My Big Idea: home fragrance brand Lifestyle Home Collection

‍Hi Gemma! What's your elevator pitch?

Lifestyle Home Collection was born out of my frustration as an interior designer with home fragrance products that simply didn’t perform in real spaces. So, I designed it myself. Today, we create design-led, luxury diffusers and candles that combine scale, performance and aesthetics. Since launching in 2023, the brand has grown rapidly into a six-figure business, scaling towards £1 million turnover, with international expansion across the UK, US and UAE. We filled the missing gap in the market - and turned it into a fast-growing global brand.

Why does the market need it?

While designing interiors for clients, I became increasingly aware of the lack of high-quality home fragrance products that could genuinely sit within the spaces I was creating.

I was constantly using diffusers as part of my styling work because fragrance has a powerful impact in a room – it creates atmosphere instantly and elevates the entire space. But the reality was that most products simply didn’t perform at the level I needed them to.

They would dry up within weeks, lose their scent strength far too quickly, or evaporate because of alcohol-based formulas. Some even risked damaging surfaces if they spilled, which is completely unacceptable in a luxury interior setting.

I just couldn’t recommend or continue using products that compromised the spaces I had carefully built. I wanted something that was beautiful, long-lasting, and genuinely premium in performance - something that matched the standard of the interiors themselves. When I couldn’t find it, I decided to create it myself.

Where is the business today?

We launched in 2023 the business achieved six-figures in the first year, with turnover continuing to increase year-on-year. We’re now scaling towards £1 million in annual revenue, with strong and consistent commercial momentum.

We’ve achieved rapid international expansion, moving into both the US and UAE markets alongside the UK. In 2025, we were approached by Galeries Lafayette to stock our range in Dubai, which marked a significant milestone for the brand. We’ve also secured major retail platforms including Amazon UK and QVC UK, with further expansion planned across QVC Europe and Amazon USA.

Alongside this, we’ve built a strong celebrity and influencer following, including Coleen Rooney, Olivia Attwood, Michelle Keegan and Rylan Clark, with a growing base of repeat customers who continue to drive credibility and demand.

We’re known for our signature statement products - luxury XXL diffusers (2500ml) and XXL candles (5kg). At the end of 2025, we also introduced our square collection to broaden accessibility while maintaining our luxury positioning. This includes diffusers in 250ml, 500ml and 1000ml formats, alongside 3.5kg candles, with prices starting from £45.99. It allows more customers to enter the brand at a lower price point without compromising on quality or performance.

What made you think there was money in this?

I’ve been an interior designer for 25 years, and I still am. Throughout my career I’ve always understood the impact fragrance has on an environment - it’s never an afterthought, it’s part of the design.

Over the years I used countless home scent products across different schemes, in all shapes and sizes, and I was constantly disappointed. Expensive products that evaporated too quickly, poor scent performance, and larger formats that were wildly overpriced for what they delivered.

I knew if I needed something better in my work, then other professionals - and consumers - must feel the same way. There was already an appetite and market for home fragrance products – so I knew there was money in it – I just needed to fill the gap that was missing.

What's your biggest strength?

Honestly, it’s the back story - and me.

The reason I created these products and the way I designed them is what gives the brand its strength. Everything has been considered from a designer’s perspective: size, quality, aesthetics, practicality and performance.

There isn’t another product on the market that combines all of those elements properly. Some brands get one or two things right, but not all of them together. For example, Jo Malone diffusers smell great, but they’re quite small and expensive for what you get. Baobab products can cost £500+ for a large diffuser, which feels unnecessary when the performance doesn’t justify it.

Consumers are becoming far more aware and wiser to how they spend their money now. They want value, longevity and design-led products - not just a luxury name.

What is the secret to making the business work?

Hard work. Non-stop determination. And the ability to keep going regardless of what is happening around you.

We’ve had to build this brand through some very challenging global conditions - wars, economic uncertainty, Brexit aftershocks, US tariffs, shifting consumer behaviour and political instability.

There’s no perfect time to build a business. You just have to keep pushing forward.

How do you market the company?

We work primarily with home and interiors influencers on a gifted basis rather than paid collaborations. We don’t pay for partnerships. Our products are premium luxury items, and we’ve been fortunate that many influencers genuinely recognise the quality and are happy to create content in return for product.

Alongside this, we take a very considered approach to product placement, ensuring we appear in environments and spaces where our target audience naturally spends time.

For us, it’s not about volume marketing - it’s about being seen in the right places, in the right way.

What funding do you have? Is it enough?

The business is currently self-funded by myself, alongside a smaller shareholder investor who joined last year. Prior to that, I funded everything personally, investing £150,000 of my own savings to get the business started.

We’ve been very disciplined with growth so far, but as we scale into new product categories and international markets over the next 12 months, we may look at additional funding to support that expansion.

Tell us about the business model

While the brand is rooted in fragrance, design and experience, the operational model behind it is highly controlled. Every product is carefully cost engineered - from raw materials and fragrance oils through to vessels, packaging and logistics.

We operate a primarily direct-to-consumer model, with approximately 65-75% of revenue generated through DTC channels and the remainder via a selective wholesale network. This allows us to maintain strong brand control while still building scalable distribution.

Our pricing reflects this structure. We operate to defined margin thresholds in line with industry standards, achieving gross margins in the region of 60-70%, with DTC channels delivering stronger profitability than wholesale.

Overheads are kept deliberately lean at around 27-30% of revenue, supported by disciplined cost management across marketing, logistics and operations. This efficiency allows us to absorb key investment areas such as product development, small-batch manufacturing and brand building, without compromising on quality or performance.

We also work with a focused network of trusted manufacturing partners, primarily sourcing materials from established UK and international suppliers. This ensures we maintain a consistent balance of quality, reliability and margin efficiency across the range.

A key strength of the model is repeat purchase behaviour. Around 45% of year-to-date sales come from returning customers, which significantly reduces acquisition costs and creates a more stable revenue base.

Ultimately, this isn’t a short-term margin-driven business. It’s focused on long-term brand equity, product integrity and building a scalable model that works equally well for retail partners and direct customers.

What were you doing before?

I’ve always worked as an interior designer, and I still do today. I run a successful, award-winning interior design business alongside Lifestyle Home Collection.

My background in property and renovation actually goes back to childhood. My father worked in the industry, so I grew up around building sites and was exposed early on to what it takes to create something from the ground up.

As I got older, that naturally developed into a passion of my own. I began buying and renovating run-down properties before launching my interior design business.

I’ve always loved transformation - taking a space that feels tired or overlooked and turning it into something beautiful, welcoming and memorable.

What is the future vision?

We have further product launches planned for 2026, including fragrance-led products in additional categories.

The focus now is on scaling the brand further across the UK and internationally, while continuing to build Lifestyle Home Collection into a leading name in luxury home fragrance.

To view the Lifestyle Home Collection range please visit:

https://www.lifestylehomecollection.org/

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