The secret to Young Huh's success? Patience

0:02This is Business of Home. I'm your host, Dennis Scully. Every week, I'll be speaking with leaders and innovators from all corners of the home industry. My guest this week is interior designer Young Huh. Young Huh went out on her own in 2007 and spent the first decade in business, building a firm and honing her skills. In 2019, her room for the Kips Bay Showhouse was a breakout success, taking Young's career to the next level. Since then, she's been named to the AD100, and her first book, A Mood, A Thought, A Feeling, comes out in March. I spoke with Young about helping to launch the Asian American Pacific Islander Design Alliance, why she handed off social media to a consultant, and why her advice to young designers is, be patient and try everything.

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2:18And I honestly, and I have a picture of that moment because I think we shared it on social. I think that's actually when the Business of Home podcast was born, was me speaking into the gooseneck faucet of your room at Holiday House. Yes, yes. So you should thank me for your flourishing career. Well, I do, Young Ha. And I give thanks to you at the beginning of every year. Similar to the Korean ritual, which I want to talk about with you and your family. I bow down before you and give thanks to you playing such an instrumental role in getting all of this started. But I do actually want to talk about, so is it Sebe?

3:03Sebe, yes. Sebe. So tell me about, because I was so charmed by the images that you shared of this ritual of showing respect to your elders at the beginning of the year. Tell me what that's all about. So the way we celebrate New Year's is you clean the house the day before, you prepare a feast, and as soon as you wake up, we all wear, you know, nice clothes and we bow to our elders and receive New Year's blessings from them. And then we give them New Year's wishes as well. and they give us money. Love it. And then we do that for the next generation. Our children bow to us. And then at the end, the contemporaries bow to each other.

3:58So everyone of that generation. So if I had cousins, we would bow to each other and wish each other good luck. And that's a time for us to say like, hey, good luck with the book. Good luck with your new venture. Good luck with school and stay healthy and well. So it's really a lovely way to start the new year. And then we all have rice cake soup and we have like a big meal afterwards to celebrate. Well, I think that's wonderful that you're sharing that with your own children. And it seems as if that Korean heritage is a central part of who you are and how you come at the world. I loved the pictures of you as a little girl in your book, in your grandparents' garden.

4:54But tell me about the early days, being born in Seoul and then later coming to America. I still have memories of my grandparents' home when I was three. and playing there and then coming to the United States. My parents immigrated. Actually, half of my father's medical school class immigrated to the United States. The Asian Exclusion Act was lifted. And so, you know, the United States was looking for foreign doctors. They didn't have enough doctors in the Midwest. So basically half my father's medical school class ended up in Michigan. So there was a really high number of Korean doctors in Michigan.

5:52So they had a really nice community, but everyone was sort of spread apart. So I was really surrounded by American culture. And, you know, in the Midwest, people are so kind. There's so much like upset about how Americans behave and blah, blah, blah. But go anywhere else in the world. No one is as welcoming or as kind as Americans. So, you know, I grew up with that Midwest warmth, you know, not to say there wasn't racism and struggles, but overall people were very warm and kind. And I grew up in Michigan being the only Korean kid in school. So as I got older, it's something that, you know, my parents really instilled in me to love the culture, the Korean culture.

6:53I went to Korea every summer growing up. So I saw my grandparents every summer and extended family. So it was definitely a part of me that I wanted to express and enjoy and share as I grew in my business and in every single way. Well, and let's talk about growing in your business because you, like many who have come to the world of interior design, had a different career path originally. Perhaps some family pressure to be a doctor or a lawyer was applied to you in your youth, yes? Oh, yeah. When I was growing up, my parents said I had two choices for a career. It was either doctor or lawyer. And they always said, no one's going to hire an Asian woman who's anything but a doctor or a lawyer.

7:49So the plan was for me to go to law school. But unbeknownst to them, they sent me to one of the finest art schools in the country. I was going to say, Cranbrook is not filling your head with notions of being a lawyer. Yeah. So they had no idea that it was such an important art school. And, you know, they had no idea why I was taking so many art classes.

8:20But, you know, when I went to Smith College afterwards, I did take some classes in government and I thought I would go to law school. But I also took a lot of art history classes and they were profoundly inspiring. And I sort of pretended they weren't as important as they were, but they were just unbelievably rich classes that still inspire me today. So, you know, I always knew I wanted to come to New York, I think, to be close to the arts culture. So I went to Fordham Law School. And the first week of law school, I knew it wasn't for me. I was like, oh, my God, this is such a mistake. It was just, you know, the introduction.

9:20And I was like, this is so not for me. Just even hearing them explain what it was going to be like and you were immediately, nope, nope, not for me. But you were so dutiful. You were so, I mean, you were trying to please your parents and you stuck it out. You could have walked out that very minute. Yeah. Well, to be honest, they also bribed me. They were like, we'll pay for your rent and your living expenses if you finish the semester. And I was like, well, I'm going to go out on my own next semester. And they're like, well, just this semester, you know, and so that's how I actually ended up finishing.

10:00And then it was like, oh, well, you finished school, why don't you take the bar exam? And then I was like, you know what? Yes, I'm going to take the bar exam because I put so much into this damn schooling. Yes. I'm going to pass the bar. So I actually passed the New Jersey and New York bar. And my husband was driving me to the New Jersey bar exam. And he was like, you know, this is a waste of time. You're never going to practice. I know you. You're going to do something creative. This is a waste of time. Nonetheless, my parents were so proud of me that I passed the bar. And yeah, I guess I did it for them, really.

10:40Yeah, it's a remarkable story. And you carried it all the way through. And if I remember, you clerked in the New York Supreme Court, right? Yes, yes. So, I mean, you did practice law for a time, yes. For a hot second. For a hot second. And then the story goes that you're at a cocktail party and you meet, chat with an interior designer. Is that right? Yes. And, you know, I was really trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. And when I met this designer, I was like, oh, wow, I could do this. And it's just like light bulbs flashed. Do you remember who this was? Or do you remember what they what they said?

11:28Yes, yes. His name was Jarrett Yoshida. He was a friend of my husband's, and I begged him for an internship. And, you know, basically, he gave me an internship for a very short time. And then, you know, I took classes at Parsons and eventually went out on my own. So you passed the bar in New York and New Jersey, but nonetheless, 2007, if I recall, you hang out a shingle. And what was the thinking at the time? Did you have a project? Tell me how it was all going to happen for you. I had friends who wanted me to work on their homes, and I felt that I wasn't quite ready to do this. But, you know, my husband being, he actually is a practicing lawyer.

12:31He said, you know, you really need to have a business structure, because, you know, you need to be protected from liability and, and all that proper grown up stuff. Good for him for laying all that out, all the liability issues. He was like, you can't just go to people's houses and start helping them and exchange money and not have a business. And he's like, okay, you're probably right. So he actually helped set up my LLC and he gave me a little seed money and I hired an assistant. And I just remember the first day of my business being so overwhelmed because I had to open something like 200 trade accounts with all the different fabric houses, etc.

13:23That I just lay on the floor and started crying. Did you? Yes. Poor thing. Because it was so overwhelming. It was also overwhelming. Of course it was. So overwhelming. But, you know, we got it done and we survived opening all those trade accounts. And back in the day, people wanted bank references and all of that. Oh, yeah. Right? And they weren't always so friendly to young designers that haven't placed any orders yet or didn't really have a history. It was extremely intimidating because, first of all, back in those days, I didn't see any Asian designers. and people were like, who are you? It was a very generally WASP-y business.

14:16And it was a good thing that I grew up with a lot of WASP-y people. So I knew how to navigate that, but it was not a welcoming space necessarily. Do you remember when it became more welcoming for you? Or I mean, did that really take a long time? I mean, it was definitely like, there were definitely people who were so kind to me when I was, you know, an intern and then assistant. And those relationships were always, they kept growing and people move showroom to showroom. And as you know, our business is all about relationships. So, you know, those relationships were built over time. And, you know, just like you and me, we remember that first holiday house where you're, you know, playing around with my faucet slash microphone.

15:19I was interviewing you with Kitchen Faucet. Yes, that is true. That is true. That was part of our bond, part of our early bond. Yes, yes. So those relationships really grew and grew and eventually flourished and became very close and warm. I'm always trying to think of what are key turning points for people. And I feel like you're one of those people for whom the Kips Bay Show House, you had two very memorable rooms, one which I think really jettisoned you into a different stratosphere. But even the previous room, and I can't remember if that was around 2014. Yeah, 2014. Basically, I applied to do Kips Bay and Nazira called me and said, I have some good news and I have some bad news.

16:16The good news is we'd love for you to do Kips Bay. The bad news is we're giving you a freight hallway. and maybe come take a look and make sure you want to do this. Come and inspect this area that you may or may not find suitable. It was a freight hallway with two service bathrooms and lots of metal doors for storage. And I was like, listen, I'll take it. And my idea was to cover everything up and upholster it in some really fabulous hollyhock handblock print. And miraculously, Lee Jofa agreed to do that with me. It was a lot of hollyhock. But the funny thing is Tony Ingrao had the room just outside of mine.

17:16and his contractors, because it was a freight hallway, they assumed that was where all the garbage got dumped. So every single day there were bags and bags of garbage from Tony Ingrao's room. And eventually I found Tony. I'm like, Tony, guess what? This is actually a room. It's not the garbage room. It's my room. And he's like, oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't imagine that could be a room. This is actually the Hollyhock lounge, okay? hey, this isn't the garbage room, Tony. This isn't the garbage room. They were all very embarrassed and then also felt very sorry for me. Yes, yes. But also, I'm sure they no doubt admired how you transformed that freight area into the Hollyhock Lounge in the way that you did once the garbage was finally removed.

18:10It turned out to be a lovely space. Yes, everyone was so kind, so kind. And then fast forward years later, I think it was five years later, if I recall, the room that was the star of that house. And honestly, and I don't know how you feel about this and you're very modest, I know, but I feel like that room, the 2019 room, was the last time that there was just something that really blew up and everybody was talking about that space. And we should. Yeah. No, no, no. Thank you. incredibly memorable and all your all your friends who helped yes yes yeah i i definitely enlisted a lot of help there were a lot of artist assistants for that for that artist studio yes i basically um you know we were still a really small studio at the time and you know we we ran out of money.

19:09Kips Bay is very expensive. We had to spend, we had an unexpected electric problem. And even though we had lighting donations, the actual electrical work was our responsibility. And it was something like$40 ,000. And that was on top of all the other things that we had to pay for. So I asked my friends, like, would they paint some lampshades? And it was Apert's idea. He's like, we just need to get some, you know, tempera paint and some cheap lampshades. And we just all, I think my studio was like 250 square feet at the time. We all squeezed in, it was Danielle Colding, Nicholson, and Audrey Marguerite.

19:57And we all just painted these lampshades. And I remember when we were taking the house, when the house was done at the end, people were asking me if they could buy the lampshades. And I just started giving them as gifts to people. Well, it was very Tom Sawyer's fence and you just enlisting everyone to help paint the lampshades and the caliber of people, as you just described, that were doing this on your behalf. It was such a great scene. And as I say, that room, I mean, that room was just such a huge hit, got so much press. This was back in the day when the Kips Bay room still got so much attention and photography.

20:42And did it mark a meaningful turning point for you. Yes. I mean, we decided to just do something wild to please ourselves. And, you know, the first round of Kip's Bay, I spent so much time at the house and my husband and I decided right after the opening, we were going to go to Sweden. So the next day we flew out. And when I arrived, when we arrived in Sweden, I, my phone blew up. And it was just like, there were so many posts about the house and about the room. And I was just not expecting that. And everyone was like, where are you? Where are you? We're looking for you. Where are you? This is a moment where Nazira would like to come on and say, please don't leave the country after you've just launched your Kips Bay room.

21:41Yes, don't fly off to Sweden when it turns out you've got the star room in the house and everyone wants to talk to you about it. Yeah, and we had no idea. And people were messaging me and saying like, oh, people are crediting your room to this French designer. And everyone was trying to correct. All my friends were on it and saying, this is Young House Room. She did this room. But it was very exciting. And we were really surprised, really, really surprised, because I just wasn't really expecting people for it to resonate so much. Because at that point, I mean, had people seen that many projects from you?

22:28Did people really understand the work that you were doing? Well, I think that, you know, your reputation is something that grows over time. I mean, there are definitely people who become, you know, overnight stars, I'm sure. I am not one of them. It was just a very slow step by step by step build. And the thing is, the reason why you do something like Kips Bay is that you get a chance to express yourself in design in a way that you can't do with a client. And, you know, for me, those projects and like my own home, those are places where I can really stretch my design wings and do something that's entirely imaginative.

23:23I don't have a client to please. I don't have even necessarily the practical considerations. inspirations so I can do something that is just completely imaginative. And I think that's why people should do show houses, not only to support the important charities, but this is your time to stretch your design wings and really go for it. And I'm surprised to that point, Young, how many designers say to me, I actually struggle without having the client, without having this person to please or a very clear directive of what they want. Many designers have said to me, truth is, I struggle. And I had to make up a whole story.

24:10I had to make up a whole client and everything that they wanted. Yeah. I mean, we did kind of make up a story for that Kips Bay Room. We imagined there was an eccentric, a really eccentric aunt, like an Auntie Mame who lived in the attic and was an artist and did kooky, weird things. And hand-painted lampshades all over the place. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, I think for some people that works and, and, you know, you hear this a lot, a lot of decorators say doing their own home is the hardest because they can't choose. And I think I understand it's because you love so many things. There's so many things that we love and so many different ideas and you have to pick one.

24:55So for me, that's always been freeing rather than scary because, you know, it's not forever. Your home doesn't always have to be a certain way. You can change it. And a show house is expressing, you know, a moment in time, something that you're really feeling at that moment. You just referenced not being an overnight sensation and toiling away as you did for years. And earlier when you were talking about the overwhelming aspects of getting started, thank goodness the husband slash consigliere got the LLC in place and protected you from all of the potential liabilities. But even the process of just thinking about how you're going to charge for your time and how you're going to structure how the firm works, where did you eventually land on how you charge and what you – do you have design fees, all of that?

25:59Yeah, so I basically, the way I landed on all of that was from, I started using Studio Designer from day one. And there was a person who sort of managed my Studio Designer. And he basically gave me the template for how to charge. You know, at that time, it was a design fee per room and then commission. And I have to be frank, I was never great at the business part. And, you know, my husband was like, honey, if you don't care about the money, this is a hobby. And I was like, I just don't know how to do that. And he was like, you know, someone who's a real businesswoman is counting the pennies. And I was like, I just don't have time to do that.

26:56I really don't. So when I met Brett Williams, who started running the business, you know, that's really when I think we really changed. They always say hire the things you can't do. So if you're not great at social media, hire someone to do that. If you're not great at PR, hire someone to do that. You know, and of course, all of that takes funding too. So, and a lot of financial planning.

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28:23Well, you know, it's interesting that you mentioned about social media because one of the issues that is coming up a lot in conversation is the demands of social media. the expectations of social media today, and that you, in addition to being a world-class designer and creative person, has to also be this celebrity personality and share a great deal behind the scenes of what's going on with you. And I wonder how you think about that and how you manage it for yourself. Yeah, I think it's really hard. Because it's a job. It's hard not to get bored with it. It's hard to think about doing social media when there are other really pressing important things.

29:20So we actually had hired a social media consultant, Christy Tonneson. And she sort of managed our social media account for a while. And Christy said something to me once that really resonated. And that was like, you are not an influencer. You're a designer. So you don't need to worry about the performative aspects. Like, don't do that. And, you know, that really, I think, is true for me. I don't enjoy that. And that's not what I do. So I think there are design influencers. And they're great at it. And they bring joy to the world. And they should continue doing that. And there are some of us who are just designers who want to get the word out of what they're doing and share with colleagues what they're doing.

30:22It's also the reality is social media is a big marketing tool to get clients and to get the eyes of possible, you know, collaborators and business partners. So, you know, you do have to do some of it. But I think, you know, do it in a way that's really true to you. And has it been helpful to you in that regard as it brought you clients and or business partners and collaborations? Yes, absolutely. I'm someone who always forgets to check the, you know, DMs. I get really overwhelmed. But every now and then if I check, there's like someone I actually want to work with or do something or, you know, possibly do a product line with.

31:10You know, we're so lucky to work with Elizabeth Blitzer. She really sort of, our PR guru, she really sort of thinks through some of these partnerships and for us, but some partnerships are just, they're just created organically because we're friends with these brands or they DM me on Instagram. And eventually Young will read the DMs and partnerships are born. So that is great. And has that been, because you've done some various partners, Acto and Fromenthal sort of come to mind, but has that been helpful to you in terms of growing awareness of the business or been rewarding for you creatively as well?

32:00Yeah, I think what's really amazing about doing a product line is seeing these things used by other designers in really unique ways. I think that's just so gratifying to see, wow, I never thought of using that tile this way. I think like Joanna Gaines took my Acto line and used it as a fireplace hearth in her castle project. And I was like, wow, that's really cool. I never would have thought of that. You know, those are really like just fun, wonderful things and another way to express design creativity. And for designers who are wondering if it's worth doing partnerships or if it's financially rewarding or does it become a whole other business for you, what have you found?

32:57Has it been meaningful for you in that way? I think it's really meaningful just in and of itself to become a creator. You know, royalties are nice. I don't get enough royalties that I can stop my day job. It hasn't altered Young's lifestyle yet. I do hear that some people make really amazing royalties. I hear that as well. But it's also difficult to manage all these different pockets of what we do. You know, we're about to do Wow House, which we're so excited about. So it's a show house in England with the Chelsea Design Center. We're partnering with Benjamin Moore. and we want to be able to bring a lot to that.

34:00We want to bring creativity to products. And then, of course, we want to bring the best of design to our clients. So it's a lot of things to manage. So we're really careful not to spread ourselves too thin and do only what we can manage. And I wonder, to your point about being selective about what you say yes to and how you think about the size of your firm and how much you want to take on, because that's often another big challenge is how big do you let your firm grow and how much do you want to be spending your time managing and developing people? So where have you landed with that? That is something that we are continuing to learn and develop.

34:49I think in the early days, it was really hard figuring out how to manage people. And I think now we really enjoy having colleagues to work with. There are collaborators. They bring more creative energy, more just fun to the office. So we love having lots of people in the firm. And, you know, it's it's sad when people move on and explore other avenues. And then, you know, I think the thing that does get hard is constantly looking for new talent and, and, you know, people, and then people move on. So finding that balance, but, you know, we have a core group of people who have been with me for a very long time.