectly for the installer. Rich was the installer. He was also on-time, very professional and efficient. Not sure how he was able to install the very large solar shades by himself, but he did! He also took the time to show me how to use everything so I felt very comfortable with the new products by the time he left. I considered Smith & Noble, but I honestly could not be happier with how things look and function. The Shade Store may cost a bit more, but for the level of service and professionalism from everyone involved, I would say it was more than worth it. Thanks to Kimberley, Jim and Rich! read more

I cannot praise enough the service and help we have received from Hunter at the Shade Store - He is absolutely terrific, professional, courteous, helpful, and with excellent taste and knowledge. I wish I had more stars to give. read more

6 months and 8 scheduled installations later, and the product is still wrong. Shades are a mess...for the 8th time! I keep asking for a refund, but they refuse. They say it's against their policy to refund? I've taken too much time off of work to be at home for the installer a 9th time. I had high hopes for this company, but the product is absolutely trash. Not cheap at all either. Hoping for a refund, and I will go searching for someone different. Please just stay away and save yourself a headache. read more

I worked with Kim Cordill of the Shade Store at the Merchandise Mart. She helped me and my designer with selecting and installing window treatments for my new condo. My experience working with her was excellent. After I moved in I realized my windows were not symmetrical and my floors were uneven. It made the choice of fabric and fabrication challenging. We had some initial hiccups, but Kim stuck with me on the project and the end result is fantastic. Kim is a true professional. She was always welcoming and open to discussing ideas. She never implied I was crazy when something went wrong. She worked well with the measurers and installers (and my two designers)! Importantly, her company stood behind her when remakes were necessary. I think this is the sign of a great company. I would strongly recommend Kim and the Shade Store at the Merchandise Mart for anyone considering a project - small or large! read more

I don't think I could have asked for a better experience as a customer than what I was given with The Shade Store. Every step of the way I knew that I could receive a quick response from not just a general customer service person, but a specific person, Carol! She was incredibly helpful and went above and beyond to send me a swatch book that totally changed (for the better) what we ordered. The free measurement offer was very helpful as I didn't want to handle that myself for the office (and do something wrong). The installation coordinator and installer himself were both very professional and polite. If we ever need more shades (this was for a mother's room) I'll be sure to call them first. Plus, the quality of the product is absolutely fantastic. Looks great in our office! read more

Appreciated the luxury upgrade the shade store provided for our home. Loved that measurement is included in cost and for a small fee, installation is included as well. We had a few hiccups with ordering the wrong size, and having the pull on the wrong side, but they were quick to correct the issue. We ended up replacing all of our shades based on the positive experience. read more

I wanted to take the time to review Hunter Hannin from the Shade Store. From the start, he was professional, kind, and attentive to our needs. He seemed to worry less about making a sale and more about building rapport and making sure we were happy, which gave him an A+ in my book. He is funny, has great taste, and is creative with his thinking about design. While we ultimately went another direction, if we had to chosen our blinds solely based off of incredibly customer service, Hunter is the real deal! We absolutely loved working with him and would recommend connecting with him to anyone looking into window treatment at The Shade Store. read more

Colette was knowledgeable and fun to work with. Love my new shades, want to do the rest of the windows in my condo!

The company is totally missing the mark on servicing the client in home. No one that sells you the product ever sees your space, so after 1 year and 3 months of error on one window (yes, one window), about 12 visits later, I called it quits and demanded 100% of my money back. The installers are great, but they only can work with what they are given. It is a terrible customer service program..save your aggravation for something bigger, use another shade company. read more

I had an all around excellent experience with the Shade Store. After living in my apartment for a few years, it came time to update the drapery. The Shade Store was able to accommodate my concrete ceiling, custom size, and handle the install. Colette helped me through every step of the process, and the measuring team (Tim), and install team (Jim) were on time, and ahead of schedule for me. Examples from visiting the showroom helped a lot too. I would recommend them to anyone, will use them again if I move! read more