Business of Home Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Martyn Lawrence Bullard's intuition has never let him down Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
Martyn Lawrence Bullard
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Why did Havenly buy Interior Define? Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
Havenly
Interior Define
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Can Design Holding become the LVMH of home? Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
Design Holding
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

The Expert starts its next chapter Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
The Expert
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Mary McDonald embraces interior design's "never-ending learning curve" Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
Mary McDonald
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

At Pierre Frey, creativity comes before business Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
Pierre Frey
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Stephen Burks wants to open the doors of the design industry Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
Stephen Burks
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Society Social wants to be every Grandmillennial's favorite brand Jan 16, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
Society Social
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Sophie Ashby wants to fight back against 'unidentifiable global chic' Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
Sophie Ashby
United in Design
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

How Alexa Hampton learned the language of design [Rebroadcast] Jan 02, 2023

Show notes

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

LINKS
Alexa Hampton
Dennis Scully
Business of Home