Explore Home - A Podcast from Universal Furniture – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Megan Molten, founder and creative director of her eponymous design firm in Charleston, South Carolina. Tune in as Neil sits down with Megan to discuss her design career journey, the importance of building ironclad client relationships, and her forthcoming work featured in Flower Magazine. Megan explains how the positive feedback generated from her design-focused social media accounts gave her the confidence to transitioninto a full-time design career.

Neil and Megan also touch upon how the design firm is expanding its reach, the creative process of designing a show house, and Megan’s design goals for 2024. For more information on Megan’s work, visit meganmolten.com or @meganmolten.

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast. This week, we invite you to explore home with Yvonne Christensen and Nichole Speirs, owners of Utah-based House West Design. Listen as Yvonne and Nichole discuss how “meeting” on Instagram led to joining forces and opening House West Design. They discuss the challenges of merging two companies together, from day-to-day processes to delegation and hiring the right team. Over the course of the last 3 years, they have assembled a tight-knit, well-rounded group of designers. Next, Yvonne and Nichole talk about how Universal’s collections, quality, and depth and breadth of in-stock items allows them to streamline ordering furniture for their projects. 

House West Design is also part of our first partner in  Designer Made. Designer Made is
a captivating new series that invites you to step into the world of interior design and witness the seamless fusion of creativity and craftsmanship. In this compelling new series, we’ll join forces with renowned interior designers as they artfully combine their passion for design with our carefully curated collections.⁠
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Designer Made is an ode to designers and the work they do to transform spaces into living, breathing works of art. The furniture's on us, but the vision is all them.⁠
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For more on House West Design, you can follow @housewestdesign on Instagram.

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with our very own Director of Product Development at Universal Furniture, Shannon Lookabill! Listen as Neil and Shannon first start by discussing Shannon’s journey into furniture design, beginning with influence from his family as a child. They then touch on Shannon’s start at Universal and later delve into the detailed process of creating furniture products, starting with defining a need. They then chat about the many ways COVID has affected the furniture industry as well as its specific impact on design and production. And then, after discussing what Shannon thinks makes for a great design, the two end their conversation discussing Universal’s upcoming Erinn V. collection and why they are especially excited for this launch.

To stay up-to-date on the upcoming Erinn V. launch as well as other new Universal Furniture additions, follow @universalfurn on Instagram for more.

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Jonathan Vehar, Partner at Pilgrimage Professional Development Group. At Pilgrimage, Jonathan partners with organizations to help them more effectively and efficiently achieve their goals through a focus on teamwork and communication. Listen as Neil and Jonathan discuss the art of setting goals at the top of every new year. Jonathan elaborates on his advice regarding how to set specific goals while keeping in mind the steps it will take to achieve them. They then touch on COVID and how Pilgrimage has specified applicable communication methods to move forward in new ways. Next, they discuss how exactly to measure success in business from both a numerical and behavioral standpoint. And lastly, Neil and Jonathan end their conversation by discussing motivation and how to avoid falling into a “work rut” as the year progresses.

 For more on Jonathan and Pilgrimage, you can visit pilgrimpro.com now and to schedule, a time to talk with him directly visit https://calendly.com/vehar

Other reference links mentioned are listed below

• https://blogs.foursightonline.com/learning-agility-dont-let-preferences-steer-you-in-the-wrong-direction
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFtOI0u14JI
• https://www.ccl.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/BecomingLeaderFostersInnovation.pdf

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Kelli Lamb, Editorial Director and Co-Principal of RUE Magazine. Neil and Kelli kick their chat off by discussing more about Kelli’s professional start in blogging and how she eventually made her way to Rue Magazine. They discuss the many ways RUE has grown and changed since Kelli first joined the team as an assistant. Neil and Kelli then discuss a new market opportunity called ‘5 Minutes With’ which is hosted in the Universal Showroom. Here, designers are able to meet with Kelli and the RUE team for quick meet and greets as a way to foster connections and get the most out of market visits. They then touch on RUE’s latest endeavor: publishing a book! Kelli expands on the book publishing process and what she is looking most forward once it is released. They then close their discussion on what ‘home’ personally means to Kelli.

For more on Kelli and RUE Magazine, you can find them at Instagram @ruemagazine and @kellilamb.

Welcome to the Explore Home podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with Patrick and Meghan Sharp of design studio Mister + Mrs Sharp. They first detail how they met — within the visual merchandising department of Banana Republic — and how their time spent in retail naturally propelled them into the furniture and design industry. They then discuss their perspective on working alongside your significant other, and why they are especially thankful for the opportunity to do so. They then touch on the unique community of Serenbe, located outside of Atlanta, and how their design influence can be found within the community (they also live there!). They then discuss some of their Universal Furniture favorites that they have used in recent design projects. And later, they reflect on COVID-19 and the effects it has had on their business over the last 2 years. For more on Mister + Mrs Sharp, you can follow the pair on Instagram at @misterandmrssharp.

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with Tiffany Cassidy, principal designer of Lagnappe Custom Interiors located in St. Thomas, VI. Listen as Tiffany discusses her journey to living and working in the Caribbean, starting with earning a degree in chemistry and eventually finding her way to upholstery, fabrics, and now, interior design. Tiffany then shares a bit more about island life, detailing what she loves most about the laid-back lifestyle. Neil and Tiffany then discuss the opportunities and areas for growth when it comes to working with your spouse, as Tiffany does. To wrap up, Tiffany touches on why she loves specifying products from Universal Furniture, especially from our Coastal Living collaborations, and chats about which pieces she loves the most. For more on Tiffany and Lagnappe Custom Interiors, you can visit https://www.lagnappe.com now or follow them on Instagram @lagnappe.interiors.

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with Ginna Christensen, interior design leadership expert, business coach and consultant. First, Ginna details the start of her career at Giorgio Armani and how the lessons learned there helped shape her professional foundation as she moved from fashion to interiors. Then, Ginna and Neil delve into the topics that Ginna typically focuses on with her clients, including the importance of building a brand story and consistent messaging. Neil and Ginna then touch on the significance of locating outside resources and how to effectively and efficiently collaborate with them. They end their conversation with a discussion about High Point Market and why Ginna feels it is imperative to take advantage of the many educational seminars that are offered during the bi-annual event. To learn more about Ginna and her business, you can visit https://ginnachristensen.com to schedule a remote consultation and be sure to follow her on Instagram @ginnachristensen

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with designers Patti Carpenter and AmyLynn Schwartzbard as they join Neil to discuss the Kaleidoscope Project. This exciting design initiative took place at the Cornell Inn in Lennox, MA as a group of 23 diverse, under-represented interior professionals renovated and redesigned 21 unique rooms within the space. Patti and AmyLynn detail the entire evolution of the project, from how it first came to be, to the process of selecting the featured designers, and finally what makes them the most proud of the remarkable final product. Patti and AmyLynn also touch on what their next set of goals are as they move forward with this venture. This is one episode you don’t want to miss! To learn more about the Kaleidoscope Project and its featured designers, you can visit https://www.thekaleidoscopeproject.com.

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with Ericka Saurit of Saurit Creative, a digital marketing firm for the home industry. Listen as Neil and Ericka start with a brief history of Ericka’s professional career, including her years spent living and working in China. They then touch on Ericka’s involvement with Airbnb to build their Airbnb Plus division along with Universal Furniture. She then elaborates more on opening her own business and details how she helps her clients with one of their biggest requests: social storytelling. Neil and Ericka then wrap up by talking about their favorite aspects of market opening back up as well as sharing more on how to use social outlets like Instagram to benefit your business.

For more on Ericka and Saurit Creative, you can visit her
website at sauritcreative.com or follow them on Instagram at @sauritcreative.