JWC Media
a luxury lifestyle website that delivers a colorful and passionate telling of neighboring events, fashion, beauty, finance, and the pursuit of leisure.
By Contributor
PRODUCED BY KEMMIE RYAN
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP
STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA
HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST AND DORIA DEBARTOLO
WARDROBE PROVIDED BY NEIMAN MARCUS AND SWEET WILLIAM
Designers RACHEL GREGERSEN and LAUREN HEINTZELMAN bring nearly 45 years of combined experience to Beyond Shades Hunter Douglas Gallery and showroom—the premier provider of custom window coverings. This team serves all of Chicago and beyond from their Oakbrook Terrace showroom. Founder Gregersen and Heintzelman, an Interior Designer who specializes in window treatments, share a passion for homes and helping others to make them beautiful. They couldn’t be more thrilled to be invited into yours!
What excites you most about the future of your industry? We’re simply growing deeper into our expertise—refining our craft, our process, and our ability to take exceptional care of each client. Our future is closely tied to our past, with clients returning for their same homes, their new homes, and their second homes. That kind of trust and continuity is both rare and incredibly energizing.
What conversations are you passionate about bringing to the table? The real conversation of doing you. Not what might appeal to resale. Not what others think. But what makes you feel good in your space. We’re passionate about helping people create homes that reflect their truth—not trends, but something deeper, personal, and lasting.
How do you give back to your community or industry? This is honestly one of the best parts of being in business. You start to realize just how many ways you can give back—and as your company grows, so does your freedom to help. Whether it’s mentoring, creating opportunities, or contributing to causes we care about, giving back is something we genuinely love and feel grateful to do.
How do you maintain balance between your professional and personal life? This is one of the toughest parts—especially when you genuinely love what you do. It’s easy for the lines to blur. That’s why boundaries matter. We’ve learned to be intentional about protecting time with our families and friends. It’s not always perfect, but purposefully choosing presence over productivity helps us stay grounded.
How do you define confidence—and how have you built it? Confidence is saying the quiet parts out loud—with tenderness and respect for those who need to hear them. It’s not about volume, it’s about clarity. We’ve built ours by trusting our voices, honoring our instincts, and speaking up, even when it’s uncomfortable.
For more information, visit bshades.com. You may also follow them on Instagram @beyond_shades.
