Over the past 10 years that Lara Anderson and Kathy Lathrop have worked in home décor and design, one thing has stood out: great lamps with awful shades can ruin a room. In keeping with their mutual desire to create beauty in people’s lives, Anderson and Lathrop started dreaming up ways to solve this common style problem, since purchasing brand new lamps and shades is costly.
The result is RD Shady, a shade cover that is similar to a slip cover for a sofa. The name is a nod to the two women’s home décor shop in Olympia, Red Door Interiors, and a tongue-in-cheek reference to the product itself. It will create a “clean fresh look in a room without buying all new furnishings,” says Anderson, who designed the cover.
After having worked with award-winning Seattle designer Rocky Rochon, Anderson knows that quality of craftsmanship and ease of use are of the utmost importance. The shade covers are made to last while also being easily interchangeable as a family grows or current styles and fashion trends change.
Depending on the customer’s budget, shades can be made from higher-end fabrics from Robert Allen and Waverly or simple, more affordable varieties. “Lamp shades are mostly plain neutrals and tend to disappear in a room,” says the Olympia business owner. “An RD Shady shade will draw the eye if a bold pattern or imagery is used.”
The options are almost limitless, including eye-catching neutrals and raised patterns, seasonal and holiday imagery, and sports-themed patterns. Shades can be masculine or feminine, for kids’ rooms, the study or a dining room. Whether the shades are to be a focal point or unobtrusive, they’re 100 percent customizable.
Aiming to keep business as local as possible, Anderson says the product will be manufactured in the Northwest. Pacific Market Center in Seattle will be the first large retailer to carry RD Shady beginning in January 2012. RD Shady will also be available through Red Door Interiors this winter.
JENNIFER JOHNSON