Content lead Kim Dong-young (right), co-founder of Bucket Place (‘Today’s Home’) and content team manager Da-gum Hwang, are interviewing JoongAng Ilbo at the office in Seocho-dong, Seoul on the afternoon of the 13th. Reporter Woo Sang-jo
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‘Home Ludens’ is a new human scientific name born by Corona. Most of the time, as the sequel to doing it at home became more and more convenient, more and more people were looking for pleasure while playing Ludens at home.
The popularity of’Today’s House’, the largest interior platform in Korea, clearly shows the rise of home ludens. In the summer of 2014, three young people in their 20s founded a company called Bucket Place, and as of the 17th, the number of application (app) downloads exceeded 15 million and the number of members exceeded 10 million. As of the end of last year, there were 43.4 million people in their 20s or older, which means that 1 in 4 adults in Ulchu is a member. The monthly transaction amount is around 100 billion won, and the cumulative transaction amount reaches 1 trillion won.
Is the house decoration craze a temporary phenomenon caused by corona or is there any other reason? On the 13th, we heard the story of the co-founder Dong-young Kim and content manager Da-gum Hwang, who is in charge of the contents of today’s house.
- Isn’t the interior work (?) that you have a big heart when you move.
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- Kim Dong-young (Kim) = “In the past, when it comes to interiors, there were many people who only thought of remodeling by renovating and repairing houses. However, with IKEA accessing a variety of furniture and accessories, and making it easy to buy cheap and high-quality items through online shopping, ah, you can decorate your house without having to do expensive construction.”
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- Interior, remodeling, home styling, the terms are confused.
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- Dagum Hwang (Hwang) = “Remodeling usually means’construction’ to change tiles or equipment in the kitchen or bathroom. On the other hand, home styling is used as a means of changing the atmosphere and decorating the house relatively easily with furniture or small items. Furniture and accessories used for home styling are called home furnishings, but the interior can be viewed as a concept that encompasses remodeling and home styling.”
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- What’s popular these days?
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- Kim = “It is home decorating, that is, home styling. As for the color, I like natural colors such as white or ivory, and modular furniture is popular in terms of furniture. Like Lego blocks, modular furniture is a’flexible furniture’ that can be stacked or attached as needed. This is because it can be used efficiently in a small space such as a studio.”
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- Hwang: “In terms of types, there is a lot of interest in the table. Because of the coronavirus outbreak, they eat at the table, but they work, study, and have a lot to do. Folding dining tables suitable for small homes and round dining tables with reduced corners are also popular.”
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Today’s House has achieved success by placing the center of the platform on the community that exchanges’information’ rather than the’shopping mall’. When entering the app or homepage, categories such as photography, housewarming, and know-how are mainly centered on’Today’s Story’. Currently, the number of photos is about 8 million and the number of reviews is 7 million, most of which are voluntarily uploaded by people.
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The’Today’s Home’ content team selected’Online Housewarming’ as the most popular category in the app. Reporter Woo Sang-jo
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- Why are you trying to show your home?
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- Kim = “Aren’t you saying that fashion reveals your identity? As individual tastes became clear and diversified, the space called home became so. In fact, on social media, there are many cases where an account is created with’#○○’s house’. Decorating the house has become a branding that expresses who I am and who I am.”
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- Hwang: “The popular word among Generation Z, such as middle and high school students, is’deskterior’. It’s a combination of a desk and interior. As the time spent studying and taking classes at home increases, decorating the desk according to his style and sharing pictures.”
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- Does the popularity of home decorating have anything to do with rising home prices?
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- Hwang: “The reality is that the house as an asset to the 20s and 30s is getting farther away. So, rather than waiting only for the distant future (purchasing a house), it seems that he wants to take care of the house where he lives today, and enjoy the joy. I think the fundamental value and meaning of the house has grown.”
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Bucket Place (‘Today’s Home’), which started with three people in 2014, has now grown to 200 employees. The entrance of an office in Seocho-dong, Seoul, where he moved in search of a large space. Reporter Woo Sang-jo
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- What is the fundamental meaning of the house?
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- Hwang: “It is a place where the mind becomes comfortable and a home that gives a sense of psychological stability. Why are modern people anxious? Because I can’t find a sense of security at home, I keep traveling and finding joy in other places. The place where you can go back after being in a society where change is fast and competition is fierce is at home.”
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- Kim = “I said that the house is a means of revealing my identity, but I can also find my identity through the house. I try this and that and find out what kind of person I like, what kind of activities I do at home and how I am satisfied when I relax.”
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- Will the house decoration craze continue after the corona is over?
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- Kim: “Even when the corona is over, there is a high possibility that the trend of doing activities that you used to do outdoors, such as working from home, will continue at home. Hopefully not, but a second corona could emerge. Eventually, interest in the house will be the default (fixed value), not the fashion, in the sense that it is not just a beautiful decoration but a comfort place to return.”
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Reporter Soah Lee [email protected]
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