Ethan Allen — Attraction in Shenandoah

I have to take a moment to brag on Lynda Shroads at Ethan Allen in The Woodlands. My husband and I walked in during August just to browse. Our house was still under construction, and we had zero intention of buying anything. We just wanted to see what was out there so we’d be ready when the time came. We even made a deal before walking into each store that we wouldn’t talk to any associates. We were strictly looking.

Well… that didn’t last long.

We were testing out a chair when Lynda walked by. She asked if we needed help, and of course we said no. But she somehow made us feel so welcomed, and there was absolutely no pressure. I’m a very picky person, and I usually have a hard time taking anyone else’s design advice. I assumed she’d have a completely different style than me, but somehow, she totally got me.

Next thing we know, we’d spent three hours with her in the store, looking through pieces and fabric samples. We ended up scheduling a home consultation, even though I didn’t feel like the house was ready for anyone to see. She came over and spent another four hours with us. When we finally went back to the store, she had everything ready, all the fabrics and pieces we loved, beautifully staged.

We ended up buying a sofa, four armchairs, two stools for the living room, and two more stools for my office, beautiful rug and very detailed pillows. Everything turned out perfect. She even drove over an hour to drop off a pillow that needed to be corrected. Her manager brought extra fabric I had ordered. The level of service was just incredible. And yes, we were fully furnished and ready to host the holidays that year.

Lynda has been a dream to work with. She’s so organized, thoughtful, and truly talented. And beyond all that, she’s become a really good friend. I’m so grateful we crossed paths with her. Hoping to have her over soon for pool and wine nights. She took my vision and brought it to life, and I truly can’t recommend her enough. Here are a few pictures of what she...

Transformative Design Experience with Rabia Shaikh -- I visited The Woodlands Ethan Allen in early June and met Rabia. I considered a renovation of the living room space as the immediate starting place to bring in enhancements and upgrades to my home. I needed the expertise of an experienced designer to "imagine" my lightly drawn concept into an appropriate and stylish update. While I have been drawn to Ethan Allen style for many years, I am that certain type of customer who needs guidance from a designer and a real conversation about what will work and what will not work. Rabia suggested the pieces that I might consider and also did the very next best thing by telling me to enlarge my project scope and include a few other pieces to accentuate my choices. She was able to move me from my comfort zone, my safe choices on color choice, fabric choice, style choice, organization of the furniture within the home, pairings of furniture, lighting, and carpets. Over the course of a week, I transitioned from an opinionated customer who sources her own thoughts to a much more open minded and balanced customer who could listen and trust Ethan Allen design staff. As a result, the cohesiveness of design is much greater and the outcome is more considered and relates better to existing objects in my home. I was able to establish a trusting relationship with Rabia and stop being a stubborn EA customer! For all of us who just cannot visualize the outcome, I say, ask a designer and hopefully, you will also find a wonderful solution to your needs, such as I found from the guidance provided by Rabia! Rabia, warm regards and thank you, thank...

Natalie LeMier was awesome in helping us select furniture, rugs, and other decor that look great in our new modern farmhouse in CO, and we recommend her to others! We met with Natalie a few times at the Ethan Allen showroom near The Woodlands while we were still living in TX. She showed us various furniture, fabric, colors, rugs, etc., to get our input on what styles we liked. Natalie came to our house and offered suggestions on how our existing furniture, including several Ethan Allen pieces from years ago as well as some nice handmade heirloom furniture, could be incorporated into our new home. We appreciated she did not suggest we get rid of everything and start from scratch. Natalie used our farmhouse blueprints and our collective ideas and generated a virtual slideshow of furnished rooms in our new home as it was being built! Natalie helped us with our selections to create a farmhouse look (including how to use our existing pieces, items to possibly sell or donate, and even an interior wall paint color). We ordered some Ethan Allen furniture before we moved from TX last year, and everything was delivered to us at our new home in CO last fall. The coordination in making one timely delivery was remarkable, and the delivery crew took exceptional care in handling and setting up our new furniture as if it were their own house! Thanks, Natalie — you were great to work with and did an amazing job in helping us choose beautiful, high-quality furniture that will last for years in...