This is a quick acquisition — East Coast’s Gilt Groupe has acquired West Coast’s Decorati. Founded by designer Shane Reilly (see her recent design project below) in 2009, with backing by mega investor Peter Thiel, we think this is a great fit as Gilt Home expands.
Shane has also responded to “Why Gilt?”:
“That’s easy. Gilt will be the #1 place to shop for your home, and I want Decorati to be a part of that success story. Gilt’s vision is impressive—from e-commerce, to community tools, to designer resources, they are truly innovating on the idea of commerce and content. The power and flexibility of the Gilt shopping technology to handle everything from antiques and one-of-a-kind items to custom upholstery will be revolutionary. At the same time, it was clear Gilt wasn’t planning to steamroll the industry. They respect that interior designers are a critical part of the ecosystem.”
San Francisco House from Shane Reilly on Vimeo.
Official news below:
Gilt Groupe, an innovative online shopping destination, today announced it has acquired leading home decor site Decorati. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Decorati is a destination site for upscale interior design products and services as well as a community for the display of designer portfolios. Decorati is a resource that enables interior design professionals to efficiently manage their projects and promote their businesses. For consumers, Decorati offers a vast inspirational library of product images, along with the ability to connect with design professionals and research products from over 650 trade-only manufacturers.
“My vision for Decorati has always been to create a website to connect consumers with designers and provide broader access to the best interior design products and inspiration,” said Shane Reilly, Founder & CEO, Decorati. “Marrying Decorati with Gilt’s shopping platform and vision for an expanded Home business will allow for an even stronger offering for our members.”
The Decorati acquisition will pave the way for Gilt to launch a broader Home business. Gilt plans to unveil its new Home offering later this year, which will be a mixture of full-price merchandise, one-of-a-kind items and antiques, daily flash sales, community and social tools, and will include a channel specifically for the designer. Gilt Home has built a passionate customer base with a curated selection of home products and services at insider prices. Gilt Home currently offers 30 sales per week from over 400 brands including Baker, Kravet, Jonathan Adler, Stark, Lignet Roset, Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, Frette, and Soicher Marin. By incorporating a selection of products from additional trade-only brands, Gilt will create an unprecedented assortment of home décor products shoppable online.
“The design community will be a key component of our expanded Home business,” said Kevin Ryan, Founder and CEO, Gilt Groupe. “Decorati has done a fantastic job establishing a venue for high-end designers, knowledgeable consumers, and trade-only brands. We are excited to combine those assets as we expand Gilt’s Home business.”