Business of Home Podcast

Though Romo’s history goes back to 1902 in England, in the U.S. the company was relatively unknown for its first century in business. That changed when North American CEO Frederic Henry took the reins in 2005. He’s since transformed Romo into a fabric powerhouse here, with six house brands and a network of showrooms across the country.  

On this episode of the podcast, Henry joins host Dennis Scully and shares how one key relationship changed everything for Romo, why multiline showrooms are key to the industry’s future and why he sees conquering the fabric industry like a game of Risk. 

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Four Hands

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Romo
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus joins host Dennis Scully to discuss the biggest news in the design industry, from a client rejection note that went viral to Ikea's new design service. Later, Schumacher CEO Timur Yumusaklar discusses the brand's new Nashville showroom/boutique hybrid.  

This episode is sponsored by Crypton

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Dennis Scully
Business of Home

A multitalented creative, Sarah Sherman Samuel has occupied many roles in the industry: Interior designer, product designer, TV star, social media creator, and artist. Her collaborations with Lulu & Georgia, West Elm and Semihandmade are perennial hits, and her own line of furniture, SSS Atelier, just debuted at New York’s buzzy Colony gallery last month. On this episode of the podcast, Samuel speaks with host Dennis Scully about balancing design projects with product collaborations, the shifting winds of social media, and the complicated relationship between creative passion and commercial success. 

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Four Hands

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Sarah Sherman Samuel
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

On the debut episode of The Thursday Show, BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus joins host Dennis Scully to discuss the biggest news in the design industry, from the return of the New York Kips Bay Decorator Show House to RH’s wild earnings call. Later, wunderkind stylist Colin King talks about working with Athena Calderone and Roman & Williams, his new book Arranging Things, and whether he's over white boucle (spoiler alert: he is).

This episode is sponsored by Crypton

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Colin King
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Originally a design and architecture journalist, in 2005 Matt Gibberd and his childhood friend Albert Hill started building a site that not only profiled exceptional British homes, but sold them too. Part media platform and part real estate agency, The Modern House has become a truly unique business, and a thriving one, fielding 90 out of a London office and looking towards international expansion. On this episode of the podcast, Gibberd speaks with host Dennis Scully about the emotional power of houses, how English taste in design is changing, and why 3D renderings and virtual reality will never replace good old-fashioned photography. 

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Four Hands

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The Modern House
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Sister Parish was one of the 20th century’s most iconic designers. Working for presidents, celebrities, socialites and titans of industry, she and her partner Albert Hadley crafted a uniquely American style, and their firm, the legendary Parish-Hadley, was a proving ground for a generation of future stars, from Bunny Williams and David Kleinberg to Thomas Jayne and David Easton. Now Parish’s legacy is being carried on into the 21st century as a fabric and wallpaper brand run by her granddaughter Susan Crater and great granddaughter Eliza Harris. On this episode of the podcast, they chat with host Dennis Scully about why Sister Parish was an entrepreneur ahead of her time, why they’re embracing both consumers and designers alike, and putting faith over fear as the industry enters a new era.  

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Four Hands

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Sister Parish Design
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

After a chance meeting in Brooklyn brought them together, Todd Nickey and Amy Kehoe forged a partnership that has survived a cross country move and two decades in business. Today, both the firm and the retail operation are thriving, and Nickey Kehoe is one of LA’s most celebrated young design brands. On this episode of the podcast, the duo talk about the secrets of a long-term partnership, finding the right amount of risk taking in their business, and why they want to be known for a feel, not a look.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Four Hands

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Nickey Kehoe
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Irish furniture brand Orior has an improbable history: Started in the late 1970s by the husband-and-wife duo of Brian and Rosie McGuigan, the company began in a small town near Belfast in the midst of the Troubles. 40 years later, the furniture is still manufactured in the same town, but the McGuigan’s son Ciaran has brought the brand to New York and given it an edgy, cosmopolitan look. On this episode of the podcast, Rosie and Ciaran McGuigan tell host Dennis Scully about getting through tough times, leaning into their Irishness, and why being bold—and maybe a little crazy—has always been part of their company’s DNA.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Four Hands

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Orior
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Once an aspiring actor, Martyn Lawrence Bullard left his native England for Hollywood in the 1990s and quickly switched professions. He’s since become one of the industry’s most renowned designers, earning a regular spot on best-of lists, and working with a roster of celebrity clients, from Cher and Elton John to Machine Gun Kelly and Kylie Jenner. On this episode of the podcast, Bullard speaks with host Dennis Scully about why his superpower has always been intuition, why he’s not a fan of hourly billing, and why his strategy for licensing resembles a pyramid.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Four Hands

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Martyn Lawrence Bullard
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Once a buzzy DTC furniture brand, last year Interior Define hit hard times and stopped paying its vendors, leaving thousands of customers in limbo with unfulfilled orders. At the 11th hour, Interior Define was acquired by an unlikely buyer: e-design platform Havenly. This week, Havenly’s CEO Lee Mayer returns to the podcast to talk about the acquisition.

Mayer speaks with host Dennis Scully about the strings attached to venture capital money, the complicated process of acquiring a brand in distress, and why, despite all of the drama, she thought Interior Define deserved another chance. 

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Daniel House Club

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Havenly
Interior Define
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

You may not be familiar with the name “Design Holding,” but you know the brands in its portfolio, including Flos, B&B Italia, Louis Poulsen, Maxalto and many more. Through strategic acquisitions, the company has quietly become one of the most significant players in European luxury design—CEO Daniel Lalonde’s goal is to make Design Holding the LVMH of the home world. On this episode of the podcast, Lalonde speaks with host Dennis Scully about catering to both designers and consumers, his thoughts on trade pricing, and why there’s no shortcut to real luxury.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Daniel House Club

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Design Holding
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

When Jake Arnold and Leo Seigal launched The Expert in 2021, the online design platform quickly took the industry by storm, connecting clients with elite designers for video consultations booked at hundreds of dollars an hour. Now the two are launching an e-commerce component to The Expert, and they’ve lined up a roster of premier brands like Pierre Frey, Apparatus and Rose Tarlow to help them do it. On this episode of the podcast they speak with host Dennis Scully about learning from the mistakes of other design industry startups, how they earned the trust of tech-skeptical trade-only vendors, and why home is such a difficult business to bring online.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Daniel House Club

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The Expert
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Interior designer Mary McDonald rose to prominence in the early aughts, as her work began to show up on the cover of shelter magazines. She’s stayed at the top of the field ever since—McDonald is a regular fixture on industry best-of lists, and her licensed collections with Schumacher and Chaddock are perennial hits. On this episode of the podcast she speaks with host Dennis Scully about the challenges facing young designers, the surprising reason she finds RH useful to her firm, and why interior design is a never-ending learning curve

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Daniel House Club

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Mary McDonald
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Founded in 1935, Pierre Frey has become one of the most admired names in the world of high-end design, revered for its inventive, colorful creations. Patrick Frey, the son of the founder, has steered the company for decades as it has grown its presence all over the world.  The firm now offers wallcoverings, carpets and furniture, having acquired the storied French rug maker Braquenie, and the fabric houses Boussac, LeManach and, just last year, Thorp. Frey has recently turned over control of the company to his sons, Pierre, Vincent, and Mattieu, while keeping the creative direction for himself.

On this week’s episode, taped in Paris in the thick of Déco Off, Frey spoke about why he’s optimistic that the home industry isn’t due for a slowdown, the important lessons he learned from his father, and why, in design, you have to put creativity first and business second.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Cozy Earth

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Pierre Frey
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Industrial designer Stephen Burks career started in the early 2000s, when he became one of the first Americans to design furniture for European powerhouses like Roche Bobois, Moroso and Cappellini. Over the past two decades, he’s become one of industrial design’s most notable figures, creating collections for top brands and working with artisans around the world. On this episode of the podcast, Burks speaks with host Dennis Scully about the archaic way that industrial designers are paid, how bureaucracy shapes what kind of furniture gets made, and the persistent role race plays in the design industry.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Cozy Earth

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Stephen Burks
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

In 2011, Roxy Owens left behind a marketing career to start a furniture and decor brand dedicated to playful traditionalism. Eight years later, the rise of “grandmillennial” style helped Society Social find its moment—Owens is coming off a year of record growth and an expansive new collaboration with The Colony hotel in Palm Beach. On this episode of the podcast, she speaks about the tension between being inspiring and being real on social media, how customer loyalty and a few smart pivots got her through COVID, and why prioritizing mental health is so important for business owners.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Cozy Earth

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Society Social
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

A member of the UK’s rising generation, Interior designer Sophie Ashby has achieved widespread attention for her colorful and eclectic projects. During COVID, she got even busier, opening Sister, a retail brand, and United in Design, a nonprofit that seeks to address the lack of diversity in the British design industry. On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about why shipping furniture from the UK is cheaper than buying it in the US, whether RH can succeed in England, and why being brutally honest with clients is tough but worth it.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Cozy Earth

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Sophie Ashby
United in Design
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Alexa Hampton is, by any definition, a lifer in the trade. The daughter of celebrated designer Mark Hampton, she grew up in the business, and took over her father’s firm at the age of 27 after his untimely passing in 1998. Since then, Alexa has never slowed down, earning endless plaudits for her work, appearing regularly on industry best-of lists, authoring books and columns, and designing product for everyone from Kravet to Theodore Alexander to The Shade Store.  On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about how interior design is like a language, why her ideal firm size is 11 employees, and why it’s important to embrace—not turn away from—transparency and change.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi

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Alexa Hampton
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

This week on the podcast host Dennis Scully is joined by BOH’s editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen and executive editor Fred Nicolaus. Together they look back on an eventful year in the design industry and ahead at what’s to come in the new year. Topics include the two companies that will determine the future of the industry, which tech innovations actually matter, and why, despite economic stormclouds, 2023 might be the year to fall back in love with design.  

This episode is sponsored  by Loloi and Las Vegas Market

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Kaitlin Petersen
Fred Nicolaus
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Though American Leather may be an unfamiliar name  in the design trade, the company is a powerhouse of furniture manufacturing, with 800 employees in a Texas facility that’s capable of churning out 500 pieces of furniture a day. President Veronica Schnitzius has risen through the ranks over two decades— as a young woman she left behind cartel violence in Colombia to come to the US, and found a role at the company, where she’s helped grow its business by leaps and bounds.  

On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about why change comes slow to the furniture industry, the quest to design an attractive recliner, and why manufacturing is like a symphony.

This episode is sponsored  by Loloi and Las Vegas Market

Next week, BOH editors will be on the show to recap an eventful year. If you have a question for the podcast, or a general query about the design industry, drop us a line at podcast@businessofhome.com.

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American Leather
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

To the outside world, Amber Lewis is an interior designer. Behind the scenes, her business is a complex operation with more than 100 employees, tackling everything from retail shops, product design and e-commerce to books, licenses and residential projects. Lewis has grown it piece by piece over the past decade, bootstrapping the company, without outside funding.

On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Denis Scully about the challenge of turning creativity on and off at will, running a big business with a small business mindset, and how a serious medical diagnosis gave her a new perspective on work and life.

This episode is sponsored  by Loloi and Las Vegas Market

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Amber Lewis
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

In 2011, Athena Calderone was a young mother in Brooklyn, looking to turn her considerable creative energy into a career. She started a blog, Eyeswoon, which has grown into a powerful platform for her various endeavors, including cooking, styling, and design. A decade in and fresh off a major collection for Crate and Barrel, Calderone is poised to kick off a new phase of growth: she’s in the midst of launching an e-commerce business and working on a residential development project—not to mention a few design jobs, partnerships with the likes of Tiffany and American Express, and attending to her nearly 1 million Instagram followers.  

On this episode of the podcast, Calderone shares with host Dennis Scully why she loves to prove the doubters wrong, how embracing the chaos of creativity is healthy, and why doing more than one thing is both a blessing and a curse.

This episode is sponsored  by Loloi and Las Vegas Market

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Athena Calderone
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

A fixture in the top tier of the international design scene since the late nineties, Timothy Corrigan has been on every magazine’s honor roll, won numerous awards, and is the only American to be recognized by the French Heritage Society for his work. His clients have included everyone from Madonna and David Schwimmer to the Qatari royal family—every month Tim makes a loop around the world to attend to a truly global clientele. On this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about why he likes to hire employees with first careers outside of design, how work life balance is overrated, and how transparency is the only way forward for the industry.

This episode is sponsored by Amazon Ads and Universal Furniture

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Timothy Corrigan
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

It’s difficult to sum up Lori Weitzner’s career quickly. From her partnership with fabric icon Jack Lenor Larsen to her longtime relationship with Samuel & Sons to her own wallcovering line to her jewelry to her book on color, she’s truly a multifaceted talent. On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about learning to make the best of criticism and setbacks, her strong feelings on performance fabrics, and the future of shopping in the trade. 

This episode is sponsored by Amazon Ads and Universal Furniture

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The Bruno Effect
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

As the likes of 1stdibs and Chairish have embraced a transactional, click-to-buy model for buying and selling online, Carmine Bruno is going in the other direction. His site, The Bruno Effect, offers something of an old-school system—it simply connects dealers with shoppers, then gets out of the way. On this episode of the podcast, Bruno speaks with host Dennis Scully about the growing pains of entrepreneurship, why he thinks there’s room at the top for another online marketplace, and how the internet has changed the culture of the antiques business.

This episode is sponsored by Amazon Ads and Universal Furniture

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The Bruno Effect
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Twice a year, thousands of designers and retail buyers descend on a small town in North Carolina for High Point Market. A trade show, a conference, a networking event, and at night a party — High Point is the home industry’s South by Southwest. The fall edition just wrapped, and to recap the event, this week on the podcast Business of Home’s editor-in-chief Kaitlin Petersen and retail columnist Warren Shoulberg join host Dennis Scully on the show. They discuss their Market highlights, why the supply chain crisis isn’t a hot topic anymore, and how the industry is reacting to the possibility of a recession.

This episode is sponsored by Amazon Ads and Universal Furniture

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High Point Market
Kaitlin Petersen
Warren Shoulberg
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

After starting her career in the art world, a chance encounter at a dinner party got Beth Webb into design, and she hasn’t looked back. With projects in top magazines, a book through Rizzoli and a licensed collection with Arteriors, she’s one of the South’s most notable talents. On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about how she’s navigating runaway costs and neverending lead times, why HR is the toughest part of the design business, and why landing big clients takes a “try everything” approach. 

This episode is sponsored by Loloi Rugs and Modern Matter. 

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Beth Webb
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

With a 19th century inventor, a countess, and a tragic car crash, the story of Italian fabric brand Fortuny feels like an epic novel. Here, Mickey and Maury Riad—the brothers behind the company’s modern incarnation—share the tale of Fortuny’s first century, as well as their strategy for the next 100 years.

They also tell host Dennis Scully what they learned from the shutdown of their startup Fuigo, how they’re thinking about a potential downturn, and why they believe—with the right technology—the design industry could do so much better. 

This episode is sponsored by Loloi Rugs and Modern Matter. 

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Fortuny
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

This week on the Business of Home Podcast, host Dennis Scully is joined by Julia Hunter, the CEO of the lifestyle brand Jenni Kayne. Founded in 2002 by Kayne herself, the company built its name in fashion, selling elevated basics in neutral tones. In 2017, Julia led the brand to explore textiles and eventually furniture—home is now a 20 million dollar business for Jenni Kayne. 

On the show, Hunter speaks about why influencer marketing has so much untapped potential in home, the reason she and her team bought and renovated a house, and why sticking to beige has worked so well for Jenni Kayne. 

This episode is sponsored by Loloi Rugs and Modern Matter. 

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Jenni Kayne
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Founded in 2012 as a lighting studio by then-partners Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson, Apparatus has quickly become one the industry’s most talked-about brands. Dividing its collections into “acts” and staging elaborate events to celebrate their release, the company brings the spirit of immersive theater to the business of selling high-end lighting and furniture.  

In this episode of the podcast, Hendifar, artistic director of Apparatus, speaks with host Dennis Scully about what it means to put narrative first in design, why Apparatus’s parties are as important as their products, and why emerging from a split with his original partner has given him the confidence to dream even bigger.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi Rugs and Modern Matter. 

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Apparatus
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

A midwestern native trained in commercial design, Suzanne Kasler made two big pivots in the mid-1990s: she moved to Atlanta, and began working exclusively on residential projects. Both changes turned out to be prescient: She quickly became one of the south’s biggest names, and is now a nationally recognized designer, regularly earning a spot on the AD100 and Elle Decor’s A-List—not to mention a robust portfolio of product licenses with everyone from Hickory Chair to Visual Comfort to Ballard Design.

On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about why business is about more than just productivity, why she focuses on pricing transparency with clients, and how the logistical challenges of the pandemic have changed her firm forever.

This episode is sponsored by Crypton

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Suzanne Kasler
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

From creating a line of tableware to design projects that landed him on the AD100, Billy Cotton’s career has seen him apply his talents to a wide range of pursuits. Recently, after a short stint as Ralph Lauren Home’s creative director, he’s returned to the role that keeps calling him back —interior designer. On this episode of the show, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about why he likes to hire former waiters for his firm, how perception doesn’t always match reality in the design industry, and why he’s always counted on hard work to get him through difficult times.

This episode is sponsored by Crypton

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Billy Cotton
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Founded in 2010 by Connie Matisse, her husband Alex, and their friend John Vigeland, East Fork began as a small pottery studio. The company has since evolved into a thriving direct-to-consumer brand, with a bustling manufacturing operation in North Carolina. On this episode of podcast, host Dennis Scully speaks with Matisse about her complicated relationship with social media, the leadership lessons she’s learned at the helm of a fast-growing company, and why it’s so hard to find a balance between idealism and business.   

This episode is sponsored by Crypton

To register for the Future of Home conference, click here.

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East Fork
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

John Edelman and John McPhee met by chance while working for Edelman’s brother, Sam in the footwear business—their partnership would ultimately reshape the design industry as we know it. Together, they exponentially grew the Edelman family leather business, which they ultimately sold to Knoll for $67 million. They then went on to pull off a dramatic rescue job on then-struggling retailer Design Within Reach, selling that business to Herman Miller for $154 million. Now, the pair have their own ventures: McPhee is the new CEO of chilewich, and Edelman has acquired cult favorite design brand Heller. But they continue to work together and share insights on a fast-changing market. On this episode of the show, they talk about how difficult times lead to the most growth, and why betting on great design always makes for good business.  

This episode is sponsored by Crypton.  

Click here to register for the Future of Home conference. 

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Heller
Chilewich
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

With stints at Domino, House and Garden, and Martha Stewart Living, Stephen Orr is a publishing veteran who has seen most sides of the shelter media industry. In his current role as editor in chief of Better Homes & Gardens, he’s working on a new challenge: to steer a 100-year-old publication that reaches not just the affluent and design-obsessed, but all Americans, across the country, from all walks of life. In this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about what “fancy creep” is and why wants to avoid it, why he put Harry Styles on his cover, and why, for a contemporary magazine, the print issue is only part of the equation. 

This episode is sponsored by Modern Matter & High Point Market

Register for the Future of Home here.

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Better Homes & Gardens
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

A decade ago, Zak Profera started his company—Zak & Fox—a decade ago as a small line of printed linens. Through great design, determination and a relentless obsession with details, he’s grown it into a thriving independent brand, beloved by designers and represented by the industry’s best showrooms. On this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about the pros and cons of design centers, why he stopped selling to consumers, and why, despite the rapid pace of technological disruption, he thinks the design industry won’t change as much as some might think. 

This episode is sponsored by Modern Matter & High Point Market

Register for the Future of Home here.

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Zak+Fox
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

After years in the textile industry, Brian Erden had a series of innovations: One was to weave metals like bronze and brass deeply into the background of rugs. The other was to establish his own operations overseas, rather than relying on a dubious network of middlemen. In six short years, Erden product has become a hit in the industry, represented by top showrooms and used by star designers. On this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about why some rugs cost $1,000 and others $10,000, why he’s a believer in multiline showrooms, and why the textile industry isn’t as innovative as it needs to be.

This episode is sponsored by Modern Matter and High Point Market.

To register for the Future of Home conference, click here. 

Erden Rugs
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

After a breakup left Shanan Campanaro in a near-empty apartment, she decided to tap into her fine art background and create some bespoke wallcoverings. The project led her to found the New York textile design studio Eskayel. On this episode of the podcast, Campanaro speaks with host Dennis Scully about how her unorthodox beginnings, coupled with her outsider perspective and experiences watching her parents run their own business led her to create a brand that was uniquely her own.

This episode is sponsored by Modern Matter and High Point Market.

Jonathan Miller, the president and CEO of real estate appraisal and consulting firm Miller Samuel, discusses what rapidly rising interest rates will mean for the housing market. 

This episode is sponsored by Serena & Lily and the Future of Home conference. 

Originally founded as a wallpaper maker in the 19th century, Thibaut has grown over the decades to become a powerhouse brand that now produces wallcoverings, fabric and even furniture. Despite a surge of growth in our digital era, Thibaut remains proudly old-school. While other brands explore virtual visualization tools and selling online, it produces sample books and relies on a network of showrooms and shops to distribute its products. On this episode of the podcast, chief marketing officer Stacy Senior Allan speaks with host Dennis Scully about how trade brands have to police internet sellers, why she believes in the power of print magazines, and what interior designers really need in a time of so much change. 

This episode is sponsored by Serena & Lily and the Future of Home conference

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Thibaut
Dennis Scully 
Business of Home

A truly cosmopolitan interior designer, Martin Brudnizki was raised in Sweden, started his business in London, and now operates an office in New York. If you’re familiar with the finest restaurants and hotels in the world, you know his work—he’s designed everything from the Beekman in New York to Annabel’s in London to Soho House in Miami. On this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about why he likes running a large firm, why he’s pushing to get employees back to the office, and why he always takes on 30 percent more work than he can handle.

This episode is sponsored by Serena & Lily and the Future of Home conference

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Martin Brudnizki
Dennis Scully 
Business of Home

The daughter of singer Paulette McWilliams, interior designer Brigette Romanek was always destined for a creative path, but it was a winding one. She tried her hand at music and fashion before finally landing on interior design—ever since, she’s been on a tear, landing celebrity clients, a spot on the AD100 and a major collection with Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams.  On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about the complications of working for celebrity clients, why she invested in buzzy startup The Expert, and why, economic stormclouds or no, she’s choosing to be optimistic about the future.

This episode is sponsored by Serena & Lily and the Future of Home conference

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Brigette Romanek
Dennis Scully 
Business of Home

Lighting designer Lindsey Adelman went out on her own in 2006 and scored a hit right away. Her debut piece, the now-iconic branching bubble chandelier, was a huge success—only the first of many. Sixteen years later, she’s built a thriving bicoastal business, with top designers and celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow among her enthusiastic patrons. On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Denis Scully about whether she thinks the industry is due for a slowdown, how imagining Donatella Versace was her client led to a breakthrough, and why designers need to embrace instinct, play and humor in their work.

This episode is sponsored by Vaughan and Serena & Lily 

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Lindsey Adelman
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Launched in 2018, Material Bank offered designers a unique promise: Order samples from an online platform and they’d show up on your desk the next morning, all for free. In four short years founder Adam Sandow has rapidly grown the company to feature 500 brands serving nearly 100,000 users—and raised more than 325 million dollars in the process. On this episode of the show, Sandow speaks with host Dennis Scully about moving into the residential side of the industry, the challenge of making the platform affordable to smaller makers, and why he thinks design brands need to make themselves easier to work with if they’re going to survive.

This episode is sponsored by Vaughan and Serena & Lily 

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Material Bank
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

An interior designer, product designer, author and HGTV star, Leanne Ford has carved out her own unique path in the design industry. From the beginning, she’s taken an approach driven more by gut instinct than a grand vision—she’s always chosen to do what feels exciting and inspiring, come what may. On this episode of the podcast, Ford speaks with host Dennis Scully about the power of saying no, why she’ll stick with her signature white-on-white aesthetic even after it’s fallen out of style, and what it will take to get more people to embrace the experience of working with an interior designer.

This episode is sponsored by Vaughan and Serena & Lily 

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Leanne Ford
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Sebastian Brauer, the senior vice president of product design at Crate & Barrel, was recently given a new task: helping Crate & Barrel explore the metaverse. On this episode of the podcast he talks with host Dennis Scully about his interest in all things crypto, NFTs and Web3, and what they might mean for the home industry. He also discusses creating product with designers in mind, the future of work, and why, metaverse or no, real-life retail is here to stay. 

This episode is sponsored by Vaughan and Serena & Lily 

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Crate & Barrel 
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Founded in the late nineties, Four Hands was originally a modestly sized furniture importer. After starting to design its own pieces, the company grew and grew—now it’s a powerhouse of the industry, supplying furniture to designers and blue chip retailers, and bringing in over half a billion dollars in annual revenue. On this episode of the podcast, CEO Matthew Briggs speaks with host Dennis Scully about getting ahead of supply chain problems, what effect inflation will have on the design industry, and why business models based around exclusivity and protection are becoming obsolete.

This episode is sponsored by Room & Board and Modern Matter.

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Four Hands
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Designer, stylist, blogger, influencer and author, Emily Henderson is the wearer of many hats. Her big break came after winning the fifth season of HGTV’s competition show, Design Star. Since then, she’s built a sizable following both on social media and through her own website. In this episode of the podcast, Henderson shares an inside look at what it’s like to be a successful design influencer, from negotiating contracts with sponsors to battling Instagram algorithms. She also talks about the inspiration behind her new book, the pros and cons of hustle culture, and why she’s now focused on delivering value, not chasing followers.

This episode is sponsored by Room & Board and Modern Matter.

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Emily Henderson
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Driven by idealism and a desire to support independent makers, Jean Lin started the New York design gallery Colony in 2014 with a uniquely cooperative model. Over the years, she’s helped her clients grow their studios into thriving businesses—and refined her own approach along the way.  On this episode of the show, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about finding a way to balance ideals and economics, coaching makers to charge their worth, and what she thinks needs to change about American design fairs. 

This episode is sponsored by Room & Board and Modern Matter.

LINKS
Colony
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Alexa Hampton is, by any definition, a lifer in the trade. The daughter of celebrated designer Mark Hampton, she grew up in the business, and took over her father’s firm at the age of 27 after his untimely passing in 1998. Since then, Alexa has never slowed down, earning endless plaudits for her work, appearing regularly on industry best-of lists, authoring books and columns, and designing product for everyone from Kravet to Theodore Alexander to The Shade Store.  On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about how interior design is like a language, why her ideal firm size is 11 employees, and why it’s important to embrace—not turn away from—transparency and change.

This episode is sponsored by Room & Board and Modern Matter.

LINKS
Alexa Hampton
Dennis Scully
Business of Home