Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Business of Home Podcast
Host: Dennis Scully
Guest: Remy Renzullo, Interior Designer
Episode: Why Remy Renzullo doesn’t have (or want) a website
Date: April 6, 2026

This episode features a compelling conversation between host Dennis Scully and rising American interior designer Remy Renzullo. Recognized for his deep respect for craft, historical environments, and an aversion to digital self-promotion, Remy shares the unconventional journey that brought him to the upper echelons of design, his philosophy on growth, and why—despite industry trends—he has resolutely chosen not to own a website.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

Remy’s Early Life and Foundations in Design

• Eclectic Upbringing ([05:53]):

  • Grew up in rural Litchfield County, CT. His mother, an amateur decorator, and father, a talented furniture maker, surrounded him with an atmosphere rich in history, creativity, and eccentric objects—impacting his design ethos.
  • “We had every manner of bizarre object in my house...great 18th century European furniture...taxidermied birds...Palissy ware ceramics...stuffed crows hanging from the rafters. I mean, it was extraordinary.” — Remy Renzullo [06:23]

• Exposure to Diverse Cultures:

  • Summers spent in rural Maine and time at his parent’s desert home in New Mexico introduced Remy to disparate types of beauty and regional aesthetics.

• Nonconformity as a Family Value:

  • His family encouraged artistic expression and individuality over conformity, fostering independence in Remy’s career choices.

Career Trajectory: From Fashion to Interiors

• Boarding School to Parsons ([09:50]):

  • Rejected from St. Paul’s, he attended progressive Putney School, sparking his pursuit of creativity.
  • Enrolled at Parsons to study fashion design, ultimately left feeling intellectually “unstimulated.”
    “It was almost a vocational school...I wanted to stay in higher education, but I really wanted to just work.” — Remy [11:10]

• First Jobs and Changing Direction ([12:05]):

  • Worked for designer Wes Gordon; though he enjoyed technical aspects and textile development, he was put off by the relentless fashion industry pace.
  • Close friend Lauren Santo Domingo, after lunch in Remy's eclectically decorated apartment, challenged him to pursue interiors, catalyzing his career switch.

• First Interiors Projects:

  • Began by helping Lauren on her house in Colombia; his first clients came largely through personal networks.

Learning the Business—On the Go

• Self-Taught Practice:

  • Lacked training in business basics (invoicing, billing, running a company) ([21:51]) and design “rules” (e.g., where to place light switches).
  • He credits “microscopic attention to detail” learned from fashion for his neurotic craftsmanship in interiors.

• First Team Hires and Early Growth ([25:15]):

  • Hired part-time help quickly, realized (after initial naiveté) the huge volume of work and correspondence required.
  • Covid-19 forced a business reset, which ultimately enabled sustainable growth and a more structured, calm, and well-run operation.

  “I didn’t have a clue in the entire world how to run a business, how to balance a checkbook…lots of mistakes, but I learned from them.” — Remy [21:51]

Major Projects and Milestones

• Castle Howard Project ([29:29]):

  • In 2020, received a serendipitous call from the Howards to work on the legendary English baroque manor.
  • The project was a test in immersive, iterative collaboration, requiring patience and respect for both history and client relationships.

  “They decided to give a 29-year-old American a shot...they wanted someone willing to absorb this place...For me, it was like a master's degree I never had.” — Remy [32:19, 34:10]

• Big Project Approach:

  • Prefers long-term, historically informed restorations with clients who relish deep collaboration, rather than “just sign and go” projects.

Philosophy and Identity as a Designer

• Process Over Signature Style

  • Adept at a wide range of environments—from baroque pile in Yorkshire to a modernist Wyoming home—Remy insists his focus isn’t his “taste,” but on objects, research, and a design’s organic fit.

  “I try to create environments that look like they've always been there...I bristle at the notion that someone walks into a room and can tell that I've done it.” — Remy [40:17]

• True Craft, Not Celebrity or Trend:

  • Asserts that interior design is fundamentally a service and craft—not a vehicle for personal fame or content creation.

Memorable Quotes and Notable Moments

• On Not Having a Website ([43:42]):

  • “It is something I feel fundamentally strong...I do not want a website...Jacques Grange doesn’t have a website. If he can get by, I can certainly try to.”
  • “I do this work for my clients. I don’t know what I gain from having a website that the rest of the world can see...If someone wants to hire me, they generally come upon my work somewhat organically...” [44:19]

• On the Cult of Celebrity in Design ([46:43]):

  • “Part of why I stopped working in fashion is that I found the kind of cult of celebrity around designers beyond exhausting and tedious...I’m not here to market myself. I’m here to create something beautiful.”

• On Instagram ([48:17]):

  • “Some of my friends...joke that I’m an influencer, which makes me insane. But Instagram allows me to communicate taste and aesthetic way more than a website ever could.”

• On AI and Technology in Design ([51:49]):

  • “I have a rule in my office: there’s no ChatGPT, there’s no AI. People need to know how to write an email...Maybe I’m archaic, and that’s a terrible business strategy...but this will be one of the last industries to be replaced by AI. I’m hired for my aesthetic and my eye, and that can’t be replaced.”

• On Purpose and Legacy in Craft ([53:00]):

  • “Part of why I love my job...is that it keeps a huge level of artisanal craft alive...when a craft is lost, it will never be learned again. Even in interior design, we have a higher purpose than just making an expensive house.”

Future Plans

• Hospitality ([56:23]):

  • Opening a restored 11-room hotel in Tuscany in June, marking an adventure into hospitality and estate management with his partner.

• Launching a Textile Line ([57:51]):

  • A long-standing dream—bringing his vast archive of antique textiles to life as his own line: “I don’t want to do it until I feel it’s ready...it might take three years, might take five years...but there’s room for everybody.”

Essential Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |-------|-----------| | Remy’s upbringing and influence of family | 05:53 – 08:17 | | Shift from fashion to interiors | 09:47 – 17:22 | | Learning on the job, business basics | 18:47 – 21:51 | | Early hires and the growth journey | 25:11 – 28:08 | | Castle Howard story | 29:29 – 35:49 | | Approach to design, process, and taste | 37:31 – 41:27 | | On websites/social media/marketing | 43:35 – 46:43 | | Technology, AI, and craft | 51:49 – 53:00 | | Upcoming hotel and textile line ventures | 55:13 – 57:57 |

Tone and Final Notes

Remy is candid, self-aware, and both intellectually and emotionally invested in his work. He champions old-fashioned craftsmanship, genuine personal connections with clients, and a rigorous, research-based approach. His voice is equal parts humble and resolute, rejecting industry pressures for self-promotion and trend-chasing in favor of a private, high-integrity, service-focused practice.

This episode is a must-listen for designers questioning the pressures of modern marketing, for those drawn to the substance and legacy of true craft, and for anyone who wants to hear what happens when a designer dares to do things very, very differently.