Business of Home Podcast

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Looking back on an eventful year in the design industry Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

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

American Leather's president knows why the home industry is slow to change Dec 12, 2022

Show notes

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.

LINKS
American Leather
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Amber Lewis sees the glass half full Dec 05, 2022

Show notes

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

Athena Calderone likes to prove the doubters wrong Nov 28, 2022

Show notes

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

Timothy Corrigan: "Designers are brands" Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

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

Lori Weitzner: "Ask for what you want, not what you think is possible" Nov 14, 2022

Show notes

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

Is there room for another online antiques marketplace? Nov 07, 2022

Show notes

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

LINKS
The Bruno Effect
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

What happened at High Point Market? Oct 31, 2022

Show notes

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

Beth Webb: "Too many designers discount themselves" Oct 24, 2022

Show notes

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.

LINKS
Beth Webb
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Fortuny has had a wild century. Its owners are thinking about the next 100 years Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

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.

LINKS
Fortuny
Dennis Scully
Business of Home