Cady Stokes
Arrival spoke with Andria Santos, CEO and founder of Fülhaus Inc. Read on to learn more about the start of Fülhaus, their Haus-in-a-Box services and where they're headed in the future.
Can you talk about how Fülhaus got started?
At the humble beginnings of Fülhaus, we sold curated vintage goods made in the heyday of Montreal, when Expo67 and the ‘76 Olympics brought the world’s leading designers and architects to our hometown. The site caught on very quickly in light of the trend towards mid-century modern furniture. Once we began working with Sonder, we s
aw a growing need for good design, delivered in a quick turnaround time. As our client list began to expand across the world, we refined our product offering and developed Haus-in-a-Box to cater to this budding market. We now offer thousands of products that are procured from all over the map, both new and vintage.
Tell us about “Haus-in-a-Box.”
Haus-in-a-Box is the result of years of designing for the furnished rental industry. It is the most comprehensive furnishing solution, tailored to property managers and operators who are scaling quickly and are looking for that interior design partner to take the guesswork out of furnishing their units.
Haus-in-a-Box is interior design, simplified. It is a furniture package offered in six easy to understand styles, from Corporate to Luxe, Millenial to Paradise, for the beach properties. Clients can also opt for custom design, whereby their Haus-in-a-Box is curated by a designer to meet their needs.
Why does the vacation rental space need a service like what you offer?
Naturally, you can’t rent a furnished apartment without furniture. Good design is pinnacle to the experience our clients offer their guests, and we now know that it also results in higher returns when done well. The process of creating good design, procuring furniture, installing and maintaining it, is a hefty endeavor which we have spent the past five years refining. We understand that this process is a big investment of time and money for our clients, but not the core of their business. By creating quality design and using technology enables production methods, we are able to offer a seamless furnishing experience, allowing our Clients to focus on their guests, and what they do best.
What inspires you to create each space? How do you know this is what someone wants to be surrounded by during their stays?
While developing Haus in A Box, we were careful to consider the geographical location of hot markets and the demographic of the client’s guest. Offering a range of six styles, we can hit colder markets to warmer markets and supply exactly what is needed using proper textiles and furnishings.
Why is this something rental owners should be utilizing?
Whether or not rental owners purchase our product or use another service, we at Fülhaus ultimately believe in good design, and that it is one of the most important elements of offering a good stay. We know that good design leads to higher quality guests, better reviews, and returning customers that are willing to spend more for a nicer stay. At Fülhaus, we want to encourage rental owners and operators to make that investment, and not glaze over the value of design.
What’s next?
We’re expanding our pricing options to better service the needs of our clients. We are excited to announce the Fül-Scale plan. Members of our Fül-Scale plan are able to pay monthly for their Haus-in-a-Box and at decreasing rates as they onboard more units. Moreover, clients can swap out any items they choose at the end of their initial term for no additional fee. Finally, clients can now adapt their units alongside upcoming design trends. You don’t need to commit to Boho-chic forever, or mid-century modern. Interior design is ever-evolving, and so should your sofa!
Is there anything else you’d like to add or comment on?
In addition to good design during all your stays, guests can now also purchase any item from their stay and rental owners can also make money from their furniture. Shoppable Stays came to be after getting countless requests from guests about where they can purchase items from their stay, so why not make it available to them!
Studies show that the more time people spend in a space and are given the chance to use products in their surroundings, the more inclined they are to purchase them. Now, you can read a book in Club Monaco’s library, get a treatment at Origins, or take a yoga class at Lululemon. At Fülhaus, we are slowing shopping down to a stay.
More importantly, we are evolving the Haus-in-a-Box product line with what guests want. The best part about it? No need to lug the item back with you! “It’ll be there when you get home.”
The content of this interview does not necessarily reflect the views of VRMA. If you or your company would like to be considered for a future article in Arrival based on a recent press release or new services to the vacation rentals ecosystem, please send your request to editor@vrma.org.
