How Pierce & Ward went from rock star clients to a West Elm collab

Summary

Business of Home Podcast: How Pierce & Ward Went from Rock Star Clients to a West Elm Collab

Released on May 12, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of the Business of Home Podcast, host Dennis Scully engages in an insightful conversation with Louisa Pearce and Emily Ward, the dynamic duo behind Pearson Ward. As founders of a successful interior design firm, Louisa and Emily share their unique journey from managing high-profile clients to collaborating with a major retail brand like West Elm. Their story is a testament to enduring partnerships, innovative design philosophies, and strategic growth in the competitive interior design industry.

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Origin Story: From Friendship to Partnership

Dennis Scully opens the discussion by delving into the origins of Louisa and Emily’s friendship and professional partnership.

• Meeting at a Birthday Party: Louisa clarifies, “When Emily and I met, no, I was not bartending. But we did meet at a bar... It was a birthday party where Emily met Patrick and Austin” (03:06).

• Building Friendships: Emily adds, “It was my birthday party. Oh, that's the night that I met Patrick and Austin” (03:37). From there, their friendship blossomed beyond casual meetings, laying the foundation for their professional collaboration.

• Move to Nashville: During a dinner party in Nashville, Louisa reveals, “I think we're gonna move to Nashville...” (04:20). This pivotal move was motivated by personal considerations and led them to immerse themselves in the local design scene, eventually sparking their passion for building dream homes.

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Early Challenges and Design Philosophy

The initial phase of their partnership was marked by challenges and the development of a distinctive design approach.

• Building Their Dream House: Louisa shares, “I just started kind of drawing freehand... and I built my dream house, and it turned out really, really amazing” (05:26). This hands-on experience cemented their commitment to interior design.

• Embracing Constraints: Their design philosophy thrives on constraints, using available resources creatively. Emily explains, “It's really whatever was left on the bolt” (10:19), a characteristic often labeled as “granny chic” by the media.

• Balancing Styles: Louisa and Emily balance their contrasting styles—Louisa brings a “Southern feel,” while Emily infuses a “fresh, California Japanese feel” (10:28). This blend creates a harmonious and unique design signature.

Quotes:

“We find that the magic can come out of... something that's not overly planned.” – Emily Ward (11:35)

“We showed her, like, a couple of mood boards... had to go a different way than everyone else.” – Louisa Pearce (09:14)

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Expanding Horizons: Moving to Los Angeles

Their relocation to Los Angeles marked a significant turning point, expanding their client base and opportunities.

• Initial Move and Growth: Emily recounts, “It was a summer thing and we thought that would be really fun... ended up doing a house for Colin and Sam Hanks” (14:20). Word-of-mouth from high-profile clients like Colin and Sam Hanks and Aaron Taylor-Johnson propelled their reputation.

• Managing Dual Locations: With Louisa moving further away due to family commitments, they adapted by heavily commuting and utilizing remote communication tools. Emily notes, “It's kind of fun, like when we go away to work in like, New York or something” (15:38).

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Developing the Design Firm: From Small Team to Expansion

Pearson Ward’s growth necessitated expanding their team and operational capacity.

• Team Expansion: They discuss the challenges of scaling, stating, “We have to hire someone else. We need an in-house upholsterer” (24:49). Currently, their team includes about seven members handling design, store operations, and logistics.

• Store Launch in Los Feliz: Emily details their store setup, “We found a little spot in Los Feliz... It was a perfect location” (29:13). The store quickly became a hub for both clients and other designers, contributing significantly to their brand presence.

Quotes:

“We have multiple warehouses... know if it's going to look good with the barstools.” – Emily Ward (30:54)

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West Elm Collaboration: A Milestone Achievement

A highlight of the episode is their collaboration with West Elm, a testament to their innovative design approach and industry recognition.

• Inspiration for Collaboration: Emily shares their admiration for existing collaborations, “Whenever someone had an amazing collaboration come out, we were like, God, we want to do one so bad” (34:15).

• Design Intent: Louisa explains, “We wanted it to feel like you could buy all these pieces from Pearson Ward, West Elm Collab, but they all look like they came from different places” (37:42). This approach ensures the collection maintains a curated, eclectic feel rather than appearing as a standard line.

• Balancing High and Low: They emphasize a balanced mix of high-end and accessible pieces: “It's exciting that other people can afford it and also that we can mix it with our home” (39:57).

Quotes:

“We wanted it to feel like vintage, inspired... not fake.” – Emily Ward (35:49)

“This high, low balance is also a really major part of our look.” – Emily Ward (39:57)

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Operational Strategies: Warehouses and E-Commerce

Managing multiple warehouses and an e-commerce platform is integral to their business model.

• Warehouse Operations: Emily explains, “We have multiple warehouses servicing both the store and the E-Com business” (30:46), ensuring efficient handling of inventory and client requests.

• Custom Textile Development: They are venturing into creating their own textiles, aiming to stay fresh and innovative. Emily states, “We are making our own variation of it with our own colors” (42:01), highlighting their commitment to unique, high-quality fabrics.

Quotes:

“We find a lot of amazing things that are falling apart and revamp old things.” – Emily Ward (41:58)

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Maintaining a Strong Partnership

Throughout their growth, Louisa and Emily emphasize the importance of trust, respect, and adaptability in their partnership.

• Trust and Collaboration: Emily remarks, “We really trust each other so much” (11:37), which is crucial for navigating the complexities of a growing business.

• Handling Challenges Together: They recount moments of crisis, such as painting their store floor with a baby strapped to Louisa’s front, demonstrating their resilience and teamwork (12:22).

• Continuous Learning: Both acknowledge the ongoing process of learning and adapting, ensuring their partnership remains strong and their business thrives.

Quotes:

“We always have the mindset that we should take the chance and if it's not right, we will fix it.” – Emily Ward (12:46)

“We treat each other well. We really respect each other.” – Emily Ward (44:07)

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Future Aspirations: Expanding Their Impact

Looking ahead, Louisa and Emily express ambitious plans to further elevate their brand and influence in the design world.

• Potential Hotel Projects: Emily shares, “We really want to do a hotel of any size” (40:48), aiming to apply their design expertise on a larger scale.

• Continued Innovation: They intend to expand their custom textile line and explore sustainable design practices, reflecting their commitment to creativity and environmental responsibility.

• West Elm Collaboration Impact: The success of their collaboration with West Elm reinforces their belief in accessible, high-quality design, opening doors for future partnerships and projects.

Quotes:

“It's exciting that other people can afford it and also that we can mix it with our home.” – Emily Ward (39:57)

“It's something that we can really try to stay fresh in that way.” – Emily Ward (42:43)

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Conclusion

Louisa Pearce and Emily Ward’s journey is a compelling narrative of friendship, creativity, and strategic growth in the interior design industry. Their ability to maintain a strong partnership while scaling their business across different locations underscores the importance of trust and adaptability. Through innovative design philosophies, strategic collaborations like the one with West Elm, and a commitment to both high and accessible design, Pearson Ward exemplifies how passion and perseverance can transform a creative vision into a thriving business.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• “We just find a new way and it's gonna be more interesting.” – Louisa Pearce (09:59)

• “We trust each other so much.” – Emily Ward (11:37)

• “We wanted it to feel like vintage, inspired... not fake.” – Emily Ward (35:49)

• “We treat each other well. We really respect each other.” – Emily Ward (44:07)

• “We are just making our own variation of it with our own colors.” – Emily Ward (42:01)

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About the Hosts and Guests

• Dennis Scully: Host of the Business of Home Podcast, focusing on interviews with leaders and innovators in the home industry.

• Louisa Pearce & Emily Ward: Founders of Pearson Ward, renowned interior designers known for their collaborative partnership and innovative design approach.

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For more insights and detailed discussions on the latest trends and stories in the interior design world, tune into future episodes of the Business of Home Podcast.

Transcript

[Dennis Scully]

This is Business of Home. I'm your host, Dennis Scully. Every week I'll be speaking with leaders and innovators from all corners of the home industry. My guests this week are interior designers Louisa Pearce and Emily Ward, the founders of Pearson Ward. Louisa and Emily represent something of a rarity in the industry, a long running partnership that has stood the test of time even as both of them live in different cities. Together they've built a design firm that's made the AD100, opened a buzzy store in Los Angeles, and launched a blockbuster collection with West Elm. I spoke with Louisa and Emily about why they like to give each other wins, what it's like to have a Hollywood director as a client, and why the magic of their design process only comes through at the installation. This podcast is sponsored by Tebow introducing their debut Coated Performance collection. An assortment of vegan leathers and woven essentials designed for both residential and contract use. Engineered to withstand over 200,000 double rubs, these liquid barrier textiles are free from chemicals of concern, offering both durability and peace of mind. Learn [e-mail] coated this podcast is sponsored by Ernesta. Welcome Spring with a dazzling array of new custom size rugs at Ernesta. Explore the expert craftsmanship of Ernesta's soft fade resistant outdoor styles and discover design forward options where function truly meets beauty. All custom sized and delivered in as little as two weeks. And when you join Ernesta's exclusive trade program, their team of dedicated consultants will manage everything from ordering samples to generating quotes, connecting all of the dots to support and streamline your business. Apply for membership [e-mail] members BOH and now on with the show. I was going back and reading that you mentioned in our last conversation, this I almost said Guns n Roses garden and Guns article. I was going back, you know, chatting with my friends at Guns n Roses. Who you guys probably. Well, you probably have, you know, know them or something. But. But I was trying to figure out Louisa and you tell me the. The origin story, the when we first met, the how we became friends. I figure there seems to be one story that suggests Louisa, perhaps you were bartending in New York.

[Louisa Pearce]

Oh, there's so many stories out there.

[Dennis Scully]

But I mean, let's get to the truth here. Let's set the record straight.

[Louisa Pearce]

No. So when Emily and I met, no, I was not bartending. But we did meet at a bar. But it was a little bar called the Cabin Down Below. And at the time my husband was a writer for Rolling Stone magazine and Emily had just Started dating the drummer for the Black Keys. And so my husband and Patrick were good friends and we kind of. I believe it was a birthday party where Emily met. Emily actually met my husband before me.

[Emily Ward]

It was my birthday party. Oh, that's the night that I met Patrick and Austin.

[Louisa Pearce]

Yes. Okay. And then the three of them hit it off. And then, you know, of course we all went out together. And from there it was just. We were all fast friends. I mean, we just started hanging out constantly. We, Emily and I shared, actually, at that point, I don't even know that we talked that much about design.

[Emily Ward]

We didn't really get into it. The design part of our friendship.

[Louisa Pearce]

We didn't even connect. That wasn't how we connected.

[Emily Ward]

That's true a little bit. Because remember when I had that apartment on 12th street, right?

[Louisa Pearce]

Yes, yes.

[Emily Ward]

That Carmi stayed in? So a little bit. But then we really got into it in Nashville because Louisa was like, we're considering moving to Nashville.

[Louisa Pearce]

I was pregnant. We were sitting on their back patio having dinner and I was like, I think we're gonna move to Nashville. Like, I don't know about raising a kid in New York. It's a little terrifying. And Emily and Patrick were like, oh, we want to move there too. We're actually going like next week to. I think they were just going to hang out with a friend or something. And she literally calls me. She's there and she's like, buddy, we.

[Emily Ward]

Just bought a house.

[Louisa Pearce]

And I was like, oh, my God. Wait, what? Like, slow down. So, yeah, so they. Emily was there a little bit before me. And then when we first got there, it was, you know, very frustrating because it was either all new builds that were just like, so terrifying or the old houses were just like a bit out of our budget. And so I had a 10 month old at the time and I literally like, put him on my hip and would just like go to all the houses that were under construction. But I just became like obsessed with, you know, that aspect. So, you know, I was like, okay, I want to build a house. And my husband's like, what are you talking about? Like, you've never done any of this. You know, how is this gonna work?

[Dennis Scully]

What house building experience do you have?

[Louisa Pearce]

But so I just started kind of drawing freehand, like from all the different houses that I would walk through, like floor plans that I liked and things that I liked about. I found a contractor and then he put me with an architect and we kind of worked together, but it was just like, you know, a no name architect. You know, just like someone that, like, works for a construction company, you know, just. And so I built my dream house, and it turned out really, really amazing.

[Emily Ward]

As you saw in the Guns N Roses documentary.

[Dennis Scully]

Exactly. Guns N Roses can't stop talking about it.

[Louisa Pearce]

They're like, it's our number one.

[Dennis Scully]

This house in Nashville is amazing.

[Emily Ward]

We're a one hit one.

[Dennis Scully]

So here you are. So you. I mean, essentially design your own home, and it gets built, and then everyone sort of falls in love with it again. You tell me the truth of this story. There's some dinner party, Emily, where you're there. Right. And your significant other at the time, I believe. And Lily Aldridge is there. Right.

[Emily Ward]

The gang was all there. That's true. Yeah, we were all there. And we were all like, help us. I think everybody was really blown away by how much of a home Louisa had put together, despite, like, the building of the actual house and everything. It was just, like, such an amazing feeling. And Louisa and Austin really know how to throw a party. And we were all there, and it was like, we were young, so nobody really had that yet. It was. A lot of. It was really beautiful, but it was also, like, a major feeling. And my husband at the time was leaving for tour, and we had just bought another house. Like a Bobby McAlpin house, which is an architect in the south, is really well known.

[Dennis Scully]

Sure.

[Emily Ward]

This really beautiful house. And he was like, oh, my God, Louisa should help you when I'm gone. And it was a really quick turnaround. And that was like, okay, this is really fun. And then. And then it would be like, people would come to both of our houses for parties. And then this music manager who lives in Nashville still, and she was like, you guys are doing my office. And she kind of, like, forced us into it. And then it was like, a little store from one of her clients who was in the band Lady Antebellum. Their mom was like, I want you to help me with my store. So we had the store, and that.

[Dennis Scully]

Was really fun, but all sort of born out of Louise's house. And then totally. Right.

[Emily Ward]

And then my house.

[Dennis Scully]

Your house. Right. And then it.

[Emily Ward]

But it really all was born with Louise's house. And then on these people that, like, really trusted us.

[Louisa Pearce]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Emily Ward]

We got so lucky. I think that, like, Louisa has always been on the forefront of, like, trends. She, like, knows she. It's like she can predict trends, sort of. And I think that somehow these people who hired us, they saw that, you know, and they really, like, had faith in These two people who, like, weren't taking ourselves very seriously that point in our life. And it was really, like, amazing to have people trust us like that. I mean, Karen Elson was like, here you go. Here are the keys to my house. And trusted us.

[Louisa Pearce]

We showed her, like, a couple of mood boards. I think probably like that we cut.

[Emily Ward]

Out with magazines and, you know, like, we.

[Louisa Pearce]

We used to only go to, like, fabric warehouses and get little cutouts off the rolls. You know, we never used any designer fabrics. We didn't know any of them. So it was. It was like we were kind of forced to go a different way than everyone else than, like, typical designers take, you know, that path. It was so different. I remember my. My mother in law was like, I want to get you a bag to, like, carry all your fabric samples and everything in. And I was like, what is she talking about? Like, I didn't have a cloth.

[Emily Ward]

Like, huh, I don't need that. Yeah, we would just go and figure out whatever had enough yardage for that room that we. We knew what yardage we needed for a room, if it was a solid or a repeat, and we would go figure it out, you know, whatever was available.

[Louisa Pearce]

Yeah, no, often it would be like at these fabric stores, some of them, it would be like, they only have 14 yards left. And we're like, okay, what can we cover that needs 14 yards? It's like, oh, this chair will work. Or, you know, it was like, we'd like to make things work. And we still do to this day. I feel like that's kind of. We're almost happy when the contractor's like, oh, guys, I'm sorry. We've run into something and we can't do it this way. And we're like, great, we'll find a new way and it's gonna be more interesting.

[Emily Ward]

Yeah, that's where you get something that looks older or unintentional.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, so help me understand that better what this look is that you became known for. Because, I mean, the media seems to want to put this granny chic label on it.

[Emily Ward]

But I. Oh, it's just whatever yardage.

[Dennis Scully]

Is, it's really whatever was left on the bolt.

[Emily Ward]

Very. Exactly.

[Dennis Scully]

That is the look.

[Louisa Pearce]

I think it's a nice mix of Emily and I coming together with our contrasting styles and, you know, being raised on different coasts. And, you know, I have like the old Southern feel and Emily has a very fresh, like, you know, California Japanese feel. And it's like the marriage of all of those together feels, you know, it's such A wacky mixture, but it somehow seems to. To work and be harmonious.

[Emily Ward]

Yeah, Like, Louisa and I really do love a lot of the same things, but we both have strongly different points of view. Like in the way that we dress, in the way that our houses look. I think Louisa leans more glam and Eileen more masculine. And so it is a part of having a partnership that's so nice because you get a balance, you know?

[Dennis Scully]

And how do you come to agreement on it? Because truthfully, my wife and I have different aesthetics and I haven't done a good job of coming to agreement about the whole thing. So how do you make that work and decide, okay, we're going in this.

[Emily Ward]

Direction, you gotta just give each other wins?

[Louisa Pearce]

No, I think we trust each other so much.

[Emily Ward]

We really trust each other so much. But also it's what Louisa was saying before where, like, we find that the magic can come out of, like, not necessarily a mistake, but something that's not overly planned. We just found early on that, like, some mistakes aren't necessarily the end of the world. You can. And also, like, there are quick fixes for things. Like paint a wall a crazy bold color because at the end of the day, the worst case scenario is that you repaint the wall.

[Louisa Pearce]

Wait, don't paint one wall though. Never an accent wall.

[Dennis Scully]

Never one wall, Never an accent wall. Let's make that clear.

[Louisa Pearce]

Very clear.

[Emily Ward]

But Louisa and I would like, actually paint something ourselves and fix it if we needed to. And having a partner is like the best because you're less scared to make a mistake.

[Louisa Pearce]

In the very beginning, we painted the store that we were doing. We painted. The painter didn't show up. We were doing this insane pattern and he didn't show up. And I had a six month old baby.

[Emily Ward]

They had taped it though.

[Louisa Pearce]

They had taped it out. But then he didn't show up. And we were like, the store opening was in like two days and we were like, we have to paint this floor. And I had a baby strapped to my front. I have a picture of it and a roller and we're painting the floor.

[Emily Ward]

Painting the floor.

[Louisa Pearce]

We will make it happen no matter what. Yeah.

[Emily Ward]

Because we always, always have had the mindset that, like, we should take the chance and if it's not right, we will fix it. We will take the money out of our pockets to fix it, but it's worth taking the risk and that is easier to do as a team.

[Dennis Scully]

Now, what's interesting to me. So we talk about Nashville and all this great stuff that's happening, but Suddenly we leave Nashville. You both leave Nashville, right?

[Emily Ward]

Yeah, I left first.

[Dennis Scully]

Yeah. Once again, Emily leaves first and she's always leaving me.

[Emily Ward]

I was like, I'm gonna go buy a house somewh. We got a job opportunity in LA and it was like a summer thing and we thought that would be really fun. We'll go, we'll go to LA for the summer. I ended up staying because during that job I have a lot of friends in la. I'm from Southern California. We started getting little jobs besides that one job that brought us out there. So I ended up breaking up with my husband and thought, I'll stay here. And Louisa commuted heavily in the beginning. Like, poor thing. It was really crazy. Like every two weeks. Were you coming to la? It was insane from Nashville and I.

[Louisa Pearce]

Had a five year old and a two year old and it was a lot.

[Emily Ward]

It was crazy. So that's where that happened. It just was like this one job and then these little side jobs that happened. Like we did a house for Colin and Sam Hanks and then we like did a house for Aaron and Sam Taylor Johnson. And so they just kind of kept piling up and we thought like, well, I should stay here because there's a lot of work here, you know, like in Nashville. We didn't end up doing that many more houses in Nashville after that. Honestly, it was more LA really, because it was really word of mouth. So once you did three houses in la, it was like that was. There's a lot more opportunity here.

[Dennis Scully]

And at one point, Louise, I assume you get sick and tired of that commute and you move yourself to.

[Emily Ward]

Well, that's somewhere further away.

[Louisa Pearce]

Yeah, I moved even further. That happened during COVID when it was just kind of madness and my husband and I thought we were going to move to Whidbey Island. So we sold our house and bought land on Whidbey island, which is a tiny little island off of Seattle. And we have cabins there where we would go for the summer. So in the summer when we made this decision, it was lovely. But then September rolled around. We're like, what have we done? We cannot live here full time. Then we actually tried out LA for a minute, but it just did not feel right for us. So we ended up driving, ended up in Birmingham, where my parents had just relocated from Nashville. After we had moved, they were like, well, we're going to go back to Birmingham where I'm from. And so we showed up there and we somehow was just like this, this is where we're supposed to be.

[Emily Ward]

But also like, on the topic of partnerships, I think that in the end it's probably for the best that Louisa doesn't live in la because, like, it's so special and exciting for us when we do get to see each other and we don't like, get burnout. And it's kind of fun, you know, like when we go away to work in like, New York or something. It's like a fun girls trip, but it's work, you know, so it's fun.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, I mean, so it's fascinating to me that you have made it work as well as you have being in such different places. And so it sounds like you meet up sometimes on different jobs in different locations, but a lot of it is just happening on Zoom and communicating remotely. Yes.

[Emily Ward]

Yeah, a lot of it. And then installs are like, you know, the pure magic, which is always, usually.

[Dennis Scully]

Together, the two of you together. And. Tell me about installs, because lately I've been having a lot of conversations with designers that tell me, okay, so the first thing I tell the client is, no, no, you're not here.

[Louisa Pearce]

Right, Absolutely.

[Emily Ward]

I mean, that's always better. Just because, you know, like, the first day of install is always very scary for everybody. It's like, especially the way that Louisa and I do it. Louisa and I, you know, we work in a variety of different ways. Sometimes a client has like so many beautiful things and we only get them pieces that they don't have, like for their new house, let's say. So it's like big, big couches or a bed or it's maybe like not the right color. Like, we need to reframe their art and we add our in. But what we do is we bring all of their stuff or all of our stuff, and we have the major pieces planned, but then the rest of it is like from our inventory from our warehouse of stuff that we've been collecting because we love to shop and we like to put it together like a Tetris or like a puzzle in the end. And that, that is a big part of, like, what we think separates us maybe from other people. I'm sure a lot of other people do this as well, but, like, we find that that's the way that it feels like less overly thought through and more sort of collected over time.

[Dennis Scully]

We're taking a quick break from the show to remind you about Ernesta. Immerse your clients in elevated design with Ernesta's curated collection of custom sized rugs. Explore a vast variety of options that work for your creative vision through complimentary Unlimited samples, gain access to exclusive trade discounts, and receive personalized project support through Ernesta's dedicated team of consultants. To apply for membership to Ernesta's trade program or learn more, visit ernesta.com boh and now back to the show. Well, so interestingly, Emily, I'm so glad you said that because I've been thinking about this whole you buying all this stuff and warehouses, and if I understand, you have multiple warehouses now. Right. And it's funny because business advisors will say, oh, no, don't do it that way. Make sure that everything you buy has some specific right purpose and plan to it. But you've shown them with your own unique model of just. I mean, you tell me how you think about it. But it sounds like you shop and see things that you like and you're confident that you'll use them in a project somewhere. Totally. And it sounds like you've got a really good track record for making that work, so why wouldn't you?

[Emily Ward]

It's interesting. Like, we just did an install recently where we had the couch planned, we had the chairs planned, and we had three coffee table options. We ended up not using the couch or the chairs because size wise, you know, we're all. We're kind of in the same region and everything on CAD looks. Okay. This, you know, feels like it works, but then it's just like the tone of the ivory and the rug that you end up using, it all can change. So for us, like, we like having options and we know how to, like, make a lot of furniture work in a small space or any kind of space. So we know, like, just buy those chairs. They're going to go somewhere. They're so gorgeous. They need to be in this house, you know.

[Dennis Scully]

Right.

[Louisa Pearce]

And we've, we've honestly done that from the beginning. Even when our budgets were smaller, we would go. I can't tell the name of the store that we go to. It's our secret spot. But we would go to that store and buy.

[Emily Ward]

I know, I know what store.

[Louisa Pearce]

I know you do. And we would, you know, even back in the day, we would buy, have three coffee table options and then one.

[Emily Ward]

Coffee table ends up like layering under a console.

[Louisa Pearce]

Yeah.

[Emily Ward]

Like we would do, you know, or at the end of a bed, you know, that is like where we, I think, have some kind of magic connection is like in putting it together at the end.

[Louisa Pearce]

I remember seeing on Instagram a designer, I will not say at an install, and they are, like, twiddling like, with like spinning like fruit on the counter or doing something. And like, and then it says like, what I do during the install. And so I could be wrong, but I think a lot of designers aren't even, like, it's so pre planned that they have people doing their installs for them.

[Emily Ward]

But I don't want that to sound like we're badmouthing any other designers.

[Dennis Scully]

No, no, no. But it's. Yeah, it's just a very different approach. And you're right. And so often I feel like the rooms are very planned with a lot of designers, and they show up and they're executing that plan, and then there's always something that didn't end up looking the way you thought it would, or it needed more accessories or perhaps a piece of fruit needs something on a surface.

[Louisa Pearce]

But I think there are clients that, like, you know, they need a designer that they can see every single thing. Like, there's people that need that. And I think people that hire us know that, you know, that's not how we work. It can't be that way. You know, it's.

[Emily Ward]

There has to be a level of trust.

[Louisa Pearce]

I mean, look at Emily's shelf behind her.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, I didn't want to say, but yes. I mean. Well, so to that point, though, I mean, you were just saying, Emily, they have to trust us. I mean, do you think that they see your look, they see your style? They want that and they do take this leap, right? You're gonna make it happen.

[Emily Ward]

Yeah. It takes a specific kind of person. And we've kind of found that a lot of artistic people hire us who are artists themselves and know how to relinquish creative control. But I remember we were doing a job during COVID and that's when our book came out. And the client, we were kind of going back and forth with mood boards. They were struggling to understand the vision that we were trying to get across. And then we sent them a copy of the book right when it came out, and they were like, never mind.

[Dennis Scully]

Go, we love this.

[Emily Ward]

Do your thing.

[Dennis Scully]

Whatever you do will be great.

[Emily Ward]

And that was a client that ended up hiring us multiple times. And they were so happy because it is something that needs to be put together. Mostly in the end, you're gonna know what your big couch is, what your curtains are, what your bed looks like, and like the general vibe. But really a lot of it gets put together in the install.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and you mentioned the fact that you work with a lot of artistic clients. It seems like you're very tied in with a lot of musicians and Hollywood People. Is it very different working with fellow creative people versus working with. Not to put down Wall street financiers or some other group, but I mean, is it just a very different client interaction?

[Emily Ward]

So yes, we get hired by a lot of actors, a lot of directors, a lot of musicians. And those are all people who are like very used to working collaboratively and you know, like directors, we work with some amazing directors who like, they want to hire the best people to make their movie the best version. So they're used to like having, you know, a production designer or a set decorator and it's like it's easier for them to know the end goal. We've never really worked for a financier.

[Louisa Pearce]

But I would say that like a lot of work.

[Emily Ward]

As it turns out, that's a lot of people who we work with who like aren't necessarily in the entertainment industry. They somewhat are like free spirited or they don't only have one home. A famous rock star is probably not going to introduce us to like someone who like used to be the head of Lehman Brothers. Maybe, I don't know.

[Louisa Pearce]

But.

[Dennis Scully]

So let's quickly talk about the firm that you have now built. So we've talked about this partnership. We've talked about the two of you being in different locations despite not having a grand plan for. We're going to build this great big design firm. Suddenly you have actually built this big design.

[Emily Ward]

We're like, how do we have this many people working up here? Some Mortensens.

[Louisa Pearce]

We will literally be like, we are not hiring any more people. And then two days later we're like, we have to hire someone else. What are we going to do?

[Emily Ward]

We need an in house person to fix the furniture. We need an in house person to do that. We need an in house upholsterer. We literally said that two days ago.

[Dennis Scully]

Do you have all these in house.

[Emily Ward]

People that do all this? We're in the process of hiring, yes.

[Dennis Scully]

Okay. So I mean it's somewhere around, you tell me. 20, 24. 24. Okay. People.

[Emily Ward]

All right, a lot of that. The design team is still relatively small. I think we are about seven, including ourselves. And then the rest, it's like store, warehouse, you know, buying department, all that kind of stuff.

[Dennis Scully]

So at one point you wanted to have a store, if I remember. And then some people in your lives told you no, no.

[Emily Ward]

Yeah. Before we even had an llc, we were trying to name this store and it was at one point called Tusk after a Fleetwood Mac song. And they were like, no, no, you're not. You are in no position to be opening a store.

[Louisa Pearce]

We considered our company Tusk when we first started instead of Pearson Ward. We. Tusk Design. Thank God.

[Dennis Scully]

So you. So you wanted to do a store even before you were doing the design for. You wanted to do a store. You were going to call it Tusk?

[Emily Ward]

How many times do we need to tell you how much we love to shop? Okay.

[Louisa Pearce]

Luckily.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and was that part of it?

[Louisa Pearce]

Oh, sure.

[Dennis Scully]

We should have a store because we love shopping. Yeah. Yeah, right. Okay. Luckily, there were some legal issues with Tusk and copyright issues, apparently in the news. But also some people said, no, no, don't.

[Louisa Pearce]

Oh, yeah, they both open the store, right?

[Dennis Scully]

Yes.

[Louisa Pearce]

You can't open a store.

[Dennis Scully]

Men in your life. I mean, they, like, poo pooed the whole thing. I don't know.

[Emily Ward]

And then the first thing that you ever were like, Louisa. The first thing we ever bought that was like, she was in New Orleans, may or may not have had a cocktail or two, and called me, and she was like, are you okay with me buying a $5,000 gigantic chandelier that, in order to get anywhere, would need to be crated? And I was like, absolutely. Love you. Bye. And then I think, like, three years later, it ended up in a house in la.

[Dennis Scully]

So the store got put on hold. Until when? So when does the store then?

[Emily Ward]

After New Orleans and the beaded chandelier that Louise and us had to buy, that's when we started going, like, I'm gonna buy, like, these two paintings and I'm gonna buy this. And we kind of slowly started accumulating things, but then quickly dispersing them into homes. And then during COVID I think it.

[Louisa Pearce]

Was like the idea of a store had never died. Like, I think. And, you know, that's Emily and I have always wanted one. So it just felt like it was timing. That was. Honestly, it was my husband that was like, okay, fine, you can open a store now.

[Emily Ward]

You can do it now.

[Louisa Pearce]

He's our business manager, so we kind of, you know, he was like, you now have. You know, it's like, this makes sense. You're established.

[Emily Ward]

Oh, my God. He has a new nickname, Boston. His name is Austin, but he's in charge.

[Dennis Scully]

But he finally thinks, okay, but now you've got an established firm, right? And so now it makes much more sense.

[Emily Ward]

And we were like, okay, yay. I think I probably went and found a store, like, the next.

[Louisa Pearce]

You absolutely did. Like Emily, if she has an idea in her head, it is going to happen no matter what. No Matter what. She will make it happen. I do, too. Sometimes I want to strangle her because of it. Because, you know, it makes me crazy.

[Emily Ward]

Yeah. Because Louisa doesn't love the beginning of a project, and I. And I. That's when I'm the most excited. So.

[Louisa Pearce]

And I'm always like, oh, God, this is exhausting. And then, like.

[Emily Ward]

And I'm, like, up all night making a mood board. Getting, like, going on a budget.

[Louisa Pearce]

Yes. Oh, she loves a budget.

[Dennis Scully]

Jumping up and down with excitement.

[Louisa Pearce]

Yeah, she loves doing a budget. I mean, who likes doing a budget?

[Emily Ward]

I start the budgets. Carmen Jean, who's like, our lead designer, she helps me now, but, like, we both have gotten so good at, like, we can make a budget very fast, you know, and the way we do a budget is like, art. And decor for a room is usually, like, the biggest number, because you see how we design. And then. And, like, you know, curtains and rugs, and those are like, I know what it should be per room. And then we give that to a client, and then what we say is, like, are you happy with this general number? And then we kind of end up allocating it a little differently, depending, like, if we find a great 14 yards of fabric. That's, you know, really the last of us both.

[Dennis Scully]

I mean, you know. Sure.

[Emily Ward]

So we found a place. I think we started looking, and we were, like. We wanted to be kind of, like, close to Nikki Kehoe and all those stores, and. Sure, it was very, like, out of our price range at the time. And I live in Atwater, and a lot of our team lives on the east side of la. So we started looking, found a little spot on Los. In Los Feliz, on Hellhurst. And we were like, let's just do it. We're not biting off more than we can chew because it's a small space, and we made a small office in the back, thinking that that's where we would work. That lasted about four days because we just outgrew it, like, really fast. It was a perfect location. There's, like, a really popular coffee shop nearby. There's a really popular restaurant nearby. So you get a lot of foot traffic and great clients who live in Los Feliz. And then, you know, that's sort of grown into, like, a lot of designers shopping there. We have the most amazing team that works in the store that are just unbelievable people and salesmen and just. It's kind of just taken off. Although there are weeks that you feel like you're firefighting, like, in a circus, but that's Just part of the job. You know, there's so many moving parts, especially with how many things we put in a house.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, that's the thing. Right. I mean, there's a lot of furniture and fabrics and. Right. And all of these things. I mean, and the layers that you're putting in a house.

[Emily Ward]

I mean, I actually think that there are something on average of 90 packages being opened a day at each warehouse, which is a lot of packages.

[Dennis Scully]

Well. And so these multiple warehouses are servicing both the store and the E. Comm business. And the design business.

[Emily Ward]

Yes. One of them has our design studio in it and our client storage, which is really nice because you can go, is this fabric going to look good with the barstools? And then you can go walk over to the bar stools. So that's been really nice.

[Dennis Scully]

Got it.

[Emily Ward]

And then our other warehouse is where we do our E. Com shoots and where the E. Com team works the store team. Sometimes we do fulfillment from there. And we actually. We just bought a building that we're going to move our design team and as much client storage as possible, too, which we're really excited about because it's, like, really got more bright space. It's a warehouse, but, like, has a lot more light. And we're really excited.

[Dennis Scully]

Look at you buying a building.

[Emily Ward]

So fancy, so scary.

[Dennis Scully]

This is.

[Louisa Pearce]

But we're not scared. That's the thing.

[Emily Ward]

We just do these things and we're.

[Louisa Pearce]

Like, whatever, it's fine. It's gonna work out well.

[Dennis Scully]

And last time we were talking, I feel Louisa didn't want any of this in the beginning. I didn't want all this.

[Louisa Pearce]

Well, I didn't. Yeah. I did not want this with larger company. Obviously, in the beginning, I was obsessed with, you know what, Emily and I working together in these homes we were creating. I absolutely loved the design aspect, but truthfully, I might still kind of wish we had our little purse of cut fabric swatches.

[Emily Ward]

And I mean, just sometimes we're like, ooh, on this job, let's not have anyone help us. Yeah, let's do it ourselves.

[Louisa Pearce]

And then we start and we're like, wait, no. So I say this, like, I know. I'm so happy with where we are.

[Dennis Scully]

It's easy to get nostalgic about the early. All seem so romantic.

[Louisa Pearce]

Totally.

[Emily Ward]

Also, there's something about the West Elm collaboration that makes it all feel like it's coming back around full circle. Because suddenly, like, we forget that people really like what we do on a bigger scale. And then I have all these people coming to us Like I can finally afford to make my house like a Pearson Ward home. And it's kind of like the most amazing feeling ever that it's come back around this way. The West Elm thing has like been so, I mean, our job is so fun and amazing, but that has been so particularly fun and amazing.

[Dennis Scully]

We're taking a quick break from the show to remind you about Tebow. Did you know Tebow has a dedicated contract division? Their versatile contract assortment is designed to elevate any commercial space from hotels and restaurants to corporate offices. Plus, with Tebow, select designers and specifiers can convert any residential fabric or wall covering into durable commercial grade goods. Perfect for hospitality, retail and other high traffic environments. To learn more, visit thibaudesign.com contract and now back to the show. Well, so let's talk about the West Elm collaboration. Since conveniently, Emily, you've brought it up, you have the store and were you thinking about some kind of big collaboration? How did it really come about? What was the, what was the idea or the notion that you had?

[Emily Ward]

Louisa and I use like 80% vintage and antique. So we were like always very mindful if we did a collaboration that we wanted it to feel still like vintage, inspired. And every time someone had an amazing collaboration come out, we were like, God, we want to do one so bad. Like when Jake Arnold's Crate and Barrel collection came out, it was just so good. You know, we buy from it so much. So do you still. We put, yeah, we put so much of it in client homes because it's a great price point and it can like mix in with our stuff really well. And we were like, we want that so badly. And it's like, oh, it's not going to like fall in your lap. So we hired like a branding and partnership team to sort of like shop us around and they were like kind of very right away, like West Elm is, you know, dying to work with you guys. And we were like, oh my God, this is feels kismet because we did shop there so much in the beginning in Nashville. There wasn't really anywhere to shop in Nashville for new stuff because there's a lot of great antiques and stuff. But there was, there was this one West Elm store in Hillsborough Village and we would go there a lot. And so it felt like, oh, this is such a cool opportunity to do this with West Elm. Like, we don't feel like they've had a collaboration that we would be competing with necessarily. Like if you went to Crate and Barrel or something. Like we said, Jake Collection is so Good there. Like, we wanted to go somewhere where we could do something that special, somewhere with a different company. They really trusted us, like, because it was definitely outside of their comfort zone.

[Dennis Scully]

It seems in a way so remarkable that you appear at this moment where having recently spoken with Dae Kornbluth from West Elm and sort of where her thinking was and wanting to inject some new life into West Elm and some color and just bring. Raise the level, I think in a lot of ways. And I think West Elm had been this great brand that burst onto the scene when it was first launched and was a go to in the early days for a lot of people. And then it just looked and felt like some new energy and, and blood could be brought into it. And you appear. And interestingly, I was thinking about how much vintage that you use and how so many of the pieces in the collection have that sensibility to them. They have this almost vintage, like, look and feel without it being fake. Like stores that have like old timey radios that just look right sort of of sort of kitsch or something. It's not that at all.

[Emily Ward]

It's kind of like, did that. Is that the West Elm chair or is that a chair that was recovered right? You know, I think a lot of it also was achieved because we would say, like, oh, we love the lines of that console, but like, could we cover it in linen? And Day was like, yes. Day was like so brave in that way. And that's why also, not necessarily does it all feel vintage, but it all feels like collected. I mean, that linen console with West Elm is so kind of random in a way. It still fits with the story but doesn't feel new.

[Louisa Pearce]

And that was a huge part of the whole design intent for the collection was that we wanted it to not feel like a line. We wanted it to feel like you could, you know, buy all these pieces from Pearson Ward, West Elm Collab. But they all look like they came from different places and that was a big part of it.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and interestingly, and I'm curious how you thought about this, some designers get nervous at creating greater accessibility to their look and to their style. And they worry that if I do a collection with CB2 or Pottery Barn or West Elm, that somehow I'm running a risk of somehow just changing people's perception of the level of work that I do. Thomas o' Brien, back in the day, everyone was telling him, no, don't do a collection for Target. What are you crazy? That's going to ruin everything about. And of course, you know, it opened up this whole new world and everybody was proved wrong. But I wonder how you thought about that or if you, if you want to.

[Louisa Pearce]

I think that crossed our minds for sure.

[Emily Ward]

But the reality is, like, you know, especially with having the store and starting to produce our own furniture, we know how hard it is to get things made. And it is very hard to get things made, keeping expense in mind. So we were like, this is a great opportunity to also, like, learn about production and like, how things are made. Because the stuff that we make and sell in our store is made like in a very, like, old fashioned way. It's very expensive. You know, the couch that we sell is not the same price as the West Elm couch. So we didn't ever feel like it would jeopardize the Pearson Ward shopper. It's just exciting that other people can afford it and also that we can mix it because we are still putting that stuff. We're so proud of it. We love it. We're mixing it in with our home. So that high, low balance is also a really major part of our look. You know, like that store that we won't mention that we shopped at a lot in the beginning.

[Louisa Pearce]

But yeah, we have always been so vocal about the high low. That's not something we're ashamed of. I want the masses to be able to have art pieces. You know, it's like you can do both.

[Emily Ward]

And that's what's so great about having the store. Because, like, someone can come in and buy some candlesticks or one pillow or a piece of art. They don't have to, like, hire us.

[Dennis Scully]

So now suddenly all these different things have happened for you, right? Success beyond your wildest dreams. You're a much bigger firm than you ever thought. You're on the AD100 list. You've got a collaboration with West Elm. What does it make you think you want to do next? Or how are you processing everything that you are doing and thinking, what do we want to really focus on and lean into?

[Emily Ward]

I think it's like to continue to get these amazing jobs where people go run with it and trust us. But also we really, really want to.

[Dennis Scully]

Do a hotel, a big hotel, a boutique hotel. What do you want? Let's put it out there.

[Emily Ward]

Yeah. While we're putting things out into the universe, we want to do a hotel of any size. We are really excited to have someone who can fix furniture, like in house, because we find a lot of amazing things that are falling apart. And to be able to revamp old things is Something that we're very, very into. It feels like a good thing for the world, you know, rather than only making new things, it's really fun to, like, give old things new life. That's something that we're really passionate about, and we're very passionate about making our own fabrics. We've been doing that in house, and that is something that we're so having so much fun with, just because, like, with a lot of design, there's so many good fabrics, and you start to see them used a lot. And so it's really fun to, like, make our own, just so that we can really try to stay fresh in that way.

[Dennis Scully]

Tell me about your custom textile development. That's so interesting.

[Emily Ward]

You know, a few. Maybe last year, we went to this really cool place in LA that has, like, old textiles and stuff. They were, like, not necessarily a prop house, but they loan out to movies, like Babylon and all these movies where you see, like, amazing old pieces. And we started kind of, like, taking some of their fabrics and textiles and thinking, ooh, this would be fun if we made this. So we kind of, like, would buy the rights to it and then. Or just like, old fabrics that we love that were discontinued, get them and kind of, like, make our own variation of it with, like, our own colors. So we're. We're just making it, like, trial and error. Louisa, how many fabrics would you say we've made at this point?

[Louisa Pearce]

I would say we have six. Yep.

[Emily Ward]

And eventually we would like to sell them too, but it's right now just been really fun. Kind of like playing and trying it on random chairs or stools. We sell a lot of them on our website.

[Dennis Scully]

But you can imagine having your own fabric collection one day built on.

[Louisa Pearce]

Oh, that would be amazing.

[Emily Ward]

That would be a fun collaboration.

[Louisa Pearce]

That's the dream right there.

[Emily Ward]

Yeah.

[Louisa Pearce]

Yeah, there it is. You just named it for us.

[Dennis Scully]

I want to talk as we wrap up the conversation, about some of the specifics of the partnership. It sounds like you support each other in so many different ways. It's something that doesn't always work. And so it's. Honestly, I find that a really great partnership these days seems more the exception.

[Emily Ward]

But, you know, it's like, even a relationship with, you know, a partner who you share your home with, like, it does take work, and the longer you're together, the more meaningful it feels, you know? Like, I think it's not lost on us how lucky we are and that it does take work and that we do fight. And, like, when we do have fights, we learn Even more about each other. Back to the learning thing. We love to learn about each other.

[Louisa Pearce]

I know everything about you. There has been a lot to learn.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, it's sort of hard for me to imagine, really, what new things you're learning about each other.

[Emily Ward]

But, you know, it's like, you have to work at, like, you know, being kind. It's like, very basic stuff, but, you know. Yeah, we treat each other well. You know, we really respect each other. And if you could just be like that with all. I wish I could just be like that, the way that I am with Louisa, with all of my relationships.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and is it. Is it harder now because you are so. In the beginning, people didn't know who you were. And people, as you were saying earlier, they were taking a big leap of faith and trusting you. And that felt so good. Now lots of people know who you are. You're getting published all the time. You're very high profile. Does that add a level of pressure or tension?

[Emily Ward]

I think it's like, we also feel extremely grateful, especially to the team at Architectural Digest, for putting us on this.

[Dennis Scully]

Elevating you in a way that they.

[Emily Ward]

Have, because that makes people trust you. If you're a part of the ad list for a certain amount of time, people hire us based on that, you know, and like, so the people that wildly trusted us blindly in the beginning, now it feels like there's some validation to the trust. So. And. And we've been published however many times or whatever. We have really beautiful photographs of our work now. It's like this different thing where it's. It's a little bit easier to get people to trust you now.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and. And I. And I wonder. I mean, beyond even just the. Just the partnership. I mean, having grown in the way that you have, and obviously you joke that there was never some grand plan and it all just happened, but now that you're here, I wonder how you do think about it and look back and what you realize you have learned along the way that you could share with others who are thinking about trying to make it in this world. Because perhaps part of the lesson is, listen, you can have the greatest plan in the world, but things might just happen some other way.

[Louisa Pearce]

For me, I feel like it was this passion and this desire that was not gonna be stopped. It was like, I loved it so much. So I think if you don't have that, that's gonna be hard to do because it is such a difficult job. So if it's something you're just kind of like, oh, Maybe I'll, you know, be a designer. It's not. I don't think that's what it is. It's something, you know, it's. I mean, for me, at least not for everyone, but for me, it was very much like a deep rooted. Just. There was no.

[Emily Ward]

Well, and I think that's the key. Totally the key. Because everybody who we hire, I feel like they have, like that. Yeah, they have that fire in them, and that's why they're like working their booties off and working until the wee hours of the morning. Because it is that thing. Like, you know, a lot of people say to us, oh, you didn't go to school for this? And I think now a lot of younger people have asked me, like, should I go to school? Should I learn how to do cad? And I'm like, yes, because in hiring now, we really only hire people who are, like, quite technical, because clients.

[Dennis Scully]

Because we didn't go to school, we need you to have gone to school.

[Emily Ward]

Yeah, but I'm actually considering learning to do cad.

[Dennis Scully]

Really?

[Emily Ward]

I think it would be really fun. So I'm gonna take classes on it.

[Dennis Scully]

Okay, good for you.

[Emily Ward]

Because, like, at the end of the day, everybody does want to see. Even if your client trusts you, they want to see, like, the furniture plan at the very least. Or like, you know, if you're doing. If we're doing a house that's like, right now we're doing a house in Portugal, we have to have things in the computer because it's not like our warehouse is down the street. We can't just bring a couple of semi trucks over to the job site and come to.

[Dennis Scully]

It's interesting that you say that now, not because of the fact that neither you went to design school, but you are very mindful of bringing on people who have certain talents and abilities along those lines. Have you ever felt a lack of acceptance or has anybody said, oh, you know, what's your design education pedigree or anything to that?

[Emily Ward]

Well, I think that a big part of it is that, yes, we currently are hiring people who are skilled technically, but then we find that even the people that join our team who are fresh out of school, you do still learn everything by being on site. Because there's things that you don't know. Like, okay, what. What is the spread that you're going to do of the faucets in the sink and where do you like the sprayer and where do you like the air gap? Or, you know, what color dimmer is your favorite Color dimmer sort of like doing an RCP plan, it can look one way on cad, but then it can look another way in the, in the space. So it's like this balance of like. Yes, I think it's important to have the technical skills of like, using SketchUp and using and honing in on your skills. Like, a lot of the girls on our team are extremely talented on the computer, but they're also like, really good at hand sketching, which is a way that we like to show our clients when we show mood boards and stuff, we do a lot of hand sketching. We typically don't really do, like, rendering because, because of the way we do most of the thing in the install, renders can be like, like it's hard to show how we do a room in a render because, like, you know, with bookshelves and like things in a super maximal way, it's sort of hard to predict what that's going to look like. And you don't want to give the client a wrong sense of what it's going to look like. So, like, a sketch can really give a feeling, in our opinion, more than a render. But some clients really want a render and we're not going to say no to our clients because, like, like we said, we're in the service industry, so.

[Dennis Scully]

And you're a people. Please. I mean, so of course I'm going to give you. Right. I'm going to give you a render.

[Emily Ward]

And I say yes to everything.

[Dennis Scully]

That's what you want. Yes. It's, it's an absolute pleasure to spend time with you. Thank you. Really, I really appreciate making the time.

[Emily Ward]

Thank you.

[Dennis Scully]

Thanks for listening. If you'd like to keep up with the latest design industry news, visit us [e-mail] where you can sign up. Sign up for our newsletter, browse job listings and join our BoH Insider community for access to online workshops, a free print subscription, and much more. If you have a note for the podcast, drop us a [e-mail] if you're enjoying these conversations, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps others to discover the show. This show was produced by Fred Nicholas and edited by Michael Castagna. That I'm Dennis Scully. Thanks again for listening and I'll see you next week.