Our 45 Year History
A Fresh New Look in 2024
In 2024, after 10 years in our Rutherford Street location, we rebranded our showroom with a fresh new look. This revitalization brought the "lady" back into our logo, honoring our history while embracing the future with a modern, refreshed design.
The Original Shady and his Lady
Shady and his lady, Barry Talbart and Michelle Armstrong, founded the company in Miramar. Michelle trained local women to sew lampshades, which were then exported to Melbourne and Sydney, paired with elegant Italian bases. The original logo featured a shaded photograph of the duo. Excitingly, we've uncovered a picture of the original shop! We're still piecing together the exact dates, so if you have any additional information, we'd love to hear from you please get in touch.
A New Chapter
In 1979, Vicky and Graeme Turnbull purchased the business from their friends and relocated it to the Prince Edward Theatre in Lower Hutt. They established a small shop on the ground floor, open to the public, while upstairs, a team of talented women crafted fabric lampshades.
It was Graeme who renamed the business "Shady Lady," inspired by his playful nickname for the ladies upstairs—the "Shady Ladies." At the time, there were seven businesses in the Wellington area specializing in handmade fabric lampshades for the local market.
Originally, Shady Lady was set up in the theatre foyer, renting both the elegant staircase and the grand entrance area. As Vicky’s family grew, they decided to sell the business in 1983, passing the torch to new hand -
Picture: Vicky Turnbull and Cindy Smith current owner 2019
How Shady Lady Lighting Came into Our Family
In 1983, Shady Lady Lighting was purchased by two friends who saw its immense potential. Shortly after, Ian Frowde made the life-changing decision to leave his corporate career and devote himself entirely to the business.
Over the 20 years that Shady Lady Lighting remained at the Prince Edward Theatre site, Ian transformed it from a small cottage industry into a thriving retail lighting store. He built a showroom that became a treasure trove of lighting, utilizing the many nooks and alcoves of the old theatre to display an incredible variety of products. Ian also expanded the shade-making side of the business, crafting lampshades for other lighting stores nationwide. This often meant long trips in the trusty SLL van, loaded to the brim with lampshades, as Ian traveled the country selling his wares.
To meet demand, Ian employed numerous women over the years, many of whom worked from home, carefully organized by his extraordinary manageress, Helen Nadilo. Helen, who remains with the company today, has been a cornerstone of Shady Lady Lighting’s success. Her problem-solving skills, inspiring craftsmanship, and steadfast support have been invaluable.
Ian’s vision was supported by a remarkable team. Special thanks go to long-serving staff like Rose Noble, Willie Trevort, Christine Crawford, Jen Sellars, and Ruth Hopkins. Fond memories remain of Louise Bertrand, whose patience and kindness touched everyone, and Dennis Pickering, who single-highhandedly built the repair side of the business with inventive brilliance—a service that is still a key part of Shady Lady Lighting today. Anne Athea’s exceptional sewing skills also left a lasting legacy, as she could create shades of any shape with effortless precision.
This combination of vision, hard work, and a dedicated team laid the foundation for Shady Lady Lighting’s enduring success.
Why a New Home?
Marilyn and I had just finished working on the window displays—me being seven months pregnant—when the entire building shook violently. At first, we thought it was an earthquake, but then we realized a truck had struck the side of the veranda, causing the entire structure to collapse. We were incredibly lucky that day; no one was on the footpath at the time, and, miraculously, the veranda didn’t break through the windows. It was a close call, and we knew it was time to move.Growth and Change at Alicetown
During our time at Alicetown, we rebranded our retail showroom, first as "Shady Lady Lighthouse" and later as "Wellington Lighthouse" when we joined a group of New Zealand lighting showrooms under the "Lighthouse Group" banner. In 2009, with both businesses needing more space, we made the decision to relocate our manufacturing and importing to our current factory at Unit 1, 2 Horlor Street, Naenae. This move allowed our retail showroom in Alicetown to expand, taking over the space vacated by the warehouse and doubling in size.After years of dedication and hard work, Ian retired in June 2007. Allen and I then took over the manufacturing side of the business as well—a steep learning curve, but one we embraced wholeheartedly.
When we first moved 2001
When we rebranded & joined the "Lighthouse brand"
A New Home at Rutherford Street
In September 2014, we moved to our current, spacious showroom at 3 Rutherford Street, Lower Hutt. This new location offered us higher ceilings, more windows to display our gorgeous products, and the added convenience of our own parking. With more room, we could showcase an even larger range of lighting.Relocating a lighting shop is no small task, with all the wiring and building that needed to be dismantled and reassembled at both ends. But thanks to the incredible support of our team—Lee Scott, Margaret Mundel, Prince Gideon, our family and extended family (including Justin Scott)—we made it happen.
Along with the move, we rebranded with a new logo and made the decision to part ways with the lighting group, returning to our original name. We are incredibly proud of our showroom. It not only displays a fantastic range of products, including many still-made-in-New Zealand fabric shades and our reproduction lighting range, but it also maintains the warm, welcoming atmosphere of a treasure trove. Though much larger and more modern than our original Woburn Theatre site, it still feels like home.
Our new home 2014
Everyone helping to set it up
Its a huge effort to set up a lighting shop