A Houzz Could Be a Good Home

Since its creation less than ten years ago, Houzz has emerged as an influential and powerful force in the interior design, decorating and architectural communities, impacting many product categories including lighting and home décor.
Originally Houzz was very much a digital scrapbook where homeowners could collect images of interiors, products and architectural elements that they were interested in and presumably would be using in their own homes. As such, the site was similar to an even earlier pioneer in this space, Home Portfolio, which served the same purpose but has faded in importance.

The big break for Houzz came when it moved into e-commerce in 2014, allowing what it says are its 40 million users – including homeowners and interior design professionals – to directly purchase products featured on the site.

Speaking at the recent Shop Talk retail conference in Las Vegas, founder Alon Cohen said evolving into an online buying business was a real turning point for the company.
Houzz has come under some criticism from the design community after its recent purchase of IvyMark, a company that offers management software for interior designers. They claim the site is posting images without authorization but Houzz founder Cohen said the company is changing its procedures to avoid any conflicts.

Over the years Houzz has done partnerships with a number of organizations within the home and design industries, including the American Society of Interior Designs and the National Association of Home Builders.

Of particular interest to those in the lighting business looking for design trends is the company’s Houzz Barometer, a quarterly survey of the home renovation market that offers insight into developments in home décor.