The Chairish Podcast

On this episode of The Chairish Podcast, Chairish Co-Founder and President Anna Brockway sits down with the talented and beloved Rita Konig—London and Palm Beach-based interior designer, journalist, and educator—for a one-on-one conversation you won’t want to miss. From Notting Hill to New York to LA’s ultra-exclusive San Vicente Bungalows, Rita shares her approach to space planning, layering, and cultivating interiors that feel rich, warm, and wonderfully lived-in. A regular on AD100 and ELLE Decor’s A-List, Rita is as charming as her interiors. Hear her design secrets, her thoughts on what truly makes a room work—and why sometimes the best floor plan is the one that breaks the rules. This is a must-listen for design lovers everywhere! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Holiday décor should bring the joy of the season to life—but for many designers this time of year can inspire as much dread as delight. Are you expected to deck the homes of clients for the holidays because you designed their space? How do you manage expectations? Is there any way to make the season profitable and not a drag on your resources? Two interior designers—Charlotte Barnes and Lindsay Anyon Brier—and floral designer Denise Porcaro Tupper weigh in on how to navigate the pitfalls of holiday décor and entertaining, how to make the season profitable for your firm, and whether you should even try to expand beyond the expected red and green, holly and mistletoe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even those who love homes with history, character, and patina agree that making old buildings work for modern living isn't always easy. No one wants to live in a museum, but how do you adapt the past to the modern world? Can an 18th -century palazzo, a 1920s apartment, or a 1950s glass house be made to answer the desire for expansive kitchens and baths, air-conditioning, and powerful Wi-Fi in every room? Interior designer and château owner Timothy Corrigan and Robert O’Byrne, the Irish Aesthete, weigh in on the rewards of renovation, how clever thinking and innovative approaches can maintain and enhance the beauty of the past, why old structures can be a relative bargain, and why patience is a crucial element in any renovation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the moribund real estate market prompting a slowdown in residential work, many designers are thinking about hospitality. But is expanding into hospitality or retail really a viable option? Are special skills required? What are the trends in hospitality design? And even more importantly, what are the pitfalls? Three top talents—Roger Thomas, Poonam Khanna, and Chad Dorsey—share their experiences in crafting restaurants, hotels, and retail spaces, reveal lessons they’re learned, and discuss how hospitality design differs from creating homes, but why it can be just as rewarding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Douglas Friedman is one of today’s most successful photographers of interiors and is a style setter in his own right, with a huge following on social media. His work has appeared in virtually every major shelter magazine, and he is also known for his fashion photography and portraiture. Douglas has an extensive knowledge of design history, has worked with virtually every top decorator and stylist, and is almost as well known for his wit and charm as for his talent. In this exclusive one-on-one interview, Douglas talks about his career, how the role of the photographer has been amplified by social media, and some of the lessons he’s learned working with today’s top design talents. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Design industry events and trade fairs are back—but are they still important? With designers busier than ever, should they allot the time and the money to go? What makes an event something you need to attend in person? Is it still crucial to search for newness and trends? Will the networking opportunities really benefit your business? High Point Market president Tammy Covington Nagem, LCDQ executive director Tamar Mashigian, and interior designer Denise McGaha discuss the importance of design trade gatherings, how and why they remain relevant, and how designers can get the most out of attending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Palm Beach is undergoing a style renaissance, attracting new generations of bon vivants and design lovers. Nothing exemplifies this better than the resurgence of the Colony Hotel, which for generations served as a favorite getaway for royalty, movie stars, politicians, and wealthy tycoons. Under its new owners, the Colony, also known as the Pink Paradise, has turned to style setters Celerie Kemble, Aerin Lauder, Mark D. Sikes, and now Chairish, to create fresh takes on traditional Palm Beach style. To celebrate the launch of the Chairish Villa, Colony Hotel owner Sarah Wetenhall joins local designer Meg Braff, Isabel Elliman of Schumacher Hospitality, and Anna Brockway of Chairish to talk about the town’s new vitality, the latest direction in hospitality design, and why Chairish, Palm Beach, and the Colony are such ideal partners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every New Year brings a focus on what’s next, what trends are on the rise, and what we hope to banish once and for all. With the housing market in the doldrums, inflation still a factor, and technology making advances every day, changes are sure to encompass a lot more than colors and styles. Three designers from across the country—Katie McCaffrey, Benjamin Johnston, and Danielle Colding—weigh in what’s inspiring them now, how they see their businesses adapting in the year ahead, what technology they plan to adopt, and why they remain excited about 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the surest ways to add distinction and visual richness to any interior is to collaborate with artisans. Decorative painting, gilding, verre eglomisé, cast plaster, carvings and wood inlays are only a few of the many techniques that can personalize and glamorize projects. How can you work with artisans to expand your vision? And how do you find the talents to execute your design ideas? Three skilled artisans Cindy Simes, Jonas Everets, and Leah Beth Fishman—weigh in on what artisans bring to the table, how they are organizing to make it easier to find and collaborate with them, how they encourage the next generation of talents, and what they wish every designer knew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Known for her exuberant blend of Hollywood glamor and restrained Parisian chic, Mary McDonald has become one of today's most sought-after interior designers. But her success goes far beyond the richly imagined, graphic, and colorful rooms that have made her a social media star and a favorite of shelter magazines. She also designs fabrics and wallpapers, rugs, lighting, and furniture. She’s even conquered television. In an exclusive interview, she talks about her early years in fashion, her love of drama and theatricality, where she finds inspiration, why she now considers herself a country girl, and why she always, always, loves a gimmick. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the historic town of Hudson, New York, fell on hard times decades ago, it was design that came to its rescue. A few influential dealers opened shop, and were followed by designers, artists, and creatives. Now the town is a hotbed of fine dining, chic boutique hotels, and an ever-increasing number of design shops. And the entire Hudson River Valley is undergoing a renaissance. But can the town and the region maintain the momentum? Three lovers of the region—dealer Hannah Khachadourian, designer Nick Olsen, and interiors photographer William Abranowicz—discuss the role design played in this remarkable turnaround and how the area can sustain this success without losing its character. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christopher Spitzmiller’s gleaming and boldly colorful lamps can be found in some of the most distinguished homes in America—and in virtually every shelter magazine. In an exclusive interview, he tells how he overcame his dyslexia by turning to pottery and how he became a designer favorite, updating traditional techniques and classic forms for a new generation. He also discusses his evolution into a social media maestro with his posts about his house and garden at Clove Brook Farm, why he feels the current “maker-moment,” is here to stay, and why he is optimistic that respect for craft and the hand-made object is only going to increase. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Real estate and interior design are intimately connected. When mortgage rates went up, sales slowed down, and we heard the first rumblings that the two-year design binge during the pandemic might be coming to an end. So what happens now? Three real estate professionals—Leonard Steinberg of Compass, Amanda Pendleton of Zillow, and global luxury expert Mickey Alam Khan—weigh in on what they see ahead for sales and rentals, why they feel buyers and sellers are ready to accept a “new normal,” why there’s no easy solution to housing’s affordability crisis, and the many reasons the interior design industry has to be optimistic about what’s ahead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.