This young entrepreneur left a stable banking career to build a business selling curtains

Ken Lim, 30, may be the boss of a curtain shop – but he admits that home interiors and decor weren’t always his passion. Like many others, Lim often found himself scrolling through home tour videos online. But one particular video stood out: “The house had an all-pink theme, but the curtains were grey,” he recalled with a grimace. 

That mismatch stuck with him so much so that when it came to designing his own home, he reminded himself that “everything needs to be cohesive” – even window dressings can make or break the design.

Later on, when Lim began his own search for curtains for his home, he noticed a gap in the market. “They were either very expensive and high-end, or very cheap and low quality. At that time, there really wasn’t much of a middle ground,” he recalled.

Lim, a former banker, started Everyday Curtains from scratch in 2019. Today, the company is popular for its modern, minimalist curtains and window blinds offered at accessible price points. “We cater to the mid-to-high-end market, focusing on curtains and blinds that offer a more visual appeal. We also have consultants who understand design,” Lim said.

As a homeowner himself, Lim understands the important role curtains play – despite often being one of the final touches in the renovation process. “Our customers are usually very tired by the time they come to us as it’s the end stage of their renovation. Which is why we want to give them a good experience and help guide them to make a good decision,” shared Lim.

FROM BANKING TO CURTAINS

I met with Lim at his experiential showroom – it opened in 2024 – in the east of Singapore. The space hints at Everyday Curtains’ design aesthetic with a neutral colour scheme and natural light filtering in through glass entrance doors. On display is the company’s product range – from pleated and ripple-fold curtains, Venetian blinds, Shangri-La blinds, and more. The designs reflect a modern approach to curtains by emphasising simplicity and clean lines. This appeals to the company’s biggest demographic of clients – young homeowners in their 20s to 40s.

Lim calls the company a “pandemic baby” as he started the business during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, he credits the pandemic for the company’s early success. “During that time, our clients’ budgets started shifting away from travel and shopping. They started putting more money into their homes and became more sensitive towards materials. The level of spending just went higher.”

Although many curtain companies choose to fabricate in Malaysia, Lim made the decision to produce his curtains in Singapore due to border travel restrictions. On hindsight, the decision proved to be the right one as it gave him better control over quality.

To start the company, Lim invested an initial capital of S$80,000 from his own savings, adding that he does not come from a well-to do family. At first, he balanced running the company with his day job as a banker. Two years into the business, he decided to focus on Everyday Curtains full-time. “I asked myself what I truly wanted to do and I found it more fulfilling to solve a problem,” Lim said on the appeal of entrepreneurship.

Still, leaving the stable world of banking was a daunting decision. “In banking, everything is very structured. Your entire career is planned out for you,” the married father of a newborn reflected. “But in entrepreneurship, there are constant crises and problems to solve. There’s no rulebook to follow.”

INNOVATING IN A TRADITIONAL INDUSTRY

The curtains industry is a long-established one, and Lim admits that getting started was challenging – from sourcing the right suppliers to understanding the intricacies of curtain-making. “The older generation doesn’t readily share their knowledge, so you have to stay humble and ask the right questions,” Lim explained. Over time, however, they came to recognise his sincerity.

In a legacy industry, where incumbent players have been around for decades and innovation is often slow, Lim is determined to do things differently – particularly by introducing more environmentally conscious practices. “Depending on their composition, curtains can be difficult to recycle. Polyester, in particular, is especially hard to repurpose,” said Lim.

Since curtains come in a variety of colours and materials, the company makes it a point to reuse as much excess fabric as possible. Offcuts are repurposed as decorative borders or used to extend curtains that may otherwise be too short.

Other times, fabric scraps are upcycled into art pieces. Last year, Everyday Curtains collaborated with local artist Alicia C Kirwan to transform leftover materials into decorative wall hangings. These unique artworks were showcased at the company’s showroom opening and were well-received by customers. They have since completely sold out.

As a young entrepreneur, Lim understands the power of social media marketing. On Everyday Curtains’ Instagram account – which has amassed over 41,000 followers – Lim personally appears in videos, showcasing the company’s product range, completed projects, and even answering common questions, including the age-old debate of curtains versus blinds. Through social media, Lim wants to make a lasting impression. “When people buy a house – it may not be today, it could be five years later – they’ll still remember us, and they’ll come back to us,” he said.

To improve the speed and efficiency of the production process, the company also recently opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing factory in Singapore that incorporates automation technology into the curtains-making process. “When we first experimented with curtains, we used traditional sewing machines. Now, we want the whole process to be automated to reduce dependency on individual skill levels. It’s impossible to replicate 30 years of sewing experience and without automation, the business cannot scale.”

Overseas expansion is on Lim’s mind, and he has identified markets such as Kuala Lumpur, Dubai and the US as potential opportunities. But for now, Lim prefers to focus on strengthening the company’s presence in its home base. “We don’t want to bite off more than we can chew. We will do it step by step,” he quipped.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP REFLECTIONS

It has been six years since Lim started Everyday Curtains. Having successfully navigated the crucial first five years of building a business, he now finds himself in a position to reflect on the journey and the lessons he has learned as an entrepreneur.

What’s one piece of advice he would give to his younger self, just starting out? “Think bigger,” answered Lim. “All business owners start out a bit timid – they don’t dare to think too far ahead. But it’s in those first few years that thinking bigger can make all the difference. If I had a better understanding of how the market would evolve, I’d have gone bigger from the start.”

One of the most important lessons Lim has learned is that even as a founder, “you can’t do everything alone.” “You can’t solve all your problems by yourself; you need a strong team to support you. Maybe you can put out fires for two or three years, but you can’t keep doing that for 10 years. You need a strong team, and you need to take care of your staff. That kind of relationship will take you far.”

Lim also offers a word of caution to fellow business owners – especially those just starting out – not to be naive about employees leaving the company one day. “Everyone has their own dreams. And the more ambitious a person is, the harder it is to make them stay. That’s a painful part of running a business,” he shared.

When asked how he measures success for his company, Lim offers a simple answer. “I’m very happy when customers tell me they bought our curtains and they were happy with them. It’s a small goal, but I’m not a greedy person,” he reflected.

Looking ahead to the future, his vision for Everyday Curtains is to build a permanent, lasting presence in Singapore. “We want to continue serving the local market and become the go-to curtain shop – a nice final stop in someone’s renovation journey.”