1128: Barclay Butera:The Business Behind the Legacy

Today with Barclay Butera Sometimes on the show we are fortunate enough to speak with true icons of our day. And today, I am excited to chat with one of those designers—the legendary Barclay Butera. Today Barclay is back on the show to talk about the big picture, from the story of his first big break at a celebrity show house, the lessons he learned from scaling his business up to over 100 employees and then consciously scaling it back down. More About Barclay Butera Since 1994, Barclay Butera has been the creative force behind his prestigious design firm and flagship showroom in Newport Beach, California. His success in Newport prompted him to establish a second location in the exclusive enclave of Park City, Utah. Renowned for his approachable elegance and glamorous, chic interiors, Butera draws inspiration from a diverse range of influences including high-fashion runways, his extensive world travels, grand European architecture and the timeless allure of The Golden Age of Hollywood. Butera’s design signature is distinctive: classic with a fresh twist, seamlessly integrating traditional, transitional, and contemporary styles. His artful inclusion of heritage pieces blends effortlessly with distinctive furnishings, pattern-on-pattern fabrics, and bold textures—all hallmarks of his iconic all-American style. Over the past three decades, Butera’s passion for interior design has evolved into an impressive lifestyle enterprise, sought after worldwide. A landmark achievement in Butera's career came with the release of his “Yacht on Wheels” edition of the Rolls-Royce Dawn at the internationally renowned Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach, CA. As the first interior designer in the 100+ year history of the iconic brand to collaborate on such a project, Butera crafted a stunning luxury convertible featuring crisp white and navy tones with teak and nautical accents, setting the automotive industry abuzz. In addition to his thriving interior design business, Butera’s venture into licensing has landed him an unprecedented number of the industry’s most respected partners including: Lexington Home Brands furniture, Kravet indoor and outdoor textiles and carpets, Leftbank Art, Eastern Accents bedding and luxury down, Jaipur Living rugs, Bradburn lighting, Mirror Home decorative mirrors, Napa Home & Garden accessories, Castelle outdoor furniture, Winfield Thybony wallcoverings, and YORK/MDC Interior Solutions commercial wallcoverings. Expanding his licensing empire, Butera launched a collection of luxury chandeliers and sconces with Fine Art Handcrafted Lighting and hand painted porcelain with Legend Accents for his new Barclay Butera Couture brand. Most recently, Butera introduced his eighth furniture collection, Montecito, with industry powerhouse Lexington Home Brands. A designer for the ages, Butera’s spectacular projects, extensive licensing collections, and luxury rental properties are regularly featured in global consumer publications, as well as shelter and lifestyle magazines. Connect with Barclay Butera ⁠Website⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ Listen to Barclay’s Keynote presentation at ⁠Design Edge Orange County (Sept 18th)⁠ Grand Re-Opening of their Park City Design Firm/Showroom (Sept 25th) ⁠Design Biz Retreat (Oct 6th & 7th)⁠ ⁠High Point Market (Fall 2025)⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Other Resources Mentioned: This podcast supports the ⁠Savvy Giving Design Coalition⁠. Learn more about it ⁠here⁠! ⁠AWDB #717 Susan Wintersteen: Interior design firm standards in a nonprofit passion project⁠ ⁠AWDB #164: Susan Wintersteen- Savvy Giving by Design⁠ Other Shows Mentioned: ⁠AWDB #122 Barclay Butera- Mix Talent + Opportunity + Business Savvy = Epic Interior Design Business⁠ ⁠AWDB #507 Barclay Butera 25 Years of Beautiful Design⁠ AWDB #968 Overheard: Charles Pavarini, Leyden Lewis, and Maria Viola: How to Harness Creativity in Interior Design ⁠AWDB #1002 Power Talk Friday:Sara Kravet: VP Furniture at Kravet Inc.⁠⁠AWDB Scott Kravet⁠