• by Tony Silber , Staff Writer, April 25, 2022

Hunker, the digital home & design media brand, said this week that it’s opening “Hunker House,” a mixed-use experiential space in Venice, California. 

The 4,500-square-foot space will serve as an immersive-lifestyle content studio and partnership platform. But it will now include a ground-floor showroom that brings Hunker’s editorial curation to life in a physical space.

The showroom will feature products that visitors can shop digitally via QR codes, and it’s open to the public daily.

This new house follows the success of the first Hunker House, which launched in 2019 as a small event venue and content studio, also in Venice. With the new house, Hunker seeks to elevate the original concept with a strategy that unites its core brand pillars of storytelling, shopping, and hospitality, according to the brand.

Year-round programming will correspond in part to Hunker’s editorial calendar, with additional opportunities throughout the year reserved for special activations and partnership collaborations. There are three key editorial tentpoles: Healthy Home, Hunker Host, and Holiday Gift Guide.

Each month-long tentpole is anchored by an editorial content hub on Hunker.com, as well as a dedicated issue of Hunker’s print zine, Hunker News, to be distributed at the Hunker House. Social and influencer extensions will expand the reach and format of the campaign.

“Hunker is always seeking new ways to expand our conversation about home and design, both digitally and IRL,” said Eve Epstein, the brand's general manager. “This new space allows us to engage a sophisticated audience in a beloved district famed for its ties to design, art, media, and commerce."

Since launching in 2017, Hunker has sought to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities by sharing the stories and personalities of those working to reverse economic inequity in the design space. It’s owned by Leaf Group Ltd., which has several digital-media brands, including Saatchi Art, Society6, Well+Good, Livestrong and the MyPlate App.