Business of Home Podcast

Emily Pierce and Louisa Ward represent something of a rarity in the industry: A long-running partnership that has stood the test of time, even as both of them live in different cities. Together, they’ve built a design firm that’s made the AD100, opened a buzzy store in Los Angeles, and launched a blockbuster collection with West Elm. On this episode of the podcast, Pierce and Ward chat with host Dennis Scully about why they like to give each other wins, what it’s like to have a Hollywood director as a client, and why the magic of their design process only comes through at the installation. This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Thibaut LINKS Pierce & Ward Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a major art fair acquisition, the latest on tariffs, earnings reports from Wayfair and Ethan Allen, and For Scale's treatise on "slow decor." Later, the leadership team behind The Expert joins the show to talk about the company's next move. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living and Crate & Barrel LINKS The Expert Business of Home

A veteran of the industry, Ed Hollander has brought his expertise to projects around the world and has collaborated with designers and architects like Peter Pennoyer, Bunny Williams, and Tom Kligerman. His firm, Hollander Design, is one of the few landscape architecture practices to earn a spot on the AD100 list. On this episode of the show, Hollander speaks with host Dennis Scully about how a competitive spirit has fueled his career, his connection to King Charles, and what happened when residential landscapes went from being something you looked at to something you lived in. This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Thibaut LINKS Hollander Design Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including the latest housing numbers, designers advertising on Instagram and why Form Kitchens has halted operations. Later, BOH editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen and retail columnist Warren Shoulberg joined the show to recap High Point Spring Market. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living and Crate & Barrel LINKS Business of Home

It’s difficult to summarize Joanna Gaines’ job description in one word. Together with her husband Chip Gaines, she opened a home goods shop, Magnolia Market, in the early 2000s—but it wasn’t until the two of them ended up on TV a decade later that Joanna became a star. Since then, she’s built an empire, ranging from product lines to a TV network to a retail and hospitality compound in Waco Texas. Along the way, she’s been everything from designer to baker to shopkeeper to entrepreneur. On this episode of the podcast she speaks with host Dennis Scully about relying on intuition and faith to make business decisions, why she’s returning to TV with a new show, and how going from a “no” person to a “why not” person changed everything. This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Hartmann&Forbes LINKS Magnolia Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including how tariffs could impact antiques, why Burke Decor is shutting down, a designer's guide to getting published in 2025, and the booming demand for high-end panic rooms and bunkers. Later, Rue editorial director Kelli Lamb joins the show to talk about how losing her home in the LA wildfires changed everything. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living and Chelsea House LINKS Kelli Lamb Rue Business of Home

For more than three decades, Alfredo Paredes worked behind the scenes at Ralph Lauren, shaping the company’s stores, restaurants and home collections, not to mention spearheading iconic spaces like the Polo Bar in Manhattan. In 2019 he stepped out on his own, quickly making his own name as a designer of both products and interiors. On this episode of the podcast he speaks with host Dennis Scully about the lessons in big thinking he learned from Ralph Lauren, why his own firm is small but not tiny, and why his special talent has always been to take a vision and run with it. This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Hartmann&Forbes LINKS Alfredo Paredes Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including the latest on tariffs, a housing update, and what The White Lotus and Severance say about design culture. Later, journalist Julie Lasky and designer Ghislaine Viñas share their highlights from Milan Design Week. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living and Chelsea House LINKS Julie Lasky Ghislaine Viñas Business of Home

A veteran of One Kings Lane, RH, and Ralph Lauren Home, Day Kornbluth stepped into the top job at West Elm in 2023. Since then, she’s been leading a quiet transformation—retooling the brand’s product mix, sharpening its visual identity, and rethinking how it shows up, both online and off. That work came into full view this month with the launch of a sweeping collaboration with LA design duo Pierce & Ward. On this episode of the podcast, Kornbluth speaks with host Dennis Scully about striking the right balance between mass appeal and design credibility, why AI might become a surprisingly useful tool for creatives, and how the meaning of home has evolved from utility to something far more personal. This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Hartmann&Forbes LINKS West Elm Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including the latest on tariffs, Kravet’s new showroom strategy and a major update to ChatGPT. Later, designer James Huniford joins the show to talk about Design on a Dime's 20th anniversary. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living and Chelsea House LINKS James Huniford Design on a Dime Business of Home

Richard Christiansen started Flamingo Estate as a Covid experiment, selling local produce out of his bookstore’s parking lot. It quickly became something much more: A multifaceted brand that brings a luxury approach to the natural world, selling everything from beauty products to boxes of avocados. Along the way, both celebrity and design have played a key role: Christiansen has collaborated with everyone from Lebron James to Kelly Wearstler, and his home—a refurbished 1940’s spanish-style house in LA’s Highland Park—has been a ‘main character’ in the Flamingo Estate story. On this episode of the podcast, Christiansen speaks with host Dennis Scully about learning to love saying no, why consumers need to be tricked into embracing sustainability, and how he struggles between the pressure to get big and the need to stay small. This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Hartmann&Forbes LINKS Flamingo Estate Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a massive new round of tariffs, RH's latest earnings call, and what happens when designers are their own clients. Later, Mattoboard founder Guy Ailion joins the show to talk about his company's digital approach to sampling. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living and Chelsea House LINKS Dallas Design Social Mattoboard Business of Home

A California native, Jeffrey Alan Marks studied extensively in England as a young designer and brought back a healthy dose of British style when he returned to Los Angeles to launch his career. He became a star as a cast member of Bravo’s Million Dollar Decorators, but ever since has focused on the work, creating lines for Kravet, Palacek and A. Rudin, and designing homes all over the world. On this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about finding a blend of English formality and LA beach culture, why his own homes always got more attention than big budget projects for clients, and why he doesn’t like to jump headfirst into new projects too quickly. This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Crypton LINKS Jeffrey Alan Marks Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including tariff price hikes, a New York design show debuting this spring, and why butter yellow is on the rise. Later, New Yorker staff writer Kyle Chayka joins the show to discuss his book Filterworld—an examination of how algorithmically powered social media has flattened taste. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living LINKS Kyle Chayka Filterworld Business of Home

David Phoenix had a rocky youth—he left home at a young age and struggled with addiction. But once he settled into sobriety and pursued design, he’s had a charmed career, working with celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rob Lowe, his work gracing the cover of Architectural Digest several times, and lines with Hickory Chair and Kravet. On this episode of the podcast, Phoenix speaks with host Dennis Scully about why it pays to be honest about what you don’t know, the ideal number of employees in a design firm, and why he has it written into his contract that he “installs in solitude.” This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Crypton LINKS David Phoenix Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including layoffs at Food52 and Schoolhouse, a new design district in Charleston, and a look back at how Covid changed the industry. Later, John Edelman joins the show to share some updates on Heller. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living LINKS Heller Business of Home

A former protégé of design legend Miles Redd, Nick Olsen has built a thriving career blending classical references with bold colors, playful patterns, and a signature sense of wit. In this episode of the podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about how his first apartment ended up on the cover of Domino, why he proudly calls himself a decorator, and why, despite all the pressure to build a social media following, he’s perfectly content not being the next Instagram star. This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Crypton LINKS Nick Olsen Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a check-in on tariffs, how contractors are finding success on TikTok, and why designers are turning to Etsy. Later, Presti cofounder Hamza Bennis joins the show to talk about his AI startup. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living LINKS Presti Business of Home

For years, artist, architect, designer and glassblower Alison Berger honed her craft, showing her work and collaborating with brands like Commes des Garcon and Hermes. Then, in the late 1990s, she began designing lighting for Holly Hunt, kicking off a multi-decade partnership that would see Berger become one of the industry’s most celebrated talents. On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about why she decided to work with RH, why her superpower is persistence, and why she’s back with a new collection, new showroom partners, and a new approach to her work. This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Crypton LINKS Alison Berger Glassworks Dennis Scully Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including Trump’s new tariffs, Charles Cohen’s ongoing legal saga, and Pinterest’s battle with AI spam. This episode is sponsored by Jaipur Living LINKS Business of Home