Canyon Lake Entrepreneurs: Meet Kyle Humphrey of Lighthouse Shutters

BY Greg Golding

Meet Kyle Humphrey, Canyon Lake resident, firefighter and owner of Lighthouse Shutters. Kyle and his wife Andra moved to Canyon Lake a little over a year ago. Before moving here, the Humphreys owned and operated a window covering business in Orange County, which they founded in 2006.

So how did the Humphreys end up in Canyon Lake? A few years ago, Andra began having seizures, which eventually led to the diagnosis of a rare and aggressive type of malignant brain tumor. The treatment process was very difficult on Andra who was fighting for her life. It was also very stressful on Kyle who was working as a firefighter, managing the family business and household, raising their daughter and helping Andra with rehabilitation.

Through this life-changing experience, the Humphreys realized that life was short and that it was moving too fast. Although Andra had been cancer-free for a year, they didn’t know what the future held for them. It was at this time that they decided to sell their Orange County home and business and move to a place where they could live a simpler life.

They had no idea where to move – they just knew they wanted to move to a place that felt like community, had beautiful scenery and a nearby lake to fish, and was close enough for Kyle to still be able to commute a few days a week to Los Angeles where he works as a firefighter.

The Humphreys sat down at the computer and began their search with Google Maps. While studying the map, they noticed a lake that was located between Lake Elsinore and Menifee. It was called Canyon Lake. Although they both grew up in nearby Lake Forest, neither of them had ever heard of Canyon Lake.

Shortly thereafter, Kyle and Andra drove to Canyon Lake to check it out. When they arrived at the gate they were turned away because they didn’t have a guest pass. They drove over to the Towne Center and enlisted the help of a real estate agent.

Canyon Lake was love at first site for the Humphreys. They submitted an offer on a home during their first visit, and three days later put their home in Orange County up for sale. They also sold their business so that they could make a fresh start with a new business that would be closer to their new home in Canyon Lake.

The Humphrey’s new business, Lighthouse Shutters, is a Canyon Lake-based business that provides custom window coverings. It offers basswood and vinyl plantation shutters in several colors, stains, frames and mounting options, as well as several types of shades and blinds in hundreds of mounting options, operations, colors and fabrics.

The Humphrey’s small business model allows them to walk their customers through the entire process of the project, from consultations to e-mail updates on the manufacturing process to final walk-through. With experience from their thousands of jobs from their Orange County business over the years, they are able to provide direction and suggestions on the thousands of window covering options to choose from.

Kyle says, “We carry local brands that have the highest quality and reputation. Our volume discounts that were awarded by manufactures from our previous Orange County business, coupled with our current low overhead, allows us to provide very competitive quotes.”

Lighthouse Shutters services Canyon Lake and local surrounding areas. Their lead installer has lived in Canyon Lake for more than 20 years and installed for them at their Orange County business.

Kyle and Andra have been married for six years. They have one 4-year-old daughter. Andra has been cancer-free for two years now. When not working, the Humphreys enjoy family time, cooking, fishing and boating.

Kyle says that the Canyon Lake community has been very good to them – especially Brian Hoffman of Hoffman’s Painting. Brian was one of the first people the Humpreys met in Canyon Lake when they hired him to paint their new home.

Brian, a life-long resident, introduced the Humphreys to new friends and fellow Canyon Lakers, and the best fishing spots in the lake. This is the sense of community the Humphreys were seeking. They feel at peace in Canyon Lake, they feel at home.

For questions or to schedule a free, no-pressure consultation for window coverings in the comfort of your own home or business, contact Lighthouse Shutters at 951-244-6051 or lighthouseshutters.com. They can also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LHSwindowcoverings.