Business of Home Podcast — The Thursday Show

Episode: How Rebecca Atwood carves out serious time for creative solitude. Plus: Kelly Wearstler spills her AI toolkit

Date: August 28, 2025
Host: Dennis Scully, with Fred Nicholas
Guests: Rebecca Atwood

Overview

This episode of the Thursday Show dives deep into the evolving landscape of the interior design world with timely news, industry analysis, and a feature interview. Host Dennis Scully and Business of Home's executive editor Fred Nicholas dissect the latest on U.S. furniture tariffs, volatility in the housing market, and Kelly Wearstler’s pioneering use of AI. Later, artist and designer Rebecca Atwood shares insights into carving out solitude for creative work, the impact of her move to Charleston, her innovative business strategies, and her new book, “The Harmonious Home.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Industry News Roundup

00:07–34:22

Furniture Tariffs: Uncertainty and Pushback

• New Trump-era tariffs are under investigation, targeting furniture more broadly than previous, often nation or material-specific, tariffs.
  “If this happens, it’ll be the first sort of category specific tariffs on furniture. So wherever it’s coming from, it'll be tariffed as it comes into the U.S.” — Fred Nicholas [05:16]
• Industry reaction is overwhelmingly negative; skepticism about the hope of tariffs reviving U.S. case goods manufacturing. “Meaningful production is coming back? ... Nobody thinks that's coming back.” — Dennis Scully [07:19]
• India faces a new 50% tariff affecting textiles, with suppliers and importers scrambling to respond. “Everybody’s going to be raising prices in the short term or they're going to be hitting pause... Nobody can absorb 50%. It’s just not a thing.” — Fred Nicholas [11:58]

Housing Market: “Green Shoots” Amid Gloom

• The market remains slow (“Anna Karenina housing market”) with low transactions and affordability concerns.
• Home Depot and Lowe’s earnings show slight improvements due to efficiency but not a housing rebound. “They continue to find efficiencies, even though... there are fewer and fewer large scale projects going on." — Dennis Scully [13:58]
• Warren Buffett’s investment in homebuilders is seen as a hopeful sign. “Warren Buffett and his team... made some sizable investments in Lennar and Dr. Horton...maybe we’re closer to the bottom.” — Dennis Scully [16:30]
• Hope for a Fed rate cut and future housing stock correction; attempting optimism that “this too shall pass.”

Viral Designs: Social Media ≠ Instant Success

• Kelly Faircloth’s Dwell article explored designers going viral but struggling to translate online fame into scalable business. “You can have something that is viewed by a billion people... and make zero dollars. It's a very strange... set of circumstances we're in.” — Fred Nicholas [21:42]
• Instagram-fueled fame doesn’t always mean sales; RH’s apparent social media avoidance is discussed.

AI and Interior Design: Kelly Wearstler’s Toolkit

• “Wurstler World” Substack pulls back the curtain on Kelly Wearstler’s heavy use of AI, especially for creative processes. “Kelly apparently does not do one thing without using AI...a little bit of an outlier.” — Fred Nicholas [27:45]
• Wearstler leverages AI for design ideation and rendering, not just administrative efficiency. “Rather than making them less human, it seems to make it feel more human, which I thought was interesting.” — Dennis Scully [29:28]
• Discussion on the value of “creative friction” and what might get lost in the rush for speed and efficiency.

2. Feature Interview: Rebecca Atwood on Creative Solitude and Business Evolution

34:22–61:08

The Power of Creative Solitude

• Rebecca moved from Brooklyn to Charleston, gaining a larger studio and time for “deep work.” “I had changed my schedule... to have three creative days a week. So Monday through Wednesday I'm in the studio... It’s been a really big change overall, but I'm really happy and focused on art and design and creativity.” — Rebecca Atwood [35:38]
• Defends and models the practice of blocking out time for undisturbed creativity. “I find having a lot of time to dip into that, like deep work is so important... Sometimes when you're making work, you don't like it at first...I need that time. I need that really focused. And that's the solitude of having deep time just to get that work done.” — Rebecca Atwood [37:07]

Business Structure: Sales Channels and Showrooms

• Atwood’s business moved away from multi-line showrooms, focusing on a direct-sales model and expanding the internal sales team. “For us to grow in a market, when we take over the sales ourselves, we do grow in a way that we weren't with certain markets.” — Rebecca Atwood [39:06]
• For wallpaper, online sales and high-quality installation photography outperform traditional showroom models.

Product Evolution: Wovens, Color, Performance, and Sustainability

• Collection has expanded to include wovens, embroideries, murals—reflecting Atwood’s desire to capture complex colors and textures seen in nature. “I wanted to create fabrics that had that same feeling to bring into your home... They're my take on solids, but they're not actually solid.” — Rebecca Atwood [43:57]
• Considers performance fabrics in the context of real living, not just trends, and considers future-forward, sustainable materials (e.g., wool).

AI and the Creative Business

• Rebecca’s entire team completed an AI workshop with business coach Holly Howard, aiming for thoughtful, “play phase” experimentation rather than immediate implementation. “It’s really important that we all have a certain baseline in language and understanding as we start to think about how we’re implementing it.” — Rebecca Atwood [49:02]
• Emphasizes the need for the creative field to lead the conversation on AI adaptation.

Market Health and the Five-Year Plan

• 2025 business is on plan, despite broader unease in the design marketplace. “We are in our second year of our five year plan. I'm a planner... It has made things a lot easier for our team to know what we're trying to do and what our goals are.” — Rebecca Atwood [50:59]

The Harmonious Home: Inspiration and Vulnerability

• Atwood’s new book is rooted in her move and efforts to create a home that feels emotionally resonant, sharing personal spaces and design process. “I thought about the feeling I wanted for each space and for myself and my family before I picked colors. And it unlocked a lot for me...” — Rebecca Atwood [53:09]
• Book includes practical advice, vulnerability (personal home on display), and insights from other designers. “Nothing in our homes is ever finished... sharing, talking about layering over time.” — Rebecca Atwood [55:36]

Color Poems: Haikus for Design

• Atwood composes haikus for each color in her new woven lines, connecting poetry, color, and daily inspiration. “Haikus are traditionally about nature...I wrote a poem for each of the colors that we have. It was really fun to do it and not in my normal wheelhouse.” — Rebecca Atwood [57:41]

Looking Ahead: Balancing Art and Business

• The five-year plan focuses on core wallpaper and fabric lines, but Atwood dreams of new art shows, public projects, and more fine art in her business. “I am planning to add, have a show next year, which is very exciting. But I also want to work on some bigger experiences...in public spaces...I'd love to do something with a library...” — Rebecca Atwood [58:49]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Tariffs:
  “Meaningful production is coming back? ... Nobody thinks that's coming back.” — Dennis Scully [07:19]

• On Social Media Success:
  "You can have something that is viewed by a billion people... and make zero dollars." — Fred Nicholas [21:42]

• On AI in Design:
  "Rather than making them less human, it seems to make it feel more human, which I thought was interesting." — Dennis Scully [29:28]

• On Creative Scheduling:
  "Monday through Wednesday I'm in the studio and I'm working on creative projects... I'm really happy and focused on art and design and creativity." — Rebecca Atwood [35:38]

• On the Need for Deep Work:
  "I need that time. I need that really focused. And that's the solitude of having deep time just to get that work done." — Rebecca Atwood [37:57]

• On New Book and Emotional Design:
  "This one is about how you. It's about emotion, truly. And it also has my home in it, which is very vulnerable." — Rebecca Atwood [54:40]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• News Roundup Begins: 04:26
• Tariffs Analysis: 04:26–11:58
• Housing Market Discussion: 12:40–19:34
• Viral Design/Social Media: 20:39–26:41
• AI in Design (Kelly Wearstler): 27:12–33:11
• Rebecca Atwood Interview Begins: 34:22
• Creative Scheduling/Deep Work: 35:38–37:57
• Sales Channel Strategy: 38:49–41:37
• Wovens, Color, Materials: 43:41–47:55
• AI Workshop for Team: 48:42–50:31
• Market Conditions & Planning: 50:31–52:30
• Book & Color Poems: 53:09–57:41
• Future Goals & Art Practice: 58:23–60:42
• Caught My Eye Segment: 61:17–end

“Caught My Eye” Segment

61:17–end

• Studio Per Diem: Noting the continued activity and advertising for a new e-commerce site after controversy surrounding Burke Decor.
• HGTV Nostalgia: Viral mockery of ‘90s decorating shows prompts conversation about real people behind content.
• RH Paris Opening: Highly anticipated opening on the Champs Élysées (Sept 5).
• Charles Cohen News: Updates on the sale of major properties to pay down debts.

Tone and Takeaway

The episode is candid yet optimistic, with a deep focus on the realities of creative work and the business challenges in the design industry. Rebecca Atwood’s interview shines a light on intentional solitude, the value of a supportive team, and personal growth through change—encouraging designers to prioritize creativity even as the business landscape shifts around them.

Useful for:

• Designers navigating economic uncertainty
• Entrepreneurs balancing creativity and business
• Fans of Rebecca Atwood or Kelly Wearstler
• Anyone exploring the impact of AI in creative fields

For more, visit businessofhome.com and subscribe to the Business of Home Podcast.