Two Design Lovers Online Platform

Deb Achhorner and Emilia Harrison really are two design lovers. Their new business, Two Design Lovers, is an online interior design marketplace. They are focused on offering discounted interior design, where sellers can offer high quality new, secondhand and gently used furniture, accessories and art. Sellers can be private individuals, industry specialists such as stylists and interior designers, or retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers, with excess stock, floorstock or seconds.

They are starting with listings from sellers in Sydney, and delivery within the Sydney metro area is included in the price of each item. Technically however, they can deliver anywhere. Over time, they hope to expand across Australia. There is a big plus to the business model in that by helping to keep quality furniture and homewares in circulation, they are keeping it out of landfills. “Recycling is good, but reusing is even better”, they say.

Deb and Emilia have been friends for 30 years, having initially met on a university exchange to the US. Emilia studied Communications and Deb undertook Business studies. Afterwards they both went back to the grind and finished their Law degrees. As well as all of this, they have 3 children each, and have both moved with their families to various places over the years – Emilia did a stint in the UK and Deb has lived in London, Hong Kong, Beijing and Zurich. They are now both back in Sydney and loving being nearer to each other.

“We had talked for quite some time about starting a business together. Finding mutually good timing and the right idea eluded us for a while until we hatched Two Design Lovers. We came up with the name because we both love and appreciate anything that is beautifully designed and made – whether it be a piece of clothing, a plate of food or home décor”.

The pair say that Two Design Lovers is a collision of various ideas. “Firstly, everyone’s so busy so we wanted to create a more convenient way to buy and sell good quality pre-loved furniture where you can quickly find what you want and have it delivered. On top of that, we believe the most beautiful interiors are a soulful collection of pieces that tell a story, so buying secondhand pieces can help to complete an interior design project”.

Both women have a seemingly never ending appetite to look at beautiful furniture and homewares, so they are happily curating the selection on offer at Two Design Lovers, as well as putting together content for a blog that showcases talented people and the things they design and create. Finally, they are recognising the bargain hunter in us all, and wanted to create a platform where you could get something beautiful at a discounted price.

Tips on creating a more sustainable home

• We would like to promote sustainability in terms of it being the by-product of choosing good design.
• Choosing furniture that has been well designed means the decisions in relation to materials, durability, function and recycling possibilities, are more likely to have been highly considered and resolved by the designer.
• When choosing furniture and decoration for your home, focus on quality and long term use.
• Most people move around throughout their lives and change is inevitable. If you purchase well, it is more likely the item can be sold and reused by someone else.
• If you’re just starting out, well designed secondhand items are a great choice and more likely to demonstrate good taste than a piece of bland fast furniture.
• ‘Less is more’. We totally agree. Everyone should have a design radar which should help keep them on the right ‘less is more’ road.
• Of growing concern to us is the ever-increasing volume of curbside furniture waste. Kevin Morgan, Managing Director of EC Sustainable, a consultancy firm that has been surveying council cleanup collections for 20 years, notes that approximately 48,000 tonnes of used furniture is discarded by Sydney homeowners onto the curbside every year. Such furniture is usually made up of inferior quality materials and fittings and ultimately contributes to our growing problem of landfill and waste.

The mission of Two Design Lovers is to convince Australian consumers that buying pre-loved furniture is desirable because you get better quality and better design for the price, compared to fast furniture alternatives. Less demand for fast furniture means less that ends up on the curb.

“We also want to provide a platform to conveniently sell used items. We think there are probably a lot of people out there with furniture stashed in the garage because they don’t know what to do with it. That’s a lot of wasted resources! With Two Design Lovers, we’re making the listing process really easy and for sellers who don’t have the time or energy, we’re offering a concierge service where we come to the seller to take photos and prepare the listing”.

The duo are creating an online store where the shopping experience will be comparable to any other online furniture store. The selection will be categorised by type, colour, brand, room, style etc. Payment will be via a secure online platform and pick up from the seller and delivery to the buyer will be included in the price.

“We’re all about choosing good design, using good design, and then selling good design back to people who are choosing good design. It’s a sustainable circle that starts with making a good buying decision. By offering a curated selection with all of the service of a regular online store, we are making it easier for people to buy good design”.

They will also work with you to locate that perfect piece to complete a room or project. By creating a community of design enthusiasts they hope to establish a network of industry professionals and individuals who can help source any interior decorating item. They are offering a discounted commission rate if you get your listing underway before the launch date. “We’re building a design loving community. If you have something to sell, get in touch!” they say.

Right now  they are in the pre-launch phase of Two Design Lovers. Hop on over to checek them our on the Hub here and follow through to all of their details and social platforms.

Helen

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