The Chairish Podcast

On this episode of  The Chairish Podcast , Chairish Co-Founder and President Anna Brockway sits down with the talented and beloved Rita Konig—London and Palm Beach-based interior designer, journalist, and educator—for a one-on-one conversation you won’t want to miss. From Notting Hill to New York to LA’s ultra-exclusive San Vicente Bungalows, Rita shares her approach to space planning, layeri...

From childhood dreams inspired by a transformative day in Manhattan to co-founding Chairish, Anna Brockway’s love for New York City has come full circle in a stunning apartment overlooking Central Park. Today, we explore her collaboration with interior designer Elizabeth Cooper, transforming a postwar Rosario Candela building into a vibrant, deeply personal sanctuary. Guest host and  Veranda...

Holiday décor should bring the joy of the season to life—but for many designers this time of year can inspire as much dread as delight. Are you expected to deck the homes of clients for the holidays because you designed their space? How do you manage expectations? Is there any way to make the season profitable and not a drag on your resources? Two interior designers—Charlotte Barnes and Lindsay An...

Why do designers go out on their own? What drives them to leave a secure job and take the risk? Is launching a firm fueled by courage, ambition, or something else entirely? And, more importantly, are the rewards worth the challenges? Three designers—Tara McCauley, Michael Capuano, and Claire Ratliff of Henry Street Design—share their experiences in leaving prestigious firms, discuss their motivati...

Even those who love homes with history, character, and patina agree that making old buildings work for modern living isn't always easy. No one wants to live in a museum, but how do you adapt the past to the modern world? Can an 18th -century palazzo, a 1920s apartment, or a 1950s glass house be made to answer the desire for expansive kitchens and baths, air-conditioning, and powerful Wi-Fi in ever...

When home and apartment sales slow, the design world feels the effects. High mortgage rates, a lack of inventory, and the sky-rocketing costs of homes and apartments have all had a devastating effect. But with the Federal Reserve seeming to indicate a lowering of rates soon, is all that about to change? Will that unleash a flood of buyers? Or will prices continue to rise and the nation’s housing s...

With the moribund real estate market prompting a slowdown in residential work, many designers are thinking about hospitality. But is expanding into hospitality or retail really a viable option? Are special skills required? What are the trends in hospitality design? And even more importantly, what are the pitfalls? Three top talents—Roger Thomas, Poonam Khanna, and Chad Dorsey—share their experienc...

How does a designer get their work seen and attract new clients? The power of print media has declined while, thanks to social media, every designer can easily put their work out into the world. But how do you stand out amid the daily flood of content? Is there still a role for public relations? Three PR and marketing pros—Sarah Burningham, Roxanne Hanna, and Sarah Boyd—discuss how they navigate t...

Douglas Friedman is one of today’s most successful photographers of interiors and is a style setter in his own right, with a huge following on social media. His work has appeared in virtually every major shelter magazine, and he is also known for his fashion photography and portraiture. Douglas has an extensive knowledge of design history, has worked with virtually every top decorator and stylist,...

Technology has invaded every aspect of the home. Now even our refrigerators and doorbells are smart. But do we really need wi-fi enabled musical showerheads? How do you keep your clients’ homes up to date without succumbing to short-lived fads? What tech is essential—and what’s soon to be antiquated? Designers Beth Dotolo and Cynthia Ferguson and architect Charles Hilton weigh in on what tech is e...

Design industry events and trade fairs are back—but are they still important? With designers busier than ever, should they allot the time and the money to go? What makes an event something you need to attend in person? Is it still crucial to search for newness and trends? Will the networking opportunities really benefit your business? High Point Market president Tammy Covington Nagem, LCDQ executi...

After all the meetings, consultations, and brainstorming sessions with clients, how do you convey that the plans and concepts you come up with will meet their needs and fulfill their dreams? How do you dazzle them so that they get inspired and excited—and write the checks necessary for the project to move ahead? Client presentations are crucial. Three highly successful practitioners of architectur...

Palm Beach is undergoing a style renaissance, attracting new generations of bon vivants and design lovers. Nothing exemplifies this better than the resurgence of the Colony Hotel, which for generations served as a favorite getaway for royalty, movie stars, politicians, and wealthy tycoons. Under its new owners, the Colony, also known as the Pink Paradise, has turned to style setters Celerie Kemble...

One of New York City’s most fashionable women—and one its most influential—Linda Fargo is a style setter, a fashion force, and a master of high-end retailing. As Senior Vice President of Fashion and Store Presentation Director at the legendary Bergdorf Goodman, she shapes the look and feel of one of the city’s most iconic destinations. She sets trends, nurtures careers, and inspires all of us to d...

Every New Year brings a focus on what’s next, what trends are on the rise, and what we hope to banish once and for all. With the housing market in the doldrums, inflation still a factor, and technology making advances every day, changes are sure to encompass a lot more than colors and styles. Three designers from across the country—Katie McCaffrey, Benjamin Johnston, and Danielle Colding—weig...

To celebrate the 100th episode of the Chairish podcast, we reached out to four women who founded enterprises that have succeeded for a full decade. At a time when most new businesses fail, these women launched companies in highly competitive fields—fashion, beauty, interior design, and online sales—and not only survived but continue to thrive. When Rebecca Hessel Cohen founded her fashio...

One of the surest ways to add distinction and visual richness to any interior is to collaborate with artisans. Decorative painting, gilding, verre eglomisé, cast plaster, carvings and wood inlays are only a few of the many techniques that can personalize and glamorize projects. How can you work with artisans to expand your vision? And how do you find the talents to execute your design ideas? Three...

Rooms that are richly layered, full of saturated colors, bold graphic patterns, and scenic wallpapers are all over social media and fill the pages of shelter magazines. Maximalist style is definitely here, as two new books chronicle. But is it here to stay? Three designers—Hillary Taylor, Matthew Carter, and Alexander Doherty—weigh in what elements of the trend they have adapted, why a theatrical...

Known for her exuberant blend of Hollywood glamor and restrained Parisian chic, Mary McDonald has become one of today's most sought-after interior designers. But her success goes far beyond the richly imagined, graphic, and colorful rooms that have made her a social media star and a favorite of shelter magazines. She also designs fabrics and wallpapers, rugs, lighting, and furniture. She’s even co...

On the 40th anniversary of Ralph Lauren Home, which is being celebrated with a lavish new book, three former RL staffers who went on to establish their own successful careers—Joy Moyler, Jenny Wolf, and Mark Cunningham—look at Ralph Lauren’s impact on two generations of American interior designers, their own memories of working for the company and what they learned, how the firm attracts and retai...

When the historic town of Hudson, New York, fell on hard times decades ago, it was design that came to its rescue. A few influential dealers opened shop, and were followed by designers, artists, and creatives. Now the town is a hotbed of fine dining, chic boutique hotels, and an ever-increasing number of design shops. And the entire Hudson River Valley is undergoing a renaissance. But can the town...

Shopping with clients is always fraught. Can you take clients to showrooms and dealers without them beginning to view you as their personal shoppers? How do you make them see that the process is about creativity, not access, and that your job is not just to source furnishings and objects? And how has the interaction changed in the internet era? Three designers from across the country—Martha Mulhol...

Christopher Spitzmiller’s gleaming and boldly colorful lamps can be found in some of the most distinguished homes in America—and in virtually every shelter magazine. In an exclusive interview, he tells how he overcame his dyslexia by turning to pottery and how he became a designer favorite, updating traditional techniques and classic forms for a new generation. He also discusses his evolution into...

Designers have always looked to the past for ideas—but there is so much design history to choose from! What styles and periods remain relevant? What still works even though modern life has undergone so many dramatic changes? What’s ready for a revival and what remains hopelessly dated, never to rise again from the dustbins of history? Two young designers—Noz Nozawa and Dan Mazzarini—and historian...

Real estate and interior design are intimately connected. When mortgage rates went up, sales slowed down, and we heard the first rumblings that the two-year design binge during the pandemic might be coming to an end. So what happens now? Three real estate professionals—Leonard Steinberg of Compass, Amanda Pendleton of Zillow, and global luxury expert Mickey Alam Khan—weigh in on what they see ahea...