Thomas Pheasant
View Slideshow
When I begin with a new client, I always...
Ask them what it is about my interiors that attracts them. Since my work has been published, most people already have a sense of what I do, but I don't know them, and I'm interested in the feeling they get from looking at pictures of my work. I find I often get similar responses from people—like "tranquillity," "serenity" and "rooms that are easy to live in."
The mistake most people make when doing their own designing is...
Scale. People tend to do the safe thing in terms of color and scale, whether it's the moldings or the case pieces. They're usually afraid and very timid about scale, but you have to be willing to push the envelope and go a little larger to create an exciting backdrop.
The most unusual request from a client was...
"Surprise me!" I knew the clients and had worked with them on their main house. This was for their vacation home. They wanted me to just do it, so they would just walk in and be knocked out. It was very fun, though the responsibility for me increased tenfold, since I didn't have the clients participating in decision making.
For someone who wants a big look on a small budget today...
Color doesn't cost anything. Unity in color is important. The idea is to pick a palette and work within it, using different textures in the same color family to create interest and give the room a complete feeling. Also, it's always better to take your budget and divide it by five rather than by 15. It's more important to have five great pieces than 15 mediocre ones.
One of the best things right now to collect for an investment is...
Photography. There are wonderful photographers out there, both known and unknown, and there are so many images available that almost anyone can collect. In terms of furniture and antiques, you have to invest a lot of time and do a lot of looking and shopping to know what's good. But more than anything, you should always collect what you love looking at. That's far better than buying something that you don't like as an investment.
In the area of home electronics, people are asking for...
Simpler lighting systems; home systems that control the lighting, security, telephone. These systems have been so complicated for the homeowner. I try to work as the liaison with the electronics person they bring in. People don't like to read manuals. Often you have a very expensive system, and by the time you install it, you're looking at antiquated technology.
In the next ten years the most important thing in design will be...
Trends in interiors will always be there. But my hope is that eventually we will look at what's available in our environment. If not, conservation may be something that is imposed upon us. So much of what I do relies on millwork and stone and woods, and so many of those materials are used in new construction. We're going to have to find new possibilities for finishes and materials. There's so much development, and the materials are so limited.
My biggest design mistake was...
When I was nine, I decided to redo my bedroom, so I dyed my chenille bedspread black—only it turned out kind of a mousy brown. I realized then that there were things that I could and couldn't do, and that I would have to hire people to do some of them.
My favorite room to design is...
The entrance hall, because it sets the stage and vocabulary for the whole residence.
I change my own interiors...
My home is pretty much the way I like it. The fundamentals don't seem to change, but I do like experimenting with something new. That process often creates a kind of domino effect, and I start looking at other things in the room. For example, I recently brought in six new dining chairs that I'd designed, and then I changed the table in the next room to pull the woods together. But I have such a great outlet for creativity in my work. I love my home; I love coming home and closing the door and not thinking about the draperies, the chairs or the carpets. I'm very content.
There are many rules designers should bear in mind. One is...
It's not your house! Part of the definition of what I do as a residential designer is to create an environment for other people with those people in mind. It's funny, because each of my clients feels that his or her place is the best one or that it represents my best work. While my work does reflect me, it's also about the collaboration between me and the client to create something exactly right for them.
The order I follow when I design is...
Architecture—defining the space and doing the finishes; furniture plans, lighting plans; then color and fabrics.
Every home must have...
A private room, a retreat that's all about closing the door. For me, it's a library with a computer; for someone else it's a studio for painting. No matter what, it has to be a space that's all about you and what you like to have around you. This is particularly important if you share your space with someone; it relieves the pressure of having "our" space, which is often a more neutral collection of ideas. If you can do it, having your own space is very healthy.
Design likes and dislikes...
Likes: Building interiors around collections.
Dislikes: Building an interior around a fabric.
My personal dream house would be...
It's changing all the time, depending on where I am! There are so many fantastic places, so the more I travel, the more it changes. Last month it was a château in the Loire; then it was a glass box in Monterey. I like what's good, whether it's old or new.
Who or what has influenced my style...
When I think of style, I think of something that can't be influenced. Style is who you are, what you're about; it's an approach, a way of thinking. For me, it's a serene, calm, organized way of being. My style is constant, it's consistent, though exposure to people and color and travel brings new things to my style.
Three essentials for entertaining are...
An easy menu—because it's not about culinary gymnastics, it's about people—great lighting and really great music.
If I could live anywhere (other than where I am), it would be...
My home is in Washington, D.C., and I have an apartment in Paris. Right now I'm in the States 75 percent of the time. My goal in the future is to change that ratio and spend more time in Paris. I feel very lucky—I live in my two favorite cities.