Wolfers Lighting Blog

Reminder: We'll be turning off the lights in our Allston showroom this Saturday, June 30, 2018, and moving the store and our fabulous employees to our Waltham lighting showroom.

We're doing this in preparation for the new experience center opening up in The Boston Design Center—a technology pavilion that will feature lighting, automated shades, and home automation technology.

Allston has been a wonderful home to us over the years. We're grateful to the local community and fellow business owners in the area. We'll miss you, but we're looking forward to the next chapter.

We can all likely agree that being able to dim the lights to create a mood is a great feature. But how does dimming work? And why do we sometimes encounter dimming issues with LEDs?

 

In January 2017, Wolfers Lighting, The Boston Shade Company, and System 7 announced they were merging. The goal of this merger? To provide customers with a true one-stop shopping experience for lighting, lighting controls, automated shades, technology design, and overall home automation.

We recently sat down with some of the key players behind the three brands—Patrick Gilman, Ashley Jacobson, and Merrie Pendlebury—to discuss what's next.

Patrick is the Director of Customer Experience. The "experience" part has to do with both online and in-person interactions. His initial focus has been refreshing the three websites so that they have a consistent look and feel. "We'll roll out the new System 7 site soon," Patrick says. "And we have big plans for a new Wolfers eCommerce site. I've also been working with the customer service teams, particularly at System 7, to ensure that our customers receive the white glove service that they deserve."

Ashley is the Director of Operations for System 7. Hired as the "number four" employee a decade ago, she's worked on everything from design to product management. As for what she manages today, Ashley explains, "I currently oversee all of the operations for System 7 from our installers, our designers, our purchasing, and our project management teams. I also oversee part of our Client Services department as well that Patrick has been helping with."

Merrie is the Showroom Manager of our Boston location and is responsible for planning and opening the new Experience Center in the Boston Design Center in the not-too-distant future. "In the meantime," she says, "I'm managing social media promotion for System 7 and The Boston Shade Company. In addition, I’m spearheading marketing and branding activities for The Boston Shade Company, strengthening our trade partnerships, and doing day-to-day showroom activities in our current location in the Design Center."

Below is the Q&A with the team.

 

Let's take a step back and revisit the merger. Why did these three companies decide to merge? What was the big "vision" behind it?

Patrick: Well, prior to the merger, the three companies kept 'bumping into' each other on different projects.

Let's talk about a long-time showroom favorite: Quoizel Lighting.

Founded in 1930, this company remains true to its "small business heritage." (The company is still family-owned and operated.) As its website states, "Many of our products embody our history of being artisans in glass and natural materials. We work with resources that will not only illuminate your living space but also enhance the beauty of your home."

Why do we love Quoizel? Many reasons…

• Fun and varied designs—think Tiffany reproductions to modern chandeliers in myriad finishes. Quoizel's collections typically include a hanging light, ceiling light, wall sconce, and (often) a chandelier for the ultimate flexibility in décor.
• Vanity (bathroom) lighting is generally offered as single sconces, but you can often opt for up to five lights for many mirror configurations.
• LED integration is available for many fixtures.
• Excellent quality
• Budget-friendly pricing
• Great customer service