The Viral Fugly Furniture Contest

This is the third yearly installment of Valyōu’s Fugly Furniture Contest. The furniture brand asks entrants to submit a photo of their fugliest piece of furniture. Then, open voting will decide which piece is crowned fugliest of them all. Aside from internet notoriety, the (un)lucky winner will receive a brand new replacement piece of furniture from Valyōu.

Valyou explains that most pieces of furniture will have a seven year lifespan for top performance and durability. When consumers go past that timeframe some interesting things start to happen. Old furniture can show quirks like being outdated, worn down, or stained. Pieces that refuse to give up might be balancing on one leg or seem to be held together with hopes, dreams, and a little bit of duct tape. Valyōu wants them all.

Regardless of condition, and item can be considered fugly. Some well maintained pieces of furniture might be ugly for different reasons. Tacky, niche styles that have become cliche or out of style are frequent entries. Many doily adorned sofas have appeared in the running, much to Grandma’s protestation.

The Fugly Furniture Contests seeks to honor these long lived furnishings that have served their owners well and are ready for a much needed retirement. Past entries have included the old, dirty, and worn-out as well as the out-of-date, niche trends, odd shapes, and stylistically adventurous designs. Just like beauty, fugly is in the eye of the beholder. Any entries will be accepted, but only the fugliest will win.

"Rewards don't come to those who aren't willing to think outside the box and we feel bold social strategies have the most impact,” Cina Luks, Co-Owner at Valyōu. Luks explained that the Fugly Furniture campaign is two fold. First, it’s an opportunity to inject personality into the furniture brand on social media. Second, it’s a chance to help those who are in desperate need of a furniture refresh. “Winners get to replace their old, ugly furniture with new Valyōu pieces. Cost, delivery is all on us,” says Luks.

The contest was a huge success for Valyōu last year and the social team had many more entries than anticipated. With such a large response they decided to increase the number of finalists from three to five, with each finalist receiving a prize. “We hope people have a lot of fun with the contest again this year. We absolutely can’t wait to see the submissions. That’s the best part for us. And, of course, ultimately upgrading your fugly furniture to beautiful furniture"

The contest runs from October 10th through October 31st this year. You can find contest rules and fugly entries here.