The design world looked a lot different when One Kings Lane was founded in 2009. Business in many places was conducted as it had always been. Long lead times and in-person, face-to-face communications ruled.
As the digital age progressed and technology changed, so did the design business. Three major shifts guided the industry into a new frontier: digital design, social media, and consumer consciousness.
One of One Kings Lane’s disruptive moves was Palette, an online custom-design tool.
A scene from a Manhattan apartment designed by the One Kings Lane Interior Design team.
The Digital Disruption
One Kings Lane was the first of its kind: a digitally focused home decor company with an eye for style and high-brow design. No less than Fortune magazine heralded the company as “Silicon Valley’s newest obsession.”
Being the first wasn’t enough. One Kings Lane looked for new ways to disrupt the design business with projects such as Palette. The One Kings Lane answer to fast furniture, Palette enabled shoppers to customize the upholstery and finishing touches of select furniture pieces, which would then ship within three weeks—far quicker than the typical 8- to 12-week lead time of most other custom furniture. Trade publication Business of Home wrote: “Customizable upholstery furniture at the click of a button becomes a reality today with the launch of Palette, a tech-forward online platform from One Kings Lane.”
Digital-first interior design also disrupted the industry, offering services that were historically exclusive in a more egalitarian manner. The team of One Kings Lane Interior Design, for instance, can work with customers to reimagine rooms or decorate entire homes over the phone and online as easily as they can in person.
Social Media Magic
One Kings Lane was founded almost two years before Instagram debuted. Magazines were still people’s number-one go-to for design inspiration. And even in its early days Instagram was known largely for heavily filtered pictures of sunsets.
Since then, of course, influencer culture has exploded, and designers-cum-influencers (and influencers-cum-designers) have taken over the home space. Many design influencers have used their platforms to launch their own product lines, some with the help of businesses like ours. These collections further disrupt traditional business and media models, as the influencers are designers, product developers, distributors, and advertisers all in one.
Of all the changing parts of the design business, social media has the power to raise and raze empires like no other. Harnessing it is key to achieving a certain level of success, but the staying power of influencer culture has been debated in recent years. Many are asking if we’ve reached a saturation point. The answer remains elusive.
A vignette from designer-cum-influencer Paloma Contreras’s Texas home.
An ombré throw from In2Green crafted from recycled materials.
Consumer Code of Conduct
Consumers have become more socially conscious during the past few years, resulting in one of the best ways the design industry has evolved. As the looming realities of climate change become ever clearer, people are making an effort to shop eco-friendly brands.
One Kings Lane is proud to support brands that have chosen to operate sustainably, such as In2green, Ethnicraft, and Selamat. People’s desire to shop green has also led to increased interest in vintage and antique furnishings. The inclusion of vintage products has been a key part of the One Kings Lane business from the beginning—though admittedly, the reason had less to do with environmental concerns and more because such furnishings are well made, beautiful souvenirs of earlier eras. Even as the design industry and One Kings Lane continue to evolve, we will also continue to honor and appreciate the best of the past.
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