Three Generations-Four Names-Five Locations
Green Brook, Paramus, Branchville, Livingston, Lebanon
How many companies have been in business for 90 years and are still owned by the same family? Metropolitan Window Fashions is! Philip Heyman started the business in 1934 when he opened Chain Decorators in Plainfield, eventually opening stores in Westfield and Somerville. Philip sold Chain Decorators in the 1950’s and opened his next venture, Highway Mill End, in Green Brook. When his son Jay joined the firm in 1961, they relocated to North Plainfield and changed the name to Fabricland to represent the change in product mix from home décor to apparel fabrics.
When Philip’s grandson, Bruce Heyman, joined the firm in 1990, home sewing was no longer a necessity. The decision was made to go back to basics – where the business started – focusing on custom window fashions and re-upholstery. Bruce rebranded as Metropolitan Window Fashions and his company is now the largest retailer of custom window fashions in the metropolitan area.
Metropolitan has five locations in Green Brook, Paramus, Livingston, Lebanon, and Branchville. They specialize in custom draperies, motorized shades, Hunter Douglas blinds & shutters, fabric, wallpaper, and reupholstery. Their FREE in-home decorating service is very popular and extremely practical. Decorators can provide a better experience if they see the customer’s décor and the technical challenges that each window presents.
So what happened to Fabricland, you ask? Bruce, like his grandfather, saw an opportunity to focus on new business without abandoning his existing client base. In 2023, he sold Fabricland to Sew Jersey, an outstanding fabric and sewing machine retailer based in East Hanover. They currently operate as Sew Jersey at Fabricland and share space with Metropolitan at the Green Brook flagship store.
If you have not been to the Metropolitan store in Green Brook, it is worth a visit. It is right down Warrenville Road in front of the Harbor Freight building. Metropolitan moved to this location six years ago from their iconic building in North Plainfield. It has the largest selection of drapery and upholstery fabrics in NJ, including many high-end vendors that are hard to find without traveling to the D&D building in New York.
In addition to the extensive fabric and wallpaper collections, there are beautiful drapery displays and a large Hunter Douglas Gallery showing 25 different styles of shades and blinds that all have a motorized option.
To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Metropolitan is having a contest where one lucky winner will win a $9000 Hunter Douglas Gift Certificate. Details and entry forms are at windowfashions.com, under ‘promotions.’
Other current specials include labor sales on draperies and reupholstery. There is also a $1200 tax credit available on energy-saving shades.
So what is the secret to running a successful family business for 90 years? Bruce’s answer is simple. “The measure of our success is customer satisfaction. To achieve that, we are always going to do the right thing – by our customers, by our associates, and by the community.”
For a FREE in-home consultation call 877-722-1100 or visit windowfashions.com.