Podcast Summary: "How to Decorate" Ep. 441 – The World of Peter Dunham

Date: November 25, 2025
Hosts: Caroline (Marketing Team), Taryn (Product Designer), Liz (Creative Lead)
Guest: Peter Dunham, Interior Designer, Textile Creator, and Author

Episode Overview

In this special episode of "How to Decorate," the hosts dive into the world of Peter Dunham, acclaimed interior designer known for his globally inspired, layered, and vibrant aesthetic. The conversation covers Peter’s colorful backstory, his accidental path to design stardom, the craft and philosophy behind his textiles, his tips for creating homes with “vibe” and “charm,” and actionable advice from his celebrated new book, The World of Peter Dunham: Global Style from Paris to Hollywood.

1. Peter Dunham’s Unconventional Path to Design

Early Life and Multicultural Upbringing

• Background:
  • Grew up in Paris and later England; early exposure to both French and English aesthetics.
  • Father: Half-French, half-American, with a dramatic post-WWI love story; mother: English.
• Quote:
  • "My grandfather went back to France after the war and eloped. It was 1919—a 23-year-old farm boy from the Midwest... you cannot conceive what that sort of romantic gesture meant then." (04:00)

First Taste of New York

• Peter felt instantly at home upon his first visit to NYC at age 15 ("I was like, okay, I’m home." 12:21).
• Spent years in New York, first working in real estate, flipping houses, then gradually shifting focus to design.

Serendipitous Shift to Interior Design

• Initial projects were small: “One of my first $25,000 living room projects, it was the first time I felt creative satisfaction.” (14:52)
• Key breakthrough: Participated in a House Beautiful show house, partnered with (then little-known) Jennifer Garner—his first six-figure client.
• "That’s how I really started...with the show house, then Jennifer, and then my first assistant who actually knew how to run a project." (17:21)

Entering Textiles

• Started designing custom textiles for clients after repeated requests.
• First Personto order his textiles: Albert Hadley.
• Quote: "After about the fifth person asked where they could get my textiles, I woke up and said, okay, this is the next step." (21:18)
• Built “Hollywood at Home” — combining his own and other boutique textile lines, eventually evolving into a destination design shop.

2. The Power of Print & Textile Identity

The Signature of a Designer

• “Textile prints do very much identify you in the public eye.” (03:00)
• Signature print: Fig Leaf, still a bestseller after 25 years.

Inspirations and Influence

• Early inspiration: David Hicks (via high school friend Ashley Hicks)—"His mixture of pattern, geometrics, color contrast, antique and modern... it was so together, so unique." (28:35)
• Peter’s aesthetic: More tribal and disciplined than abstract; loves ethnic patterns from India, Islamic art, Native American sources.

Process of Designing Textiles

• Collects inspiration from global sources (museums, travel, antique fabrics).
• Quotes:
  • “My eye is always roving to find the great pattern.” (31:53)
  • On working with a design archive: “You don’t always know how it’ll connect, but suddenly it clicks—this could be that extra twist of bohemia.” (33:12)

3. Designing with Scale, Layering, and “Vibe”

The Layered Look & Scale

• Known for bold, large-scale patterns.
• "I need big scale and small scale. I need rough and smooth. My interior design business is based on this layering of textures." (33:47)
• Real-life example: Client didn’t want any wicker, rush, or sisal—Peter’s signature tools—forcing him to re-think his approach.
• Quote: "Those are my tools... touch and hand and something that looks handmade." (35:12)

The Importance of Vibe

• "Vibe is something I grew up with in historic houses in France and England. When I came to LA, I learned you have to create the vibe." (37:04)
• Vibe must match the occupants (“You can’t create a super hipster vibe for a frumpy couple” 40:16).
• Advocates for at least 20–30% serendipity in every project: “I will never go below 20% found objects—art, books, carpets that have seen life.” (41:36)

The Role of Serendipity & Collecting

• Discussed generational shift away from collecting antiques and hunting for special pieces:
  • “Today people don’t have time. Their lives are replaced by chauffeuring kids... spending time online. It’s harder to collect beautiful objects, so homes have been pared down.” (45:51)
• Layering and collecting give personality and “vibe” (“If you paint your house white, to me it’s a vacuum that needs filling.” 49:59)

4. On Charm, Personalization, and “Toolkit” Solutions

The Elusive Element of Charm

• Vibe is universal; charm is emotional and personal.
• "Charm is about creating an emotional connection…it's like someone’s very soft eyes, a very friendly smile.” (58:04)

Personalization, Fear, and Empowerment

• Many people fear making mistakes, especially with expensive purchases or art.
• Peter’s response:
  • “Art is complicated for some… but for a few thousand dollars, just buy what you like. I now have a very layered look in my 60s, and that says a lot when you walk into my house.” (53:14)
  • "We are manipulating the experience as vibe-creators—slowing it up, speeding it up, making it jazzy." (55:58)

Toolkit Takeaways (59:46)

• Mirrors: Not just for looking at, but for sculpting light and airiness; e.g., mirroring around windows to expand space subtly.
• Fixing architecture: Sometimes “temporary” interventions (e.g., bookcases in front of bad windows, color on pianos) are enough to create function and beauty without costly renovations.
• Using every room: “My biggest goal is to get people to use 120% of every room. If it means putting a Peloton in your living room, so be it!” (61:46)

5. Signature Style: The Green Sofa

• Recurs in Peter's projects; so iconic that even ChatGPT surfaced it in a design prompt.
• Rationale: "Green to me is a neutral…we live surrounded by green, so it connects the indoors and outdoors. People look good on a green sofa, everyone's outfits look good. You can take it to a lot of different houses." (65:14, 67:46)
• Also applies to blue: “Blue sky is happy, green leaves are happy—brown twigs in winter, not so much for me.” (67:47)

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On creative satisfaction:
  • "For the first time I was like, oh—this is what they call creative satisfaction. I’d never felt it before." (14:52)
• On vibe:
  • "At the end of the day, I don’t really care what it looks like. I really care how it feels." (40:16)
• On tools of design:
  • "You've got to have big and little, shiny and matte, natural and man-made... My rooms really feel layered and refined, while feeling cool and vibey." (36:26)
• On literacy of taste:
  • “People are afraid they’ll make mistakes and it’ll be costly. So they paint everything white—which, to me, is a vacuum that needs filling.” (49:49)

7. Book: The World of Peter Dunham

• Toolkit section covers everything from furniture planning and pattern wrapping to the power of mirrors.
• Design narratives: Book intermixes themes (coastal, mountain, desert, city) with Peter's core philosophy.
• "It's not a portfolio, or just kitchens—it really encapsulates my viewpoint on design." (73:00)
• Sold out first print; reprinting in time for Christmas.

8. Where to Find Peter Dunham

• Instagram: @PeterDunhamDesign, @HollywoodatHome, @PeterDunhamTextiles
• Book: Available at major bookstores and online retailers.
• Showrooms: Hollywood at Home (LA), Peter Dunham Home and Garden (NYC).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:00 – The power of print as designer identity
• 14:52 – Peter discovers creative fulfillment in design
• 21:18 – First textiles collection & Albert Hadley's influence
• 28:35 – Early inspiration from David Hicks
• 33:47 – Layering, scale, and the textures of home
• 37:04 – Creating “vibe” and intuition in decorating
• 41:36 – The importance of found objects and serendipity
• 59:46 – Mirror tricks and the toolkit for modern living
• 65:14 – Why Peter loves green sofas
• 73:00 – Book design philosophy and closing reflections

Tone

The conversation is warm, insightful, and peppered with dry wit and infectious enthusiasm. Peter’s approach is both cerebral and intuitive, blending practical advice with stories, mishaps, and revealing moments of serendipity—making the episode equally inspiring for decorating pros and everyday listeners.

Summary by How to Decorate: "We could have talked to you all day. Please come back soon."