Ifeyinwa Ighodalo, for the love of exquisite interior design options

Ifeyinwa Ighodalo holds a B.Sc. in Accountancy from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Driven to fulfil her passion for the design and execution of exquisite interiors with locally manufactured furniture, she established Design Options Ltd. in 1987, one of the first indigenous furniture manufacturing and furniture retail companies, providing employment for and developing thousands of Nigerians spanning three decades. Under her leadership, the company grew to become a household name, generating revenues of a billion naira at its peak and receiving several awards over the years.

Ifeyinwa has contributed significantly to real sector growth in Nigeria. In 2012, she went on to establish DO.II Designs, the preferred one-stop shop for interior solutions. DO.II has realised immense growth, and in 2019 opened the doors of its flagship store in the commercial centre of Lagos, 4 floors of over 1300m2, a first-of-its-kind furniture showroom. The brand is swiftly rising to become a market leader in the local furniture manufacturing industry, using highly creative interior design solutions and providing unique quality products and services to its individual and corporate customers. DO.II is well-regarded in the industry and has also received several awards.

A Founder and the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of WIMBIZ, Women In Management, Business and Public Service, she also sits on the Board of Trustees of IDAN, the Interior Designers Association of Nigeria, as well as on various School Boards.

She has mentored and trained many in and outside the interior design industry who have gone on to establish successful businesses including the current President of the International Federation of Interior Designers. She is the proud mother of a budding serial entrepreneur and is happily married to Asue Ighodalo.

How was growing up like for you and how has it helped to influence where you are today?

I am the first of 3 children and an only girl, what we in Igbo land call Ada. I was also the first grandchild of my grandparents on both sides, so Ada-Ada, an esteemed title.

I have therefore grown up with the great discipline and a strong sense of responsibility, not just for myself and my siblings but also for my cousins, my parents and the entire family.

My mother was a strict disciplinarian, who honed my attention to detail. Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to miss a thing! I am no stranger to hard work. My work ethic, focus and drive for excellence were all instilled in me by both parents during my upbringing.

My father who was also a Director of First Bank was also instrumental in my professional growth. He taught me the principles of break-even analysis when I was just 12 years old and lo and behold, I actually grasped it.

My flair for interior design and decoration was inspired by my parent’s successful interior decoration company Coonita, where I had spent many holidays working during any and all vacations in the 1970s.

This is what ignited my passion for interiors that led to my audacious dream of manufacturing furniture pieces in Nigeria, which could be compared and appreciated anywhere in the world.

My interior design journey started after my Youth Service when I joined my parent’s company as a manager. I needed to broaden my horizons beyond the provincial town of Enugu and so in 1985, I moved to Lagos to set up and work in Casafina, a retail furniture company on Awolowo road and a couple of years later, I branched out on my own.

What was your motivation to start Design Options?

As a young girl, I lived and travelled all over the world. I discovered coming back home that there was a gap in the Nigerian market for aesthetically appealing and high-quality furniture produced locally to global standards. At that time, the discerning clientele was importing furniture pieces, and that was my call to action. My flair for creativity and my passion for beautiful interiors inspired me to meet the growing customer demand in this new market segment.

In 1987 at the age of 27, I co-founded one of Nigeria’s foremost indigenous furniture manufacturing and furniture retail companies, Design Options, a limited liability company, which over the next 25 years employed and developed thousands of Nigerians in various fields related to interior design, decoration and furniture making.

By 1990, we had set a standard in manufacturing furniture pieces locally to international quality specifications. Under my leadership, we became a household name, receiving notable awards and generating millions in revenue.

Twenty-five years later, having built a strong brand, the company was reinvented and rebranded as DO.II Designs Ltd.

We are a Nigerian-based interior solutions provider, furniture manufacturing and retail company. We make exquisite furniture pieces for retail and wholesale clients including other interior designers. We also handle space planning, interior design and turnkey renovation for the corporate, hospitality and residential markets. DO.II Designs is a one-stop shop for all your interior design and solutions.

As one of the early indigenous furniture manufacturing and retail companies, what challenges were peculiar in your field as at that time and how did you pull through?

When I started out 35 years ago, everyone was excited to see aesthetically pleasing made in Nigeria furniture pieces manufactured to global standards. Unknown to many who admired us, one of our greatest challenges was finding the finance to grow the company as quickly as we needed to. In order to raise a capital base, we had to reinvest all our earnings in the business and by so doing, we organically grew the business.

A second challenge we faced was that of training and grooming our staff to understand and appreciate the need to do things the way right way, but because we were young, energetic and hands-on, we took on this challenge ourselves with the results you see today.

What are the challenges today and how are you pulling through?

It is disheartening and unfortunate that we are still having to deal with challenges like power, a major and critical component for manufacturing today. We have had to invest heavily to provide a low-cost alternative power supply for the effective operation of our facilities, especially in our factory where the bulk of our power is consumed. Yet, despite providing seemingly sustainable solutions, our electricity costs remain very high.

The unavailability of quality raw materials and the inability to maximise our supply chain continues to impact the cost of goods and ultimately the prices at which we retail our products.

For many in this industry, the growing interest rates with stringent requirements stifle the ability to invest and build capacity through the frequent machinery and technology-driven innovation necessary to remain on the cutting edge of the industry.

We are groaning under multiple taxations and excessive regulatory fees. There is a lack of empathy in the enforcement of our tax laws and statutory fee collection, and this coupled with a situation where several government agencies are performing similar roles for which we are again being levied, whilst failing to provide adequate support creates a very hostile and discouraging business environment.

The current state of the economy – hyperinflation, the huge decline in the value of the currency, the huge migration of the best talent, have all become a major source of concern for business owners and consumers. Despite these challenges, we are still managing to grow our business.

Why was DO.II Designs established? What is the success story so far?

DO.II Designs is the reinvention of Design Options and our vision was and still is to transform lives by beautifying the spaces in which people can live and work better.

We nurture a consumer-first mindset and are fully focused on giving all our clients a most pleasing and unforgettable experience. Catering to a diverse market of corporate and retail clients, we design, manufacture and supply quality furniture and accessories, offer interior design services, space planning, window, ceiling and wall treatment and turnkey remodelling. Everyday, we challenge ourselves to create elegant, functional and stylish interiors.

DO.II continuously sets the standards for well-designed interior pieces and spaces, ensuring quantity in every detail.

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Our success story has been one of resilience following our major setback 10 years ago, we have experienced continuous growth and have evolved from being a company with a primary focus on the retail of residential furniture pieces, to one that caters to a wide range of clientele in the high-end residential, property development, hospitality and corporate markets for home and office furniture and interior design solutions.

There are several interior decoration companies, what stands yours out?

Our dedication to our craft and attention to detail differentiates us. We have always been committed to creating every DO.II piece to the highest quality, from the smallest side table to our largest project. Our designers and craftsmen work with great precision, ensuring we maintain control and integrity while offering quality in every detail, which is our brand message, #QualityInEveryDetail. Our clients and the industry at large have come to recognise that our quality speaks for itself.

We visit some old clients’ sites and spot pieces we have delivered over 10 years ago still in use. This warms our hearts because it re-emphasises the quality of our work and the love of our loyal clients for our products and this in turn grows our referral sales. DO.II has become one of the most recognisable and sought-after designs and furniture companies in the industry through its strategic business collaborations, adaptation to the changing world and staying ahead of trends.

Quality in every detail, a huge variety of options and durability of our products and a state-of-the-art well-appointed showroom on 4 floors of over 1400sqm makes shopping easy and fun. These are our key USPs.

Our furniture manufacturing quality and product durability over the years has helped to build a clientele of wholesale buyers. To encourage young and aspiring interior designers with furniture manufacturing and standardisation, we launched the DO.II Preferred loyalty program, a scheme designed to give our partners a more fulfilling business experience.

Tell us more about your flagship store

We opened our Flagship store, The DO.II Place in April 2019, 7 years after the brand relaunch. Located at 642D Akin Adesola, Victoria Island, our 1400 sq meter, four-storey building is strategically located on the leading commercial high street in Victoria Island, Lagos.

The showroom is spacious, well-lit, filled with furniture and accessories and arranged in a manner that inspires the clients to visualise how any of those pieces can be combined and replicated in their homes and offices.

It allows our esteemed clients to shop in comfort in a pleasing environment.

Is the Nigerian government enabling local production enough?

I would say no, not nearly enough.

As Founder and the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of WIMBIZ, would you say WIMBIZ has lived up to all expectations?

WIMBIZ is an organisation that was way ahead of its time in bringing to the front burner the issue of gender equality which has now become a topic of global focus. WIMBIZ has certainly and greatly exceeded any expectations we all had at its inception.

One of the greatest achievements of WIMBIZ is that we have actually accomplished what we set out to do over 20 years ago, which is to connect an increasing network of women in management and business, to inspire and support them to achieve their potential, whilst also empowering them by mentoring and providing the skills and access necessary to realise their goals. At WIMBIZ, we challenge and inspire women to step out, to be bold, to dare and to dream big and to strive to achieve those dreams.

At the recently concluded WIMBIZ 21st Annual Conference, a new Board of Trustees was introduced, a Board constituted of a completely fresh set of Trustees. We the Founders have fully stepped down and handed over the reins to this board.

You have mentored and trained many in and outside the interior design industry, how important is mentorship and how have you given and benefited from it too?

Yes, I have indeed mentored many and continue to do so as I too have been mentored. The importance of formal and informal mentoring continues to increase as the quality of education progressively declines. However, even with the best education, having a mentor willing to guide you through the steps required to be successful in your particular field is a peculiar gift.

Tell us about your forthcoming anniversary, lessons learnt in business and what you are looking forward to

Restarting a business from scratch at 52 years of age was something I never envisaged, and I needed to be quite brave to contemplate let alone achieve this.

I have always advised people to “do it afraid” or “just do it” as long as they are convinced that they are on the right path. I am glad I took my own advice because 10 years have come and gone so quickly and I am truly and deeply grateful for this experience, and for all the milestones we have achieved. I am humbled by the continued trust and loyalty of our clients. The loyalty and encouragement from our clients has sustained and propelled the business to great heights.

To mark my 35 years as an entrepreneur and 10 years of DO.II Designs, we will be hosting a few of our loyal clients and the DO.II preferred members to a private cocktail and appreciation event. This will be followed by our DO.II Big Black Friday 10th anniversary sale.

Our clients have been the bedrock of our business and we plan to show and appreciate them better than we ever have this year.

For the future, we have developed a robust and fully functional e-commerce website, we look forward to growing our retail network and establishing franchises in major cities across Nigeria and the West African sub-region through online sales.

I look forward to actualising my succession plan so that I can hand this company over to capable hands and DO.II Designs can outlive me.