West Elm president Day Kornbluth is quietly transforming the brand

0:03This 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 Day Kornbluth, president of West Elm. A veteran of One Kings Lane, RH, and Ralph Lauren Home, Day stepped into the top job at West Elm in 2023. Since then, she's been leading a quiet transformation, retooling the brand's product mix, sharpening its visual identity, and rethinking how it shows up, both online and off. That behind-the-scenes work came into full view this month with the launch of a sweeping collaboration with LA design duo Pearson Ward.

0:51I spoke with Day about striking the right balance between mass appeal and design credibility, why AI might become a surprisingly useful tool for creatives, and how the meaning of home has evolved from utility to something far more personal.

1:15This podcast is sponsored by Ernesta. Lay the foundation to a beautiful home with Ernesta's high-quality custom-size rugs. Featuring an array of refined colors and patterns, Ernesta's custom-sized rugs are made to fit every space and arrive in only two to four weeks. And with Ernesta's exclusive trade member benefits, you can get dedicated support, free unlimited 12x12 samples, and exclusive discounts to help achieve your client's design goals. To learn more about Ernesta's trade program, visit ernesta.com slash boh. This podcast is also sponsored by Harpen & Forbes, a family-owned company that for nearly three decades has delighted the design community with its versatile collections of hand-woven natural window coverings.

2:12Committed to sustainability, Harpen & Forbes utilizes natural fibers, meticulously hand-weaving each piece to the exact dimensions of your windows for a perfect fit. Beyond window coverings, they also design an exquisite range of statement wall coverings and Belgian linens. Planning a visit to High Point for Spring Market? Be sure to experience the latest Spring-Summer 2025 creations from Hartman & Forbes at the Wesley Hall Showroom, including a new collaboration with renowned designer Barbara Berry. Or visit HartmanForbes.com to find a luxury showroom near you. And now, on with the show. We probably should tell people, Day, since this is going to sound different, right?

3:00So we probably should tell people where we are. Yeah. But you tell us where we are, exactly. We are in Dumbo, Brooklyn. We're looking at the East River. Lucky us. Spectacular view out this window. It's a lovely bridge. We're in Dumbo headquarters. West Elm was founded in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is a part of the brand DNA. That view between the Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge, if you land on that street, you're going to be elbowing selfie takers out of the way. So you just know to take another route to work. So how long ago did West Elm first begin here? And I was trying to remember sort of what the idea was.

3:45It was really this incubator little brand right at the beginning. Yeah. I think it was, the idea was it was going to be a modern brand, lowercase m, you know. And it was going to be a democratic brand, a brand that was maybe aiming for people who weren't yet in their forever home, you know. And it was a New York-based brand from the beginning. And so that sort of sense of actually this neighborhood has changed. West Elm will be 25 years old in another two years. This neighborhood has changed sort of right along with the brand in the last 20 plus years. Yeah. And it exploded in much the same way, right?

4:29Yes, exactly. That West Elm did. So there are remarkable parallels to be drawn there. So before we talk more about West Elm, I wanted to spend a little bit of time talking about the really remarkable career that you had in this industry for many years working for some big brands that we talk about all the time, including One Kings Lane and RH and Ralph Lauren. up. So take me all the way back and tell me how you even got on a path that took you to all of those brands and companies. I guess the way that it started is that I was obsessed with home. And that was a personal passion that then led me to beg for a job at One King's Lane.

5:21That's the beginning. That's the beginning. The beginning is I was the high schooler who was saving up for high thread count sheets. And then One King's Lane was being founded. It was in its most early stages by two wonderful women, Susan Feldman and Allie Pincus. And I knew Susan Feldman through my mother-in-law. And actually, I am from California, but I went to college on the East Coast. And my mother-in-law, I would see on the weekends because I was dating her son at the time. And so it was sort of her friends like kind of knew me as I was growing up, to be honest. And one of her friends is the founder of One Kings Lane, Susan.

6:03And so I was out in LA running a trunk show for a wonderful jewelry company that I worked for at the time. And I was staying at Susan's house because I couldn't afford a hotel room. And I woke up really early because I was on East Coast time. And she was sitting at her kitchen table building, I think, a business plan for One Kings Lane. And I asked her about it and she told me all about it. And I sort of processed that, went off to my work for the day, ran the trunk show and got up the nerve to then come back at night and beg her to let me work on whatever it was that she was doing. I don't know whether it had a name yet.

6:40So I was the first employee of One Kings Lane. I started out of my apartment in the West Village. Apartment is a generous term. And so, and I was essentially the first buyer, which at that time was about running around trying to convince brands to sell online. And home, many of them, it was actually about convincing them of the internet. But that really felt like the argument we were making. But it was a moment of financial unrest. So I started in January of 2009. And we actually launched the website in April of 2009. So my first day was walking the gift show in New York with Susan, who was a great merchant.

7:21And then there was this rush of setting up a third party, you know, shipping and fulfillment partner and getting a website designed. And then we went live in April of 2009. And remind people of what One King's Lane was presenting itself as. What was the business model that you were going around and explaining to people? We were known as a flash sale. So you would have a sale on a Monday for a great candle brand. And then on Tuesday, we would launch a sale for beautiful throws and on and on and on. And they would each last a couple of days and then they would be gone. So there was a limited time and there was some great deals to be had.

8:02We sort of found our way into the business through the flash sale model. But over the next 10 years, it evolved into something that was not only a flash sale model, but really just a place to see great home product online. It sort of positioned home as something that you wanted to discover, you wanted to learn about new brands, and maybe you should just make an impulse purchase. It sort of positioned home as apparel, as fashion, because I think home has been on sort of a long, long journey of becoming less about need and more about self-expression. But But this certainly made people lean in and think about home as like a fun purchase.

8:46There was so much excitement around it. Yes. And then, I mean, it flew so high. It got so close to the sun. What happened? Why did it all? I mean, it's so poignant because it was so spectacular. So many great names in our industry today are from that team. Yes. And then the wheels came off. Yeah. And what happened? I think I would say a few things. One is there was the dynamic around VCs and startups and fundraising and valuations. And it was a heady time, let's say. And I think there's a sort of chicken and egg dynamic around how much those two parties want to believe amazing things about growth and valuation.

9:36and then you make choices sort of about those beliefs and maybe it should be the other way around, if I'm being clear at all. No, absolutely. I think this audience is familiar with what VC has done to many brands. And, you know, many wonderful people in the VC world. To be sure. I think it's, yeah, I think it sometimes pushes companies to be something that they aren't yet. Yeah. And then I would say there was also a bit of model confusion, honestly, because we started as a flash sale and there was also just a big, robust world of marketplaces out there. There was Amazon and there was eBay and there was First Dibs.

10:19And so marketplaces have a specific set of things that sort of make them function. And we were sort of somewhere between a marketplace, which is not really an editor. A marketplace doesn't edit. It just welcomes all the supply in the world and then all the eyeballs and sort of is like a loose, hands-off aggregator. And so I think there was some tension there between what we would have had to do. Some of our modeling was built on being a marketplace, but we were operating like a retailer. So it was heartbreaking. As you say, you had already left prior to that. And where did you go when you left One Kings Lane?

11:00I went to Restoration Hardware, although I took a brief pause between the two. So I went to RH as the chief digital officer, which was such an interesting, cool experience. Even though it looked like a logical step from a home business to a home business. I was going from a digital-only business to an omni-channel business, from a, let's call it, pre-profitable business to a publicly traded business. And I was going to work for the first true merchant leader of my career, first but not last. I was working for a merchant CEO. And my two years there were also rich, rich learning because Gary is a really brilliant merchant and also a really brilliant brand builder because he does nothing in small measure.

11:51He's like a lesson in if you're going to do it, do it. And I got to lead a digital team, which is functionally not what I'd done before. So I was coming at it as a digitally native merchant. but actually I think there was something to that because if I couldn't have explained the difference between an English roll arm sofa and a shelter arm sofa in that company, I would have been kicked out. When you think about what you really did learn from that experience, I'm fascinated to know what you really took away with you. I would say that one of the things was the the singularity of focus and his, his preference and belief is that everybody needs to be looking at this thing.

12:39And so it was a lesson in what can come from undivided attention and a bunch of people all hanging in there to get through the deep thinking and the, or the, or the like problem solving that a big, big project takes. I'd never seen that actually before or since. You know, that kind of like, we are doing this one thing today and we're all going to do it. So what pulled you away from that? Well, I lived in New York and I was commuting, which was challenging. And this is pre-COVID. And I knew it wasn't sustainable long-term for me to commute. So that was sort of the initial impetus. I think I missed product and being a merchant, honestly, too.

13:28I don't know that I had that thought in the front of my brain at the time, but I think it's something I can look back and see. So you end up going to? Ralph, which is really like an advanced degree in brand. I mean, that's what anyone who has been at Ralph will tell you. And it is a bit of a badge of honor in New York. talk about a rich alumni network. It's a training ground for unbelievable creatives and just brand integrity, I think. And again, I was sort of the small player, right? Ralph Lauren Home. So I went and I ran Ralph Lauren Home for four and a half years, which is just an incredible opportunity.

14:11Also amazing people. But then I got the experience of being the home business inside, the big apparel business. And so you got to see, it was actually really interesting to see the way a different retail vertical functions. The other thing that that time at Ralph did for me is it was a fully international business. So it was like really amazing to see how a brand that is that strong can actually stay that strong everywhere in the world. You know, if it's like you go and you see how Ralph Lauren shows up in London and then you go to South Korea and it's like the same thing. Yeah. And that was amazing.

14:53So you have this incredible experience working at Ralph's and how do you end up where we are now? Well, I had actually known, I had known Laura Alber since 2015. Okay. I think. Okay. So I met her when I was a DMM, a director of merchandising at One Kings Lane. The circumstances around how that happened are fuzzy to me because now that I understand her schedule, I can't imagine why she would have taken that meeting. But I met her and was really impressed. So it was like in my fantasy, there was this home business that was operating at scale, but was also a startup and I could have that kind of entrepreneurial energy.

15:40But that was a fantasy, mostly. And then I got the call, or it was actually a text, to sort of reconnect with Laura after eight, this is two years ago, so after eight years. And it was just like an amazing meeting. And we took our time making sure that it was right. But it felt right to me right away to get to be in this sort of creative, democratic, like cool brand that also happened to be in my borough and in the industry that I am clearly obsessed with, you know. And there was like, I walked in the door, either I knew half the people or, you know, I had gotten a text from someone saying, oh, you're going to love so-and-so because it's a small world and because I've been working in home since, you know, 2009.

16:31So it's felt like a sort of a homecoming.

16:40We're taking a quick break to remind you about Hartman and Forbes. This spring, Hartman and Forbes unveiled a new collaboration with internationally renowned designer Barbara Berry, celebrating the artistry of light, texture, and the timeless beauty of nature in a collection of hand-woven window coverings and natural wall coverings. If you're attending High Point Spring Market, experience this collection in person, along with their latest Spring-Summer 2025 designs at the Wesley Hall Showroom. To discover other unique collaborations by Hartman and Forbes, and register for your trade account, visit hartmanforbes.com.

17:19And now, back to the show.

17:26Well, and at the time that you start this conversation, and so there's a position available, let's explore, right? All of that. What was your perception of what West Elm was? How did you see it? And obviously, savvy merchant yourself and having years of experience. What did you think this brand was? What did you think it needed? or what, you know, like, oh, if I could get in there, I could just bring them this. Like, how did you, you know, think about it? Well, so one of the things that I noticed is when I started telling people I was going to West Elm, like anyone on the street, they would always smile.

18:05You're like, oh, I love West Elm, which I was just clocking. Like, wow, this is great. You know, like, how does a brand engender that kind of, like, enthusiasm? It wasn't just like a passive, like, oh, yeah. You know, it was like, oh, I love West Elm. I also felt like the sort of original product that was iconic at West Elm, that I thought of like the Parsons desk at West Elm, was one of those products that just broke through. Everyone had it at one point. Everybody knew about it. And I hadn't seen one of those in a while. And so I think I probably was eager to get my hands on product. And I knew that it had 100 stores in North America.

18:52And I knew that – so I knew that it was operating at some scale that would be – would mean that, like, when you can kick into, like, the right mode, it's exciting. You know? It's a big enough business that the moves you make matter and you have the scale to, like, make some real – make some big moves. Yeah. And I didn't know that this, like, supply chain was the most killer. You know, that we can – being part of the Williams-Sonoma family of brands is like you just have unbelievable best-in-class fill-in-the-blank, all of the things. I don't think I knew how great the people were. I don't think I knew how great the product was, frankly, until I got inside.

19:34Right. Well, and the so for for many years, Laura Albers always saying on the call, West Elm, it's going to be this huge thing. Wait till you see. It's going to be a multibillion dollar brand. And off we go. And and it did have this incredible growth spurt. And and then it sort of stumbled a little bit. And some of that momentum kind of came out of it. And and I don't know. what was conveyed to you when you first got here. Look, here's what we need you to do. I don't know if you got any kind of really specific marching orders about like, this is a great brand, help us out, let's get it back on track and have it be all it can be with, as you say, this incredible team, it's incredible, right?

20:19All this history. Well, I think that the timing is important, right? Because we were all in our post-pandemic hangover. So it's tough to know the macro was tough for home. And still is. Yeah, I know. We're so eager to be in the past tense. But to be honest, I really don't think about it like that on a daily basis. I just think about... You don't think about those big macro challenges. I do, but it's pretty compartmentalized, right? Because I'm wired and my boss is wired to focus on what you control. And there's so much good stuff to do. So you focus on the macro such that you have like an intelligent plan around it.

21:05But if you start giving it too much brain space, then you're going to be a follower. But anyway, so that was the moment. I think there was a context around like we had this unbelievable couple of years. But to be fair, West Elm had had growth every single year since its founding. Unbelievable. And real growth, like strong growth. Yeah. So it was sort of this like lightning situation. And I think the truth is Laura, so I think she was like, go do a good job. She's like, make the product better. Right. Make the images better. Make the stores better. It's like, go get in there and figure out what people are loving and take some bets on some things that you think the data isn't telling you yet that that's cool, but you know it's cool and make it beautiful.

21:58And so I think she has had, frankly, more wise counsel than I've ever gotten from anyone, which is a funny thing to say at this point in your career. And also, we walked through a store together and she said, which do you think is the best selling bed? she's so like in it herself she is so she is such a like an olympian at this that she's more than um equipped to like assess whether someone can do this and so once i was once i was in it was like please run the play you know go after it like get it was kind of the energy which which was amazing because it ended up being a startup, a$2 billion startup.

22:44It was the thing that I thought was probably a fantasy, but it is not. When you looked around, what did you immediately know you wanted to start to focus on? Because you've really taken your time and it's been more than two years, right? Yeah. It's like the very simple thing is product first. and product has a lead time, a development lead time. So you come in, you know, in April of 2023 and, and the first time you can have a real impact is, you know, something like 12 months later. And, and that's like the dive in, you know, in the shallow end. And then 18 months later, you really start to see it.

23:25And then, you know, two years later, you feel like you've like gotten to impact the product with a little, with a little bit of a learning curve too. Like you, You take some bets in the first season and you watch and you learn. And so I was really clear with my team that we were just going to focus on the product first. And then I would say the next thing was creative, right? Creative meaning photography and our stores. So first you focus on the product and then you focus on where the product lives and how it's seen. And then you really start talking about the work that hopefully at that point you're really proud of.

24:06And the timing is really fun because we launched our collaboration with Pearson Ward this week, which is like the biggest, funnest bet that we've taken. and so it's something I'm really excited to talk about now. You know, it's like. Yeah, now that it's here. Now that it's here. Now that it's selling out and it's not even in stores yet. Yes, exactly. Right? Exactly, yeah. Yeah. And so the partnership, the product is really good and the creative is really good. And, you know, so you're kind of like, this is, and it's a real bet. Like we went after it. We went for it because we just saw. So tell me what that means.

24:48Because I love that, even that expression, like we really went after it. Like, what does that mean to you? As we were in the product development process, I think we went in with some idea about what this product plan was going to be. And as you go through the product development process, you're like, oh, this is really good. Maybe we should do more. Maybe we buy both. You go through this where there's a natural editing and attrition process that happens through product development. And then sometimes you just trust your gut. So we knew we wanted to work with them and we were really excited to work with them.

25:21But then once we met them, and then once we started actually seeing the product come together, I think it was like, okay, everybody, just let this flow. Let's just see how big this thing can be. And we didn't buy enough. The answer is we weren't. I was feeling very proud of us for being bold, and we did not buy enough. We could have bought more, and we will, and it's so good. Well, I mean, it sounds like really some things are sold out already. Yes, unfortunately. I mean, I don't know. It's good news, bad news. That's a nice problem. A wonderful problem to have. You'd rather have that than nobody likes it.

25:58Yes. Nobody's excited. And also just like the buzz about it is so real. Like there's just, you know, you can feel it when a bunch of people are texting you and emailing you and you're kind of seeing it like pop up different places. And it's really like, this product is so good. You know, that's kind of the headline distilled down. Well, and did that make you think, great, because I'm going to change whatever your perception might be about West Elm, I'm going to change it up. And here you go. And this is part of that. And you already knew that people were well disposed to it, as you were saying earlier, right?

26:34People were like, oh, great. Yeah, yeah. Right. But now you feel like you're just bringing it up another level, it sounds like. I mean, I think the thing about West Elm is that it was so great at a particular time that sometimes when that happens, like it came out of the gate so, so, so strong. And so sometimes brands sort of like, you have this really strong visual for it. So for me, it was the Parsons desk. For some people, it's whatever. But they're like, I didn't. And that was the thing when I would talk to people about West Elm, they would be like, you know what I got from West Elm? And I loved that because it was like, everyone gets to get involved with this brand.

27:16I think the reality is, even if brands have really, really strong points of view, and that point of view doesn't change at all, the way that they show up in one decade to another is slightly different. Because the trend, the people who are their people, their customers, and what they're responding to, they're getting different inputs. They're following different trends. And so I really believe that the vibe of West Elm is exactly the same, but the trend isn't. It's not the year that the Parsons desk was brought out anymore. And so we get to let that vibe or DNA of West Elm show up in this moment and be really thoughtful and careful about what that means.