Throwing Shade In All The Right Places

If there’s one constant on Lanzarote – it’s the sunshine – and every visitor has looked for shade at one time or another. Richard and Shelley at AMU Blinds Lanzarote (blindslanzarote.es) recognised this and decided to bring their expertise to the island. We spoke to them last month.

How did you two get started in the blinds business?

Shelley: In my late twenties I set up my own interior design business in the UK. As the business grew, clients would ask me if I provided curtains & blinds as well.

It isn’t something that we did at the time; however, as we received more questions about them, Richard and I noticed that there was a gap in the market in our area.

Richard: After we realised the demand for curtains and blinds, we put all our time and effort into it. I quit my job, and we haven’t looked back since. That was 15 years ago – that’s 35 combined years of experience between us.

What made you swap the UK for Lanzarote?

Richard: We had spent 15 successful years running AMU Blinds in the UK, and when we allowed ourselves to have a much-needed break we did so in Fuerteventura.

Shortly before the Covid lockdowns started, we booked a flight to Fuerteventura. It was supposed to be for a few months, but we ended up staying for 5 months. In that time, we decided that we wanted to move to the Canaries and eventually settled in Lanzarote.

And you brought AMU Blinds with you.

Richard: That’s right. My son takes care of the UK business now, while Shelley and I focus on our new venture – AMU Blinds Lanzarote.

Shelley: We recognised there were exciting opportunities for our business on Lanzarote and felt confident we could offer something different. We have a great relationship with many established suppliers, and this allows us access to the latest products and technology, Alexa controlled electric blinds being just one of them.

We have a great relationship with our UK suppliers which allows us access to the latest and greatest products that you can’t find here – like our range of “smart” blinds that can be controlled remotely.

What sets you apart from other companies?

Richard: We’re a husband-and-wife team, so our customers will always deal directly with us from consultation to installation. We’ll be involved throughout the process.

Shelley: We have a genuine desire to showcase what is possible on the windows of everyone’s home here on Lanzarote, and we look forward to providing a great service with our many forward-thinking practical window solutions.