Interior Décor

the entrepreneurial journey of Jodie Falealili

featuring

The House of Lili

How to Work with Interior Design Styles Like a Pro

THE HOUSE OF LILI

From a corporate finance specialist in London to an entrepreneur in the interior décor space based out of Singapore, we dive into the story of Jodie Falealili, the brainchild behind the brand The House of Lili. A successful home decor company born in the pandemic year 2020 and nurtured in Singapore with a product USP that takes inspiration from a centuries-old craft originating from North India. The products of The House of Lili range from homeware to furniture and feature on some of the most famous home decor e-commerce platforms in Singapore.

One might ask what makes the THL product range any different from the widely crowded market space of home décor brands providing the very same.

Well, it all comes down to the craftsmanship, showcasing beautiful, vibrant, tasteful and intricately handcrafted décor with a technique familiar to many in the Indian design space, namely, the art of inlay.

The Art of Inlay

Inlay is the technique of arranging hand-carved pieces of bone/mother of pearl onto a base. Often MDF board or similar. Once the bones/mother of pearl is carved to the desired shape, they are arranged to pattern and glued to the base. A coloured resin liquid is then poured over the top. Finally, once set, the resin is sanded and buffed to reveal a truly stunning item.

Inlay work can also be seen in works of architecture and can most famously be associated with one of the 7-wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal, where slabs of white marble within the built form are inlaid with an array of exotic precious gemstones. The process of inlay here however endured painstaking carvings into the marble slab to introduce an inlay of precious stones like rubies, jade etc, shaped perfectly to fit into the carved out cavity.

A slice of inspiration

Thankfully with the enterprise of international businesses like The House of Lili, anyone around the world can own a slice of inspiration from the Taj Mahal, a work of inlay that perfectly blends into the modern home outfit in function and aesthetics.

We catch up with Jodie Falealili to learn more about her inspiring journey into the interior décor market and what kindled her entrepreneurial fire.

DA: Tell us about your background before the establishment of ‘The House of Lili’.

Jodie: “Born and bred in England, I started my career working in the financial industry in London. My role was corporate finance, covering relationship management, syndicated lending and assisting the trading floor with the top tier corporate businesses in the UK.“

DA: What inspired you to switch from a steady income career to embark on an entrepreneurial path.

Jodie: I have always liked to be in control of my own path. Despite loving my previous career in finance, it involved long hours in an office and at social events. Since having my own family this was not desirable to me anymore. Therefore-

“I decided to follow a dream of mine and start a business doing something I love and which I can tailor around the needs of myself and my young family.”

DA: How did you stumble upon the artform of bone inlay.

Jodie: Before moving to Singapore, I had never heard of bone inlay. It is not so common in Europe. I first noticed it at the pop up fairs which were common ‘pre covid’ in Singapore. I am intrigued by anything with history and that has been made by hand, I became captivated.

DA: How do you achieve the design of a new product? What inspires your designs?

Jodie:

“My mind never rests, I never stop thinking about my brand and about ‘ideas’. What would make a good product? What do I personally find missing in the market? What can make a home more beautiful yet be functional and practical.”

Once I have an idea I will start to build on it, sketching the item and making notes looking around for inspiration of colours and patterns. Then I look at other components, suitability of materials, suitability for Singapore’s climate, durability for the purpose, easy patterns and colours to compliment most homes etc. Once I have my version on paper I present it to my engineering team in India who will tell me if it will work. Adjustments are made, materials sourced and the product is created.

DA: Why did you choose to establish ‘The House of Lili’ in Singapore?

Jodie: Despite having a dream to start my own business and work doing something I really love to do I didn’t expect my business to take off quite as it did.

I was shopping for a gift for a friend’s birthday when I stumbled across a manufacturer in India. We started communicating and I decided to take the plunge to order some basic generic items. I purchased some trays, coasters and frames which sold out straight away.

I noticed a big demand for these products, so I decided to take the next step and register a business. Once registered in November 2020, I attended Christmas fairs, pop-ups in malls and created an e-commerce store. I did all this with no assistance or previous experience, just learning as I went along. I didn’t even have a social media account!

Since then the business has grown quite rapidly, I am now stocking in four stores across Singapore and acting as a wholesale supplier to an established company abroad. I have some pending expansions in the pipeline for this coming year too.

DA: Does ‘The House of Lili’ plan to expand their forte into other products?

Jodie: Yes! I have so many ideas I want to build upon. Since starting just one year ago we have already expanded to hand block printed textiles with added small details to make them more unique, we have teamed up with an artist to create limited edition artwork on candles and enamelware and we are expanding our furniture ranges.

“The brand is all about supporting small artisans in communities so our products will always have the handmade element. You will never find mass-produced factory-made items from us.”

On the Singapore map

Today ‘The House of Lili’ stocks their products at some of the most prestigious locations in Singapore including Orchard Road, Katong and Sentosa.

…putting the craftsmanship of inlay work on the international pedestal where anyone and everyone can indeed be the proud owner of a centuries-old Indian handicraft.