Founded in 1971, LifeStyles began in Oklahoma City as a lighting showroom called The Lighting Center. During our first 30 years, The Lighting Center served metro home builders and their customers by providing quality lighting fixtures and ceiling fans for their new homes. In 2001 we changed our name to LifeStyles and are now the largest independent distributor of lighting and ceiling fans in Oklahoma and a Top 50 in the nation. To the left is an image of the original store.
In 1999 the decision was made to build a new 30,000 square foot building in Edmond (Oklahoma City), Oklahoma and expand the store's merchandising mix to include furniture and even more home furnishing products. The new store and concept was renamed LifeStyles and quickly became a success. LifeStyles took two years to build and officially opened in February, 2001. Take a tour.
LifeStyles, acquires Semones Lighting in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2001. The acquisition of Semones Lighting helps to make LifeStyles the largest volume lighting distributor in Oklahoma. Now with locations in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, LifeStyles is able to develop customer relations statewide.
LifeStyles opens a leased lighting department within The International, a major furniture store in the Tulsa market. For 3 years the concept was a success until the host store closed.
The company introduced hardware as a new merchandising category, including knobs, drawer pulls, closet hardware, hinges, door stops and all accessories needed for home builders. Find out more about our decorative hardware. LifeStylesHardware.com
LifeStyles acquires Fans-Lights, Etc. of Plano (Dallas) Texas. The acquisition of Fans-Lights, Etc. adds 16 new employees to LifeStyles Stores, Inc. and is the first step toward our expansion into the Dallas market. LifeStyles now employs over 85 people.
LifeStyles opens in Tulsa. The Semones Lighting location was closed simultaneously. This location becomes the largest lighting showroom in Tulsa. The company now employs over 125 people. Take a tour.
The company moved out of the original Fans-Lights, Etc. location into a 60,000 square foot building in Plano, TX. This new store, now renamed to LifeStyles was the largest lighting showroom in the United States and featured thousands of lighting fixtures and furniture. Its grand opening was in June 2008, just months before the housing and banking crisis.
After surviving the "Great Recession" it was decided to not renew our lease in Plano and we closed the location in 2013. Our two Oklahoma stores remained open and successful.
The company tested a new lighting store concept called Lighting IQ and opened a store in Northwest Arkansas. The concept combined showroom and warehouse in one, offering an always in stock, grab-and-go experience with unbeatable low prices. Tour of Lighting IQ.
LifeStyles opens window covering galleries in both stores. These galleries are larger and more comprehensive than most stores that specialize in window covering. For more info go to LifeStylesWindows.com
LifeStyles in Tulsa opened a new flooring gallery featuring thousands of tile, carpet, laminate, vinyl and hard wood flooring samples. For more info go to LifeStylesFlooring.net
LifeStyles begins serving Northwest Arkansas home builders by delivering lighting, ceiling fans and decorative hardware directly to their job sites from our Tulsa warehouse. Builders can now enjoy the benefits once afforded to only to our Oklahoma customers. By purchasing lighting via our website, LifeStyles delivers products labeled with room locations just like their local lighting showrooms.
These are the people that opened the first LifeStyles in 2001. Some are gone now, but many remain. Standing in the back row on extreme left is Phil Frank who has been with the company since 1985 when we were called The Lighting Center. Standing just to the right of Phil is Donna White, who has been with LifeStyles since 2002. One row down and to the right (in the white short sleeve sweater) is Susan Carlson who started with the company back in 1987. We lost Susan to COVID in 2020, after 33 years with LifeStyles. Just below Susan, seated second from the left is Cindy Campbell, part of our success since 2000. In the second row, seated, third from the left is Cleo French who started with LifeStyles in 2002.
Not pictured but with fingerprints all over our success are:
Without these and hundreds of other people, LifeStyles would not exist, let alone be the success that it is today. LifeStyles continues its tradition of treating all of its associates like family because we are a family owned and operated company. If you would like to be a part of LifeStyles please let us know.
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LifeStyles offers lighting in Bentonville, lighting in Rogers, lighting in Springdale, lighting in Fayetteville and all of Northwest Arkansas.
LifeStyles is a registered trademark.