What’s one thing Laura Sotelo, Kendall Knox and Ben Knox have in common? “We all share an innate love for what we like to call objects with old souls, essentially anything that’s a little rough around the edges,” Kendall tells host Dennis Scully on the latest episode of The Business of Home Podcast. “We were like, ‘Listen, why don’t we just try and crack the code on this, figure out where all of these objects do actually come from and start importing and retailing in a way that we’ve not really seen done in the decor space?’” From there, Olive Ateliers was born.

It all started in 2021 in the trio’s backyards. They launched an Instagram account and began to drop small collections of vessels and wood bowls via social media. “We realized that it worked, and there was an appetite for what we were passionate about and what we were sourcing,” says Laura, who is a former interior designer. One Saturday, after visiting a local flea market, they decided to introduce an in-person aspect to their launches and in 24 hours, came up with a brand deck and a name and began planning their first pop-up. “We really strived to not say, ‘Oh, let’s wait two months so we can do a little branding exercise,’” says Ben, who brings entrepreneurial experience in consumer packaged goods. “We wanted to take the lean startup methodology and just launch. If you were a tech entrepreneur, you say, just ship the code, and if it breaks, that’s great, because you can learn from that.”

When they arrived at their first pop-up, there was a line around the block, and they sold nearly 99 percent of inventory. Since then, they’ve garnered the attention of celebrities including Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Bell and the Kardashian family, who have only helped catapult the brand further. The founders recently shifted from a pop-up business focus to opening a dedicated retail space in downtown Los Angeles, where they offer products sourced from all over the world.

Part of the reason they decided to shift their focus away from weekend pop-ups was to be a more reliable and structured partner for the trade. “We weren’t available all the time, and you never knew what we would have,” says Ben. “[The trade] operates on timelines for their clients who need a little bit more leeway because they have to get approvals, and that was one of the driving forces to change our model to being open more regularly and to stock more inventory.” They now offer a discount and concierge delivery service for trade clients. “Designers are an incredible asset and proponent of helping us be successful at what we do, and vice versa,” he says. “We constantly ask what we can be doing better, what we can and should be sourcing.”

Elsewhere in the episode, the trio discuss their plans for their own product development, how they will be expanding and why they’ve come to believe in “strong opinions, weakly held.”

Crucial insight: One of the brand’s most helpful sales tools is storytelling. Olive Atelier’s Instagram account features vignettes and content centered on objects, with styling tips and origin stories behind each one. For example, some of the breadboards come from villages across the world, where they were used to serve meals and literally make bread. “Explaining where these objects came from—the romance of that—people adore [that] and rightfully so,” says Kendall, who has a background in PR and brand marketing.

Key quote: “Every time you walk into the Atelier, it’s going to be different. There’s new product, a new installation. The look and feel is different,” says Laura. “We thoughtfully curate every section of the Atelier to make sure that people are inspired and are learning the story of the product. That’s not an average retail experience.”

This episode is sponsored by Loloi. 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 design industry, including a cyberattack on Bassett, a design software acquisition and the fight over megamansions. Later, the founders of bathroom renovation startup The Unoriginal Bathroom Co. join the show to discuss their new venture.

This episode is sponsored by Isla Porter. Listen to the show below. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.