With #tovfurniture having more than 25.7 million views on TikTok, including a collaboration with Alix Earle, as well as a strong following on Instagram, it’s fair to say Tov is the furniture brand taking over social media. It’s easy to understand why. Every piece is beautifully and thoughtfully designed, yet on-trend. Still, many pieces have a timeless quality to them. Although most of this mid-priced line ships quickly, the is quality higher than what consumers see with typical “fast furniture.”
Tov also doesn’t take itself too seriously. From bright colors to boxes stamped with its motto “Don’t be boring,” this female-founded brand, which has been established for a decade is also very much inspired by social media and creating what consumers want when they want it.
It’s also almost entirely female-driven. With over 200 employees worldwide, 80 percent of Tov’s employees are women. So it’s not a surprise there has been a 20 to 40 percent growth rate per year and more than 1500 different products at any given time.
I recently spoke with co-founder and lead designer Chaya Krinsky about her unique business model, trends for 2023, and how social media shapes the brand.
Amanda Lauren: What is the difference between fast furniture and quick furniture?
Chaya Krinsky: I think the main difference between fast furniture and quick furniture is that fast furniture has the reputation of being fast to be obtained but also fast to be thrown out.
I think of Tov under the quick furniture umbrella because we do have a very quick supply chain and production system that allows us to offer customers new pieces within a very quick turnaround time. While we pay attention to popular trends and like to speak to the consumer’s current interest, we hope they enjoy our pieces for years to come, rather than just quickly tire of them and replace them.
Lauren: How quickly do pieces go from being an idea to available on the site?
Krinsky: We try our hardest to get pieces in our warehouse, ready to be shipped, within six months of design. For reference, some of our competitors take 2 or more years to get their furniture ready for sale. So we are really proud of our speed capabilities.
Lauren: How are your designs influenced by TikTok?
Krinsky: I am heavily influenced by TikTok, I love how global it is and how you are constantly being pushed by new content from new creators, it isn’t just the people you follow like Instagram is. I think the video format is very engaging and allows the creators to tell a story rather than just share imagery.
Social media, in general, can be a great level playing field for anyone to interact and be heard, which I appreciate. It isn’t just the uber-wealthy or Hollywood celebrities—it can be anyone and everyone around you at any time.
Lauren: How does Instagram influence Tov?
Krinsky: Instagram will continue to be influential to me, even with the rise of TikTok. I love how intentional it is. People put great effort into the images they are sharing, knowing that they will stay on their profile forever. It revivals print magazines in some capacity, I am constantly looking back to posts I’ve saved and see what has stood out to me.
I would say, overall Instagram is less theatrical, which can be refreshing if that is the creative mood I am in. I can be influenced by anything when it comes to design and Instagram has quite literally anything and everything.
Lauren: What is the difference between a trend and a micro trend?
Krinsky: I see micro trends as being more niche movements in society. They can be interesting because not everyone has bought into them like a bigger trend. Some people may be obsessed with a micro trend and feel that it fits their personality perfectly and then on the other end some consumers may hate it and not understand it at all. I see trends being more overarching and telling less of a specific story.
Lauren: What are the biggest interior design trends right now?
Krinsky: I’ve been seeing a huge push for art deco styles and homages to past decades. For example, bold floral fabrics that were popular in the 60s and 70s are very popular and will continue to be. We’ve seen boucle come back in a major way and I think that will stay popular this spring, as well.
Bright colors and geometric patterns [are also big trends]. Even in styling, you see a lot more accessories being used, minimalism is becoming less popular.
There’s also a very big trend going on now with very dramatic accents that are both cozy and soft. Oversize velvet pillows, oversize, boucle, ottomans, or just some of the things that I’m seeing a lot of all really making the home feel comfortable and fun.
Lauren: What are the the most important current microtrends?
Krinsky: Fluting is big, whether it is on accent furniture or lighting.
I also think grandmillennial and coastal grandmother will continue as microtrends. I love the nostalgia of both of these microtrends, they really exude a poetic pleasant feel to a room and one done correctly just gives such a crazy style.
Barbiecore was a fun microtrend a couple of weeks ago that I think might pop back up as we get close to the launch of the actual Barbie movie.
Biophilic design has also become a microtrend. Some want to fully bring in as much greenery and natural plants into their homes as possible and others are just dipping their toes in with using more natural materials, like bamboo.
Lauren: How does Tov balance producing trendy pieces that are designed to be affordable and cool yet not disposable?
Krinsky: I think a lot of this goes back to the intention that we put into the pieces we produce and the Tov brand in general. We pride ourselves on the quality of our pieces, first and foremost, we hold ourselves to even a higher standard than even our most loyal customers. While Tov is a relatively new brand—we are intentional about designing our pieces so that pieces across seasons (and years) can be easily mixed and matched. Our goal is that customers can easily add to their collection of Tov pieces over the years as they need new and different pieces, this is why we aim to design our pieces to be versatile for many stages of our customers’ lives.
Lauren: What is it like being a woman in the future industry right now?
Krinsky: I feel like it is a lot of responsibility. The furniture industry, like so many other ones, is male-dominated, which is very interesting considering the demographic of interior designers and home decor customers skews heavily female.
The conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.