Business of Home Podcast

Whether it’s preserving his iconic mannequin label or curating his next gallery exhibition, Ralph Pucci leads by one rule: “If everyone’s going left, I’m going right.” It worked in 1985, when Pucci successfully debuted the collection of designer Andrée Putman with no industry experience, and it continues to work today, as the company now boasts galleries in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. In this week’s episode, Pucci takes us through the remarkable timeline of Ralph Pucci International and reveals his visual merchandising secrets.

Bryan Dicker began at Holland & Sherry when it was purely in the apparel business, offering tweeds, wools and cashmere to individual tailors. He developed a sideline selling fabric to interior designers, which has since grown into a robust business, employing 150 people at over twenty locations worldwide. On this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Dicker spoke with host Dennis Scully about building a team around your weaknesses, what Blackjack has to do with the fabric industry, and why his company has no plans to go direct to consumers. This episode is sponsored by Chairish and Google.

Over the course of nearly twenty years as an advisor on licensing deals and business strategy, Kate Verner has worked with some of the most prominent names in the industry, including David Easton, Laura Kirar and Arteriors. On this episode of the Business of Home podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about why licensing isn’t a get rich quick proposition, the need to make manufacturing cool again, and why Instagram fame doesn’t always translate to real world sales. This episode was sponsored by Chairish and Google.

As a child, David Netto became immersed in the world of design through his father, who owned storied fabric house Cowtan & Tout. After dropping out of Harvard Architecture School, he found his true calling, building a brilliant career as a decorator and writer for The New York Times, Town & Country, and the Wall Street Journal. For this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Netto spoke with host Dennis Scully in front of a live audience at the New York School of Interior Design as part of the Dialogues on Design series. They chatted about why Instagram’s rise is good for books, how the AIDS crisis affected design, and what a Bugati owned by Ralph Lauren says about how decorators should think. This episode was sponsored by Chairish and Google.

Six years ago, the real estate development firm Jamestown purchased the Boston Design Center and began a long-term project to revitalize the space by turning it into a hybrid. Now the building combines trade-only showrooms with retail shops, corporate offices, cafes and restaurants. On this episode of the Business of Home podcast, the president of Jamestown, Michael Phillips, discusses why the design industry needs to start reaching out to consumers, why showrooms should consider nighttime hours, and why disruption is ultimately a good thing. This episode is sponsored by Chairish and Google.

Over the course of a storied career, legendary interior decorator Carleton Varney has worked with everyone from Joan Crawford to Jimmy Carter—not to mention his 37 books, a long-running newspaper column, and a project he’s been tweaking for over 50 years, the Greenbrier hotel. On this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Varney speaks with host Dennis Scully about the stories behind some of his most famous clients, why he encourages students to think beyond beige and gray, and the one line of a client contract that only Dorothy Draper could get away with. This episode is sponsored by Chairish and Google.

Janis Provisor and Brad Davis were established artists, displaying their work in museums and galleries across the world. Then a recession hit in the nineties, and they took a sabbatical in China, which led to an experiment with silk weaving, which, 25 years later, has led to an acclaimed luxury hand-knotted carpet company. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Provisor and Davis chat with host Dennis Scully about the ups and downs of doing business in China, why they needed to create their own brand, and treating entrepreneurship like an artistic challenge. This episode is sponsored by Chairish and Google.

Across the scope of a storied career, legendary interior designer Charlotte Moss has written ten books, won numerous awards, and through her work on countless projects, defined an elegant take on traditional style. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, she chats with host Dennis Scully about learning sales secrets on Wall Street, the importance of mentorship, and what she looks for when she Googles potential clients. This episode is sponsored by Chairish and Google.

Fabric industry veteran David Klaristenfeld has spent sixteen busy years at Fabricut, but 2019 has been particularly eventful. This summer, his company acquired Clarence House, and has ramped up a whirlwind effort to grow the boutique fabric brand. Their first big move? Pulling the collection offline, so it can’t be sold to the general public—only designers. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Klaristenfeld chats with host Dennis Scully about the strategy behind the acquisition, the challenging economics of sampling, and why, despite a lot of noise, the industry isn’t going to change as radically as some people think. This episode is sponsored by Chairish and Google.

Founded as an online resource for recipes in 2009, Food52 has evolved into a unique and wildly popular hybrid of editorial content and e-commerce that recently attracted an $83 million dollar investment from The Chernin Group. On this episode of the Business of Home podcast, host Dennis Scully chats with co-founders Merrill Stubbs and Amanda Hesser about why their site defies easy categorization, how their readers helped them design one of their bestselling products, and why they prefer to think of Food52 as a world, not a brand. This episode is sponsored by Chairish and Google.

Whitney Robinson, the editor in chief of Elle Decor, is a young man, but he's already a veteran of the publishing industry. Having risen through the ranks at Hearst titles like House Beautiful and Town & Country, Robinson assumed the top spot at ED in 2017—and this month, he’s captained the book to its 30th anniversary. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, he chats with host Dennis Scully about about how designers and developers can partner up, what it takes to be featured in the pages of his magazine, and why he publishes with an audience of 140 in mind. This episode is sponsored by Crypton and Chairish.

Rebecca Atwood started small. The RISD-educated textile designer began by creating a line of pillows out of her own apartment, dyeing fabrics in a tiny kitchen. Over the past five years she's grown considerably, with a full line of textiles and wallpapers, a SOHO showroom, and two books to her name—but she's done it at her own pace. On this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Atwood tells host Dennis Scully about building her business step by step, why she opened up her accounting books to her employees, and why her showroom wouldn't fit in at the D&D Building—but that's a good thing. This episode is sponsored by Crypton and Chairish.

Before coming to Christofle, Nathalie Remy was a McKinsey consultant for over two decades, advising luxury and fashion houses on corporate strategy. Now she's on the other side of the table, a year into a revitalization and rebranding project for the 190-year-old French tabletop company. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, she spoke with host Dennis Scully about about teaching a heritage brand to think like a startup, why she's betting on sharing, and what Pharrell Williams has to do with her strategy. This episode is sponsored by Crypton and Chairish.

Cheryl Durst, the CEO of the International Interior Design Association, has been a lifelong evangelist for the power of design—she even got married in a design center. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, she chatted with host Dennis Scully about the need for a shared language around pricing, how residential designers can break into commercial projects, and the surprising reason why HGTV is a force for good. This episode is sponsored by High Point Market and Crypton.

Lee Mayer began by trying to get other people to start her company. It was 2013 and she needed a quick, affordable design service to help with a new home in Denver—a reluctant entrepreneur, it took a push from Mayer’s sister to get her to found the company herself. Six years later, Havenly has outlasted many of its competitors in the world of online design, and Mayer continues to innovate the model. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, she shares her startup journey, discusses the difficulties of scaling a high-touch business, and explains how her company is priming a whole new audience to the benefits of great design. This episode is sponsored by High Point Market and Crypton.

Interior designer Ryan Korban began his career creating stores for fashion brands like Aquazurra and Balenciaga. After moving into the residential world, the young designer's star rose rapidly—he now boasts a roster of celebrity clients and a growing sideline working with real estate developers. On the latest episode of the Business of Home Podcast, Korban chatted with host Dennis Scully in front of a lively crowd at the EJ Victor showroom in the New York Design Center—they spoke about the difference between fashion and design, the future of trade pricing, and why designers should think more like brands. This episode is sponsored by High Point Market.

After nearly a decade of building a community of 40 million that buys, sells and shares fashion online, Poshmark co-founder Tracy Sun is moving the company into the home. On the latest episode of the Business of Home podcast, Sun chats with host Dennis Scully about why the power is in consumers' hands now, the overlap between fashion and interior design, and what being customer centric actually means. This episode is sponsored by High Point Market.

Dave Dawson started The Urban Electric Company as a small retail business in 2002—it’s since grown into a powerhouse of modern American craftsmanship, employing over 200 to make a wide array of custom lighting fixtures, all in a former navy yard in Charleston, South Carolina.​ In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Dawson chats with host Dennis Scully a​bout the challenges of manufacturing in America, why he’s never sold ​in showrooms, and how time has become his company’s most valuable resource. This episode is sponsored by Universal Furniture.

After a picturesque childhood in England and a brief career as a drummer, Christopher Peacock chanced into the cabinetry business and he hasn't looked back since. The company he founded in 1992 has been through some twists and turns, but today it's stronger than ever, with nine showrooms and a booming commercial sideline. On this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Peacock shares the incredible story of how his company survived the 2008 recession, why he's been vertically integrated from day one, and how became known as the inventor of the white kitchen. This episode is sponsored by Universal Furniture.

Tony Ingrao's clients—a mix of celebrities, financiers and captains of industry—often make headline news, but he himself is more likely found just outside the limelight. "I'm chill," he tells Dennis Scully, with a laugh. Chill yes, boring no. In this week’s episode of the Business of Home podcast, the designer shares a rare in-depth look at an epic career—discussing his fashion-world childhood, the stories behind his most iconic projects, and why, after nearly 40 years in design, he's at the top of his game. This episode is sponsored by Universal Furniture.

After a brief post-college career in the startup world, Chad Stark joined the family business as a young man, eager to modernize Stark Carpet’s operations for a fast-changing market. He’s since risen to senior vice president of the 80-year-old company, and has continuously pushed for innovation in an industry that’s often reluctant to change. On the latest episode of the Business of Home podcast, Stark tells host Dennis Scully about his experiments selling direct to consumers, his thoughts on the best way for designers to charge for their services, and whether the design industry is ready for a model called "trade preferred". This episode is sponsored by Universal Furniture.

In the early aughts, brothers Philip and Jeffrey Bershad took over the family wallcovering business from their father and have since grown it to employ one hundred and sixty people with operations all over the world. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, they spoke with host Dennis Scully about their work hard/play hard company culture, the advantages of focusing on a niche, and why something called WIPTAG has made all the difference. This episode is sponsored by High Point Market.

It’s a commonly cited statistic: Moving is more stressful than divorce. And—chasing freedom and flexibility—millennials are moving a whole lot. Jay Reno, founder and CEO of Feather, is hoping to make it easier on them with a service that offers furniture on a subscription, pay-as-you-go basis. In the latest episode of the Business of Home podcast, Reno spoke with host Dennis Scully about how the American dream has changed, why the time is right for his innovative concept, and the environmental impact of fast furniture. This episode is sponsored by High Point Market.

After fleeing Cuba with his family as a child, Vicente Wolf had anything but a traditional path to building a 45-year run as a designer. On the latest episode of the Business of Home podcast, Wolf reflects on his unconventional journey, the role of design media in his career, and why he’s not retiring any time soon. This episode is sponsored by High Point Market.

In 1995, Angie Hicks lent her name to her new company, a service that crowdsourced reviews of local businesses. “It seemed like one of those inconsequential decisions you make when you’re 22,” says Hicks. It turned out to be anything but inconsequential, as her company, Angie’s List, would become a household name and a major player in the home services industry. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, she talks with host Dennis Scully about the company’s humble beginnings in 1995, why the housing crisis was an opportunity in disguise, and how the interior design profession has changed over the years. This episode is sponsored by High Point Market.

Twenty years ago, Michael Cohen left a career in corporate finance to join the family business, a somewhat old-school seller of high-end tassels and trims. Cohen, along with his brothers Hymie and Joseph, has turned Samuel & Sons into a thriving, tech-forward business that’s come to define passementerie for the American market. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, he chats with host Dennis Scully about why he looks to tech companies like Amazon for inspiration, his plan to take the brand international, and why he hopes the industry will become more transparent. This episode is sponsored by Datacolor.

Nassau-based interior designer Amanda Lindroth has a knack for evoking the breezy elegance of island life, wherever she goes—including Guangzhou, China. A few years ago, she and her CEO, Austin Painter, embarked on a road trip to various factories in Asia to produce her debut line of accessories and decor. Since then, she’s been busy, fine-tuning her collection and growing her brand. In the latest episode of the Business of Home podcast, she chats with host Dennis Scully about her picturesque Florida upbringing, her hiring strategy, and why it’s not what goes wrong—it’s how you react that’s most important. This episode is sponsored by Datacolor.

Ceramics are having a moment, and East Fork is at the center of it. Founded by husband-and-wife team Connie and Alex Matisse along with their friend John Vigeland, the North Carolina–based company has grown from a small rural pottery into a thriving manufacturer, shipping thousands of pieces around the world—including a coveted mug they literally can’t keep in stock. On the latest episode of the Business of Home podcast, host Dennis Scully spoke with the Matisses about creating a compelling brand in the social media age, avoiding growth for its own sake, and the challenges of building a values-focused business. This episode is sponsored by Datacolor.

Philip Erdoes is a study in contradictions. Though the founder of The New Traditionalists and ducduc spends his days occupied by the particulars of making high-end furniture, he came to the business via a career in law and an MBA from Harvard Business School. Erdoes isn’t afraid to speak his mind, whether he’s discussing copycat brands or hot-button political topics. In the latest episode of the Business of Home podcast, he chats with host Dennis Scully about why design for senior living is his next move, how market forces shape the trade, and why he’s keeping his manufacturing in the states. This episode is sponsored by Datacolor.

What began as a small upholstery company in a rural corner of North Carolina has grown into a furniture empire. Celebrating their 30th year in business, Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams now oversee a million square feet of manufacturing space, almost a thousand employees, and over thirty retail locations. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, the partners chat with host Dennis Scully about how they’ve grown through turbulent times, their hunt for a new CEO, and why their brand is well positioned for the next thirty years. This episode is sponsored by Design Within Reach.

Peter Sallick doesn’t have a lot of free time. A restless innovator, savvy dealmaker and the wearer of many hats, being the CEO of Waterworks is only one of Sallick’s many roles. He also co-founded online marketplace Dering Hall and created one of the industry’s premier professional groups, the Design Leadership Network. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Sallick shares how Waterworks weathered the financial crisis, why he partnered with RH, and what lies ahead for a rapidly changing industry. This episode is sponsored by Design Within Reach.

Wendy Goodman is the poet laureate of Manhattan’s design world. As the longtime design editor of New York magazine, for decades she’s chronicled the lives and homes of the city’s most interesting people, alongside its most exciting artists and makers. On this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Goodman spoke with host Dennis Scully about her culture-rich childhood, working for Anna Wintour early on in both their careers, and why sometimes the best job is the one you’re most afraid of. This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Design Within Reach’s new Upper West Side studio. Sponsored by Design Within Reach.

For over thirty years, interior designer Kit Kemp has been at the forefront of the boutique hospitality revolution, bringing color, craft and vibrant design to hotels and restaurants on both sides of the Atlantic. As co-owner and creative director of Firmdale Hotels, Kemp is behind London’s Ham Yard, Covent Garden and Haymarket hotels, as well as the Crosby Street and the Whitby in New York. She has also created fragrances, furniture and fabric and authored several books, most recently Design Thread. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Kemp tells host Dennis Scully about her love of artisans and antiques, the key to a compelling hotel, and why designers shouldn’t always listen to their accountants. This episode is sponsored by Design Within Reach.

Not many designers can count Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen and Marilyn Monroe as clients, but Jack Lenor Larsen is no ordinary designer. A legend of the textile business, Larsen started his own studio in New York in 1952. His vivid early work convinced a once-skeptical Florence Knoll, who commissioned Larsen to create fabric for her furniture. From then on, Larsen’s business and reputation grew and grew. Drawing on extensive travels around the globe, he introduced ikat and batik to the American public, designed upholstery for Pan Am, authored over a dozen books and championed traditional craft wherever he went. Today, his work is studied in textbooks and displayed in museums around the world. At 92, Larsen has a lifetime's worth of stories—in this episode of the Business of Home podcast, he shares a few of them. This episode is sponsored by The Shade Store.

After 20 years in finance, Sean Juneja decided to risk his stable career to found Décor Aid, a start-up that offers clients an entry point into the world of professional interior design. Born out of a lifelong passion for design and his belief that there was a gap in the market for smaller budget projects, Décor Aid has facilitated more than 3,000 jobs in New York alone since its founding in 2014. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Juneja discusses his platform’s astounding growth, why he turned down venture capital and how he views the competition. This episode is sponsored by The Shade Store.

Bernie de Le Cuona’s fabric company had humble beginnings—in the early 1990s, she launched the business out of her own home after learning to weave in India. Since then, her namesake company has grown by leaps and bounds, with flagship showrooms in New York and London and a network of distributors worldwide. De Le Cuona has come a long way, but she hasn't stopped moving forward. The founder and CEO is constantly tweaking her business model, looking for ways to stay on top of a constantly shifting industry. She sat down to chat with host Dennis Scully about why some of her so-called "unpopular ideas" may be just what the industry needs. This episode is sponsored by The Shade Store.

By the time he was 32, Christophe Caillaud had abandoned a promising career in mergers and acquisitions to become the managing director of Jean Paul Gaultier. After nine years at the fashion house, he was tapped by French interior designer Christian Liaigre to become the president of his namesake brand. In this week’s edition of the Business of Home podcast, Caillaud sat down with host Dennis Scully to talk about the difficulties of succession, why he watches RH closely, and how he plans to compete in an industry increasingly driven by e-commerce. This episode is sponsored by The Shade Store.

Now famous to millions as the resident design expert on Netflix hit Queer Eye, Bobby Berk left home at a young age, eventually ending up in New York with only a suitcase and a few months rent money to his name. In the city, he climbed his way through the ranks of retail, working at RH and Portico before opening his own store in 2007. A decade later, Berk was invited to audition for a reboot of the aughts Bravo hit—the rest is history. Berk shares tales from his early days, discusses his new furniture line and lifestyle site, and explains why Queer Eye isn't a makeover show. This episode is sponsored by The Shade Store.

In 1978, Jamie Drake graduated from Parsons and fell right into two plum gigs designing apartments in 800 Fifth Avenue—the same building where newlyweds Donald and Ivana Trump were just settling in. Since then, things have only gotten better for Drake, who has won every industry award under the sun, participated in every showhouse and created homes for more than a few billionaires. In this week’s episode of the Business of Home podcast, he explains why legacy doesn’t matter, why China is the next big market for designers, and how he landed Michael Bloomberg as a client. This episode is sponsored by Universal Furniture.

Since opening his first multi-line showroom more than 40 years ago, David Sutherland has had a front-row seat to industry shifts and emerging opportunities. The Dallas-based entrepreneur is a pioneer of the outdoor furniture category, and along with wife Ann, launched performance fabric maker Perennials. The industry veteran shares his take on selling direct to consumers, partnering with Restoration Hardware and the state of the multi-line showroom. This episode is sponsored by Universal Furniture.

In less than a decade, Ryden and Lanette Rizzo have turned a humble woodworking studio into a $10 million business. Allied Maker, which launched in 2012 out of Ryden’s parents’ Long Island garage, has pierced the crowded lighting category, doubling its annual sales every year since 2016. The husband-and-wife co-founders reveal how they did it, the set-back moments endured along the way, and how they’re preparing for the next phase of growth. This episode is sponsored by Universal Furniture.

Catherine Connolly made the move from tech to textiles in 2007, when longtime Merida owner Dr. Hiram M. Samel asked her to join the Fall River, Massachusetts-based company as CEO. Six months within her new role, the stock market crashed and lost nearly half of the company’s revenue channels overnight. Connolly shares how she saved the company by restructuring its distribution model from retail to trade-only, as well as why she believes the internet is a great thing for the elevation of design—and why designers will be among its biggest benefactors. This episode is sponsored by Universal Furniture.

Bringing down the home industry’s barrier to entry has been the mission at The Inside since its launch in 2017. Doing so has meant meeting the expectations of the modern consumer, says co-founder and COO Britt Bunn. It’s a challenge few industry brands have dared to accept, considering the risks associated with offering personalization, free shipping and shortened lead times. Having recently closed $2.6 million in funding for The Inside, Bunn shares her thoughts on acquiring new customers and what’s next for the brand.

If there’s anyone who fits the model of a great mentor, it’s British interior designer Nina Campbell. Shaped by her apprenticeship at renowned firm Colefax & Fowler, Campbell has gone on to create a nearly five-decade career in design, establishing a star-studded client list that includes Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr and the Duke and Duchess of York. In this live podcast recording, the designer shares insights from her inspiring career, as well as her take on how the industry and the profession have evolved. This episode is sponsored by DCOTA.

When magazine veteran Joanna Saltz pitched the idea of a new home brand to Hearst executives, she had no idea she’d be spearheading a gut renovation of HouseBeautiful.com—a change that ruffled the feathers of many industry professionals. The editorial director, who’s since taken over House Beautiful’s print edition as well, addresses the audience feedback, reveals her strategy for the brand, and shares her thoughts on what media has to do to remain relevant. This episode is sponsored by DCOTA.

Launched by illustrator Anna Bond and musician turned businessman Nathan Bond in 2009, Rifle Paper Co. has evolved from stationery maker to full-fledged lifestyle brand, gracing everything from Keds footwear to L’Occitane skincare, and, most recently, rugs and pillows by Loloi. Nine years in, the company has grown to 200 employees, 6,000 points of distribution globally and an annual revenue of $25 million. The husband-and-wife co-founders share the mistakes made and lessons learned along the way, and new brand president Trish Whalen adds how the company is planning for its next phase of growth. This episode is sponsored by DCOTA.

When Anna and Gregg Brockway launched vintage and antique furniture e-marketplace Chairish, people told them consumers would never buy furniture online. Six years and roughly $30 million in funding later, the platform and its higher-end sister site, DECASO, receive more than 2,000 new items listed daily from a community of 10,000 sellers. With its recent acquisition of Dering Hall, Chairish Inc. is now one of the largest digital platforms for high-end home furnishing products with nearly half a million items across the three platforms. The Brockways share how the company that began at their dining room table has grown, what the Dering Hall acquisition means for its future, and what’s to come in the digitization of design. This episode is sponsored by DCOTA.

Acclaimed jewelry designer Ippolita Rostagno grew up in the Oltrarno neighborhood of Florence, a place where artisans have practiced their trades for centuries. When they began disappearing, she decided to do something about it. The result was Artemest, an e-commerce platform for Italian handcrafted home decor. Since the company’s founding in 2015, it has grown 100 percent year over year, now featuring over 500 makers selling their wares. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, Rostagno discusses how she navigated the comically inefficient Italian bureaucracy, won over old-school Italian artists and artisans, and mastered problem solving with her hands.

In 1994, Annie Selke began fine linens company Pine Cone Hill with an industrial sewing machine at her dining room table. Today, the company—which has since added rug maker Dash & Albert and an outlet store—has 221 employees, 50 of whom are based in India. With a perks package that includes weekly community-building events and financial bonuses for anniversary milestones, it’s no surprise that Annie Selke’s eponymous company is built largely on long-time employees and internal referrals. Selke discusses how she builds staff loyalty, the challenges of evaluating demand and why she’ll never sell product through Amazon.

As Bunny Williams Home celebrates its 10-year anniversary, founder and renowned interior designer Bunny Williams is in search of new ways to remain relevant—from both design and retail perspectives. While that may mean bolstering the digital brand and focusing on online sales, Williams’s general design philosophies remain similar to those she learned at Parish-Hadley, the legendary New York firm where she spent 22 years prior to launching her own studio. The AD100 Hall of Fame designer shares the challenges of finding and retaining talent, why the modern lifestyle is disruptive to the trade and the announcement of a new book, Affairs with Other Houses. This episode is sponsored by Business of Design.