Business of Home Podcast – The Thursday Show: Has the design industry gotten too big? Plus: Rebecca Gardner on crafting the perfect party

Host: Dennis Scully
Co-host: Fred Nicholas
Guest: Rebecca Gardner (Founder, Houses and Parties)
Date: October 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode kicks off with co-hosts Dennis Scully and Fred Nicholas dissecting the latest industry news, including new research from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the evolution of design events like Afternoon Light, and the 50th anniversary of the Kips Bay Decorator Show House. In the second half, Dennis interviews event designer and author Rebecca Gardner on her philosophy of joyful entertaining, the business of party-planning, and the essence of a memorable gathering. The show closes with the hosts' reactions to the viral RH video and news about design world personalities.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Opening Remarks & Art World Gender Representation (00:07–01:35)

• Dennis shares his recent experience moderating a panel in Chicago about the underrepresentation of women in the art world, citing statistics: Only 15% of US museum collections feature women artists, and just 3% of auctioned works are by women.
  • Quote – Dennis Scully (00:45): “Just 15% of museum collections in the US feature work by women artists, and only 3% of items that come up for sale at art auctions are created by women.”

Recap: Flora Soames Interview & English Design (01:37–03:48)

• The co-hosts revisit Monday’s episode with fabric designers (and Churchill descendants) Gemma and Flora Soames.
• There’s discussion about working dynamics between siblings in business vs. spousal partnerships and what defines English style.
  • Quote – Fred Nicholas (03:01): “The sibling relationship is sort of fraught in a way that the spousal relationship is. It's a different kind of fraught than the spousal relationship.”
  • Noteworthy trivia: Flora and Gemma are Winston Churchill’s great-granddaughters.

Afternoon Light & the State of Design Events (05:58–13:21)

• Afternoon Light pivots away from e-commerce and is rebranding its trade show, formerly Shelter, now independently organized and under the “Afternoon Light” name.
  • The founders have left their partnership with trade show giant Andmore and are moving venues.
  • Issue: Tension between the independent, “cool” design scene and large trade show operators.
• NYC Design Week’s fragmentation: Discussion of the challenge in making various simultaneous events feel cohesive.
  • Quote – Dennis Scully (09:19): “I struggle a little bit with the cohesion and the how all of the events fit together ... I'm always a little bit confused about all of the different elements that are going on during NYC by design and how they tie together.”
• Afternoon Light is largely abandoning its e-commerce platform—acknowledging how difficult it is to capture the “cool, independent” marketplace online.
  • Quote – Fred Nicholas (12:20): “E-commerce is just almost a numbers game ... but I think that Minya and Deirdre were just like, this is a whole other hustle. We don't want to do this.”

ASID State of the Industry Report (13:21–20:53)

• New ASID report: Slight uptick in designer salaries and number of design firms; signs of a possible market cooldown.
  • ASID estimates 128,000 interior designers (up from 57,000 in 2012).
• Market may have reached saturation—COVID boom saw many new designers, but demands stagnate, and growth is now flat.
  • Quote – Fred Nicholas (13:51): “Nobody really knows [how many designers there are] ... The ASID kind of staples together a couple different numbers and comes up with 128,000 ... but it has grown a lot.”
  • Quote – Dennis Scully (15:16): “It's hard to imagine that the housing stagnation … isn't having a huge impact on these numbers.”
• Regional shifts: Florida emerges as potentially the second biggest market after California—outpacing Texas.
  • Quote – Fred Nicholas (15:49): “Florida actually in many cases is the big market. Aside from California, there's a couple different metrics. It's the second biggest number of designers after California. There's a huge amount of designers in Miami.”
• Industry diversity: Women make up about 70% of interior designers; increasing diversity seen among students.
  • Quote – Dennis Scully (20:02): “There is a strong number of female leaders in the world of interior design. ... 70% for female interior designers versus males.”

Kips Bay Decorator Show House at 50 (20:53–29:31)

• Historical perspective: Kips Bay has evolved from a local charitable event to the most nationally recognized decorator show house.
  • Quote – Fred Nicholas (21:07): “Sometimes writers have sort of an ulterior motive ... my happy place is like diving deep into the New York Times archive and reading articles about 1977 Kips Bay.”
• Vendor and media changes: Strategic partnerships and sponsorships (e.g., Shade Store) have elevated the event’s profile, made it an arena for product launches.
  • Quote – Dennis Scully (24:02): “Kips Bay has been a great launching pad for new product introductions and for a lot of companies to show you their product in a much more compelling way.”
• Venue challenges: Real estate realities now make securing venues complex, often resulting in last-minute scrambles—but such adversity may yield creative results.
  • Quote – Dennis Scully (27:05): “It is very challenging ... You can see why the wow house that happens in London gets built in the Chelsea harbour design center and then gets broken down and they can control the space.”

Smart Home Tech Trends (29:43–34:55)

• AI enters the smart home: New AI-powered smart speakers from Google and Amazon claim to do everything from controlling lights to helping find missing pets or people.
  • Quote – Dennis Scully (30:02): “I don't talk to a lot of people that say, hey, you know what? I wish I had more AI in my house, like listening to everything and watching everything I'm doing.”
• Design world skepticism: Smart home technology remains a tough sell in luxury residential design—complex to install, quick to become obsolete, hard for designers to monetize or fully trust.
  • Quote — Fred Nicholas (34:03): “I think also, like, you know, from the perspective of designers, designers have always had a tortured relationship with smart home technology.”
• Innovations like Lutron's Ketra lighting (that changes throughout the day) are welcomed, but pervasive surveillance is not.

Feature Interview: Rebecca Gardner on the Art and Business of Entertaining (36:42–54:14)

Rebecca’s Origin Story

• Texas roots: Rebecca credits her Corpus Christi upbringing and its party-centric culture, along with a “gaggle of hairsprayed women,” for her love of entertaining.
• Early career: Got her start at SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design), arranging events for student engagement; moved to NYC, found her niche focusing on parties (with a nudge from Lauren Santo Domingo).
• Quote – Rebecca Gardner (38:09): “This all comes natural to me. It's entertaining and sharing and gathering is a part of me from the very beginning.”

Building a Business (and a Brand)

• Houses and Parties: Officially launched in 2011; focused on event design and interior design, but shifted toward parties after 2011. COVID forced a pivot to e-commerce, launching housesandparties.com in October 2020.
  • Quote – Rebecca Gardner (39:50): “Within probably 48 hours, I had lost 24 months worth of business ... so we started an e-commerce site ... I had thought about doing this for a long time. I just honestly didn't have the guts until I had no choice, you know?”

Secrets of a Great Party

• Guest list is everything: “If your people are lame, your party will be lame.”
• Celebrate with a mix of people, foster generosity, and banish beige and banality—bring in color, surprise, and most importantly, fun.
  • Quote – Rebecca Gardner (40:01): “I can sell you expensive linens and Murano vases until I'm blue in the face, but if your people are lame, your party will be lame.”
  • Quote – Rebecca Gardner (40:38): “At the essence of my brand is people and sharing and gathering and celebrating so that when we look back, our memories are not beige. To me, beige is the problem. And I bring the color.”
• Hospitality: A party needs a real host—making guests comfortable is the host's responsibility.
  • Quote – Rebecca Gardner (42:22): “You have to have a host ... by making people feel comfortable, I think that that's sort of a loss.”

Interiors & Entertaining

• Warmth is key: plush seating, layered textures, rolled arms—the opposite of harsh minimalism.
• Quote – Rebecca Gardner (43:30): “Furniture should be comfortable. I like things that are warm. I like warm people. I like warm colors. I like warm environments ... a rolled arm sofa or a low slung chair is much more inviting.”

E-Commerce: Sourcing & Surviving

• COVID supply chain issues spurred Rebecca to tenaciously stalk key vendors (Hermès, Puiforcat, Herend). She prioritized offering unique, handcrafted pieces, many U.S.-made.
• Seasonable, full-party packages are their specialty.

Event Production: Process & Pricing

• Event design parallels interior design—each is an “environmental installation.”
• Budget clarity: She is frank about costs, using past party budgets to educate clients and a transparent flat-markup pricing model.
  • Quote – Rebecca Gardner (50:06): “My approach, maybe it's because I'm a straight-shooting Texan, is to rip that band aid off and to be really straightforward and really honest about what it's going to cost.”
• Team: 12 full-time employees, mostly in Savannah, often traveling to NYC.

The Book: A Screaming Exceptional Entertaining

• The book collects party images, practical amusements for hosts, and embodies Rebecca's brand.
• Accessible price point; aims to inspire a new generation to entertain and not take it (or themselves) too seriously.
  • Quote – Rebecca Gardner (53:34): “I do think that as a host, it's your responsibility to set an atmosphere. And whether that requires a structured icebreaker or a crazy party hat ... you still want people to have fun.”

Memorable Quotes

• Rebecca Gardner (40:01): “If your people are lame, your party will be lame.”
• Rebecca Gardner (40:38): “To me, beige is the problem. And I bring the color.”
• Fred Nicholas (12:20): “E-commerce is just almost a numbers game ... but I think that Minya and Deirdre were just like, this is a whole other hustle. We don't want to do this.”
• Dennis Scully (15:16): “It's hard to imagine that the housing stagnation … isn't having a huge impact on these numbers.”
• Fred Nicholas (15:49): “Florida actually in many cases is the big market ... There's a huge amount of designers in Miami.”

Notable Segment Timestamps

• Underrepresentation of Women in the Art World: 00:45–01:28
• Sibling Design Partnerships – Flora Soames: 02:18–03:48
• Afternoon Light’s Pivot: 05:58–12:20
• ASID Industry Report: 13:21–20:53
• Kips Bay History & Media Evolution: 20:53–29:31
• AI/Smart Home Tech Discussion: 29:43–34:55
• Rebecca Gardner Interview Begins: 36:42
  • Guest List & Party Essentials: 40:01–41:44
  • Hospitality & Hosting: 42:22–43:18
  • Manufacturing & Pandemic Survival: 45:05–46:31
  • Budgeting Approach: 50:06–51:40
  • Team & Book Release: 51:47–54:03
• Viral RH Video Reaction: 54:30–56:24

Caught My Eye: RH Video & Industry Moves (54:30–57:10)

• Viral RH Video: The co-hosts discuss a TikTok creator’s shock at RH’s private jets, debt, and financial strategies—none of which is news to the regular listeners. The hosts chuckle at the disconnect between the design trade world and the “outside” internet.
• Industry Moves: Former ELLE Decor EIC Assad Serket joins AD Italia as head of editorial content.

Tone & Takeaways

Throughout, the tone is candid, a bit irreverent, but always expert—Dennis and Fred alternate offbeat observations with data and industry history, while Rebecca Gardner brings an infectious, anti-beige energy that’s all about joy, sincere hospitality, and not taking events (or oneself) too seriously. The episode is a mix of news, business realism, and a refreshing embrace of fun.

For more: Visit businessofhome.com or reach out to podcast@businessofhome.com