When it comes to window treatment, convenience and beauty may often occupy separate lanes, leaving homeowners to choose between elegant drapery and shades that enhance interiors or opt for motorized systems that prioritize function over form. Fanny Ruffin, founder of Style ‘N Shade, believes that these two worlds have rarely communicated with each other seamlessly, and that’s the gap she’s set out to resolve.
She saw this disconnect first-hand during the remodeling of her own home. “I wanted automated shades that worked with my architecture and interior vision, not against it,” she says. Where she found aesthetics, she couldn’t achieve intelligence. Similarly, where automation offered her remote controls and commercial-grade roller systems, it never gave her the harmony she knew was possible.
“I kept thinking, this cannot be so complicated,” Ruffin recalls. “Why is it that I can have a self-driving car, but I still have to walk from window to window to open and close my shades?”
Style ‘N Shade originated from Ruffin’s determination to solve the problem. Her background, however, made her uniquely qualified to bridge the divide. A lifelong lover of textiles who learned to sew at fifteen, Ruffin had pursued a different path, spending 25 years as a senior executive in the medical device industry, managing large teams and high-end operations.
Yet creativity remained an inherent part of her, guiding her hobby of making draperies and curtains for her family and friends. “The curtains were just holiday gifts and personal projects at first, an outlet for my design instincts,” she recalls. That changed during her home remodel.
Ruffin immersed herself in understanding automated shading systems, sourcing vendors, coordinating installers, and designing solutions that didn’t compromise on aesthetics. Soon enough, word began to spread. “I started getting calls from people, asking for my help. The principal at a school I often volunteer at was going to cover the gymnasium windows for a talent show,” she says. Ruffin immediately offered motorized shades as a solution and relied on her extensive network of suppliers to set them up. That small project became the catalyst for Style ‘N Shade. “I would walk into people’s homes, and the first thing I’d notice was the windows,” she says. “I always wanted to fix them, to make them better, to make them smarter.”
Today, the company operates as a combination of both creative design studio and automation consultancy, entirely service-driven. Ruffin collaborates with interior designers, architects, real estate professionals, home builders, and homeowners from the earliest planning stages of construction or renovation.
Ruffin says, “I want to enter projects as early as possible. Whether it’s retrofitting or remodeling a home, I love to be there at the get-go and plan bespoke solutions that go beyond just shielding the room.”
Early planning allows Ruffin to create solutions where windows remain visually pristine while retrofitting sophisticated motorized systems within. She highlights how wiring is concealed before walls are closed, tracks disappear into architecture, and shades and drapery are designed to feel like an organic part of the space, standing as a core aesthetic component rather than an afterthought.
Technology, in her view, is not the appeal. Lifestyle is. She believes that the act of manually closing and opening curtains can be a monotonous part of the day, which could instead be utilized doing something productive. “Automation is about giving that time back, improving comfort, security, and even protecting your floors and furnishings from sun damage,” Ruffin explains.
Yet what further distinguishes Style ‘N Shade is the depth of service. Ruffin highlights that she operates by visiting a home, studying its architecture, the light, the layout, and the lifestyle of the people living there. “Curtains can’t be selected in isolation; it’s a cohesive element that accentuates a home that requires real-time visualization,” she explains.
Ruffin sources from any vendor capable of delivering the right outcome. If a solution doesn’t exist, she designs one. She manages every phase, from concept and sourcing to custom manufacturing, installation, and final integration, creating an experience that eliminates fragmentation for the client.
Style ‘N Shade ultimately represents a shift in how homeowners think about design and daily living. In Ruffin’s view, each window presents a different challenge, and each home carries its own rhythm of light, privacy, and design language that can come together to craft the perfect drapery, with the right amount of style and the right amount of convenience.
“Windows are the eyes of a home. Yes, they give us the ability to view the world outside, but they also give others the opportunity to see what’s within,” Ruffin says. “They deserve more thought than just covering them. They should work seamlessly with the life you live.”
