When Homepolish cofounder and CEO Noa Santos started out in 2012, money was on his mind. Saving money, that is, for his budget-minded friends (and friends of friends) who sought styled spaces without “the traditionally high fees that came with the industry.” The idea for Homepolish was a prescient one; at the time, Instagram and Pinterest were busy building hungry audiences for home decor, while a bevy of design-conscious yet lower-cost furnishings companies were on hand to respond to the demand. Homepolish was among the first à la carte services to connect these dots with reasonably priced interior designers.
But the landscape has changed. “When we first started, we focused on providing design services at an affordable price point,” explains Santos, whose company has since expanded into over a dozen cities. “There was no one doing that at the time. Now consumers have access to everything from discount e-decorators to iPhone applications to help them when they’re on a budget.”
Homepolish’s selling point has evolved from affordability to comprehensive customer service. “We now work with clients and designers who want a more premium service, and, while our clients remain savvy spenders, they’re no longer searching for the cheapest option,” explains Santos. Yes, Homepolish designers still take on those studio apartment projects that first put the company on the map. But summer homes of all sizes, gut renovations, boutique hotels and, in a particularly of-the-moment example, meditation studios occupy an increasingly prominent percentage of the business. “We provide an end-to-end experience, handling everything from casting for the right designer or general contractor to providing a furniture-purchasing concierge service,” he says. “Our clients now regularly spend well into the six figures, which allows us to provide the type of business that our designers want as they grow their own brands and businesses.”
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