Business of Home Podcast

Born in South Africa, interior designer Ross Cassidy made his way to Los Angeles where he first came to national attention on Bravo's Million Dollar Decorators. Today he's an AD100 designer, wth a roster of celebrity clients and a longstanding collaboration wth CB2. While many designers dream of building bigger firms, launching more collections and becoming household names, Cassidy has gone in almost the opposite direction. He's deliberately kept his firm small, turns down most of the clients who approach him, and has some strong opinions about an industry he thinks takes itself far too seriously.

On this episode of the podcast, Cassidy speaks with host Dennis Scully about why he believes the design industry has lost its way on luxury, why designers are under so much pressure to become brands, and why he's convinced that bigger isn't always better.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi

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Ross Cassidy
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a big week for Ethan Allen, Wayfair’s plans to triple its store count and whether 1stDibs can put dealer drama behind it. Later, Form Portfolios founder Mark Masiello joins the show to discuss his company's unique business model.

This episode is sponsored by Joon Loloi and NKBA

LINKS
Form Portfolios
Business of Home

Over the last 15 years, Amber Lewis has grown her business into a household name, parlaying her success into a millions-strong Instagram presence, an expanding collection of retail stores, and licenses with brands like Loloi, Four Hands, and Visual Comfort. She also remains a busy designer, taking on a handful of projects at a time. On this episode of the podcast, Lewis speaks with host Dennis Scully about how she's structured her business to streamline her billing strategy, why she wants to keep a hand in all of her design studio’s projects, and how AI will impact the human experience.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Crypton

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Amber Interiors
Shoppe Amber Lewis
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a housing check-in, the rise of the NDA, and why Apple is making a play for the home. Later, BOH editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen joins the show to recap High Point Fall Market.

This episode is sponsored by Joon Loloi and NKBA

LINKS
Business of Home

Before starting his namesake firm in 2011, Patrick Mele began his career in retail, designing merchandising displays and storefront windows for iconic lifestyle brands Ralph Lauren and Kate Spade. Since then, he’s gained recognition for his panache with pattern and color in projects that have landed him on the AD100 and Elle Décor’s A List, as well as major design publications around the world.

On this episode of the podcast, Mele speaks with host Dennis Scully about how mentorship has shaped his career, the importance of having a strong point of view, and why owning a retail shop isn’t for the faint of heart.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Crypton

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Patrick Mele
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a shutdown for Haynes and The Dump, the death of the dinner party and whether AI will replace photography. Later, Farrow & Ball's managing director Clare Dunbar joins the show to talk about the company's efforts to reach the trade.

This episode is sponsored by Joon Loloi and NKBA

LINKS
Farrow & Ball
Business of Home

Bob Maricich revolutionized the market landscape when he merged the failing World Market Center in Las Vegas with three of High Point’s biggest properties to form the International Market Centers, now known as Andmore, in 2011. Eventually, he brought Atlanta’s AmericasMart and Decorative Arts Center into the fold as well. In the last two years, the former CEO has taken a step back from Andmore’s daily operations, transitioning into the role of Executive Chairman of the Board, yet his finger remains on the pulse of the furniture industry and its future.

On this episode of the podcast, Maricich speaks with host Dennis Scully about his peripatetic career backstory, the benefits of partnering with private equity firms, and where he thinks AI will have the biggest impact.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Crypton

LINKS
Andmore
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a proposed quartz ban in California, the decline of midcentury modern, and how designers should feel about AI agents. Later, designer Suzanne Tucker joins the show to discuss the San Francisco Fall Show.

This episode is sponsored by Joon Loloi and NKBA

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Tucker & Marks
San Francisco Fall Show
Business of Home

Raised on a farm in rural Alabama, Jeffrey Dungan found architecture almost by accident, when a guidance counselor suggested it might suit his love of drawing. After studying at Auburn, he went on to build a Birmingham-based practice known for deeply rooted, highly personal houses. His work has appeared in Architectural Digest, Veranda and The New York Times, and his new book, The Soulful House, was just published by Rizzoli. On this episode of the podcast, Dungan speaks with host Dennis Scully about how growing up on his family's farm shaped his love of the land, why he rewards his team for working efficiently, and how he's structured his firm for the future.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Crypton

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Jeffrey Dungan
The Soulful House
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including the shocking rise in renovation costs, bankruptcy for Designers Guild, and what happened to mushroom leather. Later, designer Richard Keith Langham joins the show to talk about Antiques at the Gardens.

This episode is sponsored by Joon Loloi and NKBA

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Richard Keith Langham
Antiques at the Gardens
Business of Home

Will Meyer and Gray Davis are the founders of the award-winning architecture and design firm Meyer Davis. After beginning their careers at legendary New York offices—Meyer at Gwathmey Siegel, and Davis at John Saladino and later Aero Studios—they joined forces in 1999. Over the past 25 years, they’ve built a global practice whose work ranges from Four Seasons hotels and Oscar de la Renta boutiques to homes for clients like Jenna Lyons. Their new book, The Language of Home, out this month, turns the focus to residential design and the ideas that connect their work across hospitality and home. On this episode of the podcast, Meyer and Davis speak with host Dennis Scully about the importance of staying open to opportunities early on, how they've built an enduring company culture, and what it takes to scale a global design practice.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Resource Furniture

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Meyer Davis
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including Ethan Allen drama, why Designers Guild is eyeing bankruptcy and a viral debate over client privacy. Later, Later, Shea McGee joins the show to discuss her company's big push into retail.

This episode is sponsored by Chelsea House and Hickory Chair

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Studio McGee
Shea McGee
Business of Home

When Niraj Shah and his co-founder Steve Conine started selling furniture online more than two decades ago, furniture brands were skeptical. Today, Wayfair is one of the biggest names in the category, and it's betting heavily on physical retail, with three stores open now and another seven planned by 2028. At the same time, the company is pushing further into the high-end market through its Perigold brand and building out its trade business for designers.

On this episode of the podcast, Shah speaks with host Dennis Scully about how the K-shaped economy is reshaping the way Wayfair thinks about its customers, how the designer trade business is evolving and why he believes retail's future is both online and offline.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Resource Furniture

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Wayfair
Perigold
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including RH’s latest earnings report, the spending habits of the AI elite, and a look at what home brands are doing with their tariff refunds. Later, Homes & Gardens' global brand director Sarah Spiteri joins the show to talk about a new offshoot publication, Anthology.

This episode is sponsored by Chelsea House and Hickory Chair

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Homes and Gardens Anthology
Business of Home

Annie Meyers-Shyer is the multihyphenate creator behind the popular Instagram account turned home brand This Oak House. The daughter of legendary filmmakers Nancy Meyers and the late Charles Shyer, Annie grew up in a famously creative household, surrounded by the movies, interiors and storytelling that have become part of our cultural vocabulary.

After documenting the renovation of an historic family home in Los Angeles, Annie found a much larger audience and began building a brand of her own, culminating in a forthcoming book about the process and a new collection of home accessories with Target.

On this episode Annie speaks with host Dennis Scully about what it was like growing up with two celebrated filmmakers as parents, how she curates her social media account while trying to keep it authentic, and where she goes from here.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Resource Furniture

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Annie Meyers-Shyer
This Oak House
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a new report on AI in design, why some brands are selling their own dupes, and the rise of stainless steel. Later, Mary Celeste Beall joins the show to look back on fifty years of Blackberry Farm.

This episode is sponsored by Chelsea House and Hickory Chair

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Blackberry Farm
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen discuss the biggest news in the design world, including the acquisition of a beloved West Coast fabric brand, how Instagram might start labeling your AI-generated content, and what designers should know about $1 trillion in art that will change hands over the next decade. Later, BOH columnist Warren Shoulberg joins the show to discuss the state of retail.

This episode is sponsored by Chelsea House and Hickory Chair

LINKS
Business of Home

David Cohen is the founder of the New York-based high-end residential contracting firm I-Grace. He started the business in 1988 after cutting his teeth for other builders, and quickly found himself in the midst of greatness, working for architects and designers like Mark Hampton, Oscar Shamamian and Peter Marino. Over the years I-Grace has become an institution—one of the industry’s best-known contracting firms at the top of the market.

On this episode of the podcast Cohen speaks with host Dennis Scully about how dealing with stringent summer building rules made his business better, how he got comfortable becoming friends with affluent clients, and why, from the very beginning, he looked to set himself apart as a gentleman builder.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Maiden Home.

LINKS
I-Grace
Dennis Scully
Business of Home

Host Dennis Scully and BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus discuss the biggest news in the design world, including a trade war with Canada, Lovesac drama, and whether designers should give away their services. Later, designer Rainey Richardson joins the show to talk about her program for aspiring designers, Project Design Week.

This episode is sponsored by Joon Loloi and Lutron.

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Rainey Richardson
Project Design Week
Business of Home

Alex Shuford is the CEO of Rock House Designer Brands, a portfolio of companies that includes Century, Hancock & Moore and Hickory Chair. Shuford is the ultimate furniture business insider and a podcast regular—every year he joins the show to share his take on the state of the design industry. This time he spoke with host Dennis Scully about why young designers should take psychology courses, why he thinks pricing will stabilize by next year, and how AI helped Rock House launch a new brand.

This episode is sponsored by Loloi and Maiden Home.

LINKS
Rock House Designer Brands
Dennis Scully
Business of Home