I tried out a furniture subscription service…here’s how it went!

We all know furniture as a product, but have you ever considered furniture as a service? I hadn’t considered it before, but when Homeboard reached out to me to try out their furniture subscriptions service, I couldn’t resist!

I recently quit my job, so my first task was to build out a home studio as I’ll be recording way more videos.

Here are the problems I faced and how Homeboard fixed them:

1. I have no eye for interior design – Thankfully, Homeboard has a curation service where you fill out a quiz, send them a photo of your space, and they curate a room for you. This isn’t mandatory, you can just pick from their catalogue if you want, but of course this really appealed to me.
   
2. I hate shopping in person, but don’t trust the pieces I see online– Homeboard does not require you to leave the comfort of your home in order to get the pieces of your dreams. You know you can trust the pieces because they are expertly curated.
   
3. Furniture is expensive and delivery of furniture is even more expensive – did you know a nice couch can be like $3000?! Miss me with that. Since Homeboard is a subscription service, you can essentially split the cost monthly over your term. At the end of the term you can choose to buy it out (rent to own), swap the pieces for a new one or return them.
   
4. I don’t want to put any furniture together by myself, but the furniture I can afford right now requires assembly –This has to be my favourite thing about the service. With your subscription, the set up and take down is covered.
   
5. I’ll be moving out eventually and don’t really want to spend a lot of money on furniture in this temporary space – I may have a completely new style in a year or two when I move out, or I might not have space for a full studio wherever I move, or I just might not want the furniture in a year. That’s why I like the flexibility to swap the pieces for a new one or to return the pieces. I get to enjoy them for some time and give them back if I want.

So, you can see all of my dilemmas lol. Thankfully, Homeboard was able to solve these issues.
Let me tell you about them!

Homeboard is a monthly subscription service to stylish, quality furniture.

They’re on a mission to redefine furniture ownership by providing beautiful pieces at a monthly fee combined with expert curation and white glove assembly. Music to my ears.

Here are the steps:

1. Complete the curation survey (optional)
2. Select your pieces and have them delivered and assembled.
3. Pay a monthly subscription fee.
4. At the end of the term, choose to buy out, walk away or swap.

That’s it! Simple & easy.

My Experience

Step 1: Fill Out The Curation Survey
The first step is to fill out this survey where I outlined my preferences for the space, dropped a Pinterest board for inspiration, and provided the dimensions of my space so the team could work their magic.

This process took about a week.

Step 2: Select The Pieces & Have Them Delivered
Next, I received 5 curated mood boards that outline your subscription options. I asked for a space that could fit my vision of being able to host guests but also have solo content. I asked & they delivered.

I got to go through each set and approve the pieces that I liked and disliked.

Going through the pieces in-depth, I saw how affordable it was as well which was comforting. When I saw the fiddle leaf plant I was like hmmm ok $11/mo? I might be able to get it for cheaper. I searched it up and to my surprise, huge plants like that can be $200+! I thought okay, never mind lol, subscribing to it rather than buying it outright definitely makes more sense.

Step 3: Pay A Monthly Subscription Fee
After you complete your selections, the team then confirms your choices with you, you pay a fee and set a delivery time for the items.

My total came to $131/month, and delivery took about a week. They will typically ship the items to you and then once they all arrive they will send over someone to assemble the goods. I couldn’t be home on the assembly day so I was glad they were flexible enough to reschedule.

The assemblyman came and set everything up, it was a great experience and he listened to exactly what I wanted and took care with setting it up.

So here is my studio:

I personally love the space! For a video and complete walkthrough of the space, check out my YouTube video. Is it #ReniRated? Let’s go through it.

Overall Rating

Would I recommend Homeboard? Yes.

What did I like? The affordability, the attentive customer service, the fact that it’s a Black-owned business, the attention to detail with the curation of my space, the fact that assembly is included, and the overall look and feel of the space. Everyone who has come into it was amazed.

What didn’t I like? If you’re in a rush, it may be easier to just pop over to a local furniture store and purchase a piece of furniture and come home. With supply chain issues, sometimes shipping can take a while. This isn’t the fault of Homeboard as this would impact all deliveries, but just something to be cognizant of.

Who should use this? Anyone who is interested in the revolutionization of the furniture ownership process. This is for city-dwelling young professionals who have no desire to pay $3k outright for a piece of furniture but still want high-quality pieces. They are based in Toronto and serve the GTHA and Ottawa areas.

Because I loved the different curation options I was presented with so much, I worked with Homeboard on a #ReniRated bundle. If you are a fan of the neutral, clean, airy aesthetic, this is for you.

For just $118/month you’ll get all of these pieces! And if you use code ‘xoreni’ for this bundle (as well as any others), you’ll get 10% off your purchase.

Would you use a furniture subscription service? Let me know!

xo,
Reni