How Can Home Décor PR Drive Sales for Manufacturers?

September 5, 2025

Public relations has long been associated with lifestyle brands, fashion houses, and home décor retailers. But here’s the thing—building product manufacturers often overlook PR as a growth driver. That’s a costly mistake. In today’s home marketplace, where aesthetics, sustainability, and storytelling carry real weight, home décor PR can directly influence consumer demand and, by extension, dealer and distributor sales for manufacturers.

At Draper DNA, we’ve seen firsthand how smart PR strategies that tie into home décor trends can push products beyond the “commodity” category and into the “must-have” conversation. Let’s break it down.

Why Home Décor PR Matters for Manufacturers

1. The design influence on product adoption
Homeowners and designers increasingly view building products—windows, siding, decking, roofing, cabinetry—not just as functional, but as design statements. Houzz’s U.S. Kitchen Trends Study (2024) found that 87% of homeowners cite style and aesthetics as the top influence on their material choices, second only to durability【Houzz, 2024】. This means building products are being selected for the same reasons as a sofa or a paint color.

2. Lifestyle marketing is now product marketing
Manufacturers that align products with broader lifestyle narratives—eco-friendly living, indoor-outdoor flow, minimalist design—position themselves at the center of consumer aspiration. A recent report from the National Kitchen & Bath Association shows lifestyle-driven remodeling projects are growing faster than purely functional upgrades【NKBA, 2023】. PR is the lever that connects these lifestyle stories with mass media, influencers, and design-savvy consumers.

3. The retailer and distributor pull-through effect
PR doesn’t just speak to homeowners—it arms retailers and distributors with compelling stories to sell. A Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) survey found that 64% of dealers report increased sales when a manufacturer provides marketing and PR support tied to design and lifestyle trends【HIRI, 2023】. In other words: your partners sell more when you give them stories that matter.

How PR Tactics Translate to Sales

Trend-driven product placement
Think about CertainTeed’s siding featured in Architectural Digest’s seasonal “Top Home Trends” spread or Andersen Windows showing up in Houzz’s annual style roundup. When your product is tied to design trends, it builds credibility and desire—two precursors to sales.

Designer and influencer collaborations
Partnerships with home décor influencers on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube drive awareness where homeowners actually shop for inspiration. A survey by Matter Communications found 81% of consumers have purchased a product after seeing it recommended by an influencer【Matter, 2023】. For manufacturers, this isn’t just awareness—it’s direct pull-through.

Media storytelling
Earned placements in outlets like Better Homes & Gardens, House Beautiful, or Dwell elevate a manufacturer’s brand beyond technical specs. Storytelling about sustainability, craftsmanship, or design heritage helps buyers—both consumers and contractors—see value beyond price.

The Draper DNA Perspective

Here’s what makes Draper DNA different: we speak fluent building products. Most PR agencies can pitch a lifestyle angle, but few can tie it back to SKUs, product availability, and contractor loyalty. We’ve sat on the manufacturer’s side of the table (Andersen, Weather Shield, Simonton, Fypon) and we know the pressure to not just “get buzz” but move product.

Our approach combines:

Lifestyle PR: Connecting your products to the design and décor conversations homeowners follow.
Dealer & distributor alignment: Equipping your channel partners with press-ready stories and imagery to drive sell-through.
Measurement that matters: Going beyond impressions and vanity metrics to track downstream effects—lead generation, dealer adoption, and ultimately sales.

Put simply, we bridge the gap between aspirational PR and manufacturer ROI.

The Bottom Line

Home décor PR isn’t just for brands selling pillows and paint colors. For building product manufacturers, it’s a proven way to elevate products, connect with homeowners, and empower dealers to sell more effectively.

At Draper DNA, we help manufacturers harness the power of PR not as an afterthought but as a driver of growth. By embedding your products into the stories homeowners care about—and arming your channels with those same narratives—we help you turn press into profit.

If you’re ready to move beyond product specs and into the design conversation that actually drives sales, let’s talk.