Startup interview: Helen White, Co-founder, houseof
RTIH: Tell us about yourself
HW: houseof was founded by myself and Michael Jones in April 2019. It was born out of a shared passion for design led homewares and curiosity for doing things slightly differently.
We are the experts in lighting, but it is so much more than this. We are building a consumer lead online retailer which challenges the norms. The collection is reasoned with every piece fit for purpose, designed with beauty in mind and available in their trademark colour palette.
RTIH: What was the inspiration behind setting the company up?
HW: Brands like Away and Glossier really started to challenge the way online retailing should be done and nobody was really doing this in homewares. We identified a big gap in the market for simple, beautiful lighting which was easy to understand and buy.
Lighting has always been tricky to navigate for consumers and so we wanted to break down these barriers and show people exactly what they needed. Using this gap and the new online business model we built houseof.
RTIH: What has been the industry reaction thus far?
HW: We have been amazed by the reaction to our first launch and editors have been knocking down our doors for our next collection, which launches in June. Our lighting and simplified handwriting are also starting to set new trends of introducing colour into your house through lighting.
RTIH: What has been your biggest challenge/setback?
HW: Our first year has seen Brexit, recession and a global pandemic and it hasn’t been easy to navigate these. I think the key to getting through all of these challenges was to constantly shift and review your position. We try to constantly respond to our customers’ needs at the time.
“The key to success during this time is being dynamic and flexible. It is not necessarily about changing your business strategy completely, but just making sure your existing model is flexible”
RTIH: What are the biggest challenges facing the omnichannel retail sector right now?
HW: Online retail has had a sudden shift and has become a huge part of everyday life. Daily challenges of being able to manage your delivery network and logistics are becoming a balancing act. Our future, as consumers, is also uncertain and so as retailers, we cannot predict major changes for next week, let alone a year ahead.
The key to success during this time is being dynamic and flexible. It is not necessarily about changing your business strategy completely, but just making sure your existing model is flexible.
RTIH: What's the best question about your company or the market asked of you recently by a customer?
HW: Our favourite queries tend to be those that we can collaborate on with our customers regarding their space. We typically receive questions on how to create soft, ambient lighting and love to provide recommendations on how they can transform the mood of the room. Perhaps the best question of all is “when will this light be back in stock?” on a recently sold out bestseller.
RTIH: What can we expect to see from your company over the next 12 months?
HW: The next 12 months are looking rather busy. We are starting new partnerships with some of our favourite brands and looking to improve our range of lighting.
We aren’t necessarily expanding our range. We believe that too much choice is just confusing for the customer. We are just going to continue to refine it and make sure our range is the best it can be.
