DESIGN, MARKETING AND TECHNOLOGY ACUMEN POWERS THIS FURNITURE STARTUP STAR

Launched in December 2019, one might mistakenly believe Stephanie Lam and Lydia Lau were unlucky to debut a furniture business just before the Covid-19 pandemic. There’s a catch however: Homie Living is a fully online furniture store but it’s much more than that. Linking up with over a hundred local designers, Homie Living offers more than 2,500 interior design ideas for any aspiring homeowner.

What was the genesis for Homie Living’s creation? It was borne out of Stephanie and Lydia’s frustrations with buying their own furniture when they first moved out to their own homes. “Three years ago, both of us endured the traditionally painful purchasing process and spent consecutive weekends selecting, measuring and mix-and-matching furniture,” Stephanie said. “In the end we rushed our buying decisions to meet the move-in deadline at the expense of the overall styling of the new home,” added Lydia. And with that the idea for Homie Living was born.

Fast forward to 2021 now and it’s clear the two HKUST Business School alumni have struck a chord with the Hong Kong public. In less than two years of business they’ve sold over 3,500 items of furniture and garnered more than 100,000 monthly active users. Homie Living’s mission resonates with locals because it helps homeowners buy matching furniture that fits well with the limited space most residents contend with, in a highly accessible one-stop solution.

Befitting a startup that’s backed by the Hong Kong Science Park and secured funding from the Hong Kong Productivity Council, Stephanie and Lydia aren’t resting on their laurels. Later this year, Homie Living is slated to launch an AI-driven “Home Planner” that leverages machine learning to generate customized home décor and furniture recommendations based on the user’s flat size, budget, desired style and their favorite colors. Stephanie says, “Homie Living is a platform that helps homeowners with both furniture purchases and styling, thereby creating the ideal living space and abode that HKers can find comfort in.”

With the pandemic still on-going, many HK homeowners will be spending more time inside their residences than before; thanks to Stephanie and Lydia, Homie Living continues to brighten up everyone’s living space in our busy metropolis.

Know more about Lydia and Stephanie from:

Lydia's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lydia-lau-37361476/ 

Stephanie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-lam-94b58271/

Homie Living: homieliv.com