Business of Home Podcast

Founded in 1946 in the suburbs of Chicago by Meganne Wecker’s grandfather, Skyline Furniture has always been a family business. It’s also always stood a little bit apart from the crowd for a willingness to try new things. Wecker joined at an opportune time, just as e-commerce was beginning to take off—ever since, she’s pushed Skyline to master the nuances of making furniture to sell online.  On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about why she launched a startup— Cloth and Company—within Skyline; why she’s betting on digitally printed fabrics; and why she thinks we’re living through a major tipping point for e-commerce. This episode is sponsored by Serena & Lily and Artistic Tile.LINKSSkyline FurnitureCloth & CompanyDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

Russell Towner, the president of Lee Indstries, is a lifer in the furniture business, with almost three decades spent at companies like Henredon, Baker and Theodor Alexander. Now he’s at the helm of one of North Carolina’s most venerable brands at a peculiar time. A COVID-inspired boom in home spending has filled Lee’s order book, but the pandemic—and a shock foam shortage—has made it harder than ever to meet demand. On this episode of the podcast, Towner talks with host Dennis Scully about why the furniture business is so dependent on two chemicals, what the concept of spressetura means to Lee, and what things will look like in the design business when the pandemic is a thing of the past.This episode of the show is sponsored by Serena & Lily and Artistic TileLINKSLee IndustriesLead TimesDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

During COVID lockdowns last year, Jake Arnold, a rising young interior designer based out of Los Angeles, teamed up with Leo Seigal, an entrepreneur. Together they built an ingeniously simple platform, The Expert, that connects clients with top designers for hour-long video consultations. So far their creation has been a hit, and designers, including Amber Lewis, Leanne Ford and Martyn Lawrence Bullard, have flocked to the site, where they charge up to $2,500 for 55 minutes of their time. On this episode of the podcast, Arnold and Seigal speak with host Dennis Scully about the story behind their venture, why bringing trade brands onboard is the next step, and how an elevated take on e-design could change the industry as we know it.This episode is sponsored by Baker + Hesseldenz and Serena & Lily LINKSThe ExpertJake ArnoldDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

Started out of a pushcart in the early 1900s, today fabric brand Maharam is a giant of the industry, sending out over 2 million samples a year. It hasn’t all been steady growth—the company underwent a major reinvention in the 1990s that saw employee turnover surge and profits drop. But it paid off, and Maharam was acquired in 2013 by Herman Miller for 156 million dollars.  In this episode of the show, president Tony Manzari tells host Dennis Scully about how COVID is causing another reinvention at Maharam, the future of sampling, and what the residential design industry can learn from the contract side of the business.This episode is sponsored by Serena & Lily and Baker+Hesseldenz.LINKSMaharamBusiness of HomeDennis Scully

Ben Soleimani’s story is a dramatic one—the son of a prosperous rug dealer in Iran, his family escaped the country in the thick of the revolution that transformed the middle east. Soleimani eventually found himself in Los Angeles and wasted no time getting into business, first as a teenager, establishing his family’s operations in California, then branching into contemporary design and partnering with Gary Friedman to establish RH’s rug program. Now Soleimani has a whole home brand of his own, selling everything from the rugs he’s famous for to textiles, furniture and accessories. On this episode of the Business of Home podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about how the design industry’s attitude towards rugs has evolved over the years; why he thinks in-stock, quick-ship product is the wave of the future; and why he loves taking on a challenge.This episode is sponsored by Serena & Lily and Baker + HesseldenzLINKSThe Iranian RevolutionBen SoleimaniRHGary FriedmanDennis ScullyBusiness of Home 

Like so many leaders in the design industry, Thomas O’Brien began his career working for Ralph Lauren. When he went out on his own in the early nineties he found quick success with Aero, a buzzy shop in SoHo that led to designing stores for Donna Karan and Giorgio Armani. O’Brien also found great success in product—his lines for Waterworks, Hickory Chair and Visual Comfort have all been runaway bestsellers, and his collaboration with Target paved the way for high-end designers to partner with mass market brands. On this episode of the podcast, he speaks with Dennis Scully about the passion that’s missing in the industry today, the importance of fighting for choices you believe in, and why, despite the blue chip licensing deals, he considers himself a shopkeeper at heart.This episode was sponsored by Serena & Lily and Baker + HesseldenzLINKSThomas O'Brien/Aero The  RhinelanderO'Brien's Osiris light for Visual ComfortDennis ScullyBusiness of Home

In a special bonus episode of the Business of Home podcast, we're sharing  the first episode of BOH's new show, Trade Tales. Hosted by editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen, the podcast features interviews with interior designers about nurturing creativity, finding a firm’s financial footing, setting goals and discovering their own version of success as a result. In the first episode, Philadelphia-based designer Nile Johnson shares the story of a dream client who recommended him to a nightmare client—and the lessons he learned.  Subscribe to Trade Tales on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. LINKSTrade TalesNile JohnsonKaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

On this episode of the podcast, host Dennis Scully speaks with Business of Home’s editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen. Petersen began her career in journalism covering everything from food and culture in Chicago, to true crime in Texas. She ended up in New York in the design media world at Hearst, working for Veranda and helping to relaunch Metropolitan Home before decamping to BOH. Now Kaitlin is launching a podcast of her own, Trade Tales, focused on great stories and business lessons from working designers. In the show, she talks about the out-of-control lead times plaguing the industry today, what it’s like to cover RH up close, and the challenges of bringing real journalism to the design trade. This episode is sponsored by Serena & Lily and Baker+HesseldenzLinksBusiness of HomeKaitlin PetersenKaitlin’s article on lead times in the design industryKaitlin’s profile of RH Chairman and CEO Gary FriedmanDennis Scully 

Asad Syrkett studied architecture in school but soon found himself more comfortable writing about it. After stints at Architectural Record, Architectural Digest and Curbed, he briefly decamped to the brand side to work for Swedish furniture brand Hem. Now Syrkett is back in media in the top spot at Elle Decor, and the first issue he’s supervised cover to cover just hit newsstands. In this episode of the Business of Home podcast, he speaks with host Dennis Scully about a bold cover concept that reimagines an iconic room, the future of print magazines, and why he wants Elle Decor to tackle the difficult conversations about race, politics and design head on. This episode is sponsored by The Shade Store and Sidedoor.LinksAsad SyrkettElle Decor Nancy Lancaster's Yellow RoomDennis Scully 

Jim Druckman grew up in the furniture industry. As a young man he followed his father into the family distribution business and learned the trade. Then, in the 1990s Druckman took over at the New York Design Center and began transforming the building into the high-end, design-driven destination it is today. In that role, and as president of the board at Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club, he has helped build the interior design industry as we know it. In this episode of the podcast, coinciding with the 95th anniversary of the New York Design Center, Druckman speaks with host Dennis Scully about how showrooms and design centers need to keep offering designers a reason to come shopping, what the lasting effects of COVID might be, and why the biggest challenge the industry faces has little to do with pricing or transparency, and everything to do with educating the public on the value of great design. This episode is sponsored by The Shade Store and SideDoor.