Explore Home - A Podcast from Universal Furniture

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Amy Bartlam, owner of Los Angeles based Amy Bartlam Photography. Listen as Amy describes her road to becoming an interior design photographer. As a child in England, both her parents were deeply involved in the arts, and encouraged their children to be so as well. Amy's father let her use his cameras for school projects and a lifelong love affair with photography was born.
Amy’s first “real” job was assisting a wedding photographer. Her favorite part of photographing weddings was focusing on the spaces and details. This led Amy to pursue photographing interiors. Neil and Amy discuss the artistry and skill it takes to plan and execute a beautiful interior. When photographing for interior design projects, Amy always asks “what story are you trying to tell.” There is a misconception that photography is reality, but what it is really doing is telling a story, evoking a feeling. When building a brand it is important to tell the story that you want clients to see.
Neil and Amy talk about how Instagram and Pinterest have changed the way she approaches photographing an interior, it is imperative to plan what and how you are going to photograph an environment to maximize its impact on social media. Finally, Amy discusses some of her most recent projects with RUE Magazine, Southern Home Magazine and Universal. To see Amy’s work, visit https://www.instagram.com/amybartlam/

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Will Brinson, CBS Sports Senior Writer. Listen as Will details how he went from an English major at NC State to a sports writer for CBS. Will began his career writing on sports message boards on his lunch breaks, he caught the eye of a sports blogger and from there, worked his way up the ranks. He has been hanging on tight to his dream job ever since.
Will and Neil discuss the similarities between a well-run NFL organization and a well-run company. Both have faith in the people hired to manage day to day tasks. Both know how to delegate and let people do what they do best. Both know when to step in and when to step away. Will has seen the benefits firsthand of organizations that recognize their resources and manage them well. They then review how the NFL has managed to capture the attention of fans year-round, from the draft to the Super Bowl, the NFL has discovered the secret of making a Sunday game become a year-round entertainment machine.

You can read Will’s articles at cbssports.com or listen to his Pick Six NFL Podcast.

Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Erinn Valencich, interior designer, real estate developer, and entrepreneur. Listen as Erinn details how she first made her way into the design industry, starting with some special childhood roots. Neil and Erinn then touch on Erinn’s progression into the custom design industry. They then discuss Erinn’s exciting new furniture collaboration with Universal, as well as take a closer look at what inspires Erinn and how she uses that inspiration to execute timeless pieces. After a chat on what Erinn is most excited about as she releases her Universal line during market, they then touch on her connection with StyleRow, which will be featured in Universal’s Designer's Lounge.

For more on Erinn, you can visit erinnvdesigngroup.com or follow her on Instagram at @erinnvstyle. Erinn will also be hosting several events during High Point Market at the Universal Showroom. You can visit universalfurniture.com/marketevents for more information.

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 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.