Business of Home Podcast: The Secret to Young Huh's Success? Patience

Host: Dennis Scully
Guest: Young Huh
Date: January 26, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of the Business of Home podcast features interior designer Young Huh, known for her thoughtful approach to design, her Korean heritage, and her breakout Kips Bay Show House rooms. Host Dennis Scully and Young Huh discuss her winding career path from law to interior design, the impact of her cultural identity, her philosophy on building a business, and her belief that patience is the secret to long-term success. The conversation also touches on the challenges and realities of business growth, the importance of mentorship and representation in design, and her upcoming book, "A Mood, A Thought, A Feeling."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Influence of Korean Heritage

Timestamps: 03:04–07:14

• New Year’s Ritual (Sebe): Young shares the Korean tradition of starting the year by bowing to elders, exchanging blessings, and celebrating with rice cake soup.
  • "The way we celebrate New Year's is you clean the house, the day before you prepare a feast... we all bow to our elders and receive New Year's blessings from them." (03:18)
• Childhood in Michigan: Immigrated to the US when her father, amid post-Asian Exclusion Act recruitments, became one of many Korean doctors in Michigan.
  • "I grew up in Michigan being the only Korean kid in school... but overall people were very warm and kind." (05:00)
• Maintaining Cultural Connection: Despite growing up as an outsider, Young’s family ensured she remained connected to Korean culture, with annual trips back to Korea.

From Law to Interior Design

Timestamps: 07:14–11:56

• Family Expectations: Faced intense familial pressure to become a doctor or lawyer.
  • “My parents said I had two choices for a career. It was either doctor or lawyer...” (07:33)
• Secret Creative Aspirations: Attended Cranbrook, an important art school, and Smith College, where art history classes inspired her, though she went on to Fordham Law.
• Reluctant Legal Career: Finished law school and passed two bar exams largely for her parents' sake, despite knowing almost immediately she’d made the wrong choice.
  • "The first week of law school, I knew it wasn't for me." (08:07)
  • "I actually passed the New Jersey and New York bar...my parents were so proud." (09:39)
• Transition to Design: After a brief legal career—including clerking for the NY Supreme Court—met designer Jarrett Yoshida at a party, which kindled her interest in interior design. She interned, took classes at Parsons, and launched her own business in 2007.

Early Business Struggles & Relationship Building

Timestamps: 12:14–15:38

• Launching Her Firm: Started with help from her lawyer husband, opened hundreds of trade accounts, and managed initial overwhelming challenges.
  • “I just lay on the floor and started crying. It was so overwhelming.” (13:29)
• Navigating Industry Bias: Faced additional barriers as an Asian designer in a traditionally ‘WASPy’ business, pushed through with persistence and relationship-building.
• The Power of Professional Bonds: Built long-lasting relationships in the trade, which eventually flourished.

The Kips Bay Turning Point

Timestamps: 15:38–23:52

• First Kips Bay Room (2014): Assigned an undesirable "freight hallway," she transformed it into the memorable "Hollyhock Lounge."
  • “It was a freight hallway...I was like, listen, I'll take it.” (16:36)
  • Memorable moment: Tony Ingrao’s contractors mistook her room for a garbage dump. “This is actually the Hollyhock Lounge. This isn't the garbage room, Tony.” (17:41)
• Breakthrough Room (2019): Created a widely praised, imaginative artist’s studio, with friends hand-painting lampshades due to unexpected expenses.
  • “We were still a really small studio at the time...I asked my friends, would they paint some lampshades?” (18:49)
  • The room garnered massive press and became a true turning point, though Young describes her rise as slow and steady, not overnight.
• On Self-Expression: Stresses that showhouses let designers break free of client restrictions: “You get a chance to express yourself...entirely imaginative.” (22:24)

Business Development, Operations, and Delegation

Timestamps: 25:18–29:01

• Building a Business Structure: Credits her husband and Studio Designer software for helping with business fundamentals, fees, and contracts.
• Delegating Weaknesses: Advocates hiring for weakness—social media, PR, business operations.
  • “They always say, hire the things you can’t do. So if you’re not great at social media, hire someone...” (26:00)

Social Media: Necessity, Not Identity

Timestamps: 29:01–32:44

• Taking a Step Back: Hired a consultant to manage social media and balance authenticity.
  • “You are not an influencer, you’re a designer, so you don’t need to worry about the performative aspects.” (29:34)
• Client Outreach: Social media brings in real projects, partners, and collaborators, though she admits to missing DMs.
• Creative Partnerships: Finds gratification in seeing her product lines used in unexpected ways.
  • Example: Joanna Gaines used Young’s tile design in an out-of-the-box application. “Wow, I never would have thought of that…” (32:00)

Firm Growth and Design Education

Timestamps: 34:19–40:10

• Managing People and Culture: Enjoys collaboration but remains cautious about overextending the firm. Maintains a core team and hosts student interns.
• Design Education Gaps: Stresses the importance of understanding art history and culture—not just technical skills—for creating meaningful interiors.
  • “You have to understand culture…be armed with knowledge.” (37:10)
  • On why this is especially crucial for designers from underrepresented backgrounds, as access to cultural knowledge may not come from family.

Mentorship, Representation, and the AAPI Design Alliance

Timestamps: 40:10–42:56

• Founding APIDA: Helped launch the Asian American Pacific Islander Design Alliance in response to anti-Asian hate during COVID, as a means of support and mentorship for Asian designers.
  • “Our hope with APIDA is to really give young designers some mentorship and talk about how you can promote yourself...” (41:17)
• Rapid National Growth: APIDA quickly reached ~2,000 members and continues to build structure and programming.

The Book: "A Mood, A Thought, A Feeling"

Timestamps: 43:23–45:37

• A Labor of Love: Four years in the making, the book aims to help readers approach design through emotion and self-discovery, breaking free of design ‘rules.’
  • “My idea was you really have to approach design through emotion. It’s emotion and then it’s intellect...” (43:58)
  • Inspired by a client who said, “I learned so much about myself through this design journey.”

Celebrity Clients and Media Evolution

Timestamps: 46:20–47:55

• Working with Zooey Deschanel & Jonathan Scott: Found the experience surprisingly easy due to their clear creative vision; dispelled assumptions about celebrity clients wanting formulaic design.
  • “Jonathan...we want nothing new in this home. We want nothing modern.... Everything should feel older and unique.” (46:49)

The Role of Technology and AI in Design

Timestamps: 47:55–50:17

• AI as a Tool, Not a Threat: Sees AI and other tech as opportunity and democratizer if used wisely; provides examples of practical AI applications in rendering and design solutions.
  • “We should not be afraid of technology. I think we should be afraid of how humans use it.” (48:34)

The Power of Patience & Advice to Designers

Timestamps: 50:17–53:51

• Success Takes Time: Young’s central advice is patience—true expertise is gained through time, mistakes, and gradual growth, not overnight success.
  • “Interior design is a trade. It’s like learning how to be a master craftsman…be willing to practice it patiently. It just takes a really long time.” (51:01)
  • Memorable Quote: “Sometimes I joke in the office that I’ve learned every single way to get my ass kicked. And so I’m gonna teach you what not to do...” (53:10)
• Building Reputation: Accolades don’t bring instant fame; persistent, careful work builds reputation and confidence.

The Value of PR and Future Aspirations

Timestamps: 53:51–55:52

• Having a PR Team: Attributes business growth and new opportunities to early PR investment.
  • “The time to do it [hire PR] is as soon as you can afford it...But it’s incredibly helpful for growing your business and staying in the public eye.” (54:08)
• Dream Projects: Manifesting a “giant castle”—seeks ever-larger creative challenges.
  • “I would love to do, you know, a thousand room castle. I think that would be amazing. That’s sort of the next dream.” (55:19)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Being an Outsider in Design:
  "Back in those days, I didn't see any Asian designers...It was a very...generally WASPy business, and it was a good thing that I grew up with a lot of WASPy people. So I knew how to navigate that..." (13:56)

• On Overcoming Obstacles:
  "I just lay on the floor and started crying. It was so overwhelming." (13:29)

• On Design Showhouses:
  "The reason why you do something like Kips Bay is that you get a chance to express yourself in design in a way that you can't do with a client." (22:24)

• On Social Media & Identity:
  "You are not an influencer, you're a designer, so you don't need to worry about the performative aspects..." (29:34)

• On Success:
  "Maybe some people are overnight successes, but for me, it was really about patience and building and improving my craft in every single way." (53:49)

• On the Value of Diversity:
  "You have to understand culture...be armed with knowledge. If you're sort of not learning this from your wealthy family, you need to learn it through school or through internships." (37:10)

Important Timestamps

• Korean New Year’s Ritual and Cultural Upbringing: 03:04–07:14
• Transition from Law to Interior Design: 07:14–11:56
• Breakthrough at Kips Bay Show House: 15:38–23:52
• Business Development and Delegation: 25:18–27:38
• Thoughts on Social Media: 29:01–32:44
• Founding the AAPI Design Alliance: 40:10–42:56
• Book Announcement and Intent: 43:23–45:37
• Advice to Emerging Designers: 50:17–53:51
• Future Aspirations: 55:19–55:52

Conclusion

Young Huh’s journey in design has been marked by cultural influence, deliberate growth, and an embrace of challenges—both creative and business. Her story testifies to design as both craft and calling, with patience, self-expression, and cultural awareness at the core. Her upcoming book, organizational leadership, and unyielding focus on improvement further cement her as a thoughtful voice in the interior design community.