Bockman’s
1008 N. Tustin Ave., Anaheim; 714-630-4455; bockmaninteriors.com
Trading up is the name of the game these days at Bockman’s in Anaheim.
The family-owned company continues to shade Orange County living rooms and bedrooms from the strong Southern California sun. It can also install new carpet and make over your upholstery, too.
Jon Bockman, grandson of the founder, says more expensive products are popular among his clients. Customers who bought a home and first installed cheaper blinds or shutters are coming back for better materials, he says.
“They’re making more money; the economy is better,” he says.
The shutter business has evolved quite a bit since Bockman’s opened in 1967. Motorization, new colors and textured fabrics are making shopping for window treatments a treat for shoppers who are “more into decorating” these days, Bockman said.
For a company with decades under its belt, Bockman said, his business thrives with help from word-of-mouth referrals, repeat customers and the internet. “In our industry, with what we sell, the internet helps a lot more people find you.”
Styles high on the shopping list are mostly clean and simple, Bockman says. Color and stains are working their way into traditionally white window shutters.
And if you spill red wine on the couch cushions or bend a tilt bar in your custom-made shutter, “We can repair just about anything,” he said.
Orange County Shutters
7649 Garden Grove Blvd, Garden Grove; 714-891-0090; orangecountyshutters.com
Grandma’s roll-up shade is back, only this time it’s got a modern spin.
Rebecca Gloudeman, the sole owner of Orange County Shutters, says roll-up shades are one of her hottest items in 2018. In addition to being budget-friendly, they come in a variety of fabrics, colors and functions. And best of all, you can control the motorized version from your smartphone or tablet.
Gloudeman, who’s been in business nearly 25 years, is evolving her company into Orange County Shutters and Window Fashion as new concepts continue to expand her inventory.
Her core product continues to be the versatile shutters, but color is shifting. “Gray is the new white,” she says with a laugh.
Gloudeman, who has a degree in interior design, says she saw gray storming into home design and quickly jumped into the fray. She painted two walls of her showroom in the color and put the matching shutters front and center.
Her budget-conscious shutters are “very versatile” and add value to a home because of their custom fit and durability.
Shutters are getting a bit of a makeover these days, too, going to a flat style vs. curved moldings, and hiding the tilt bar in the back. Gloudeman says she and her team of five sales associates and licensed installers are constantly updating their options for customers.
“We’re a big little company,” she says, “but without our customers, we wouldn’t be here.”
Shutter Nation
2618 San Miguel Drive, No. 310, Newport Beach; 949-478-2195; shutternation.com
Greg Dale is fixing an awful lot of plantation shutters these days. He has some advice for people tugging on the tilt bar to open the window: Don’t.
Dale and his identical twin brother Steve own Shutter Nation, which covers Orange County and San Diego. They don’t have a showroom, instead opting for in-home consultations. The brothers, originally from Texas, have been business partners ever since they opened their first company, a mini-blinds washing service, in the late 1980s.
Part of the success of Shutter Nation comes down to (Greg) Dale’s obsession with complex problems.
“I obsess on things,” he says. “If they seem to be complicated or (a customer) is at their wit’s end trying to solve a problem, I’ll find the answer.”
One customer had run out of options for a six-sided window above a bed. Dale’s solution? A custom-designed shutter to fit the window.
And how does Shutter Nation fight back rising internet sales?
“Some of the young people say, ‘well, the internet says …’ and I say, ‘well the internet’s not standing here in your living room with a tape measure.”