The Chairish Podcast

Technology has invaded every aspect of the home. Now even our refrigerators and doorbells are smart. But do we really need wi-fi enabled musical showerheads? How do you keep your clients’ homes up to date without succumbing to short-lived fads? What tech is essential—and what’s soon to be antiquated? Designers Beth Dotolo and Cynthia Ferguson and architect Charles Hilton weigh in on what tech is essential, what they steer clear of, why geo-thermal construction and electric car chargers are here to stay, and why smart gyms and golf simulators may be the next hot accessories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Design industry events and trade fairs are back—but are they still important? With designers busier than ever, should they allot the time and the money to go? What makes an event something you need to attend in person? Is it still crucial to search for newness and trends? Will the networking opportunities really benefit your business? High Point Market president Tammy Covington Nagem, LCDQ executive director Tamar Mashigian, and interior designer Denise McGaha discuss the importance of design trade gatherings, how and why they remain relevant, and how designers can get the most out of attending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After all the meetings, consultations, and brainstorming sessions with clients, how do you convey that the plans and concepts you come up with will meet their needs and fulfill their dreams? How do you dazzle them so that they get inspired and excited—and write the checks necessary for the project to move ahead? Client presentations are crucial. Three highly successful practitioners of architecture and design—Michael G. Imber, Nina Farmer, and Gideon Mendelson—reveal how they use everything from watercolor images, detailed renderings, mood boards, software programs, and samples to illustrate their visions, what they learn throughout the process, and why each presentation needs to be as client-specific as the project itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Palm Beach is undergoing a style renaissance, attracting new generations of bon vivants and design lovers. Nothing exemplifies this better than the resurgence of the Colony Hotel, which for generations served as a favorite getaway for royalty, movie stars, politicians, and wealthy tycoons. Under its new owners, the Colony, also known as the Pink Paradise, has turned to style setters Celerie Kemble, Aerin Lauder, Mark D. Sikes, and now Chairish, to create fresh takes on traditional Palm Beach style. To celebrate the launch of the Chairish Villa, Colony Hotel owner Sarah Wetenhall joins local designer Meg Braff, Isabel Elliman of Schumacher Hospitality, and Anna Brockway of Chairish to talk about the town’s new vitality, the latest direction in hospitality design, and why Chairish, Palm Beach, and the Colony are such ideal partners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of New York City’s most fashionable women—and one its most influential—Linda Fargo is a style setter, a fashion force, and a master of high-end retailing. As Senior Vice President of Fashion and Store Presentation Director at the legendary Bergdorf Goodman, she shapes the look and feel of one of the city’s most iconic destinations. She sets trends, nurtures careers, and inspires all of us to dream. As Bergdorf unveils the second iteration of the Chairish Art Gallery, she talks about her legendary career, why her eye has always been her most powerful tool, what’s ahead for retailing, how she scopes out new talent, and why Chairish and Bergdorf Goodman are such ideal collaborators. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of New York City’s most fashionable women—and one its most influential—Linda Fargo is a style setter, a fashion force, and a master of high-end retailing. As Senior Vice President of Fashion and Store Presentation Director at the legendary Bergdorf Goodman, she shapes the look and feel of one of the city’s most iconic destinations. She sets trends, nurtures careers, and inspires all of us to dream. As Bergdorf unveils the second iteration of the Chairish Art Gallery, she talks about her legendary career, why her eye has always been her most powerful tool, what’s ahead for retailing, how she scopes out new talent, and why Chairish and Bergdorf Goodman are such ideal collaborators. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every New Year brings a focus on what’s next, what trends are on the rise, and what we hope to banish once and for all. With the housing market in the doldrums, inflation still a factor, and technology making advances every day, changes are sure to encompass a lot more than colors and styles. Three designers from across the country—Katie McCaffrey, Benjamin Johnston, and Danielle Colding—weigh in what’s inspiring them now, how they see their businesses adapting in the year ahead, what technology they plan to adopt, and why they remain excited about 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To celebrate the 100th episode of the Chairish podcast, we reached out to four women who founded enterprises that have succeeded for a full decade. At a time when most new businesses fail, these women launched companies in highly competitive fields—fashion, beauty, interior design, and online sales—and not only survived but continue to thrive. When Rebecca Hessel Cohen founded her fashion line LoveShackFancy, she was told her feminine and flirtatious aesthetic would never sell. April Gargiulo of Vintner’s Daughter upended the skincare business with a single product. Charlotte Lucas pursued her love of interior design despite setbacks and self-doubt. And Anna Brockway, co-founder and president of Chairish, was told by bankers and venture capitalists that her curated approach to an online marketplace would never succeed. Here they discuss how they managed to simultaneously grow their families and build their businesses, reveal the sexism they faced and the challenges they overcame, and tell how their passions helped them to persevere, even as the business world continued to change around them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the surest ways to add distinction and visual richness to any interior is to collaborate with artisans. Decorative painting, gilding, verre eglomisé, cast plaster, carvings and wood inlays are only a few of the many techniques that can personalize and glamorize projects. How can you work with artisans to expand your vision? And how do you find the talents to execute your design ideas? Three skilled artisans Cindy Simes, Jonas Everets, and Leah Beth Fishman—weigh in on what artisans bring to the table, how they are organizing to make it easier to find and collaborate with them, how they encourage the next generation of talents, and what they wish every designer knew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rooms that are richly layered, full of saturated colors, bold graphic patterns, and scenic wallpapers are all over social media and fill the pages of shelter magazines. Maximalist style is definitely here, as two new books chronicle. But is it here to stay? Three designers—Hillary Taylor, Matthew Carter, and Alexander Doherty—weigh in what elements of the trend they have adapted, why a theatrical approach is not always the best option, and what they see ahead. Could subtlety and softness be on the horizon? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Known for her exuberant blend of Hollywood glamor and restrained Parisian chic, Mary McDonald has become one of today's most sought-after interior designers. But her success goes far beyond the richly imagined, graphic, and colorful rooms that have made her a social media star and a favorite of shelter magazines. She also designs fabrics and wallpapers, rugs, lighting, and furniture. She’s even conquered television. In an exclusive interview, she talks about her early years in fashion, her love of drama and theatricality, where she finds inspiration, why she now considers herself a country girl, and why she always, always, loves a gimmick. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 40th anniversary of Ralph Lauren Home, which is being celebrated with a lavish new book, three former RL staffers who went on to establish their own successful careers—Joy Moyler, Jenny Wolf, and Mark Cunningham—look at Ralph Lauren’s impact on two generations of American interior designers, their own memories of working for the company and what they learned, how the firm attracts and retains top-tier talent, and why Ralph Lauren’s multi-faceted dreams of the American home remain so potent and so powerful. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the historic town of Hudson, New York, fell on hard times decades ago, it was design that came to its rescue. A few influential dealers opened shop, and were followed by designers, artists, and creatives. Now the town is a hotbed of fine dining, chic boutique hotels, and an ever-increasing number of design shops. And the entire Hudson River Valley is undergoing a renaissance. But can the town and the region maintain the momentum? Three lovers of the region—dealer Hannah Khachadourian, designer Nick Olsen, and interiors photographer William Abranowicz—discuss the role design played in this remarkable turnaround and how the area can sustain this success without losing its character. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shopping with clients is always fraught. Can you take clients to showrooms and dealers without them beginning to view you as their personal shoppers? How do you make them see that the process is about creativity, not access, and that your job is not just to source furnishings and objects? And how has the interaction changed in the internet era? Three designers from across the country—Martha Mulholland, Kesha Franklin, and Katie Davis— weigh in on when and why they take their clients into the design marketplace. and the price you may have to pay if you decide not to. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christopher Spitzmiller’s gleaming and boldly colorful lamps can be found in some of the most distinguished homes in America—and in virtually every shelter magazine. In an exclusive interview, he tells how he overcame his dyslexia by turning to pottery and how he became a designer favorite, updating traditional techniques and classic forms for a new generation. He also discusses his evolution into a social media maestro with his posts about his house and garden at Clove Brook Farm, why he feels the current “maker-moment,” is here to stay, and why he is optimistic that respect for craft and the hand-made object is only going to increase. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Designers have always looked to the past for ideas—but there is so much design history to choose from! What styles and periods remain relevant? What still works even though modern life has undergone so many dramatic changes? What’s ready for a revival and what remains hopelessly dated, never to rise again from the dustbins of history? Two young designers—Noz Nozawa and Dan Mazzarini—and historian Emily Evans Eerdmans weigh in on why a knowledge of the past remains crucial, which periods they love and which they would rather forget, and why even 18th-century bows, cuckoo clocks, and folk art quilts are ripe for reinterpretation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real estate and interior design are intimately connected. When mortgage rates went up, sales slowed down, and we heard the first rumblings that the two-year design binge during the pandemic might be coming to an end. So what happens now? Three real estate professionals—Leonard Steinberg of Compass, Amanda Pendleton of Zillow, and global luxury expert Mickey Alam Khan—weigh in on what they see ahead for sales and rentals, why they feel buyers and sellers are ready to accept a “new normal,” why there’s no easy solution to housing’s affordability crisis, and the many reasons the interior design industry has to be optimistic about what’s ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The kitchen is the heart of the American home—and the hardest working room in the house. But it is also an ever more important canvas for creativity and style. Three kitchen-design experts—Barbara Sallick, Matthew Quinn, and Sophie Donelson—weigh in on why kitchens are more crucial than ever, evaluate all the latest trends, and reveal why efficiency is over-rated and why an old-fashioned table lamp may be the most innovative kitchen appliance of all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summer is the best season for entertaining, whether bringing together family and friends for a casual lunch or an over-the-top wedding. But entertaining can be stressful. Is the food you serve au courant? Is your table-setting up to snuff? Will your party prove Instagram worthy? Three party planners extraordinaire—Lulu Powers, Bronson van Wyck, and Tara Guerard— talk about what’s new in summer entertaining, what’s timeless, and what you should never worry about. Recounting their biggest disasters and their most inventive solutions, they share how to bring a splash of style to every summer gathering—from hauling out the sterling to preparing colorful flavored ice cubes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s not easy to run a business, but interior design can be more difficult than most. On top of coping with the day-to-day issues—from screwed-up deliveries to overbooked artisans to indecisive clients—designers are expected to be constantly creative, nourishing their visions and endlessly coming up with clever solutions. No wonder creative burnout is an issue. Three top designers—Nina Magen, Liz Caan, and Rayman Boozer—tell how they remain creative in the face of all sorts of distractions and stresses, how they structure their staff to allow them to focus on design, and the tricks and techniques they use—from meditation to travel to simply going for a walk—to avoid becoming overwhelmed and to remain creatively engaged. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.