Why the Home Decor Industry is Your Next Big Opportunity
Imagine walking into a well-furnished, aesthetically appealing space that feels like a virtual treat for the eyes—this is the magic of beautifully furnished homes. The home decor and furnishing business is not just thriving; it’s booming. By 2024, the global market is projected to reach US$133.60 billion, with an expected annual increase of 3.89% CAGR from 2024 to 2029.
This steady growth makes it the perfect time to dive into this thriving business. If you have a flair for designing and a passion for creating sweet homes, starting a home decor business in 2025 could be your great next move. Let’s find out how to start strong and make your mark in this home decor industry.
How to Start a Home Decor Business
Understanding Your Customers and Curating the Right Products
Before starting your home decor business, the first thing to understand is that this business isn’t just about decorating homes—it’s an umbrella term that covers everything from home decor items like paint, fabrics, rugs, furnishings, and accessories to design services and refurbishing services. Essentially, it includes anything that enhances the interior beauty of a home.
To succeed, you need to understand your customers—who you intend to target—and decide on the items to sell based on their requirements. A good rule of thumb is to focus on trending home decor items that align with what your customers are looking for. When I started my home decor business, I realized that offering amazing products tailored to my target audience was key to standing out.
Your ideas should revolve around what enhances a home’s appeal while meeting your customers’ needs. Whether it’s fabrics that add warmth, rugs that tie a room together, or accessories that complete the look, every item you choose to sell should reflect your target audience’s preferences. This approach not only helps you restrict your focus to what truly matters but also ensures your business thrives by delivering value through beautifully designed and functional products.
Transforming Spaces with Room Hangings and Wallpapers
When it comes to adding vibrancy and personality to a home, wall hangings and wallpapers are game-changers. These elements not only beautify the walls but also reflect the aesthetic and theme of the home. Many people choose wall hangings like tapestries to create a focal point or to match the overall theme of their space. On the other hand, wallpapers are often seen as a replacement for paint, offering a way to preserve walls while enhancing their look. What makes them special is how they allow people to personalize their rooms based on their personality or the tastes of family members.
For instance, a sober theme with single-color paint might appeal to an aged member, while fun prints or playful themes are perfect for a child’s room. In my experience, offering a mix of wall hangings and wallpapers that cater to different preferences can make your home decor business stand out. These options are not only handy but also versatile, allowing customers to experiment and create spaces that truly feel like home.
The Subtle Charm of Doorknobs in Home Decor
If you’re wondering how small things like doorknobs can contribute to home decor, the answer is surprisingly impactful. People are increasingly opting for custom door knobs with unique designs, names, or initials etched onto them, adding a personal touch to their spaces. These small details can differ from room to room, especially when homeowners opt for themed styles that align with the overall house aesthetic. In my experience, offering custom doorknobs has been a game-changer, as they subtly elevate the look and feel of any home.
Elevate Spaces with Flower Vases and Pots
A beautiful flower vase with intricate designs or engraved patterns can transform any space, especially when placed on a tea table in the guest room or beside a small aquarium. When you choose to sell custom flower vases and pots, opt for eye-catching designs that stand out as a part of your marketing strategy. During my stint in the industry, I found that displaying fresh flower bouquets in these vases helps promote the product better, as it allows customers to visualize how they’ll look in their homes.
Transform Floors with Mats and Rugs
Have you ever wondered how the feel of walking into a space can change with the right floor decor? Themed mats and rugs are essential home decor items that can customize any space to match a theme, whether it’s a jungle theme, desert theme, or something entirely unique. When selling mats and rugs, focus on designs that meet customers’ demands and complement their home aesthetic. These items not only enhance the floor but also tie the entire theme together, making them a must-have in your home decor collection.
Elevate the Heart of the Home with Kitchen Accessories
The kitchen is not just a part of the home; it’s metaphorically what keeps the household alive. Don’t forget to include decor items for this space, such as shelf and storage organizers, interesting wall stickers, artificial vegetable hangings, or chalkboard panels that can be decorated with notes or art. Adding lamps, designer crockery items, wooden cutting boards, and knives to your arsenal can whet people’s appetites while complimenting the stunning look of a designer kitchen. This is a great opportunity to offer personalized mugs with unique designs, making your customers feel special. These best home decor items are not just functional but also explore creative business ideas that can set your venture apart.
The Backbone of Decor: Furniture Items
Furniture items are indispensable in home decor, serving as both functional and aesthetic pieces. From beds and desks to chairs and dining tables, each furniture item can be customized to meet your customers’ unique needs. Offering custom furniture items is a great way to appease clients and make their spaces truly their own.
Illuminate Spaces with the Right Lighting
Lighting plays a crucial part in setting the mood of any space. Bright light is perfect for lively activities and suits areas like the living room, while soft light creates a sense of peace and rest, making it ideal for bedrooms. Some prefer bright lighting for their living room, while others opt for warm, dull lighting with a bedside lamp for a cozy reading nook, especially for a bibliophile. When choosing products to sell, ensure they enable shoppers to customize their lighting experience. A product design tool that allows customers to add text, upload custom images, or use clipart and artwork can help them create personalized products, making your offerings stand out.
The variety of light fixtures you can offer is vast—chandeliers, floor lamps, table lamps, flush-mounted lights, panel lights, and spotlights each bring their own charm. Whether your customers choose modern, vintage, or a mix of styles, ensure the light fixtures suit the aesthetic of their house. For instance, table lamps are perfect for bedsides, while spotlights can highlight gallery walls or other decor items.
In my experience, selling a range of lighting options alongside other furnishings can create a cohesive shopping experience. For example, pairing bed linen like custom embroidered bed sheets, bed covers, bedding sets, duvet covers, quilts, comforters, blankets, cushions, and pillows with the right lighting can transform a bedroom. Similarly, curtains, drapes, and bath linen like bath mats, bath towels, hand towels, and face towels can be complemented with table linen such as table runners, cloths, and placemats, along with cushion covers, sofa covers, and chair pads.
To expand your business, consider dealing in wall art like paintings, wall accents, wall shelves, wall cabinets, mirrors, key holders, magazine holders, set-top box holders, and clocks. These wall art accessories, along with wall tiles, wall murals, art panels, wooden wall art, and wall plates, can enhance the charm of any space while keeping it organized. As your budget allows, you can ramp up your product listing from basic items to more elaborate offerings, even providing in-person home decor consultancy services to help customers create their dream spaces.
Choosing the Right Sales Model: Offline, Online, or Hybrid
For home decor businesses, deciding between a physical store, an online store, or a hybrid model is crucial. A physical store can be a better option for those who prefer to visit and experience home decor items in person. It gives customers a better idea of the space and allows them to see the products up close. However, renting or buying a physical space comes with its own set of challenges, such as high initial costs, run-time maintenance charges, and potentially lesser ROI if capital reserves are limited.
On the other hand, starting an online store can help cut initial expenses while allowing you to launch a website to display your products and services. A well-designed business website with an easy-to-use interface can help customers explore your home decor items and services from the comfort of their homes. In today’s digital age, having an online presence is almost mandatory for any business. However, if you intend to focus on local customers, setting up an offline store or experience centers where customers can see and feel the products in person might be more effective.
A recommended approach is the hybrid model, which combines the best of both worlds. Starting with an online retail store and later expanding to a full-fledged physical store can help you test the waters without getting tangled in the complexities of a web store setup. Tools like PrintXpand’s web-to-print storefront solution can handle the nitty-gritty of online store management, allowing you to focus on creating stunning decor and showcasing your products. By choosing industry-specific themes and custom-made designs, you can reach a wider audience while catering to both online and offline customers.
Stay Ahead by Researching Your Competitors
Before you launch your home decor business, whether offline or online, it’s crucial to research and analyze the market. Tough competition is inevitable, so be ready to face it by understanding your competitors. Start by studying nearby home decor retailers and their products, pricing models, brand awareness, and marketing strategies. For online retail stores, look at top-selling products and the internet presence of popular names like Pepperfry and D’Decor, the giants in the home decor industry.
Take inspiration from these giants but tailor your approach to fit your business. For instance, emulating their marketing strategies or product offerings can be wise, but ensure it’s feasible for your store. Identify their good points and apply what suits your business model. A well-researched plan will help you balance quality and pricing, especially when your business is in its nascent stage. This way, you can tread the tightrope of offering sales and discounts without compromising on what makes your store unique.
Build Trust with a Strong Portfolio
In the home decor industry, visuals are everything. Start by creating high-quality visuals of your products—consider hiring an experienced photographer to create visual galleries that highlight your offerings. If you have a physical store, compile these into a catalogue or show them through small videos and snippets that customers can view when they visit. For your business website, post these videos and photos to showcase your work, and don’t forget to share them on your social media pages to attract a wider audience.
Grow Your Network by Attending Trade Events and Expos
A trade expo or exhibition is an excellent platform to gain exposure for your home decor items and business ideas. These events offer a broader outreach and keep you informed about the latest trends. Make sure to stay updated on upcoming trade shows in your town, register your business, and interact with industry experts to garner valuable suggestions and feedback. These interactions can work wonders for your business growth.
At these events, you might come across other home decor business owners—some who have just started and others looking to expand. Use this opportunity to talk, exchange ideas, and establish connections that could turn into clients or collaborations. This mutual growth can lead to broadened outreach, increased sales, and more orders. Don’t forget to carry impressive business cards with a design that contains essential info like your phone number, website, and physical address to leave a lasting impression on visitors.
Promote Your Business Effectively
Once you’ve done the groundwork, the last but great step is marketing and promotion. Whether you have a physical home decor shop or an online store, strategies like social media campaigns, collaborations, and local advertising can help you follow through with effective promotion.
Expand Your Network by Building Contacts
To grow your home decor service, collaborate with real estate agents, builders, and architects. These connections can help you tap into their clientele and expand your reach in the industry.
Spread the Word with Flyers and Brochures
Distribute flyers and brochures to add value and get your business noticed. Include your website URL or a QR code to promote your website—tools like a website QR code generator make this easy. With QR code popularity on the rise (forecasted to reach 97.8 million users in the US by 2024, according to Statista), this marketing strategy is widely adopted. Place these materials in individual positions around your store or areas where your audience is most interested in buying.
Gain Visibility with Newspaper and Magazine Ads
Place ads in local newspapers and magazines on a timely basis to get your brand noticed. While offline store growth is important, don’t miss out on the huge exposure an online business can bring. Combine these tactics with a proper business website to open doors to new business opportunities. Even in this digital age, printed ads are worth it for reaching a local audience.
Build a User-Friendly, Interactive, and Fast-Loading Website
Your website’s look and feel act as a live salesman, helping impress visitors and convert them into customers. Post high-quality images of your products and work, organized into clear categories for easy navigation. A fast-loading, easily navigable site ensures a seamless experience, keeping visitors engaged and boosting your business.
Leverage the Power of Social Media
Underestimating the power of social media is the biggest mistake you can make. Use social media platforms to share pictures of your decor items, videos, and shots of completed projects to create interest. Announce timely give-aways, discounts, and offers to keep your customers engaged. Encourage happy clients to upload pictures of their home interior and tag your business, creating popular word-of-mouth buzz.
Boost Reach with Influencer and Affiliate Marketing
Collaborate with bloggers, well-established interior designers, and influencers who specialize in home decor. Have them mention your brand name in their posts or writing to gain traction among their followers. Offer them free products or services in exchange for brand endorsements, or partner with customers who can promote your products through photoshoots. This win-win situation helps expand your customer base, increase revenue, and grow your online presence.
Stand Out by Offering Customization Freedom
A technically advanced and promotional strategy that works wonders is offering customization freedom to your customers. This approach is closely related to marketing strategies that focus on broadening the range of products and services you offer. By allowing customers to design their own patterns, upload images, or even write quotes on products, you meet their exact demands and leave no stone unturned in delivering a delighted outcome.
Integrating an online product designer tool or a 3D product configurator into your store can take this a step further. Customers can configure home decor products like chairs, sofas, tables, or ottomans to their liking and place an order in just a few clicks. This enhanced experience not only leads to high satisfaction but also turns satisfied customers into promoters of your brand, generating good word-of-mouth and publicity.
For online retail stores, leveraging web-to-print technology and customization freedom can be a solid point of differentiation. It’s a future-proof strategy that aligns with the printing industry trends and makes your home decor business ideas stand out. By integrating these tools, you create an exclusive shopping experience that keeps customers coming back for more.
Ready to Set Off?
Starting a home decor business in 2025 opens doors to big opportunities in the thriving home decor industry. If you’re planning to launch an online home-decor business, weigh the prospects and risks carefully. Estimate your initial investment and consult industry experts to help you figure out the best solutions for your venture. They can also solve any doubts or queries you have, ensuring you reach the best decision for your business.
