The Thursday Show: The industry reacts to tariff upheaval. Plus: James Huniford on 20 years of Design on a Dime

Summary

Business of Home Podcast Episode Summary

Title: The Thursday Show: The Industry Reacts to Tariff Upheaval. Plus: James Huniford on 20 Years of Design on a Dime
Host: Dennis Scully
Release Date: April 10, 2025

In this episode of the Business of Home Podcast, host Dennis Scully delves into pressing industry issues and celebrates two decades of the philanthropic event, Design on a Dime. Joined by Business of Home’s Executive Editor Fred Nicholas, the conversation spans tariff changes, strategic business expansions, advancements in AI tools, and the unique landscape of creative direction within the interior design sector.

1. Tariff Upheaval and Industry Reactions

The episode opens with a comprehensive discussion on recent tariff adjustments initiated by President Trump. Initially, sweeping global tariffs caused significant market disruptions. However, just an hour before recording, most tariffs were rolled back, though the tax on Chinese goods was increased.

Fred Nicholas provides an overview of the situation:

“A week ago, President Trump implemented sweeping tariffs across the globe, causing widespread economic chaos. Today, only an hour before we started recording, he rolled back most of those tariffs while also increasing the tax on Chinese goods.” [06:14]

Dennis elaborates on the fluctuating market reactions:

“What a time this has been. We've seen the world come to the brink of destruction, and now as we come on, the air markets are soaring and apparently it was the plan all along.” [06:39]

The discussion highlights the immediate fallout on Wall Street, with companies like RH (Restoration Hardware), Williams Sonoma, and Wayfair experiencing significant stock fluctuations. However, with the temporary pause on tariffs, some stocks began to recover:

“Shares of RH are up close to 30%. And lots of the stocks that we saw fall pretty dramatically are also having huge rallies into this.” [08:32]

Fred emphasizes the confusion among businesses regarding the final tariff rates, particularly concerning China and Vietnam:

“My understanding is that we've rolled back the global tariffs to 10%. So there still are some tariffs. And it's just that China has been up to 125%.” [07:19]

Designers and importers are grappling with these changes, contemplating price adjustments or surcharges to mitigate the impact. Communication with clients and vendors has become paramount as businesses navigate these uncertain times.

2. Kravitz's New Showroom Strategy

The conversation shifts to Kravitz’s ambitious plan to expand their showroom presence to four new locations: Birmingham, Alabama; Charleston, South Carolina; Watermill, New York; and Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

Fred comments on the strategic nature of this expansion:

“This is just sort of a... it's kind of a bold strategy and an interesting one.” [16:17]

Dennis connects this move to broader industry trends, noting the shift towards suburban markets:

“This speaks to this whole suburban strategy that I actually think is very interesting.” [17:02]

The hosts discuss how Kravitz’s expansion into secondary markets aims to cater to designers outside major hubs like New York and LA, enhancing accessibility and fostering regional design communities.

3. ChatGPT’s Upgrade and Its Implications for Design

Dennis introduces the topic of OpenAI’s latest advancements in ChatGPT’s image generator tool, highlighting its improved ability to handle detailed and complex instructions.

Fred offers a critique of earlier AI design tools and acknowledges the progress made:

“This new update definitely you can preserve the architectural envelope of the room pretty well... It does make little changes.” [20:15]

Dennis shares his experience using the tool:

“I have created an AI generated version of myself and of a fabulous action figure that I think many listeners are going to want to order in time for the holidays.” [20:22]

The discussion delves into whether designers should be concerned about AI encroaching on their roles. Fred reassures that while AI can assist with visualization, the nuanced project management and relationship-building aspects of interior design remain irreplaceable:

“AI is a tool, but I would just say, like, lastly, just try it.” [24:49]

4. Creative Direction in Home vs. Fashion Design

Fred Nicholas explores an article from Women’s Wear Daily by Sophia Celeste, questioning why the home design industry lacks the celebrated creative directors that are prominent in fashion.

Fred notes:

“Home brands typically do not have that person. And why is the discrepancy there?” [25:14]

Dennis reflects on industry practices, suggesting that home design’s collaborative nature contrasts with fashion’s focus on individual creative visionaries:

“It's all about the collaborative approach that the furniture industry talked about, that it isn't just about celebrating this one creative person.” [26:25]

The hosts discuss the potential benefits and risks of introducing prominent creative directors in home design, citing examples like Schumacher and the enduring influence of longstanding creative leaders.

5. Interview with James Huniford on 20 Years of Design on a Dime

The highlight of the episode is an interview with James Huniford, the founding chair of Design on a Dime, celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Background and Genesis of Design on a Dime

James shares his motivation for founding the event:

“The AIDS crisis was in full tilt... I thought trying to find a way to have the interior design world gather together to have an impact and create a difference.” [33:02]

Starting with humble beginnings at a thrift store with a few designers, the event has grown into a major showcase benefitting Housing Works.

Event Evolution and Community Impact

James describes the transition from small-scale gatherings to large-scale events at the Metropolitan Pavilion:

“It's taken years of... the same person might not even still be in place in that position.” [35:17]

The essence of Design on a Dime lies in its collaborative spirit, where all items showcased are for sale, raising funds in support of Housing Works’ various programs, including housing, education, and medical services.

Designer Participation and Creative Process

Designers are encouraged to infuse their personal style and creativity within tight deadlines:

“They have about 36 hours from the time that it gets to the loading dock to get into the venue... and you have to kind of reinvent the wheel all over again.” [35:33]

The event fosters a competitive yet philanthropic environment, where designers balance creativity with the practical goal of selling items to support the charity.

Community and Industry Reception

James highlights the overwhelming support from the design community and major brands:

“We're not advertisers. We're not taking out ads. And they're just doing this because I think they believe in the event and they believe in the organization.” [48:32]

Innovative additions like Pillow Talk—where designers create and auction unique pillows—demonstrate the event’s evolving nature and its ability to engage a broader range of creative talents.

Challenges and Future Goals

Despite its success, Design on a Dime faces challenges in securing ongoing corporate sponsorships. James expresses hope for increased support:

“That's absolutely the goal, because I think without them, it's just harder and harder.” [57:25]

The event continues to serve as a crucial platform for designers to showcase their work, gain exposure, and contribute to meaningful social causes.

6. Industry Highlights and Developments

Towards the end of the episode, Fred and Dennis share notable industry happenings:

• Dallas Design Social Event: Fred highlights emerging companies such as Face, Textiles by Smith, and Sorella Glenn, praising their innovative products and aesthetic appeal.

• Minna’s Closure: A somber note is taken on the shutdown of Minna, a beloved textile and home products company:

  “It was really too bad. Really, really liked Minna, really like Sarah.” [60:21]

• Sanderson’s Highgrove Collection: Dennis recounts attending a special event where Sanderson unveiled the Highgrove collection, inspired by King Charles’s private gardens. He praises the long-term vision of Sanderson’s creative director, Claire Vallis:

  “Sanderson has a remarkable creative director, Claire Vallis, who has been there for... more than 25 years.” [60:44]

7. Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a reminder of ongoing industry events and resources available on the Business of Home website. Hosts express gratitude to guests and listeners, emphasizing the community spirit and collaborative efforts that drive the interior design industry forward.

For more insights, updates, and resources, visit businessofhome.com.

Transcript

[Dennis Scully]

This is business of home. I'm Dennis Scully, and welcome to the Thursday show. Later on, I'll be talking to James Hunniford about Design on a dime's 20th anniversary. But first, we're going to catch up on the news, including the latest on tariffs, Kravitz, new showroom strategy, and a major update to ChatGPT. To do all that, I'm joined by business of homes executive editor Fred Nicholas. Hi, Fred.

[Fred Nicholas]

Hi, Denn. How's it going?

[Dennis Scully]

Great. How you doing out there?

[Fred Nicholas]

I'm doing great. I'm here in Dallas for the design social event. I've spent the day talking to lovely people in floral caftans about global trade policy. It's been a fun morning, but it's really fun to be here. And this show will actually go up on Thursday morning. And I'm doing a conversation with Brad Ford on Thursday morning in Dallas. So if you are in the region, please come say hi.

[Dennis Scully]

Indeed. Magically, those things will happen at the same time. The show will drop, and yet you'll be live talking to Brad. It's just gonna blow people's mind.

[Fred Nicholas]

I feel certain it's all happening. Yeah. I've also, while I was here in Dallas, I haven't had my barbecue yet. I'm gonna get around to that.

[Dennis Scully]

Oh, you must?

[Fred Nicholas]

I must. I went to go see American Leather's factory. Holy Hannah. That is quite the setup. We had the president, Veronica, on the show a couple years ago, and, you know, she was talking a big game, but when you see it's like a city, it's pretty cool.

[Dennis Scully]

She's got an impressive operation, that Veronica. I'm so glad that you got to see it. I make that trip as well. But she knows how to run a factory, that one.

[Fred Nicholas]

I'm sure you'd be more than welcome and greeted with cookies at the American Leather factory. Well, let's quickly look back on Monday's episode. A conversation with Richard Christensen of Flamingo Estate. Really interesting one. A little bit of a curveball.

[Dennis Scully]

Little bit of a curveball. You might not expect what's coming in this conversation. So interesting to hear the origin story of Flamingo Estate, but now it's gotten so big. Is it too big? Well, maybe. And Richard wants to have a big company that somehow can act small and somehow scale scarcity and preserve all that is wonderful and magical about what he's built. Man, it's a challenge. What did you think?

[Fred Nicholas]

Yeah, I mean, Flamingo Estate is a really interesting company, and there's something kind of absurd about it. They did like a honey collaboration with LeBron James. I mean, it's definitely kind of an interesting little niche. I found Richard to be so thoughtful in talking about those challenges of getting big while staying small. And also he was just super candid about like, look, customers don't care about sustainability. Get over it. You have to seduce them with beauty and glamour and with celebrity. That's why he has LeBron James doing a little honey capsule collection and why celebrities are involved and why they're excited to be there and why he wants them to be there. So I found it to be a really interesting conversation. It's not really our normal fare because it's not like a fabric or furniture company, but I think there's a lot in there about the philosophy of how to approach business and how to do luxury in there that anyone in our corner of the world can take stuff away from.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, I've had so many people reach out to me who were impacted by the conversation for different reasons. I think your point about sustainability. So many companies are trying to figure out how to talk about that. And as Richard points out, who we should say is a very savvy marketer who ran a world class marketing company for many years, working with lots of luxury goods. And he says, I'll tell you honestly, anytime I talk about sustainability, the numbers go way down.

[Fred Nicholas]

The answer is don't talk about it.

[Dennis Scully]

Yeah, but, but stand for it and so deliver this incredible product. And oh, by the way, you love this honey. Guess what? It's. It's all sustainable. So, I mean, it's a really interesting conversation about how do we not scale some of these companies and. And ruin what is so special about them. We've talked to so many CEOs who are struggling with this same. And we talked to a lot of designers too, who are just trying to figure out can they get bigger without losing what is so special about what they're doing. So, I mean, I think there's a lot in there for all sorts of folks.

[Fred Nicholas]

And the Thursday show is carbon neutral, or at least low carbon impact. I don't want to say neutral, but we're sustainable even though we don't talk about it, right?

[Dennis Scully]

Even though the entire edit team at this moment is traveling to different points around the world. Hopefully not in private jets, but yeah, so much for our carbon neutrality. See. Anyway, we're going to take a quick break and then we'll get into the news. This podcast is sponsored by Jaipor Living. Rooted in purpose and crafted with care since 1978, Jaipor Living has redefined the art of rug making, championing ethical production and environmentally conscious practices every step of the way. They believe that when individuals thrive, society as a whole is elevated. That's why they empower more than 40,000 artisans, 85% of them women, through financial consistency, skill development and education. Discover how they're ensuring they leave the world a better [e-mail] sustainability this podcast is also sponsored by Chelsea House. Chelsea House is excited to announce a major expansion to their lighting line. Crafted from designer requests. At Spring market, they'll add 150 new designs to their already brilliant collection of lamps, sconces, pendants and chandeliers. Each one is priced to maximize designers margins. Ships in days and all are available with no minimum purchase. Discover what's new in lighting at the Chelsea House showroom, 200 N. Hamilton St. April 24 through the 30th. And we're back. The ongoing tariff saga.

[Fred Nicholas]

Fred, if you thought we talked about tariffs too much last week, get ready. Well, anyway, a week ago, President Trump implemented sweeping tariffs across the globe, causing widespread economic chaos. Today, only an hour before we started recording, he rolled back most of those tariffs while also increasing the tax on Chinese goods. What a year this week has been, Dennis.

[Dennis Scully]

Exactly. What a time this has been. We've seen the world come to the brink of destruction, and now as we come on, the air markets are soaring and apparently it was the plan all along.

[Fred Nicholas]

Fred, I wonder if we can just take a second. What is your understanding of the state of play here? And I know it's confusing because even the Wall Street Journal is a little bit confused about what exactly the numbers are. But my understanding is that we've rolled back the global tariffs to 10%. So there still are some tariffs. And it's just that China has been up to 125%. Where are we at the moment, do you think, exactly?

[Dennis Scully]

Basically, the administration is taking the position that we're having ongoing discussions. We're going to put the tariffs that we outlined on the White House lawn that you and I talked about last week on hold for now, other than this straight across the board, 10% tariff. And because China was more aggressive than the administration was hoping for, they're implementing 125% tariff against China. So that's where things stand at the moment. But as we know, it's all subject to change. Much could happen between now and when this show actually comes out tomorrow morning. So we'll see. But there was definitely the feeling that so much was already happening in the way of meaningful discussions that they felt they could come out and announce this 90 day pause.

[Fred Nicholas]

Let's just briefly recap what happened over the past week. Let's start with the stock market. As we talked about right after the announcement in the Rose Garden, RH hopped on for their earnings call. And in a bit of a viral moment, Gary Friedman, the chairman and CEO, literally cursed on the earnings call as he saw his stock drop. But certainly RH wasn't alone. It was just chaos on Wall street for the past week. Right?

[Dennis Scully]

Well, exactly. So all of these companies that are bringing in product from China and Vietnam and countries around the world, they just saw shares plummet. And Gary Friedman, at the time he was looking at the screen, his stock was only down 25%. By the morning it was actually down 40%. The poor guy can only imagine what he said then. But all the companies that we talk about, Williams, Sonoma, Wayfair, all of them were seeing massive stock declines. And we should say in fairness, since we talked about the declines today as we come on the air, because they've put this temporary pause in place, shares of RH are up close to 30%. And lots of the stocks that we saw fall pretty dramatically are also having huge rallies into this. But it's been quite unnerving for the financial markets. And we've heard that a lot of things might be changing in terms of supply chain and other issues. So we'll see.

[Fred Nicholas]

Yeah, I mean, I think we should also say that 30% off the bottom is not quite the same as regaining all the lost ground. I don't think any of these companies, or at least as a recording, I don't think many of these companies have regained the position they had on Tuesday of last week. But we'll certainly see. We may wake up to a different world, as seems to be the case frequently in this day and age. That's Wall Street. What about homestreet? What are we hearing from what about the big import? Been having conversations with them, the people who bring in a lot of goods from China, Vietnam, Indonesia, everywhere.

[Dennis Scully]

A lot of conversation and it's interesting, a lot of people trying to get a much clearer sense on both what they already have on the water, as many people have things already on the way. And they got word that whatever's already coming isn't going to be impacted by the tariffs. And everybody really reluctant to try and say we're increasing prices versus can we come up with some kind of a surcharge? Can we find some language that implies that we might not necessarily keep this increase in place, it might be temporary. Again, they're trying to figure it out in much the same way we are and companies, we're hearing all sorts of things from different supply lines, but really hoping not to have to put a 46% price increase in place. As we talk about the tariffs against Vietnam, for example, I will say all.

[Fred Nicholas]

Over the past week I've been having conversations with people at all different corners of the industry and the general reaction was this kind of panic because no one thought the numbers would be this big. But then an immediate pause. People were just thinking, I can't do business assuming that there's going to be 46% tariffs on Vietnam. That's just going to completely change my company. I have to wait at least a week, maybe a month to find out where these numbers land, then I can move. Especially because we have to keep in mind people knew that these tariffs in some form were coming. And people spent all of the first quarter of the year moving out of China because that was the presumed target. The idea that they would spend the next quarter completely reorganizing it entirely differently was just too much for some people. I didn't really hear anyone saying that they were going to Resource, as it's called based on last Wednesday's numbers, and they turned out to be correct. These numbers were very temporary. They didn't even really go into effect. I guess the one distinction though is that there is still a huge huge tariff on China. When you stack up the aluminum and steel and the numbers that were there before brands that are stuck in China. I'm thinking of the lighting companies that have a hard time getting out and people who do hand knotted rugs and people not to call them out. But Fromenthal, who does a lot of hand painted wallpapers in China, they're still in a tricky position.

[Dennis Scully]

Oh absolutely. And I think what's been interesting is to see again, you talked about this a lot, about the fact that some of these Chinese companies simply move some of their oper to Vietnam and to some other places. And the administration was aware of that. And I think that that's why China is so much the focus. And that's why initially you saw those big numbers against Vietnam, because they thought really we're still just talking mostly about China. And so now it seems like, okay, if it's really going to be the US and China still a major issue for a lot of the companies that we talk to. And I talked to a lot of companies that were getting ready to come to High Point market In just a few weeks, thinking, how are we going to talk about pricing? What's going to be on the floor? How are we going to tell people what to expect? I mean, there's, there's a great deal of confusion.

[Fred Nicholas]

It's going to be the most interesting high point market since the housing crisis. Several people told me, I don't know, that's a good thing or a bad thing? Probably. Probably a mixed thing. Yeah. I mean, like there are people in China, for example, who have, you know, orders that designers place for their clients like weeks ago. And, you know, you have products that takes a long time to complete. You know, they may have charged $10,000 upfront. You know, when they first place the order, it won't be finished until a month. Now imagine telling your client, hey, guess what? That thing you paid for is now double the price. It places these people in a very complicated bind. There are small players who are really going to be hurt by this. If you have the margin to suck up losses like that, or you can move production around, you're in a good spot. But if you're a small, even to medium sized company and you're stuck in China, this is still a very rough situation. I'm thinking, of course, of the enamel producer, the Crow Canyon Home, who talked about how even the 20% tariff was extreme and she couldn't get out of China. We should definitely check in with her because she's exactly the kind of person who's most affected by this. But what about designers themselves? Caroline Burke, a producer on the show, wrote a great story today talking about how designers are reacting to this. Have you been having chats with people out there, Dennis?

[Dennis Scully]

Some people trying to be very proactive and send out notifications to their clients saying, listen, I might not be able to hold these prices even over the next few weeks because things are moving so rapidly, but wanting to make sure clients are very much aware of this and what it might mean. And again, it sounded like designers were hearing a lot of different things from their partners about whether they were planning to increase prices, whether they were waiting, whether there was going to be some kind of a surcharge. What have been some of your conversations with designers?

[Fred Nicholas]

Everyone is getting blitzed with emails right now, just saying, like, hey, like we're here for you, or hey, we're here for you and we're raising prices 10%. So it's a little bit hard, I think, for designers to keep track and everybody, like, look, everybody's waiting to sort of just see where these numbers settle and Then we can learn a little bit more. But I think, like, the smart thing to do right now is stay tight with your vendors, stay tight with your clients. Explain to them what's going on. You know, you may need to have a tariff surcharge. And I also think, like, several people talked about how they can only guarantee pricing for a certain amount of time. I was struck by some people moved it from 30 days to two weeks, and there was one designer who moved it to 48 hours, which is very. It's crazy when you think about that. It's like imagine a grocery store saying, we can't guarantee the price of a can of Coke for more than 48 hours. It's pretty wild. I think that ideally will stabilize in the weeks ahead, but right now, I just think an abundance of communication is the smart move for everyone involved.

[Dennis Scully]

Moving on. Let's talk about Kravitz's new showroom strategy, shall we? By the end of summer, the fabric company plans to open four new showroom locations in Birmingham, Alabama, Charleston, South Carolina, Watermill, New York, and Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

[Fred Nicholas]

Yeah, Basking Ridge. Haven't been there. Got a lovely name. Makes me want to go. Baskin. Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

[Dennis Scully]

I was wondering if you'd be able to resist that one, Fred. Now we have our answer.

[Fred Nicholas]

When the pun's right in front of you. Yeah, this was sort of interesting. I suspect this plan was a little bit probably in place before Kravit. A majority stake of Kravit was acquired by that PE giant earlier this year. But I do think, look, when you have the backing of this company with billions of dollars, as they do now, probably they're going to be making more moves like this. Expanding, getting into more locations, secondary tertiary markets. I think it's really interesting to see, and I'm sure that a lot of the other big fabric players, your Thiebauds, your Fabricuts, your Schum, are wondering, do we need to go to Basking Ridge, New Jersey? Do we need to be opening up in these markets as well? So this is just sort of a. I don't know if it's specifically related to the acquisition, but I'm sure having that backing makes them even more confident to try this kind of thing.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, first of all, clearly, you and I both need to go to Basking Ridge, New Jersey. That's obvious, and I look forward to that day trip with you. But I think this speaks to this whole suburban strategy that I actually think is very interesting. And I recall in my conversation with Peter Salak talking about water works and where they might show up in different RH locations. And he at the time was thinking, okay, well, this actually might be a very helpful way for us to ease into some of the suburban markets that we wouldn't normally put ourselves. But we can show up there in a meaningful way, and I think it's very smart for these companies. To your point, you've got to have the wherewithal to be able to show up in some of these markets. But we hear more and more, if you can show up in a place that doesn't have a great big design center nearby and you can shorten a trip for some designers who might have to travel quite a ways, it can make a meaningful difference. So I think there's a lot to this strategy. Yeah.

[Fred Nicholas]

And we should say this is unorthodox. Mostly design brands look for sort of the comfort and the safety of numbers. They want to be where other design brands are. So Kravita is going to places where they're not necessarily next to a furniture store or next to even a competitor. So it is definitely kind of a bold strategy and an interesting one. We were talking just before we hit record about how this might be sort of a Covid thing, about how the COVID migration patterns push people more into the suburbs and into secondary markets. And so, of course, Kravet wants to be there. And I do think that there really is a strength in being where people are. I mean, I know that sounds obvious, but I think we get used to being in the big cities and designers saying, like, ah, rep. Stop coming and visiting me. Like, I've had enough, you know, cupcakes. I don't need any more samples. But when you get outside of, you know, New York and la, designers are a little underserved and having, you know, a place that you can pop down to really easily to get samples and do some, you know, have a meeting with clients, I think is a huge boon to those brands. And it's something that, you know, those designers will really react to. And I think that, you know, it's smart to have a really compact type thing. You know, the Shade store has basically rolled out the same model. I mean, I think they have something like 120 locations at this point. They're a very different kind of business. But, you know, it's an interesting strategy, and I'm really curious to see if other brands follow suit. I know Schumacher is on the street a little bit more now, but it just sort of speaks to the shifting geography of the design industry and Also all the way that the major players are trying to get into it.

[Dennis Scully]

You mentioned the Shade Store. I live here in Bronxville. The Shade Store is right down the street and I've been by there quite a bit. I think these strategies do make a lot of sense because I think a lot of times too, the end user might be there and it's a way for.

[Fred Nicholas]

It's a billboard.

[Dennis Scully]

Exactly. So I mean, I think there's a lot of reasons that this strategy could work and I think it's a smart move on Kravitz's part to be sure. All right, moving on. Let's talk about ChatGPT getting an upgrade. OpenAI has unveiled a new and improved version of its image generator tool which can now handle detailed, complex and unusual instructions.

[Fred Nicholas]

And I think you've already put those unusual instructions to work. You were just posting on Instagram. What were you using it to make?

[Dennis Scully]

Dennis I have created an AI generated version of myself and of a fabulous action figure that I think many listeners are going to want to order in time for the holidays. I'm hoping I can get them ready for High Point. We'll see. It's a pretty fun tool, Fred. I'm not going to lie.

[Fred Nicholas]

I think just sort of like looking at AI and interior design in general. When these tools first started rolling out a couple of years ago, they kind of all suffered from three problems and I'm going to go through them really quickly. One was that when AI would redesign a room, it would move a window and move a door and make everything smaller or bigger. It just wouldn't respect the architectural envelope of the space. The second problem was that you couldn't make fine tune changes. You couldn't say hey, just change that chair to green. It would basically recreate the space from scratch every time, which is very frustrating. Then the third problem is that it doesn't put in real product into the room. It doesn't give you a new sofa that you can go then click to buy from room and board. And I'll say that this new update definitely you can preserve the architectural envelope of the room pretty well. It does make little changes. You couldn't use it for CAD drawings, but it's pretty good. And most impressively, it has gotten much, much better at making these fine tuned changes. I was sort of putting it through its paces this morning and I took a picture of my hotel room and I said hey, make the curtains red and it did a pretty good job. And I said, hey, replace my desk chair with a Barcelona chair and it did that very well. So this is definitely a step.

[Dennis Scully]

No, it's a huge step forward. And I think we've had a couple of different guests on recently talking about AI, and the gentleman that we had on from Presti was talking about this very issue of you want to try and make everything stay exactly the same, except for this one subtle change. But every time you went to make some kind of a change, it would just randomly change things. And I will say that it made AI generated Dennis heavier and older than he actually is. I want to make that clear.

[Fred Nicholas]

Something's broken then.

[Dennis Scully]

Yes, yes. But the issue though, I think, is the remarkable ease of use. We think back to the Photoshop days and we think back to people working with all of these different software programs and having to learn all of these elaborate instructions and the ease of use. The bar that it's gotten over there is really quite remarkable to the whole issue of should designers worry about this? This, I don't think that they have a lot to worry about in terms of the kind of detailed work that it can create. And I saw that our friend Catherine O'Shea Evans was writing about this and talking to designers about should they be concerned, Are they going to be replaced? And it seemed like the designers again stressed, as I think we often do, that it's a great tool and it can be inspiring and it can be helpful.

[Fred Nicholas]

Yes, I don't think designers should worry. I mean, my standard is always, can AI get the painter to show up on time? And if it can't, the designers are somewhat protected. But I mean, in all seriousness, it is a very simple interface, but it's still a little kludgy. You have to kind of sit there and go, what am I really trying to change? You have to sort of understand how the AI's brain works. I think the ease of use is up there for just getting a basic idea. But I still think most designers are really going to use a rendering program to make all the changes in concert they need with each other. I think it's really helpful for just dialing up a look really quickly. I think it probably, probably will empower some clients to feel like they know what they want, and darn it, they want this as opposed to their designer. But I think designers have been dealing with that for a long time. So I don't know if this is really game changing. I do think, candidly, that some rendering agencies will have some issues with this. I think that, again, it's not quite as maneuverable and manipulable as actual rendering Software. But I'm sure some people are just, this is probably good enough in a way that some rendering companies are going to feel the impact of this. So I think they're the ones most vulnerable to these updates. But again, I don't know. You know, real interior design is project management. It's relationships. It's making it work in real life. I do think this is a tool, but I would just say, like, lastly, just try it. I mean, that's one thing. The final message, just see what it can do. Sign up for ChatGPT. I think you can get it at the free tier because I think it's helpful to understand how it works. Even if you're not actually going to use it, just seeing what it's capable of is a good idea.

[Dennis Scully]

Absolutely. Even if it makes you look heavier and older in the end. So don't be afraid of that. Moving on, we're going to talk about creative direction.

[Fred Nicholas]

Fred For Women's Wear Daily this week, Sophia Celeste consulted top furniture and decor experts on how creative direction differs in home and fashion. And my starting question is, is there creative direction in home? It's much less common in home brands than it is in fashion brands.

[Dennis Scully]

Much less common or much less celebrated, much less called out. I mean, what's your, what's your sense?

[Fred Nicholas]

Well, I've often wondered about this, and you and I have actually talked about this, maybe even when a microphone was on here and there, about how it's sort of interesting how fashion companies have these mercurial people who have one name who lead the brand for a couple years, and home brands typically do not have that person. And why is the discrepancy there? I think there are some examples, largely for European companies. They do have creative directors. I know, like Piero is one, but I don't know. I mean, I don't know. Does West Elm have a creative director? If so, I don't know the name of that person. If they have these people, they're not putting them out front and center and trying to make them into a star the way that fashion brands do. And Sophia talked about some of the reasons why that might be. It was interesting, actually. One of the sort of takeaways from her piece was maybe the question is really more like why do fashion brands have creative directors? Because they can. Cause they come in for two years, break everything, someone else has to come and fix it. It can be very disruptive. It can be very hard to roll with these changes. And maybe we should be looking in the other direction.

[Dennis Scully]

I don't Know, Well, I mean, exactly what was interesting. And I went into this article candidly thinking it was all about one thing. I thought it was going to be about the conversation that you and I so often have. That's, hey, why aren't more people better known in the furniture industry as being the creative directors? But this was really all about, well, here's the collaborative approach that the furniture industry talked about, that it isn't just about celebrating this one creative person, but that it's all about this process. And because this process can often take years, product development and the product to actually arrive, that the same person might not even still be in place in that position. So that's a great reason for you to not want to call out that specific person. But also, is it about building a brand for the company or celebrating this individual? And I do think from a branding perspective, that's a really interesting dilemma.

[Fred Nicholas]

Yeah, I mean, there's just so many different ways to think about this. And I think that one of the other reasons is simply that the cadence of fashion is so much faster. Trends seem to come and go so quickly. I think home brands would feel a little bit stressed out by having someone who was trying to make changes quickly and dramatically. And for a million reasons, the production process is more complicated, yada, yada. So I think the way that it is now makes sense. I will say this, though. We always talk about how you pull the average person off the street. Ask them to name fashion brands that go on for an hour, ask them to name home brands. They go on for 30 seconds. I think part of that is because having this person at the head of the company draws people's attention to that person and makes them remember the brand. I would be really curious to see a major brand, especially US brand, to really try it and to see them try and put somebody forward as this is the creative genius behind our name. We're going to get them to do a bunch of interviews, we're going to get them in the media and see if it made a meaningful difference for their business. I know it's a little bit risky, but it's an experiment that I don't have to accept any of the consequences for, but I would love to see somebody try.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, I mean, it's been fascinating to watch the transformation at Schumacher, for example, since Derek Caponigro came in and making a big announcement. Derek Caponigro is coming in and she is going to touch every part of this business, business. And so we've seen collections introduced in a new way. We've seen a magazine introduced, we've seen it treated like a media company in a lot of ways. And everybody knows this is Dara's hand at work. So that, in my mind, is an example of that working in a big way. I think it can be a risk. What if that hadn't worked? What if everyone didn't like all the changes? So, I mean, it seems to have paid off in a big way there. I'm always interested with Kravet that has this huge stable of brands that used to be big leadership brands. Dongia and Brunswig.

[Fred Nicholas]

Dongia is a great example of that. Yeah.

[Dennis Scully]

Yeah. I mean, and Angelo Dongia was a figure that so many people looked up to and idolized and, and really respected. And it's hard when he's no longer there. It's hard when you don't know who the big creative force is behind Brunswig. And that's the risk.

[Fred Nicholas]

Yeah. I can't imagine Kravitz going to turn to its new PE investors and say, here's our big idea. An enigmatic, mercurial person to run everything. But you never know. I don't know, maybe just if the right person comes along. I hear AI Dennis Scully is looking for work, so maybe he can apply to some of these jobs.

[Dennis Scully]

He's going to be big. Keep an eye on AI Dennis Gulley. He's going to be very big. All right, that's it for the news, but there's plenty more to check out on businessofhome.com including the latest new hires in the industry and Boh's guide to spring High point market. We'll be back in a minute, but first a quick break. Jaipur Living's award winning art and sustainability initiative, Manchah empowers rural Indian artisans to craft one of a kind rugs from leftover yarn, reducing waste and celebrating true artisanry. Each vibrant rug tells a story inspired by history, culture and environment, embodying creativity. Learn more about this collection and shop the one of a kind [e-mail] for the newly expanded Chelsea House lighting line, designer Jamie Merida drew on decades of experience as a successful retailer and interior Designer to create 80 new products that strike a perfect balance of elegance and functionality. See Jamie's brightest new ideas in the Chelsea house showroom at 200 N. Hamilton St. April 24 through the 30th. All available at designer friendly prices with no minimums required. And we're back. I'm joined now by renowned interior designer James Honiford and you tell me, is it the founding chair of Design On a Dime, Ford? Is that your title? Is that your lofty title?

[James Hunniford]

It is the founding chair of Design on a Dime.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, I'm so glad to have you here.

[James Hunniford]

Thank you, Dennis. Thank you for having me. And thank you for your ongoing support for this incredible cause.

[Dennis Scully]

Really excited to talk to you about it. As you well know, this is one of my personal favorite events, and it has been for years. I was trying to think back to the very beginning of Design on a Dime, but. But before we even jump into the history and all of that, I want to. I want to tell people a little bit about you, Ford, Your history, what you've done in the industry all these years, and then we can get to how this event began. So let's talk about you, shall we?

[James Hunniford]

Sure.

[Dennis Scully]

Tell me how long you've been in the industry.

[James Hunniford]

I've been in the industry for about 30 years, maybe a little bit more.

[Dennis Scully]

Okay.

[James Hunniford]

Yes. I started my own firm in 2008 at the same time I had my first child on my own, so it was a busy year.

[Dennis Scully]

So. So you've been in the design industry for a long time and somewhere along the way you decide that you want to give back to the community? You tell me.

[James Hunniford]

Yes, I thought it was an important time. AIDS crisis was in full tilt. There were so many people affected in our industry, any creative industry, by AIDS and hiv, and I thought it was. Was time to see if I could help make a difference in other people's lives. Home has always been such an important part of my life and, you know, so many people's lives that, that I work for, and just in general, as. As the design community feels the same way. And I thought trying to find a way to have the interior design world gather together to have an impact and create a difference and offer a second chance for housing and home and find that way to make that opportunity happen.

[Dennis Scully]

And were you working with Housing Works at the time? Were you familiar with the organization?

[James Hunniford]

I was involved with Housing Works doing some volunteer work. And, you know, I was more interested in a grassroots organization that was downtown. It was not fashionable at the time to be doing, you know, you know, raising money for AIDS and hiv. There were other organizations that were kind of already on their way, and, and, and I think that there was an opportunity with Housing Works to know, blend together what their mission is and, and, and interior designers and what, you know, our goals or missions are and, and try to find a way to bridge that together. And I, I had a meeting with Charles King, who's the. One of the founders of Housing Works. And, and I talked to him about this idea and, you know, he thought it would be a great idea. And so, you know, the first one was at the, the thrift store on 23rd street with, I think, four designers. And it was basically, you know, a glorified garage sale, not even a tag sale.

[Dennis Scully]

And so that was the original concept. And designers were doing vignettes basically out of the thrift store, if I recall.

[James Hunniford]

Yes, yes. You know, there were four or five of us at each individual yet. And that's kind of was, you know, that's how it all started.

[Dennis Scully]

And how did we get from there to the, to the Metropolitan Pavilion and this big, almost like a design show house in this, in this giant space? Yes.

[James Hunniford]

Yeah. You know, it's taken years of, you know, the interior design world and interior designers embracing this idea of being supportive, not taking no for an answer. And there were, you know, some important people like Sharon Simonair and Calvin so. And Charlotte Moss, who, you know, and Miles Red were at the front line of the early stages of this that really, you know, got behind it.

[Dennis Scully]

And how, how do you describe what Design on a Dime is to. To people that are not familiar with the event, to. To designers who want to lear. How do you describe it? How do you tell people what it's all about?

[James Hunniford]

I describe Design on a Dime as a showcase for creativity, as a philanthropic opportunity to give back to the community and a sense of collaboration with interior designers that in a somewhat competitive world, an industry isn't the case with this. It's not about who's going to get the best room. It's about whose creativity is going to like, you know, flush out in what way. Not like a show house where, you know, if you get the living room, you know, you're, you're, you've arrived, whereas if you get a fourth floor like room and on the. It's just a different sensibility. Whereas this is not that it's not about the most expensive piece of furniture that you can get. It's about. About the creative process.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and to that point, one of the things that's also very different from a traditional show house is that just about everything in the space is ultimately going to be for sale. And so you're also thinking about this room that you're putting together that you're ultimately going to sell off the night of the event.

[James Hunniford]

Yeah, I mean, I think that is, you know, great that so many designers go to their suppliers and their vendors and their craftsmen and their upholsterers to get things, you know, donated for this cause. It's like pieces of a puzzle that they assemble. And a lot of times, I know from my own experience, it doesn't come together till, like, before they're, you know, letting people in and where is.

[Dennis Scully]

Where is everything coming from? I know a lot of things are actually pulled from housing, work, thrift stores, but then a lot of designers are just finding stu stuff and bringing them into their space.

[James Hunniford]

It's been amazing how the interior design industry has embraced this event and this organization. And I remember early on, you know, Robert Stillen had this incredible Andre Arbous sideboard in his. In his vignette, and it was just like the showstopper and, you know, seeing Alessandra Branca doing a double vignette and kind of just packing it with all of her things. Or Stephen Gambrell, who's. Those iconic rooms. And one of his clients donated a bunch of things from one of the projects that he designed for him. And all of a sudden I was like, well, we need to make him front row center when you walk in. Or Cliff Fong getting a pair of light fixtures that were in Diane Keaton's kitchen somewhere at one of our houses. Houses. You know, I think that's the fun part of this event, of the. The things that are donated. And. And, you know, I think people have fun and enjoy participating in this event because there's no kind of guardrails as far as their. What they. What they can create or what they want to create.

[Dennis Scully]

Yeah, it's. It's interesting. I mean, no guardrails is. Is a great way to describe it. People. People really sort of put themselves out there and. And come up with fun themes for the rooms. And so many designers. You mentioned Miles Red and so many of his rooms stick out in my memory over the years of him just going over the top and really pouring himself into these spaces.

[James Hunniford]

And I think the interesting thing about Miles is people now know that his double vignette is the go to. And they line up, up, and it's just, you know, like 50 people deep to get in to just get, you know, something from that room. And the, you know, kind of grabbing for a price tag to be able to secure something is just unreal.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and we should. We should explain again to people who haven't had the fun of. Of going to the event that. So the rooms are all put together, and if I remember, I mean, they only have a day or two to kind of piece Everything together that they get into that space, right?

[James Hunniford]

Yes. They have, you know, about 36 hours from the time that it gets to the loading dock to get into the venue to get their walls painted, wallpaper up, carpets installed, light fixtures hung, art on walls, furniture in place. You know, and then if something doesn't work or doesn't fit, then you have to kind of reinvent the wheel all over again.

[Dennis Scully]

Right. So a lot of times you thought it was going to fit, you thought it was going to work, and then you have to rework it all in the space of just a few hours. And then there's a big event and people get to come through and preview and everything in the space has a price tag and everything is going to be sold. The night of the big grand opening.

[James Hunniford]

Yes. On the Thursday night and the. That I've seen people line up around the block.

[Dennis Scully]

Yes.

[James Hunniford]

From the Metropolitan Pavilion to 6th Avenue and wrap around and kind of just line up before the vignettes. They actually cut the ribbons to do that. And it's just like a mad rush.

[Dennis Scully]

It's this crazy crowd, as you say, that lines up around the block in both directions with people waiting to get in. There's all sorts of layers of different tickets and when you might get access. And if you're lucky enough to get in a little bit ahead of time, you can run around and quickly see the spaces and start to put your list together of things that you want to buy. I have often, Ford, at events past, been stationed by different people who would say to me, now, Dennis, I need you to go and stand by that sofa in this vignette, right. So that we can make. Make sure that we're the first people to actually get to buy it. And it hasn't always worked out. I'll tell you, there've been a lot of heartbreaks, a lot of disappointments. Some people shared some stories with me last night when I told them I was going to be speaking with you about, oh, the giant David Bowie print that they thought they were going to get and, ah, they didn't get it. There were a lot of people who had dreams shattered because somebody would try.

[James Hunniford]

To rebuy things from somebody who was able to secure. And then five minutes later, they're trying to like, offer them twice as much money.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and interestingly, it sounds like over the years some designers have been on the fence or you haven't been able to sell them on the idea. I mean, should we call some people out for it? Should we mention some people? I don't Know, I mean, you know.

[James Hunniford]

I think there's always doubters, and it's interesting to see some of the doubters show up and kind of, like, see what it's all about, and then, you know, decide that they want to get on board. And then there's, you know, some people 20 years later who still won't get on board, and, you know, it's just the way it is.

[Dennis Scully]

So is that right? So are there people that you've been asking for years, and they're still. They don't want to get involved because.

[James Hunniford]

They don't want to return a phone call.

[Dennis Scully]

Really? Well, so.

[James Hunniford]

Really.

[Dennis Scully]

So is it. So what is that about, do you think? Does it just seem like it's such a different kind of event for them than a traditional show house, or what is it?

[James Hunniford]

You know, I think everybody has a different perspective and a different purpose, and I think that this has found its following, and it's, you know, a large group of designers who have embraced this. So I look at it that way in a good way, rather than what it's not.

[Dennis Scully]

Yeah, I was just curious because, I mean, and I was speaking with Nick Olson just recently, who, again, this is one of his absolute favorite events. And in part because I think. And I think of he and Miles and others who just. It's a chance to throw your personality, your wit, your personal style into things. I think so many designers that I've spoken to have loved finding some great piece at some special price that they know they can sell and. Right. And make good money for. I remember one designer was, like, telling me how he, you know, he had this whole list, and I want to be sure that nothing's going to be too expensive and won't sell that night. And, you know, I have to be very conscious of it. But, I mean, it just seems like it's this wonderful community event where everybody loves seeing each other's work and their creative finds, and everybody feels like they're getting to work on behalf of this wonderful cause. Housing works. And also, it just. It's a who's who event. I mean, the night of the event is one of the most packed scenes in New York City. I mean, it's like the old club scene back in the day when behind the velvet rope, you know, people waiting to get in, and you can't believe. And not even just the design scene, but there's often celebrities and all these other people that have showed up to either support or to shop as you.

[James Hunniford]

Well, now, I mean, I think people like to come to it they like to support it because it's fun and it's for a good cause. And, you know, it is a sense of community. And I think it really, you know, speaks volumes about the interior design world and how when we all join together, what a difference and what an impact we can make.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and thinking about some of these designers who are on the fence about this and, and I really want to try and get some of those people on board. So. So. Because, I mean, I just, again, I just think A, it's a great cause, B, it's such a fun event. And also I just think so many designers have talked to me about just how it uses a different muscle, it uses a different skill set. You just approach this kind of a room. Room differently than you would for Kips Bay or for some other show house that you might be participating in.

[James Hunniford]

Yes, absolutely. You know, I think that's what it's all about. And you know, it's also interesting a lot of the big brands, you know, who've gotten behind this, you know, from this year, you know, Kravit and Brunswick have been. Become a, you know, a major sponsor. And it's started with, you know, the people on their team have been longtime dime, you know, Housing works and designer dime supporters. And I think they come up with this idea to do this whole, like, mini, like flea market, you know, vignette story with five designers and, and kind of using all their kind of iconic Brunswick fabrics. And. And you know, that's just going to be a huge moment. And, and Brunswick, you know, is. Is such an iconic brand and, and Benjamin Moore has been, you know, a long time paint sponsor where there's other, you know, brands that have not been so supportive and, and I haven't really ever understood why. But, you know, hopefully in time, you know, they'll. They'll get behind it and support it because I think it is for a good cause and it has a lot of impact. For a photographer who's doing. Gonna photograph 50 vignettes at, you know, a very discounted rate. Great. But, you know, hopefully the goal is that other designers will want to hire them to photograph their projects and how meaningful that is. And, you know, the crossover from the financial world to the art world to design community to, you know, big brands and small brands and it's, you know, sometimes, you know, the smaller boutique businesses who have been the most generous and then a slew of antique dealers that, you know, that also has been, you know, amazing of the things that they have donated.

[Dennis Scully]

And then this year, you're doing some whole sort of pillow talk tie in. There's a whole bunch of designers who are making pillows and having a separate auction for that, if I understand.

[James Hunniford]

Yeah, you know, that's like one of the new elements of the event, and I'm very excited that they're. She did not skip a beat without saying yes, I would love to participate, and she would love to do that. And Schumacher and Frederick have gotten behind this idea to do kind of a freestanding event called Pillow Talk. And Dara asked 50 designers to each design a pillow, and they've generously donated their time and their workroom's time, and Schumacher has donated the fabrics and the trim and giving them a blank slate to create whatever they want. And I think that, you know, is another element of maybe designers. You know, it's a new point of entry to get involved with the event. And, you know, just, you know, everybody's busy and that everybody's been able to make time to fit this into their schedules. And I've seen some of the pillows, and they're just incredible. And, you know, Friday sometime, there's going to be an unveiling because Housing Works has agreed to do a window with the Schumacher and Frederick team two weeks before the actual event.

[Dennis Scully]

Ah, fantastic.

[Fred Nicholas]

All right.

[James Hunniford]

You know, and I think that's how these kind of things get. They stay fresh and they become, you know, more interesting.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, and I think. And that's a great point, and I think, as you were saying earlier, it's sometimes brands need help when it comes to thinking about big ideas or a way into an event, because I know that you've tried to get some other people on board, and they've stayed on the fence, unfortunately, but maybe this year we can coax some of them in.

[James Hunniford]

That's what it seems like. And it's really thrilling to be able to see that it's getting that kind of traction. And, you know, the. The media also, not only you have been, you know, so supportive over the years on so many different levels, but, you know, the other publications, too, from, you know, Ad Pro to El Decor and Hearst to House Beautiful, and, you know, first dibs. And there's just been such, you know, such love from the media community. And, you know, we're not advertisers. We're not taking out ads. And they're just doing this because I think they believe in the event and they believe in the organization, and they believe in the sense of community for the designers.

[Dennis Scully]

Yeah, yeah. No, no, no. And I was trying to remember some of the really great rooms. And I was trying to think about designers that broke through somehow because of their participation in design on a dime. What stands out in your mind when you think back?

[James Hunniford]

You know, I think there's been so many. I think that, you know, Charlotte's rooms have always been, you know, interesting. I think that Miles, you know, Miles rooms have always been incredible. And there's just so many over the years that I think have been impactful for, you know, on so many different levels of creativity.

[Dennis Scully]

Yeah. I mean, as we were saying earlier, I think that many designers, Designers use this as a way often to redefine themselves or to surprise people about their space and do something that you wouldn't necessarily think to. Your point, is Charlotte Moss or is some of these other designers and how they otherwise might present themselves?

[James Hunniford]

You know, I have a friend named Mike Mazzano, who's a young designer who started his business recently, and he did a vignette last year. And he's said it really helped, you know, get some traction for his career, and it was an ability for him to create a room which, you know, a lot of young designers want that kind of platform. And it's, you know, something you can see in person, and they're there and they can, like, mingle and meet people. And, you know, it's not like social media where you're dealing with air. It's in person and it's live and it's real, and there's no filter and there's no edit button. So, you know, I think that's, that, that has a lot of value.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, so tell me how you think about the designers that you ask to be involved. Tell me how you think about the selection process.

[James Hunniford]

Look at, they're all creative, they're all talented. You know, this year we have 50 designers. Some are doing doubles, some are doing triples. And I think that it's a balance of different people's sensibility, how they're all going to, like, stack up and, you know, who's going to be taking the risks and, and the chances and, and, and who's going to be putting in the effort. And, you know, I, I, I think that all the designers that I've seen over the years have really given it their all. And I think their, their teams and their staff, you know, they like to roll up their sleeves and dig into it and, and, you know, come up with ideas that are inspiring and unique and, and that they're on board with it. Nobody's just calling it in.

[Dennis Scully]

Yeah, no, no, no. I mean, I was at the Kips Bay President's Dinner the other night, and one of the Design on a Dime designers was showing me all of her inspiration and her mood board for her room. And she was so excited about it, and she's like, I found this. I found this. I think this is going to work.

[James Hunniford]

And whoever thought that, you know, designers are making mood boards for this event?

[Dennis Scully]

Well, exactly. I mean, and I think, again, I think so many designers just love the challenge of. There's, There's a. There's a scrappy element to it in a way. There's a. There's a different. There's almost like a merchant sensibility that you. That you bring to your design on a dial.

[James Hunniford]

You know, I think that that says a lot about the scrappiness is, you know, I, for myself, I moved to New York with, you know, a suitcase and a, you know, you know, a lot of dreams. And I think that New York gives creative people an opportunity and a platform and. And hopefully this is a way for all of us, you know, who moved here for that dream, you know, a sensibility to be able to give it back. And, you know, I was at a. A theater fundraiser last night for Miscast for the mcc. And, you know, there was just such parallels for the design community and the theater world of how they were all, you know, gathering together to make a car, to create a, you know, a difference for other people in, you know, for an important cause.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, so. So tell me, tell me what happens for the charity as a result of this event.

[James Hunniford]

You know, the charity is about. There's an educational program for people who need to get back into the job, training program. There's an educational program, there are housing facilities, there are medical programs, and there's a lot of different, you know, elements of housing works that impact people and give them a second chance. And I think for me, it's always about how do we create another opportunity for someone else.

[Dennis Scully]

Yeah, I mean, it seems like so much of what the charity has become about is the combination of housing and, as you say, support and reentry and education and anything that somebody who is struggling with this would need.

[James Hunniford]

Absolutely. And, you know, I. I think that there's huge opportunities ahead, hopefully for, for more companies and, and to get behind this. And, you know, Jim Druckmann has been a longtime supporter of Designing a Dime and, and Housing Works. And, you know, he's been extremely generous, you know, along with, you know, a lot of our honorees, you know, from Bob Chavez, who was the founder, you know, the chairman of Hermes to Andy Cohen to so many designers. And even Darren Walker from the Ford foundation, we honored him and in Iman and so many groundbreakers that have been not hesitant about saying yes.

[Dennis Scully]

It sounds like you're hoping some more corporate sponsors are going to come in once. Once they see everything that's going on this year.

[James Hunniford]

Yes, I mean, that's absolutely the goal, you know, because I think without them, you know, it's just harder and harder. And just in today's world, in the economy and, you know, I think they all need to make an effort. You know, the design community is extremely generous and very supportive of a lot of brands, and I think the brands, you know, kind of could give back.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, so let's tell people when the event. Because there's a little preview, right. And then the event. So let's tell people exactly when it is.

[James Hunniford]

Well, there's an honorees dinner on the 23rd. Okay. And then the shopping event starts on the 24th. There is usually an hour preview, and then it's that evening of Thursday, and then it's all day Friday and all day on Saturday.

[Dennis Scully]

It is a tremendous event. So I hope that a lot of people will turn out for it. By those times, tickets line up around the block so that they can come and participate in it, because you're going to see some of your favorite designers really outdo themselves in terms of creativity and energy, and you get to buy everything that's in the room. So who doesn't want to participate in that?

[James Hunniford]

Thank you, Dennis. I'm so grateful to you. And it really is like a homecoming for the design community. It's kind of how I would sum it up.

[Dennis Scully]

Well, exactly, exactly. I mean, it really is a big community event, and so I'm really looking forward to it. And I thank you again for making the time to talk to me.

[James Hunniford]

Thank you. Thank you so much.

[Dennis Scully]

And we're back. We're getting to the end of the show here, but before we go, we'd like to take a second to highlight anything going on in the industry that might have caught our eye. Fred, what caught your eye?

[Fred Nicholas]

Well, I'm down here in Dallas for the design Social event, as we mentioned, and there's lots of great lines, great people showing cool product here at the event. We'll not be able to name all of them, unfortunately, but I had a lot of great conversations this morning, and I wanted just to shout out a few people. There's this woman who does this great textile company called Face, F, A Y C E. These really beautiful textural Wallpapers and fabrics. This company called Textiles by Smith, really beautiful floral textiles and wallpaper. And. And also this company called Sorella Glenn that does these really chic little lampshades. Definitely made me want one. So it's fun just to be here at the event and see this stuff, you know, up close and personal, as opposed to seeing it on my Instagram feed, as I normally take a new product. But also just sort of on a sadder note, I don't know if you saw on Instagram the note that Sarah of Minna was going to be sort of pausing or shutting down operations. Minna is a great company that does these textiles and home products made by artisans, largely in Latin America. And she just announced that, you know, it just hadn't been fun recently and business had been rough, so she was closing the brand, which is really too bad. Really, really liked Minna, really like Sarah. I'm sure she'll be back in some form, but was just sad to see that. I don't know if you saw it.

[Dennis Scully]

I did see that and I was very sad to see that news. I know she's given it a great deal of thought and she's. She's faced a variety, variety of different challenges, but I hope that we do see her come back in some other incarnation because she has a lot to share with the world. So I'm a big fan and I wish her the best.

[Fred Nicholas]

Same. What caught your eye this week?

[Dennis Scully]

I got to go to a really special event this past Friday at the British residence over at UN Plaza and. And be presented with the Highgrove collection that Sanderson has just come out with. And it's based on King Charles's private garden at Highgrove. And Sanderson was given access to the gardens and created this whole collection based on some of the King's favorite flowers and plants. And his, his favorite dog is actually in the fabric collection as well. And you know, apropos of the conversation about creative directors, Sanderson has a remarkable creative director, Claire Vallis, who has been there for, I'll say, more than 25 years. They're not even Vader, but. But been there such a long time. And I think that that's the, the power when you, when you have a creative director that stays for a long time time and can really develop the look and feel of the company and the image. This is a really striking collection and it was extraordinary to get to see it in the setting that they created for us. And I really. A portion of it is going to the King's foundation, so it will benefit the King's many charitable interests, but it was really special to get to see. All right, that's all the time we have today. Thanks so much for listening. If you want to keep up with the latest news, browse job listings or take a workshop, visit us [e-mail] if you want to get in touch with the show, write to [e-mail] this episode was produced by Fred Nicholas and Caroline Burke and edited by Michael Castaneda. I'm Dennis Scully. Have a great weekend, and we'll be back with you on Monday.