The Chairish Podcast

Latest Episodes:

How Do You Make Time for Creativity? Dec 09, 2020

Show notes

No one said running a business was easy, but how do designers make sure that amid all the invoices, purchase orders, and shipping logistics, they still find time to be creative? In this episode, New York designers Ellen Hamilton and Sandra Funk and Nashville-based Lori Paranjape discuss the systems and secrets so they never lose focus on the part of the job they love—designing beautiful rooms. They share the computer programs they use to handle everything from office management to email lists, the outside services and professionals they rely on, how they approach contracts and apportion their staff’s time, and reveal why trust and communication are the bedrock of any successful firm.

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does Online Marketing Really Work? Nov 18, 2020

Show notes

In the crowded field of interior design, how do you get your work seen, and how do potential new clients discover you? Social media can certainly be effective. But that doesn’t mean that other tools—websites, blogs, and especially email marketing—don’t still have power. Marie Burgos, Kati Curtis, and Kevin Isbell, three designers with rising profiles, reveal the marketing efforts that work for them, how they balance creativity with salesmanship, and how their firms handle the increased workload required to stay in the forefront.

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's Ahead for Design in DC? Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

In Washington, D.C., politics rules, and the political scene is more partisan than ever. Can design cross the aisle? What is it like to be a designer in DC, and how ready for change is this city with such a historically traditional aesthetic? Two DC-based designers, Kiyonda Powell and Marika Meyer, weigh in on what it is like to bring high style to a city where politics is ubiquitous, how a new generation is reshaping the town, and why the Washington design scene is busier than ever before.

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rita Konig on Updating Tradition Oct 21, 2020

Show notes

London-based designer Rita Konig is one of today’s most popular and influential tastemakers. Her fresh take on English style, relaxed, colorful, and family friendly, is both pretty and practical, and has made her a star on both sides of the Atlantic. In this episode, Rita talks about her work, growing up with her famous mother, Nina Campbell, how she hopes to demystify and democratize design, and why it all comes down to “tables, lamps, and chairs.”

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Burgeoning Business of E-Design Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

Thanks to the pandemic, we have all become used to working, socializing, and learning at a distance. But can beautiful design be created remotely? In this episode, two guests with very different styles, Los Angeles designer Martha Mulholland and Palm Beach- based Danielle Rollins, tell how they got started with e-design, how their virtual business has grown, what they find rewarding—and frustrating—about this new approach to creating beautiful homes, and how they handle clients and spaces they have never seen in person.

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Do Interior Designers Become National Brands? Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

How do certain designers make the transition to becoming viable brands? Who decides which designers get to put their stamp on everything from rugs to fabrics to apartment towers? Kate Verner, whose firm has been instrumental in the success of numerous designers and brands, and her client, acclaimed designer Alexandra Champalimaud, share their insights on how to expand a designer’s portfolio and visibility, strategize for success, and cope with the increased workflow. As the two make clear, the process is neither easy nor quick, but it can be creatively and financially rewarding.

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do You Really Need Design School? Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

Is attending design school still worth the time, effort, and money it takes? And are the schools teaching the right things? Should the focus be on principles or practicalities? In this episode, the president of the New York School of Interior Design, David Sprouls, is joined by two of the school’s distinguished alumni, Penny Drue Baird and Drew McGukin, to talk about whether techniques or technology should prevail, why they only hire design school graduates, how schools can help diversify and expand the student body, and why nobody seems to know design history these days.

In this episode, our guests discuss:

Why design schools are worth the time and money
Are students actually learning what they need to know for the real world?
How the curricula at NYSID has kept up with changing lifestyles and the increasing use of technology
How to keep up with new technology while balancing traditional design tactics like sketching and hand drawing
The most important skills Penny and Drew learned while at design school
Why firms prefer hiring people who went to design school
How the NYSID decides its curriculum and coursework

Additional resources:

10 Things You Should Know About Becoming an Interior Designer on MyMove
15 Interior Design Schools Worth Applying to on Architectural Digest
Become An Interior Designer on ASID
Meet Our New Scholarship Winner on Chairish
New York School of Interior Design
Dessins LLC.
Drew McGukin Interiors

Connect with Chairish and our guests on Instagram:

Chairish: @chairishco
Michael Boodro: @michaelboodro
NYSID: @nysid
Penny Drue Baird: @pennydessins
Drew McGukin: @drewmcgukin
David Sprouls: @david.sprouls

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What Does A Stylist Do? Aug 19, 2020

Show notes

Powerful and beautiful photographs of your work are more important than ever, now that social media has become such a crucial tool. But how do you turn your three-dimensional spaces into compelling images that will attract attention in the image-saturated world of design? In this episode, two top stylists who have worked with major magazines and top interior photographers around the world, Mieke ten Have and Robert Rufino, share their tips, explain the difference between documenting a space and capturing its spirit, how they bring “soul, magic, and pizzazz” to every shoot, and why you might want to leave the stilettos at home.

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Remote Possibilities: Home Offices that Work Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

Now that working from home has become the new normal and home schooling has become mandatory, the home office is more central to domestic happiness than ever before. And with the appeal of working remotely likely to continue long after the pandemic has retreated, the demand for chic and functional home offices is likely only to increase. In this episode, two top designers skilled at meeting the needs of modern families with great style, Chloe Warner and Mikel Welch, weigh in on what’s next and reveal how they are solving their clients’ evolving needs, why we are likely to see a resurgence in walls and doors, the difficulty in finding the perfect desk chair, and why the home office is likely to evolve into the home lobby.

In this episode, our guests tackle:

Solving for problems of a regular office space including storage, charging stations, and organization
Is there a comfortable desk chair that is chic enough to work in a home setting?
Innovative requests from clients including “work pods” in addition to traditional home offices
How can families live and work together now that they’re in the same space 24/7?
The reality of “Zoom background envy” and growing interest in well-designed backgrounds

Additional resources:

The Work From Home Edit via Chairish
35 Eclectic Home Offices via Chairish
Developing Trend: New Homes Will Include Personalized Home Offices on Forbes
That ‘Home Office’ of Yours? It Needs an Upgrade on The New York Times

Connect with Chairish and our guests on Instagram:

Chairish: @chairishco
Michael Boodro: @michaelboodro
Chloe Warner: @redmondaldrichdesign
Mikel Welch: @mikelwelch

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Traditional Design for a New Era Jul 22, 2020

Show notes

Grand, exuberant, and exquisitely layered rooms have always had an exalted place in the design world. But are they still relevant in a post-Covid-19 world? Two top interior designers, Michelle Nussbaumer and Timothy Corrigan, argue that their styles—traditional, colorful, and eclectic—are even more valid than before, and share their insights into creating comfort, the importance of fine detailing, the coming revival of antiques, and the need for a touch of visual dissonance in every room.

Produced by Hangar Studios

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.