Maybe you’ve visited a friend’s stylish and put-together house and found yourself wanting to own everything inside it, from their coffee cups to kitchen chairs.
In 2017, Denver entrepreneur Alex Ryden figured this out: People feel comfortable buying home furnishings in the context of a real home.
At the time, Ryden was working for a luggage company with bags available at boutique retail stores in a few major cities. But, beyond occasional sales, the company wasn’t getting much out of that in terms of brand growth. People didn’t necessarily remember seeing those bags after they left the store.
“I thought, ‘Let’s try to sell ourselves more,’” he said.
Ryden started selling bags out of his Denver house on the weekends.
Passersby and friends from the flea market scene showed up to shop. While inside, they asked, “What about the coffee table? What about the rug? Is that for sale?”
“They