Dualspace was born out of a need my husband — and Dualspace co-founder — Andrew Garlock and I both discovered in our professions: a resource that allowed brands and media teams to easily find local homes to create time-sensitive content in. At first, we offered up our own home as a testing ground, and a few friends and neighbors followed. Now, our available locations surpass 100 — and include everything from bungalows to custom estates, industrial studios and even an art museum.
Starting the company was a result of good timing. It practically started all on its own.
In 2016, a company my husband was working for was constantly doing photo and video shoots all over the state. There was a push to find a better mix of unique spaces and locations where they could film to ensure their content was fresh and allow them to respond to different audiences and lifestyles. A library of locations — a source that allowed homeowners to be easily contacted, similar to Airbnb’s platform — for coordinated shoots seemed necessary.
Andrew’s team used our home for a shoot. The production crew had such a great experience that they wondered if any of the neighbors’ homes might be available for future projects. That’s when Dualspace got its unassuming start: I connected with people I knew who wanted to lend their living spaces as backdrops for new products and campaigns happening within the state.
Nearly everyone I contacted was willing to lend their homes toward the cause. Of course, they would get paid to be slightly inconvenienced, but often for just a day or two. I compiled a list of homes and an eventual website followed.
When we launched our site, we did so modestly — a dozen locations, largely homes belonging to friends and family — but it was a start. Because I had previously moonlighted as an interior designer, I’d developed a knack for what most clients were looking for. I utilized the networks of those who owned visually appealing homes and studio spaces, everything from midcentury modern spaces to modern farmhouses.
Lucky for us, word of mouth did the rest of the work, and submissions started rolling in. Now Dualspace has listings for homes, businesses and venues across the state and is growing rapidly throughout the country and into Canada.
Other options for booking professional shoots did exist before us, but it was a cumbersome process that included filtering through thousands of subpar homes to find what was most wanted. Finding well-styled houses was next to impossible. Once you found one, it was up to you to connect with homeowners, and that was another hurdle. Feedback from video and media teams often sounded the same: they’d text, call, email and largely never hear back. Companies already in pre-production frequently make plans less than two weeks before they need to create. Rapid responses were absolutely necessary.
Speed was a skill that Andrew and I could provide, along with an intensively curated collection of houses. Being intentional about every location added meant clients could easily find what they were looking for without spending much time. Our homes felt lived-in and authentic, and that’s precisely what they wanted.
Transforming spare rooms into revenue streams
Though Dualspace has been around for nearly a decade, it was always a side hustle. Both Andrew and I were busy with our careers and were a growing young family with small children. Extra time wasn’t a commodity either of us had.
For a long while, we had no strong intentions beyond providing a service that we felt needed to exist. Neither of us fully expected this would turn into anything, but demand provided a different narrative. New partners requested we use their locations, so I continued to compile.
Then, our thinking changed. This additional source of income to those with listed properties helped cover family vacations and pay for Christmases, birthdays, remodeling and renovations. This realization ultimately led us to continue, as we could offer a more accessible way to earn rental income without having to own a second property.
Friends couldn’t believe how much my husband and I were making — sometimes over $1,000 — just for being out of the house for a day and making ourselves scarce. It didn’t take long for a chain reaction of interest to happen with those who wanted their homes to be considered. Once people see the potential of their home being featured in a catalog, ad campaign or TV commercial, excitement builds behind that.
“It’s a thrill to see which companies connect with us, and sometimes, it means a sneak peek of their new products. It’s humbling to have a company like Hulu connect with us, for example, and it’s hard to believe we’re even on their radar.”
— Elyse Garlock
The company grew so fast that it occasionally outpaced our best efforts to keep up. Sometimes I wanted to turn an imaginary knob to slow it down a touch, which was a good problem to have.
I kept on top of what surfaced daily, was responsive to emails and organized location agreements and invoices. The concept of what Dualspace was trying to accomplish was sound. Still, the execution of what got done daily was often all over the place. With my husband and I working elsewhere, it was hard to keep on top of. After we implemented some changes, the process got much smoother than it once was. I’m better at interacting with clients and managing conflicts as they arise.
Developing a business sensibility has been a growing pain. Still, my background as a nurse and ability to maintain a suitable bedside manner have come in handy. As a caretaker, even when you’re not sharing the best news, you need to approach the situation with optimism and handle it professionally. That experience applies directly to our business relations.
By setting expectations early on and advising clients about onsite etiquette, we can often combat minor issues before they become large ones. I’ll remind clients if a homeowner doesn’t want shoes worn inside or if there aren’t supposed to be cans of soda on the furniture. Having the proper behavior on set is so important, especially if these services are going to continue.
Local homes, global productions
Dualspace is not a consumer-facing brand, but it was still fun to create the foundational building blocks — including the company name and its meaning: the duality of a space. Many of our partners offer up their primary living spaces for photo and video shoots, and they can earn a dual income by being listed.
Until now, neither Andrew nor I have touched our logo or the colors initially established, and it still works well. It wasn’t something that needed a redesign after two years. That said, a website update is underway to make it more user-friendly, add larger photos and more straightforward navigation, give site visitors all the information they need, and allow them to book or reserve spaces more quickly than they used to.
More national location sites have entered Utah in recent years and those competitors have snatched up some market share, but Dualspace has managed to remain top-of-mind with many media production companies. The personal element is likely why — they’re able to communicate easily with us instead of a disconnected larger conglomerate, and that’s cause for celebration on both sides. Thankfully, it amounts to a lot of repeat business. Most clients come back and continue booking with us for years at a time.
Many commercials and photo shoots have been shot in local homes, bringing a lot of big lights and occasionally heavy foot traffic with them. There have been television shows and product shoots by recognizable national brands like Mazda and Hasbro. Our bread and butter is working with production companies like MODO Studios and Chamber Media, brands like doTERRA, Purple and Nomatic, and all the countless consumer product companies that have exploded and done so well over the last decade like Pura, Kizik and Chirp.
So many new companies are being built in Utah. They, in turn, help fuel a company like ours and allow it to move forward. The more new products they dream up, the more beneficial it becomes for us and our location partners. The business community here has benefited from that trajectory and the influx of incredible talent and people.
After I stopped working full-time as a nurse in 2015, I was mainly a stay-at-home mom. This venture is an outlet for creative business solutions and allows me to develop talents and abilities that extend beyond motherhood.
When a new application comes in, my husband and I geek out a bit, texting back and forth about how cool a house’s bathroom looks and about the interior design and architecture. It’s a thrill to see which companies connect with us, and sometimes, it means a sneak peek of their new products. It’s humbling to have a company like Hulu connect with us, for example, and it’s hard to believe we’re even on their radar.
Inexperience is an advantage
If you’re starting your own company, here’s a thought: Don’t overthink it.
Comparing what the company once was to what it has evolved into, there was so much that wasn’t yet figured out when we started. There’s been so much change and growth since then, and if we had waited to streamline and put all building blocks in place ahead of time, it may have amounted to a missed opportunity for growth. The company may not have happened.
The ready-fire-aim approach works for some when building a business venture, but not for us. It was about having enough of the right pieces in place, establishing a vision we knew we could execute and working out kinks along the way. If it didn’t work or had very slow growth, we could have decided it wasn’t the right idea and moved on.
Instead, there’s a lot of excitement about what Dualspace can still become.
