Founded in 2008, Newport Lamp & Shade Co. has established itself as a leading retail hub in Newport for those seeking to light up their interiors.
Owner Patrick Dolat said business has been booming since the company relocated from its Franklin Street location to a posh retail space abutting the grass tennis courts behind the International Tennis Hall of Fame. First launched by designer and close friend John Peixinho, Dolat said over the years the store has become more of a curated showroom featuring high-end lamps and shades crafted by artisans from around the world.
Most of the shop’s business these days is done via shipping to online customers. Already well established before Dolat, who managed the store for years and served as a creative director before taking over ownership in 2017, its reputation has grown as the shop’s signature lampshades and other products have been added to the inventory, many of which are handmade or sourced from manufacturers from New Hampshire to Europe.
The shop also carries furniture, cutlery, and books on architecture and design. And it was the first distributor for United Kingdom-based luxury fabric brand Fermoie, where customers can choose custom, made-to-order lampshades. Examples include a handmade wicker chandelier from India and a 19th-century country house mailbox with a custom brass wall bracket.
Cordless lamps exploded in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dolat said, when “everybody was redecorating and wanted to eat outside.”
Another trend was spurred by the red-hot real estate market that led many homeowners to refurbish their existing homes rather than trade up.
Dolat acknowledges that the lamps and other furnishings, which can retail for up to $1,000 per unit and more, are not for everyone’s budget. A majority of customers today are interior designers with wealthy clients, he said.
“It’s definitely niche products,” he said. “A bit more high-end.”
An architecture graduate from Roger Williams University, Dolat said his competition primarily comes from online operators.
“There are only a handful of retailers that do what we do,” he said.
Once more of a mix between stateside and international, rising import prices have led the company to buy more from U.S. vendors to sidestep tariffs.
“It’s good to have options,” said Dolat, who has revamped the company’s website and shifted all the advertising focus to social media, leading to an Instagram following of more than 16,000.
“We haven’t purchased a paid ad in over two years,” he said.
With the summer season heating up, Dolat said he is bracing for another influx of interest.
“I just want to continue scaling up,” he said.
As for what state officials can do to keep homegrown retail businesses thriving in Rhode Island, Dolat said they should do whatever they can to support large companies who can attract the high-earning customers to the small-business base.
“Whatever they can do to spur industry,” he said.
OWNER: Patrick Dolat
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Lampshades and home décor
LOCATION: 11 Memorial Blvd., Newport
EMPLOYEES: Three
YEAR FOUNDED: 2008
ANNUAL REVENUE: Over $1 million
