Ohouse, the lifestyle platform, is making a full-scale entry into the interior construction market with the launch of its kitchen construction package product, 'Ohouse Kitchen.' The company's strategy is to expand its business scope beyond its existing commerce operations centered on furniture and household goods, moving into a structure where it directly handles everything from space design to construction.
Ohouse entered the interior construction brokerage business in earnest back in 2023. By prioritizing the establishment of trust-based systems such as standardized contracts, standardized estimates, and a construction warranty program, the number of full-service construction requests grew by more than 200% year over year. Consultations for directly managed partial construction work, such as wallpapering and flooring, have also been steadily increasing, and 'Ohouse Kitchen' carries great significance as the company's first venture into whole-space construction. This business expansion is also reflected in its performance. According to Ohouse, its interior construction brokerage transaction volume last year doubled compared to the previous year, and cumulative transaction volume has surpassed 1 trillion won.
Typically, interior construction involves a distribution structure running from headquarters to dealers to construction firms, with intermediate margins of 10–30% added along the way. Ohouse, however, distinguishes itself by adopting a direct-sales model that eliminates these margins, thereby strengthening its price competitiveness. In particular, a professional kitchen designer takes charge of the entire process from design to finishing, and a one-year after-sales service is guaranteed following construction.
The interior construction market is a prime example of a distrust-driven market—often called a 'lemon market'—due to information asymmetry and a lack of trust. Customers have significant concerns about price disparities between firms, opaque estimates, and construction defects, while small construction firms struggle with the burden of contracts and handling complaints. As a result, both firms and customers end up bearing wasteful costs. Ohouse believes that simply reducing these costs of distrust can bring innovation to the market. Its strategy is to make the transaction structure transparent through standardized contracts, a warranty program, and an after-sales service system, while enhancing customer convenience through online-based information and expert design.
An Ohouse official said, "Currently, about 95% of interior construction contracts are made offline, and even if only 20–30% of these shift online, the growth potential is limitless," adding, "Based on our experience in bringing the living market online, we will also drive the digital transformation of the interior construction market." 1670-0876