Business of Home Podcast

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 what he’s learned from Friedman, finding the balance between art and engineering, and why the biggest challenge trade brands face is simply letting consumers know they exist.This episode is sponsored by Loloi, Crypton and RoweLINKSWaterworksDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

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 episode is sponsored by Hartmann&Forbes and Chelsea HouseLINKSDavid NettoPaul GoldbergerBusiness of Home

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 challenges of delivering both performance and sustainability; and how Valdese has managed to thrive not by setting rigid five-year plans, but by staying loose, nimble and diversified.This episode is sponsored by Loloi, Crypton and RoweLINKSValdese WeaversDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

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 HouseLINKSLeanne FordBusiness of Home

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 culture in New York and Los Angeles, why textiles are like lipstick, and how he knew he was finally ready to expand.This episode is sponsored by Loloi, Crypton and RoweLINKSPeter DunhamPeter Dunham Home & GardenDennis ScullyBusiness of Home 

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&Forbes and Chelsea HouseLINKSTori MellottBusiness of Home

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’s A-List and the AD100.  On this episode of the podcast she speaks with host Dennis Scully about how she built a big firm, step by step; why residential projects are more lucrative for her firm than commercial work; and why so much of her work with clients is about communicating the most information in the least amount of time possible.This episode is sponsored by Loloi and RoweLINKSNicole HollisArtistry of HomeDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

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 HouseLINKSMitchell Owens fundraiserMieke ten HaveBusiness of Home

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 sponsored by SuryaLINKSMitchell Owens fundraiserDebra KaminBusiness of Home

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 become a favorite getaway for luminaries in our industry. On this episode, proprietor Mary Celeste Beall speaks with host Dennis Scully about balancing different goals for different parts of the business, why it sometimes makes sense to spend on illogical investments, and the story of tragedy and resilience in her own life that underpins all of her work at Blackberry Farm.This episode is sponsored by LoloiLINKSMary Celeste BeallBlackberry FarmDennis ScullyBusiness of Home