Three Home Décor and Design Startups to Watch
Fall is a time of new beginnings. Maybe your kids have just gone back to school. Or, perhaps you are looking for a new home or have plans to start a big renovation.
Luckily, there are a few Toronto-based startups that can offer solutions to your biggest décor or design dilemmas. Check them out below.
Cofounded by sister and brother Carolina Jung and Simon Jung, FetchPad is a Toronto-based startup that is trying to change the way Canadians shop for furniture.
“Our product is a search engine that helps furniture shoppers find local products in their vicinity,” says Caroline Jung who came up with the idea for the business while doing her own home renovation. “Finding the right furniture was such a pain. It took me two weeks to find the perfect chair and I was past the Ikea stage and looking for unique stuff. So, our website saves users the hassle of going store-to-store to see what’s available while helping local businesses get discovered at the same time.”
The site currently features thousands of products from independent boutique shops to large retailers across several major Canadian cities including, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Ottawa.
This home design startup makes great design more accessible and affordable by enabling users to crowdsource first-rate designs from up-and-coming designers via a competition-based platform.
“Whether you are planning a custom-built home, an addition, a renovation, the restyling of a room or even a condo, HouseIt offers a wide range of quality designs that are delivered quickly and with greater value than traditional design firms,” says Griffin Thomson, Director of Product and Market Strategy at HouseIt.
Meanwhile, the platform also helps emerging architects and designers build up experience and a portfolio to break into the industry. So, HouseIt connects the two, helping homeowners easily obtain great designs, while enabling designers to build a portfolio for their professional careers.
This Toronto and New York-based startup has evolved over the past five years to now offer over 450 furniture brands at every price point. The company has a direct line to the manufacturer and, like HouseIt, provides access to a team of remote stylists who can recommend the ideal product for your home décor needs.
“If you find a picture of a sofa or table that is no longer in production, or it is out of your price range, you can send it to Remote Stylist and our team of experts will help you source something similar that meets your budget,” says Kelly Fallis, CEO of Remote Stylist. The stylist service is free, while the company takes a cut from the sale of the product. The company also offers $1 shipping to your door (plus duties) in Canada and the U.S.
