David Netto on a life in design – Business of Home

David Netto has always balanced a love of tradition with a pinch of iconoclasm. He grew up on the Upper East Side and went to the venerable boys private school Buckleybut hated it (they wanted him to be a jock, he wasnt). Later he went to Harvard for a masters in architecturethen dropped out. Now hes a respected interior designer working out of Los Angelesbut he spends half his time writing (books, and a column for Town & Country).

In this weeks episode of the Business of Home podcast (sponsored by Chairish and Google), Netto speaks with host Dennis Scullyanother Buckley graduatein front of a live audience at the New York School of Interior Design. They cover a wide range of topics, from the effect of the AIDS on the design community to the wit of Dorothy Draper.

Below, listen to the episode and check out a few takeaways. If you like what you hear, subscribe to the podcast (free of charge!) and a new episode will be delivered to you every week.

Go BoldSurprise: Media is in trouble. But there are silver linings, according to Netto. For one, the rise of digital media has made certain print mediumsbooks, specificallymore desirable. Magazines occupy a dangerous middle ground, and Netto says its time for something new. The time when youre on your ass, and theres no end in sight, no backstop to the adversitythats not the time to try and be a people-pleaser; I think thats the time to lead, because you actually have nothing to lose, he says. I think terrible mistakes are being made at certain magazines that I love, because the leadership is not really invested in anything but trying to keep it alive. Its the time for bold new points of view. Maybe none of it will work, but if you dont stand for quality, I really dont see that youre doing anything but looking at your watch and trying to pay your kids college tuition before it all goes away in a couple of years.

Watch for happy accidentsWhat does a 1936 Bugatti coupe have to do with great design? Everything, says Netto. When they made the prototype of the car, they were using a lightweight aluminum that couldnt be welded ... so they riveted the prototype together in two pieces. When they used the actual car, they didnt need to use the riveted spine, but by then everyone had realized that this detail was the whole soul of the car. Its a lesson in keeping your eyes open and embracing mistakes, he says.

Tell a StoryIn addition to his design projects all over the U.S., Netto writes a regular column for Town & Country, and has written for The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal in addition to authoring several books. He finds that theres a lot in common between both halves of his career: A good decorator is a storyteller. Ive met great decorators that couldnt write or draw anything, but they tell a story.

Homepage photo by Marc Hom

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David Netto on a life in design - Business of Home