Rita Konig is coming to America. The London-based designer, entrepreneur and writer (and daughter of legendary decorator Nina Campbell) is opening an office in Miami. The move was partially prompted by a staff member’s decision to move to the city, but Konig has long done brisk business on this side of the pond—dating back to her time in New York as a columnist in the early days of Domino and the breakout project with Gil Schafer in the Bay Area that led her to jump into design headfirst nearly 10 years ago. “I haven’t really stopped working in America since I left,” she tells host Dennis Scully on the latest episode of The Business of Home Podcast.
With projects in both the U.S. and England, Konig has had to adapt to the rising prices and inflation in each country. “It is extraordinary when you think, ‘[If] one thing costs so much, how on earth could you possibly decorate a whole house?’” she says. Her strategy is simply to focus on delivering a great end result, whatever the price tag. “You don’t want somebody to—every time they sit down—think, ‘Oh, I hate Rita. This sofa’s so uncomfortable,’” she explains. “There’s no quicker way to remember how much it cost. Whereas, if you sit back and just sink into it and can hardly get out of it, you forget how much it costs. You just think how happy you are.”
Having outposts on both sides of the Atlantic has its benefits. Konig likes to invite American clients to England to do some shopping, where there’s a wider selection of antiques, and they’re able to peruse them together in person. She can see what they gravitate toward, she has time to explain the thought process behind each piece, and oftentimes clients like an item more in person than if they only see an image. “It’s a bit like dating,” she says. “You’d look at a picture of somebody like, ‘Oh, really, I don’t think I fancy them.’ Then if you hadn’t seen a picture of them and you met them, they’d look completely different because they’re amusing and intelligent. [Shopping for things is] a bit the same.”
Elsewhere in the episode, Konig discusses the rise of British style, how she holds on to what she loves while growing a team, and the unexpected effects of being on the AD100.
Crucial insight: Konig has been writing design columns since 2002 (in publications like British Vogue, The New York Times, The Telegraph and House & Garden). One of her early editors gave her advice that has stuck with her over the years: “The column is only interesting if you are giving people good information that they go away with—five things that they have learned, rather than [just talking about] your lovely life,” she recalls. She has taken that to heart for all the media she now produces, including her design class on Create Academy. People are often shocked by how open she is about her process, to which she responds: “I don’t think you’re going to not get a client because you told someone how to do it.”
Key quote: “[It’s] so exciting when you can start doing those really special things that are actually special, rather than just expensive and not special—of which there is a plethora. … Things that are very expensive can [actually] become very ordinary,” she says. “So it’s finding the things that aren’t, which I find is fun and is really our job, and that’s what I like doing.”
This episode is sponsored by Ernesta and Ethan Allen. Listen to the show below. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
The Thursday Show
BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus and host Dennis Scully discuss the biggest news in the industry, including the acquisition of Floyd, mortgage rates on the rise, and a big debut from Material Bank. Later, Los Angeles–based designer and showroom owner Peter Dunham discusses the devastation caused by the wildfires and what they mean for the local design community.
This episode is sponsored by Kohler and Loloi. Listen to the show below. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.