Project Overview

Ethan Allen
Ecommerce Website Development

Ethan Allen’s home furnishings ecommerce site needed to be made more comprehensive in its offerings and functionality. We started the project the way we usually do, by conducting formal in-field research. We went shopping.

We went into their showrooms, puffed up couch pillows, opened cabinets and looked under their rugs. We found that Ethan Allen doesn’t sell furniture—they offer an interior design service. Their consultants create mood boards with swatches and photo clips, go to clients’ homes to measure rooms then design floor plans. Our goal

was to bring this real world experience online. Ethanallen.com encourages people to do all the things they can do with an in-store design consultant. Users can take a “What’s Your Style” quiz, create a room plan using Ethan Allen furniture, assemble idea boards with products, swatches and their own photos, flip through design “books,” and shop the showroom. They can share their inspirations with a design pro who will collaborate with them via phone or email for free. Registration saves users’ creative efforts and allows Ethan Allen to make relevant cross-sell suggestions. It’s an ecom site that creates a true brand relationship.