Business of Home Podcast

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the industry, including this week’s port strike, why Zillow is highlighting climate risks, and Hurricane Helene’s impact on the design community. Later, designer and author Nasozi Kakembo joins the show to talk about her book on African decor .   This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Isla Porter HELENE RELIEF Re...

Started as a shop for bathroom hardware in the 1970s, Waterworks has grown over the decades into a $200 million kitchen and bath company with national scale. Eight years after being acquired by RH, more growth is on the horizon: RH CEO Gary Friedman has said Waterworks could one day be a billion-dollar brand.   On this episode of the podcast, CEO Peter Sallick talks with host Dennis Scully about w...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the industry, including last week’s interest rate cut, a card game for design clients , and why a growing number of brands are turning to the trade . Later, designer David Netto and architecture critic Paul Goldberger join the show to talk about their new book on iconic New York architect Rosario Candela. This ep...

You may not know the name Valdese Weavers, but you know their product. One of the last large-scale textile mills in America, Valdese produces fabric for everyone from retailers like Arhaus and RH to brands like Kravet and Thibaut. On this episode of the podcast, Valdese Weavers president and CEO Blake Millinor speaks with host Dennis Scully about how beige and gray took over the market; the challe...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the industry, including Asad Syrkett’s forthcoming departure from Elle Decor , RH’s latest earnings call and why millionaire renters are on the rise. Later, designer Leanne Ford joins the show to talk about her new book, The Slow Down . This episode is sponsored by Hartmann&Forbes and Chelsea House LINKS Leanne F...

By day, Peter Dunham runs a busy design firm, but he’s also the owner of one of LA’s most notable showrooms—Hollywood at Home. The last time Dunham was on the podcast , he was navigating the confusions of Covid. Now he’s going bicoastal and opening a new showroom in New York under his own name. On this episode of the show he speaks with host Dennis Scully about the differences between design cultu...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the industry, including more challenges for furniture brands, whether the American dream still includes a house with a white picket fence, and a look at how paint colors get their names. Later, Tori Mellott joins the show to talk about her new book, Southern Interiors .   This episode is sponsored by Hartmann&For...

A veteran of the hospitality world, Nicole Hollis was part of the team that developed the W Hotels before going out on her own and pivoting to residential work. Over the course of two decades, Hollis built up an impressive firm, with a team of nearly 100 working out of her San Francisco office. Hollis herself has won numerous accolades for her work, including regular appearances on both Elle Decor...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the industry, including the ongoing controversy over quartz countertops, why college students are embracing luxury design for their dorms, and how brown became the color of wealth. Later, stylist Mieke ten Have joins the show to talk about her new book .  This episode is sponsored by Hartmann&Forbes and Chelsea H...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the industry, including Kaiyo’s abrupt closure , Ikea’s new secondhand marketplace, and a look at why Crypton is suing Williams Sonoma. Later, New York Times real estate reporter Debra Kamin joins the show to explore how a massive legal ruling has reshaped the way homes are bought and sold. This episode is sponso...

A luxury resort tucked away in the foothills of Tennessee’s smoky mountains, Blackberry Farm defies easy categorization. Spread across thousands of acres, it encompasses everything from world class restaurants and spas to a fly fishing program, equestrian facility, farmstead and larder. Blackberry Farm also boasts a surprisingly robust design department, perhaps part of the reason why it has becom...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the design industry, including Perigold’s plans for brick-and-mortar stores, a housing check-in, and why the DCOTA is back on the auction block . Later, fashion designer Jenni Kayne joins the show to talk about her home line and her new hospitality venture. This episode is sponsored by Surya LINKS The Jenni Kayne...

Born in New York, Jamie Bush studied architecture in New Orleans before finally making his way to Los Angeles, where his career took off. His multifaceted work is regularly featured in national magazines, and his firm is featured on the both the AD100 and Elle Deco r’s A-List. On this episode of the podcast, Bush speaks to host Dennis Scully about why interior designers sometimes get more respect...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the design industry, including another retail bankruptcy , why donating furniture is so challenging, and a look at how designers dress . Later, Rob Van Varick of Michael Graves Design joins the show to talk about the company's new accessibility collection with Pottery Barn. This episode is sponsored by Surya LINK...

Ernie Hershberger is the founder and CEO of the furniture brand Abner Henry. Born and raised in an Amish community in Fredericksburg, Ohio, Hershberger grew up in his family’s century-old cabinetry workshop before launching his own furniture business. Over time, he got into the higher-end, custom side of the market and Abner Henry became a source for everyone from Sasha Bikoff to the Metropolitan...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the design industry, including the return of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, some AI experiments from Houzz, and what a stock market crash might mean for designers. Later, real estate analyst Jonathan Miller joins the show to talk about whether the frozen housing market is finally heating up.  This episode is spons...

Hector and Emma Finch are the married couple behind the British lighting company Hector Finch. Started as an antiques business, the two have stayed true to their roots, producing a line of lighting inspired by classic early 20th century pieces. Today, the company's products are sold all over the world, including top showrooms in the U.S.  In this episode of the podcast, host Dennis Scully speaks w...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the design industry, including a massive retail bankruptcy , the health of the high-end real estate market and the vanishing American porch . Later, Keith Granet of Studio Designer and Sarah Daniele of MyDoma join the show to discuss the deal that brought their two companies together.   This episode is sponsored...

Laura Sotelo, Kendall Knox, Ben Knox are the founders of the buzzy brand Olive Ateliers. In 2021, as a side hustle, the three friends started sourcing vintage pieces from all over the world and curating them into biweekly “drops” in Los Angeles. Almost immediately, there were lines around the block, their site took off, and Olive Ateliers developed a devoted fan base including designers and celebr...

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the design industry, including a cyberattack on Bassett , a design software acquisition , and the fight over megamansions. Later, the founders of bathroom renovation startup The Unoriginal Bathroom Co. join the show to discuss their new venture.   This episode is sponsored by Isla Porter LINKS The Unoriginal Bath...

Jomo Tariku’s life and career have followed a winding path, from his childhood in Ethiopia to a design degree in Kansas and a stint in data visualization at the World Bank. Today, he’s internationally recognized as a furniture designer, with pieces in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the National Museum of African American History...

BOH editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the design industry, including Etsy’s return to its artisan roots, surging home insurance premiums and key business lessons from the 50 States Project. Later, designer Susan Wintersteen joins the show to talk about founding Savvy Giving by Design.  This episode is sponsored by Isla Porter.   LINKS Savvy Giving...

When Alex Shuford-CEO of Rock House Farm, the family of brands that includes Century, Hickory Chair, and Highland House-was on the podcast last year, he was optimistic about 2024. Halfway through the year, his optimism remains intact, and once the smoke clears from the elections in the fall, he thinks the combination of pent-up demand and a generational wealth shift will lead to significant opport...

BOH editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the design industry, including he latest in the Kim Kardashian copycat lawsuit, a look at the D&D building’s new financial troubles, and a mid-year report card for home retailers. Later, Apartment Therapy founder Maxwell Ryan joins the show to talk about winning the new search game.  This episode is sponsored b...

This spring, Thomas Lavin and Jobi Blachy of Quintus decided to experiment with taking their showrooms on the road, staging pop-up events in Southern California for local designers. The events were a success, and now they’re planning more—as well as a host of other concepts for connecting with the next generation of the trade. On this episode of the podcast, they speak with host Dennis Scully abou...