Business of Home Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Transparency is the way forward, says Eric Chang of Hellman-Chang Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

Eric Chang started his company—high-end furniture brand Hellman-Chang—in 2005 with his childhood friend Daniel Hellman. At first, it was a hobby, but the two of them quickly rose to prominence with a signature look and a bold, buzzy marketing campaign. In addition to running a thriving brand, Eric is also a former president of the Decorative Furnishings Association, where he had a front-row seat to the challenges and opportunities of an industry in transition. In this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about why Hellman-Chang moved from Brooklyn to Georgia, the surprising reason why he loves RH, and why a lack of transparency has stunted the industry’s growth—and what we can do about it.

This episode is sponsored by The Bruno Effect and Coppersmith.

LINKS
Eric Chang
Hellman-Chang
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Alex Shuford of Rock House Farm on the war for the future of furniture Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

The last two years have been a rollercoaster for Alex Shuford. His company—Rock House Farm, a group of furniture brands ranging from Century to Highland House to Hickory Chair—went from losing eighty percent of its business at the outbreak of COVID to a boom that has seen it struggle to keep up with demand. At the moment, catching up with his own backorders is the biggest thing on Shuford’s plate, but he also has his finger on the pulse of the broader furniture industry too. In this episode of the podcast, Shuford chats with host Dennis Scully about when we can expect the lead time crisis to finally calm down, whether the pandemic will cure the industry’s addiction to new product, and why interior designers will determine who wins the war for the future of furniture.

This episode is sponsored by The Bruno Effect and Coppersmith.

LINKS
Rock House Farm
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Sunbrella is making the most fabric it ever has. The market wants more Dec 06, 2021

Show notes

Founded in 1880, Glen Raven has a deep history manufacturing fabrics of all kinds. In the 1960s it began producing a waterproof textile used for awnings under the Sunbrella brand. Over time, what was outside came in—no company has been more associated with the rise of performance fabrics than Sunbrella.

On this episode of the podcast, CEO Leib Oehmig chats with host Dennis Scully about the madness of the moment—his company’s products have never been more in demand, but it’s never been harder to make enough of them. He also shared an inside look at how performance fabrics are made, and explained why designers are key to Sunbrella’s future.

This episode is sponsored by The Bruno Effect and Coppersmith.

LINKS
Glen Raven
Sunbrella
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Humanscale wants to own the home office Nov 22, 2021

Show notes

Bob King founded Humanscale in the early 1980s, just as personal computers were becoming common in the office, and workers had no idea how to sit properly to use them. Now his company, which today supplies chairs to corporations like Apple and Google, finds itself at another pivot point, as millions of Americans look for ways to make working from home work for them. On this episode of the podcast, King speaks with host Dennis Scully about what makes for a good home office, the challenge of making a good-looking ergonomic chair, and what designers can do to push for real sustainability from their manufacturers.

This episode is sponsored by Ben Soleimani and SideDoor

LINKS
Humanscale
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

How Jan Showers learned to trust her instincts Nov 15, 2021

Show notes

With a bustling interior design business, a popular Dallas showroom, and a product line sold all over the country, Jan Showers wears many hats. She’s also a champion of the Texas design scene—this year she co-chaired the second annual Kips Bay Showhouse in Dallas, which just wrapped last month. Recently Showers made a big decision—to pull her line out of showrooms and go direct to designers. On this episode of the show, she talks with host Dennis Scully about what that change says about the industry, why Texas is a first-tier market now, and how she learned never to try and sell something she doesn’t love herself.

This episode is sponsored by Ben Soleimani and SideDoor

LINKS
Jan Showers
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Katie Ridder and Peter Pennoyer on the power of partnership Nov 08, 2021

Show notes

Interior designer Katie Ridder and architect Peter Pennoyer make for unique partners—they’re married, and they do occasionally collaborate, but the two have forged impressive independent careers in their own right. Peter’s firm, a regular on the AD100 list, is one of the most respected traditional architectural practices in the country, while Katie, renowned for her keen eye and vibrant colors, has seen her work grace the covers of top shelter magazines for two decades. On this episode of the podcast, they speak with host Dennis Scully about how they get clients to make the right choices, why technology in design can be a double-edged sword, and how architects and designers can work together for the good of the project.

This episode is sponsored by Ben Soleimani and SideDoor

LINKS
Katie Ridder
Peter Pennoyer
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

The Novogratz on the hard work of building a home brand Nov 01, 2021

Show notes

Robert and Cortney Novogratz are the husband-and-wife design duo collectively known as ‘The Novogratz.’ In the 1990s the two bought a condemned townhouse in Manhattan and renovated it themselves. That kicked off a journey that has seen the two try their hand at everything from high-end house flipping; to hotel design; to starring in a reality TV show with their seven children. On this episode of the podcast, Robert and Cortney speak to host Dennis Scully about why building a home brand is so challenging, how they brought a casual, whimsical approach to high-end design, and how their hands-on, try-anything approach has helped them break down barriers in the industry.

This episode is sponsored by Ben Soleimani and SideDoor

High Point highlights with Kaitlin Petersen and Warren Shoulberg Oct 25, 2021

Show notes

Twice a year, thousands of designers, manufacturers and retail buyers flock to a small city in North Carolina for the biggest furniture trade show in the world. It's High Point Market, and this year's fall edition just wrapped up. To discuss what happened at High Point, this week Business of Home's editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen and retail columnist Warren Shoulberg joined host Dennis Scully on the podcast. They spoke about the mood on the street in North Carolina, how the industry is continuing to grapple with supply chain issues, and why, even in the Zoom era, in-person events will carry on.

This episode is sponsored by The Bruno Effect and Ben Soleimani

LINKS
Kaitlin Petersen
Kaitlin's podcast Trade Tales
Warren Shoulberg
Warren’s podcast Retail Watch
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Do independent showrooms have a future? Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

Garry Martin, founder of The Martin Group multiline showroom, is a veteran of the industry and the longest-lasting tenant of the Boston Design Center. Over the course of three decades he’s brought dozens of the trade’s finest makers and brands to New England. He’s seen the industry at its highs and lows, and has a keen sense of where things are headed. On this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about how he bounced back from losing his biggest line, the challenges of bringing the trade online, and why showrooms everywhere are leaving design centers.

This episode is sponsored by The Bruno Effect and Ben Soleimani

Take our first ever listener survey and be entered in a drawing to win a subscription to Business of Home's Insider program.

LINKS
The Martin Group
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Thomas Lavin: "There will always be multiline showrooms" Oct 11, 2021

Show notes

Thomas Lavin—founder of the Los Angeles multiline showroom that bears his name—got his start working in another showroom, Kneedler Fauchere, where he honed his aesthetic and developed a keen instinct for sales. In 2000 he went out on his own, and over the past two decades has built a thriving business representing some of the finest brands in the industry. In this episode of the podcast, Lavin talks with host Dennis Scully about the pressures on the multiline model, how he’s teaching the next generation of designers to sell to their clients, and whether industry pricing should be more transparent.

This episode is sponsored by The Bruno Effect and Ben Soleimani

Take our first ever listener survey and you'll be entered in a drawing to win a free BOH Insider membership!