Timeless Elegance: Shears & Window
Mid-1980s photo with marble statue belonging to the late Michael Taylor
When Shears & Window recently consolidated their second-floor SFDC furnishings showroom with their fourth-floor textiles department, owner and CEO Greg McIntyre discovered a treasure trove of historic photos. The time capsule dated back to 1976 when Jack Shears and Adam Window opened the pioneering multi-line showroom. Among them is a series of professionally shot black and white images from the mid-1980s of the Galleria space and an auxiliary gallery, Shears & Window Garden Court. Instead of feeling dated, the photos evoke the company's timeless elegance.
A mid-1980’s vignette showcasing Rose Tarlow’s classic designs
Jack, a civil engineer from Kansas, and Adam, an Ohio native who managed the textile department of Kneedler Fauchère, were the perfect entrepreneurial pair. Starting with a small space representing just five fabric lines, they soon grew, adding square footage and prestigious furniture and textile manufacturers from the West and East Coasts. Parish-Hadley brown walls, tan wool carpet, and beige upholstery fabrics highlighted the furnishings, antiques, and collections befitting a Cabinet of Curiosities. By contrast to the main showroom, Shears & Window Garden Court featured white walls and a stained concrete floor.
Garden scene with fossil stone console table from Cache
Jack and Adam created an aesthetic that seamlessly juxtaposed reproductions from New York antiquarian Yale Burge with contemporary silhouettes from Los Angeles interior designer Sally Sirkin Lewis. Their showroom represented the designs of many legends who have since passed away, including Michael Taylor, Paul M. Jones, Alan Campbell, Luciano Tempo, Leo Dennis, and Jerry Leen. Sadly, Adam died in 1985 at the age of 37 from an AIDS-related illness. Jack continued the pair's exquisite vision until his death in 2007 at the age of 76. By endowing the business to Greg McIntyre, their legacy endures.
Visit Shears & Window's newly remodeled showroom on the 4th floor of 101 Henry Adams Street, Suite 452. Their textiles include fine Italian velvets, intricate French embroideries, Belgian linens, and decorative Portuguese trimmings—furniture and lighting transitioning from traditional to timeless.
