Traveling the world certainly has its advantages. While I call NYC my home, I do get to visit a lot of wonderful places that are not only captivating but inspiring. This past weekend I was featured in the Wall Street Journal speaking about my favorite space – Jim Thompson former Bangkok home.  A major collector of southeast art, he and I are very similar in our beliefs of infusing many elements together creating a cohesive space. Showing how one’s love for travel can translate into any home.  This space has inspired my aesthetics for years so; I was excited to provide tips on how to get the look of this home.  Offering advice on how to conquer casual intent, to brightening dark finishes with glittery accents.   Showing how you can have a neutral space, but change the mood with rich textures and colored pillows. The key component to a successful room is one that makes you forget that everything comes from different points of view and this house proves just that.  If you are ever in Bangkok, this is the interior to visit! It’s an open invitation to beauty.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304451104577390471079940282.html

How do you choose to deal with transparency?

One of the things that I do is remove all the labels off the fabrics so the clients are seeing the materials and not tags.  We press all the samples so they’re not wrinkled, and I lay them out on a tray before the presentation in the order that I am going to present them.  I also present the photographs of items (lamps, etc.) in the same order.  To reduce stress, I have everything organized beforehand.  I think it makes the client feel that you have it all under control.

I have a notepad in front of each person, and at the beginning of the presentation I ask them to write down questions, and I tell them I’ll answer them at the end of the presentation.  This helps them stay focused and puts them in absorbing mode.  Usually by the time I finish presenting the room, I probably have answered their questions.

I use black and white renderings, hand-drawn – black and white because I prefer painting the color in front of the client and a hand-drawn because it has a warmer, less-mechanical look to it.  I start from the front door in, and when I’m presenting a room, I start with the ceiling, walls, floor, window treatments, upholstery, case goods, and then lighting.  It makes it easier to organize this way, and it’s almost like putting a puzzle together.  At the end of the presentation, I give the client a presentation book with the renderings and artistically arrange the fabrics for the individual rooms with the pictures.  If I don’t have a picture, I include a room plan.  In the back of book are pages of estimate cost (e.g. sofa costs $X amount), so at the end of the presentation, they know how much everything will cost.

It’s very helpful to have gone through questions with the client, finding out their likes, dislikes, and thoughts about the function of each room.  This helps me design for the clients with their requirements.

What’s your advice on presenting?