Business of Home Podcast

Lighting designer Lindsey Adelman went out on her own in 2006 and scored a hit right away. Her debut piece, the now-iconic branching bubble chandelier, was a huge success—only the first of many. Sixteen years later, she’s built a thriving bicoastal business, with top designers and celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow among her enthusiastic patrons. On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Denis Scully about whether she thinks the industry is due for a slowdown, how imagining Donatella Versace was her client led to a breakthrough, and why designers need to embrace instinct, play and humor in their work.This episode is sponsored by Vaughan and Serena & Lily LINKSLindsey AdelmanDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

Launched in 2018, Material Bank offered designers a unique promise: Order samples from an online platform and they’d show up on your desk the next morning, all for free. In four short years founder Adam Sandow has rapidly grown the company to feature 500 brands serving nearly 100,000 users—and raised more than 325 million dollars in the process. On this episode of the show, Sandow speaks with host Dennis Scully about moving into the residential side of the industry, the challenge of making the platform affordable to smaller makers, and why he thinks design brands need to make themselves easier to work with if they’re going to survive.This episode is sponsored by Vaughan and Serena & Lily LINKSMaterial BankDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

An interior designer, product designer, author and HGTV star, Leanne Ford has carved out her own unique path in the design industry. From the beginning, she’s taken an approach driven more by gut instinct than a grand vision—she’s always chosen to do what feels exciting and inspiring, come what may. On this episode of the podcast, Ford speaks with host Dennis Scully about the power of saying no, why she’ll stick with her signature white-on-white aesthetic even after it’s fallen out of style, and what it will take to get more people to embrace the experience of working with an interior designer.This episode is sponsored by Vaughan and Serena & Lily LINKSLeanne FordDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

Sebastian Brauer, the senior vice president of product design at Crate & Barrel, was recently given a new task: helping Crate & Barrel explore the metaverse. On this episode of the podcast he talks with host Dennis Scully about his interest in all things crypto, NFTs and Web3, and what they might mean for the home industry. He also discusses creating product with designers in mind, the future of work, and why, metaverse or no, real-life retail is here to stay. This episode is sponsored by Vaughan and Serena & Lily LINKSCrate & Barrel Dennis ScullyBusiness of Home

Founded in the late nineties, Four Hands was originally a modestly sized furniture importer. After starting to design its own pieces, the company grew and grew—now it’s a powerhouse of the industry, supplying furniture to designers and blue chip retailers, and bringing in over half a billion dollars in annual revenue. On this episode of the podcast, CEO Matthew Briggs speaks with host Dennis Scully about getting ahead of supply chain problems, what effect inflation will have on the design industry, and why business models based around exclusivity and protection are becoming obsolete.This episode is sponsored by Room & Board and Modern Matter.LINKSFour HandsDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

Designer, stylist, blogger, influencer and author, Emily Henderson is the wearer of many hats. Her big break came after winning the fifth season of HGTV’s competition show, Design Star. Since then, she’s built a sizable following both on social media and through her own website. In this episode of the podcast, Henderson shares an inside look at what it’s like to be a successful design influencer, from negotiating contracts with sponsors to battling Instagram algorithms. She also talks about the inspiration behind her new book, the pros and cons of hustle culture, and why she’s now focused on delivering value, not chasing followers.This episode is sponsored by Room & Board and Modern Matter.LINKSEmily HendersonDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

Driven by idealism and a desire to support independent makers, Jean Lin started the New York design gallery Colony in 2014 with a uniquely cooperative model. Over the years, she’s helped her clients grow their studios into thriving businesses—and refined her own approach along the way.  On this episode of the show, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about finding a way to balance ideals and economics, coaching makers to charge their worth, and what she thinks needs to change about American design fairs. This episode is sponsored by Room & Board and Modern Matter.LINKSColonyDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

Alexa Hampton is, by any definition, a lifer in the trade. The daughter of celebrated designer Mark Hampton, she grew up in the business, and took over her father’s firm at the age of 27 after his untimely passing in 1998. Since then, Alexa has never slowed down, earning endless plaudits for her work, appearing regularly on industry best-of lists, authoring books and columns, and designing product for everyone from Kravet to Theodore Alexander to The Shade Store.  On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about how interior design is like a language, why her ideal firm size is 11 employees, and why it’s important to embrace—not turn away from—transparency and change.This episode is sponsored by Room & Board and Modern Matter.LINKSAlexa HamptonDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

Venture capitalist, Nicole Johnson of Forerunner Ventures, discusses their investment criteria and why they backed The Expert. They explore the impact of inflation and a volatile stock market on venture capital. The success story of Stadium Goods and the importance of diversifying investments in venture capital are also discussed. They talk about a founder's determination and company progress, collaboration with a new investor, challenges in the supply chain industry, and the potential for a recession.

Though Veranda has moved from Atlanta to New York then back to the south in Birmingham Alabama, the publication has never lost sight of its graceful take on traditional design. Steele Marcoux, the magazine’s editor in chief since 2018, is currently overseeing a redesign to celebrate Veranda’s 35th anniversary. On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about the book’s unique audience, the challenge of getting designers to wait to be published, and why, in the midst of the digital media revolution, Veranda is betting on print.This episode is sponsored by Thibaut and Hartmann & ForbesLINKSVerandaDennis ScullyBusiness of Home